Exclusive Bitten by Books
Interview with Author Dorothy Morrison
A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prizes being offered up. Open to readers worldwide!
NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 10:00 pm CDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments over the next few days.
Interview:
Hi Dorothy!
Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!
I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Dorothy’s latest release Lucinda’s Web
.
BBB: What do you find the most challenging and the most rewarding aspect of writing?
DM: Since I have a home office, one of the challenges for me is in getting way-laid by stuff that needs to be done around the house. I’ll get up to fill my coffee cup, and notice that the laundry basket’s full. I’ll toss a load in the washer and see an item in the utility room that really belongs in the kitchen. The trip to the kitchen brings another task to light, and it goes on from there. So in order to stick to my writing schedule, I’ve had to train myself to walk through the house with blinders on. It’s a good thing I married a man who actually likes to do housework; otherwise, we’d live in a pigsty! Chuckle!
The other thing is that I firmly believe there’s no such thing as the book that hasn’t already been written. And no one wants to read a rehash of the same old stuff. So finding a fresh angle, searching out and incorporating new information, and keeping the writing both interesting and entertaining can also be a bit tricky.
But it’s all worthwhile when fans bring their tattered books to a signing.[The more dilapidated they are, the more excited I am. In fact, I nearly danced around the room the day a woman brought in a copy of Everyday Magic with the cover duct-taped back on!] That’s because I can see that those books have actually been used. That the information inside was something that not only worked for those readers, but something they continue to apply. And there’s nothing more rewarding for me than proof of a job well
done.
BBB: Your books seem extremely well researched. Do you enjoy this part of writing? What resources do you find most helpful?
DM: I have a real fondness for obscure facts - I’m so fond of them, in fact, that I’ve often been teased about being a walking, talking wealth of useless information - and serious research is the only way to uncover them. Once I dig one up, I’ll spend hours trying to figure out where it fits in the big picture, why so few people know about it, and how it got lost in the shuffle. Was it just too trivial to mention? Or was it so embarrassing to someone that it was intentionally left out of the history books? And if so, exactly who was embarrassed? Of course, I have to find out. So the research continues with one piece of information leading to another and another, until personal fascination starts to border upon obsession. It’s at that point that I have to force myself to stop fact-finding and start writing. Otherwise, I’d never get a book finished. 
While the internet can be a good starting point when it comes to research, using it as a stand alone resource really isn’t a good idea because a lot of the information found there just isn’t true. So if I find something interesting on the web, I always check it against the reference books in my personal library and/or the public library. But my favorite research tool comes in the form of the up-close-and-personal. If my writing involves a city, for example, I travel there to get the layout of area and experience the atmosphere. I collect local maps, gather brochures of the points of interest, and visit them myself if time allows. If it involves a way of life or past event, I schedule an appointment with someone who knows the information firsthand. Sometimes, it’s a local historian, a college professor, or someone whose occupation is related to the information I need. If I really get lucky, though, it’s a person who actually lived through a particular event - or had family who did - and can give me a personal spin on what really happened and how it felt to be a part of it. There’s no better resource than that!
BBB: which is more difficult? Writing fictional or nonfictional?
DM: Writing non-fiction is easy for me, since facts are facts and there’s nothing I can do to change them. My only job there is to present those facts in an entertaining fashion - using a conversational tone and relating some personal anecdotes to add humor helps - and once I’m sure I’ve done that, I’m finished.
That’s not the case with writing fiction. While the ability to spin a good tale helps, there’s more to it than that. A lot more. Good dialogue relies on perfect timing. Since characters are not only born of the author’s imagination but also contain fragments of his or her personality, it’s important that they don’t all sound like the author. They must act and react in a way that only they would. And managing that flawlessly - at least, at the beginning - often means sitting back and giving it some serious thought.
Unless, of course, the author simply relinquishes control and lets the characters tell the story themselves, which - even though I’m somewhat of a control freak - is what I eventually decided to do with Lucinda’s Web.
It sounded easy enough. And at first, everything zipped along beautifully. The characters came alive on the page, and I was thrilled. What I didn’t realize, though, was that in giving the characters license to tell their own stories, I had, in effect, given them life. A real life of sorts. A life not only strong enough to change the original storyline and subplots, but to alter who they actually were. [You can't even imagine how freaked out I was to discover that one of my heroes wasn't the fabulous guy I'd envisioned! Chuckle!]
It was a truly eye-opening experience and one with which I wasn’t entirely comfortable. Okay…I’ll admit it…I wasn’t comfortable with it at all. At the same time, though, two things were certain: I’d already gone too far to turn back, and I was intrigued by the unlimited number of possibilities at hand. And it’s that realm of limitless possibility that makes fictional writing more difficult for me.
BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2
or Sony Digital Book Reader
to the environment?
DM: Although lots of folks use them under the guise of being environmentally friendly, most of the people I’ve met who offer that reason really don’t seem to give a damn about saving Mother Earth. [If they did, they start by finding a garbage can for their litter and an ashtray for their cigarette butts. ;)] For the most part, I think it’s just an excuse for their real motivation - something I’ll address in my answer to the next question.
Will it save trees? Maybe. But what most folks don’t realize is two-fold. First of all, paper manufactures have their own “paper forests,” and plant two trees for every one that’s used. [These are fast-growing trees and of the same variety as those harvested for paper - something I learned when I lived in close proximity to the Westvaco plant many years ago.] The other thing is that the number of trees harvested for paper manufacturing is much smaller than it once was, as recycling has become less expensive. [I've also been told that the technology for creating paper from other substances has been available for some time, but whether that paper is suitable for books or is being used for them, I can't say.]
But even if none of that were so, I think that folks who really do use those devices for the right reasons are missing something. The fact of the matter is that our landfills are already overflowing with worn-out computers, peripherals, and electronic equipment. And until someone comes up with an environmentally friendly plan to dispose of these devices, those who continue to purchase and use them will eventually only serve to exacerbate the problem rather than solve it.
BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?
DM: Electronic readers are a very sore subject with me right now - and to be perfectly honest, I wish they’d never been created! Chuckle!
The fact of the matter is that most folk don’t purchase e-books. Instead, they wind up at a site where they can download files containing hundreds of books at the click of the mouse. And while that sounds good in theory, the truth of the matter is that it’s every author’s nightmare. Why? Because the books are pirated. Neither the publisher nor the author gave anyone permission to create e-books of their works. The author doesn’t get a penny - not even if the site subscribers paid a nominal fee for the privilege of download. And to make matters worse, the “companies” offering the downloads are usually based overseas, and can’t be prosecuted here with any success. So the author loses a ton of money while the pirates get rich. And there’s nothing we can do about it.
There are cases, though, where publishers have given permission for books to be formatted for electronic readers. [The Kindle format comes to mind here.] But thus far, that’s been a problem for me as well. To start with, there seems to be a problem with a clear accounting of exactly what’s been purchased and downloaded. For another, the publisher involved can’t seem to decide exactly what royalty percentage its authors should be paid per download, if any. It seems that the Kindle downloads are so inexpensive, they could be written off at a price below wholesale. And if that’s the case, many authors won’t get royalties at all as most contracts don’t allow for payment on any book sold below wholesale. [Average royalty percentages are about 10% of the wholesale price of the book, with wholesale prices being about half the cover price.]
Given time, I’m sure all this will get straightened out. I just wish it had been before the publisher in question jumped on the bandwagon and offered so many of my titles for format.
BBB: How were you introduced to Paganism?
DM: Oddly enough, my introduction to Paganism came by way of a professional tarot reader whom I’d befriended. She’d invited me to a party, and what I didn’t realize was that it wasn’t your normal get-together. Instead, it was an “after coven-meet” party - I knew that she and her friends were Wiccan, but I had no idea what that meant - so I was totally taken off-guard. When it finally occurred to me that everyone in the room was a Witch, I was absolutely terrified - at that point in my life, all I knew about Witches came straight from accounts written by the Brothers Grimm - but once I realized that I hadn’t been invited as a sacrifice for the main event, I settled down. And what I discovered was very surprising - so much so, that eventually embraced Paganism, myself.
BBB: What do you view as being the most challenging aspect of being Pagan and writing or making a profit off of books that teach the craft?
DM: Well…Pagan authors certainly aren’t on the fast track toward striking it rich - at least, not through their book royalties - if that’s what you’re asking! LOL!
Fact is, it’s a niche genre - one that only sells to a small portion of the consumer public - so a Pagan author’s work is just beginning when a book is finished. Actually making a living requires a lot of public appearances [both at retail stores and festivals], as well as an unbelievable number of seminar and lecture bookings. So…I’ve found it necessary to be on the road six to seven months out of each year.
It’s a lot of time away from home. And I’m very fortunate that it doesn’t put a strain on my marriage. [We're both workaholics and both understand the importance of good work ethics.] Instead, it has just the opposite effect. Since I’m never home long enough to argue about anything, we haven’t had a real spat in the whole ten years we’ve been married. And because my husband and I don’t get to see each other on a day-to-day basis, it’s almost like having an illicit love affair.
But truth be told, time on the road is absolutely exhausting. It often requires 18-hour days in four-inch heels, and smiling whether you feel like it or not. [You wouldn't believe some of the things people have the audacity to say.] It requires honoring the appearance commitment even if you’re sick as a dog and are running a fever of 102. [People have paid to see you and they expect you to be there.] It requires managing on as little as four hours of sleep per night before having to drag yourself out of bed, put on a happy face, and do it all again. [You know you've been on the road too long when you need to check the phone book to see what city you're in.] And once you’re finally home again? It requires heading straight to the computer again in order to meet your contractual deadlines.
It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done. But when the choice is between success or starvation, it really is a no-brainer.
BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming? What’s in store for the cast in Lucinda’s Web?
DM: I’m currently working on another project for the metaphysical market, one that I’m absolutely thrilled about for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s never been done to the extent I’ve planned, and will not only offer readers a fresh perspective and new ideas, but a wealth of information that’s never been published. It’s also giving me an opportunity to do something I haven’t been able to do for a while - some hands-on experimentation with herbs, oils, potions and other magical formulae - and I’m really enjoying that. It’s a huge undertaking that will probably cover two volumes. And as a result, it probably won’t be on
bookshelves until late in 2010. But the end result will be well worth the effort, and I’m hoping that my readers will be just as excited about it as I am.
And for Lucinda’s Web fans? The cast is still alive and well. The sequel, tentatively entitled Mahogany Strands, is also in the works. And while I can’t give away the storyline, I can say that it will pick up right where Lucinda’s Webb left off. There’s also a prequel on the back burner, and if things go according to plan, Calliope Jones - my favorite cultural anthropologist - may even wind up with her own series.
BBB: Does you prefer tarot cards or runes for divination or something else entirely?
DM: I definitely prefer the Tarot
as I find the answers far less cryptic than with other forms of divination.
BBB: How did you come up with the idea for the storyline in Lucinda’s Web? Did you base some of it off your own belief systems?
DM: It’s often said that fact is stranger than fiction, and that definitely holds true in Lucinda’s Web, as a good amount of the storyline actually happened. It all started when I moved into a dilapidated old house less than half a block from the city cemetery, and discovered a headstone with a rather peculiar inscription. To say the inscription haunted me was putting it mildly. In fact, the truth behind it and the identity of the body lying beneath it damned near consumed me. [Yeah…it threw me right in research mode again! Chuckle!] I spent months trying to solve the puzzle. I enlisted my friends. I made countless phone calls and talked to more people than you can imagine. Before it was said and done, I think I was on a first-name basis with every single person who lived in that town. But it wasn’t until I sat down and started writing the story that things began to fall into place.
So was some of the story based on my own belief systems? Absolutely. But it was also rooted in the beliefs and personalities of the folks who lived through the events - most of the characters were based on friends involved in the search - the rich cultural diversity of my early childhood environment, my personal life experience and my love of history. Combining it all into a novel was a wonderful experience - and even afforded me the luxury of tossing in an obscure fact or two!
BBB: If you could shapeshift, what animal would you be? And why?
DM: What a thought-provoking question! But after mulling it over for a while, I finally settled on the common bat - and for reasons of a practical nature. Since they’re nocturnal, they’re seldom seen and seldom hunted. What’s more, they travel swiftly and are small enough to slip through the most miniscule of spaces - both good qualities if you’re looking to get a job done.
BBB: What is your all time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy book?
DM: There’s nothing quite like putting the guest author on the spot! LOL! Unless I’ve been invited to write an endorsement blurb for another author’s project, I’ve pretty much stopped reading the genre since the completion of Lucinda’s Web. It’s not that I like it less than I once did; instead, it’s that today’s plagiarism laws are extremely sticky - it’s unbelievable what constitutes such these days - so it’s best to just avoid the situation entirely.
The other thing is that the author community is a pretty tight family, and if I choose one author’s book over another’s, it’s going to get me into trouble. So what I’ll say here is this: I’ve always enjoyed the work of M.R. Sellars, Maggie Shayne, Madelyn Alt, Kelly Armstrong, Kim Strickland, Morven Westfield, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
How’s that for skirting the issue? LOL!
BBB: Is there a particular person who you look up to as a role model or mentor as far as personal growth? If so, who is it and why?
DM: It would have to be my parents. My father had very little formal education, and yet he was one of the smartest men I ever knew. He was quite the equestrian, a brilliant mathematician, and one of the great criminologists of his time. He did a lot for our town and its people, and even went as far as to institute the police department there. And no matter where the road of life took him, it was a given that he’d somehow meet with success.
My mother was an interesting person as well. By the age of three, she’d taught herself to read and write by looking at the newspaper. She was a poet, a master gardener, and taught illiterate adults to read. She was a strong, independent woman who weathered some things in her lifetime that I couldn’t even imagine having to handle. And yet, through it all, she managed to be kind and gracious, poised and charming.
Together, they somehow managed to raise me - the most active and sassy of their children. [Okay…so I was pretty feisty. And since they were older when I was born, I'm sure that dealing with that much commotion was a real pain.] But looking back, I think they did a damned good job. They taught me to be independent. They raised me to believe that I could be anyone I wanted to be, hold any job I wanted hold, and live any life I was able to dream. But they also reminded me - constantly, it seemed at the time - that doing so took hard work, and that I wasn’t entitled to anything I didn’t earn. They taught me that life wasn’t fair, that hard knocks were bound to come along the way, and that the most valuable tool in my box of tricks was the courage to pull myself up by the bootstraps and move forward. [I think that bit of advice came when I was learning to ride my bicycle, and after I'd tumbled down the hill for the sixth or seventh time that day. ;)]
Gods only know where I’d be if I hadn’t had parents who’d had enough sense to raise me as they did. But one thing’s for sure: I am who I am - and where I am - today because I did. And their good advice coupled with the way they lived their lives is what’s put me there.
BBB: How did you get involved with the Pagan’s Poets Society? And M.A.G.I.C.- a magical writers and artist organization?
DM: Early in my writing career - as a competition archer, I’d been writing mostly for bowhunting magazines at the time and had just begun to tap the Pagan market - I ran across a membership ad for the Pagan Poet’s Society. I wrote for the membership application, and submitted the required number of original poems and the paperwork. [It was long before the internet and nothing was as quick or easy as it is today.] Months later - so many, in fact, I’d forgotten I’d even applied for membership - I got a note of acceptance, and I’ve been a member ever since. [The organization is currently headed by author Gerina Dunwich, and applications can now be found online.]
MAGIC is now defunct, but was originally founded by Patricia Telesco in an effort to provide an organization in which magical writers and artists could work together, share ideas, and help each other. It was a great concept. But since it was also formed before the internet, it required a lot of time spent writing letters to each other - long distance was extremely expensive back then - and most of us simply couldn’t spare the time from our deadlines to manage that. Today, though, there are a lot of groups and forums using that concept and meeting with great success.
BBB: What is your favorite quote of all time?
DM: Oh, geeze…are you really going to make me choose just one?! Chuckle!
If so, I guess I’ll have to go with the following as it’s frequently reminded me that nothing - not even wiggling out of a nastiest situation imaginable - is impossible:
“A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
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Readers, learn more about Dorothy Morrison here:
Read the Bitten by Books reviews of the author’s work here.
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.
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Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. 16 lucky participants will win Dorothy will be giving away FIFTEEN copies of Lucinda’s Web PLUS an amazing magical prize package that includes:
1 copy of Lucinda’s Web
1 Lucinda’s Web coffee mug
1 Lucinda’s Web tote bag
1 each of the four spell kits associated with Lucinda’s Web: 1 Lucinda’s Love Trick, 1 Marie Laveau kit, 1 Elegba kit, and 1 Oya kit
The contest portion of the event runs for 1 week! Come by any time. The contest IS open to readers worldwide.
Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.
1. In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is leave a comment or question. Feel free to start a discussion or ask as many questions as you like. No talking = no entries! You can come by everyday through 4/6/09 and comment for more entries. Good for 10 entries.
2. Purchase copies of Dorothy’s awesome books USING THE LINKS BELOW today THROUGH 4/6/09 from AMAZON. Then send us a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for THIRTY additional entries. You get THIRTY entries for each book you purchase. You can buy print, Kindle or audio downloads of her books and they count as well. Not valid on past purchases. Please use these links below to buy her most recent books.
Fiction:
Lucinda’s Web
Non Fiction:
Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions
Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living
The Craft - A Witch’s Book of Shadows
The Craft Companion
Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living
Everyday Sun Magic: Spells & Rituals for Radiant Living
Bud, Blossom & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener’s Handbook
Everyday Tarot Magic: Meditation & Spells
Or buy ANYTHING from Amazon today THROUGH 4/6/09 by using the Amazon search box on the right hand side of our site. We will know if you used the box to search and buy, so please be sure to use it or your entries won’t count. Send me a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per item purchased.
3. Read the Bitten by Books review of Dorothy’s book here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=58&book_author_id=Dorothy%20Morrison
Then leave a meaningful comment IN THE REVIEW post that shows you read the review, not just a post that says “sounds good” or “nice review”, a couple of sentences would be great! Simply share your thoughts, ideas or opinions and show the author some love. Good for 5 entries per review you comment on.
4. Post the link to Dorothy’s review on Bitten by books along with your thoughts on YOUR blog/website. You MUST come back here and post the links to where you posted the review links at. Good for 15 entries per place you post it.
5. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the right hand side of the site. This is for new subscribers only. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. Good for 10 entries.
6. Spread the word, the more places you post the event, the more entries you get. Post the link to the event / contest today (http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5495) at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group, Goodreads, Shelfari (any group where it is appropriate). You MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread. Good for 10 entries per place you post the link to this event.
NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day.
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Be sure to mention that you are friending us for this contest so we know to enter you! Good for 5 entries per place you friend us.
8. Be friends with Dorothy by joining her here:
Newsletter: Join the Yellow Brick Road newsletter on Dorothy’s site http://www.dorothymorrison.com scroll to the bottom of the page to find it. 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=662670022
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dorothy-Morrison/42414023364?ref=s
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41769497011
Facebook Appreciation Club: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2461991495
PaganSpace: http://www.paganspace.net/profile/DorothyMorrison
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dorothy_the_headwitch
Good for 10 entries each place you friend her on. Please send the confirmation emails to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for each of these places as proof of friendship and to get your entries.
9. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event be SURE to include us in your tweet @BittenbyBooks http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5495. Good for 10 entries each day you tweet it.
10. Add Dorothy’s blog and websites to your blog roll or links page: http://dorothymorrison.com/blog
http://www.dorothymorrison.com/
http://www.lucindasweb.com/
http://www.utterlywicked.com/
Good for 10 entries for each place you post each link.
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12. Email ALL of your friends and invite them to come by this week! If your fiends come and post here and say you sent them, they get TWO entries and you get FOUR entries! They have to tell us who you are so we know who to give the entries to. You can invite as many people as you want and get all the extra entries!
13. Join the The Blood Bank the Bitten by Books Community! here: http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/ then come back here and tell us your user name. Be sure to post something about yourself on your blog there. Good for 10 entries
GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:
The contest ends on 4/6/09 at 11:59 pm PDT and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.
IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:
1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.
2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.
3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.
4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. The prize is shipped directly from the author.
5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.
6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
7. Contest is void where prohibited.
8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry
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(8 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)
sparked my imagination in the first few moments and kept me reading through the night. It’s a love story, struggling through a cloud of betrayal and distrust. Each character was brought to life so vividly, I felt they were all friends I have known for years. In the end, I knew about each of their lives, where they came from and how they met. Instead of feeling like I was left hanging, I was content and found myself really feeling I had experienced a happy ending. Fabulous!
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