He stuck with me as I read…keeping track of my reviews..the pressure was on for me. Could I live up to expectations? I wanted to impress. He wasn’t deterred and it was like having my own personal author to guide me through this fabulous period story set in Paris, France.

I didn’t want to catch up to the ‘masses’ and be just like one of them. I felt ‘special’…yeah, so I fan-girl-ed him…a LOT.

Go ahead, make fun of me. I still get the last laugh, being the one who got his sole attention. *sticks tongue out*

So, without any further blabbering or swooning, I bring you…*drumroll*

THE INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN LOCKLEAR

MOG: Howdy, just got your review, thank you.

ME: You’re welcome. Suddenly I’m nervous as all “get out”!

MOG: Haha…that’s a compliment. I’m just a dude, this is my first story, and I had cold pizza for breakfast.

ME: Ok…I had oatmeal…hot.

If there’s something you don’t want to answer, just say “no comment” or some journalistic mumbo-jumbo…

MOG: I’m on my new iPad…no limits.

ME: Hmmm…NO limits?

First question—Do you wear clothes when you’re writing?

MOG: I write in the living room and that is a ‘clothes-on’ zone in our house.

ME: Ok…well that was my only question….kidding!

Do you need privacy when you are writing or is everyone banned from the area?

MOG: No, but I do have to put the headphones on sometimes.

ME: You can actually concentrate while listening to music?

MOG: Yes, I have written Bella Voce to the Beatles, Underworld, Danny Elfman’s band (before he started composing).

ME: What is on your iPod?

MOG: Everything but Country and Rap.

ME: No rap!?!

Clearly, we are not going to get along! And don’t get me started on Country…LOL

MOG: Well, I do like Nelly and Eminem and Fifty and Will Smith, Cee-Lo Green and Oingo Boingo...

ME: Do you write at a certain time of day, or just when the mood strikes?

MOG: I write on Mondays and Tuesdays…all day.

ME: And when is the editing done?

MOG: Jenn (wife-@AquariumJenn) reads it on Wednesdays and gives me notes. On Thursdays she does the proper beta and then we have it pre-read.

ME: What if you have writer’s block? And have you ever had it?

MOG: I ask myself that question every Sunday night. And sometimes I have for an hour or two, but I usually turn it around. If it’s not happening, I watch TV.

ME: What shows do you like to watch?

MOG: I like a lot of sci-fi, but Ice Road Truckers has been known to catch my eye. I love The Big Bang Theory too.

ME: Did you see the episode of Ice Truckers where they drive through a Starbucks in the middle of frickin’ nowhere?

MOG: Ha ha, nope. Well, they’re already everywhere else.

ME: Made me laugh.

MOG: Jenn doesn’t let me drink coffee…I’m too hyper already.

ME: I was wondering about that…

How long did it take you to write BV?

MOG: I started posting on Valentine’s Day 2010, and last chapter went up today, Sept. 25/10.

We posted every Saturday with 3 breaks due to RL commitments.
Not that ‘this’ doesn’t feel real. Ha-ha.

ME: I know…the Internet…sort of doesn’t feel real because you can’t always see or hear the person you’re talking to. It’s like living in virtual reality, isn’t it?

MOG: Right you are.

ME: So…I still haven’t found your picture. You’re hiding it well or it’s my inability to ‘search’ on the web.

Hey, that really makes me sound…creep-y.

MOG: There is one buried on my new website,

(http://sites.google.com/site/bellaparole/home/book-one-bella-voce)

ME: What are your main distractions?

MOG: Kids. But it’s important to me that they don’t think the computer is more important than they are. That’s why I let them distract me.

ME: I have that same distraction. Mine come into my ‘office’ aka the bed, and just plop themselves in front of me to chat.

Before you started writing BV did you have a definite direction and goal set in your mind?

MOG: Characters and atmosphere only…didn’t know it was going to be two books until May.

ME: We hear authors speaking about their characters ‘talking’ to them, leading the story. Does this happen with yours?

MOG: Oh, yes. They certainly don’t listen to me. Sometimes I threaten them with no humping.

ME: Can you give an example?

MOG: Emmett is an idiot who never does what I want him to. He doesn’t even obey his friends at times. He’s fun though, so he gets away with a lot. He’s a handful and will only get worse, I’m afraid.
Esme is a bit weak, if I’m being honest, but she often is.

ME: He’s great! Ooh… cannot wait to read the sequel…

I love how you’ve depicted Edward, in the beginning, as sort of a ‘doofus’…am I correct?

MOG: Yes, he was canon Bella and she was the strong one. Cheap role reversal when you think about it.

ME: It was a refreshing change, actually. Everybody hates how weak Bella is.

Is there a specific character you absolutely love writing in first person?

MOG: I love Jacob. He’s a real top drawer guy.

ME: I was impressed by all of the knowledge you imbedded into the story (i.e. scientific/geographical/ historical).

Do you come by this information normally or did you have to do research?

MOG: I went to college, but like Jacob, I’m a sucker for good trivia. I thought it added a flavor and let us all breathe from time to time.

Most facts I knew already and just thought they would be a nice morsel for the mind. Some I discovered…like the city of San Sebastian.

ME: Have you visited any of the places you’ve written about?

MOG: No. In fact, that’s why I chose Paris. It wasn’t even on my radar – also it was a neat time to be in France.

ME: It sure is. I was there last May and it was amazing. I took notes of everything I saw and the architecture is astounding.

I have a question about your little ‘Nuggets’…when I was reading and reviewing, I found one, which you admitted to and let me in on…

Have you revealed any other ‘nuggets’ in your Author’s Notes?

MOG: I have not revealed any others, except to Jenn.

ME: Would you consider revealing any…perhaps on your website?

MOG: I could reveal one…about the French language reference.

I posted that chapter during the Olympics. French is the official language of the Olympics because it was designed to cause no accidental misunderstandings. Everything in French sounds only like what it means and means only what it sounds like.

ME: Are you humorous by nature, a practical joker, or a punster?

MOG: Just a wordslinger, ma’am. I do like to scare my kids…does that count?

ME: Ok…so no practical jokes, singing telegrams…

WAIT!...did you just call me ‘ma’am’?

Interview…OVER!!

LOL

MOG: Hah!

ME: You use various sayings/ terms/colloquialisms…are they true to the time period of BV?

MOG: Everything in BV is true except the vampires…even the ‘flutterbys’ are true, a fact I’ve known since childhood.

ME: What was the first FF story you read?

MOG: The University of Edward Masen by Sebastian Robichaud.

I liked it right away and knew the author was a man immediately.
Most men come out of reading UoEM saying, “That guy sure does like shoes!”

ME: Did you buy your wife a pair?

MOG: (silence)

ME: Do you prefer AU or AH?

MOG: I like Alternate Universe.

ME: Me too. The very first fic I stumbled upon was MotU…

It started off all ‘innocent’ and then…BAM! I didn’t know what hit me.

ME: Lemons…I have yet to touch upon them.

MOG: So…touch.

ME: Ok…Do you find it hard to write lemons?

MOG: Sure. I had a hard time at first but Jenn says I’m doing well. I would not have included love scenes had it not been expected.

ME: Do you do research for it, like read other work? What were you thinking during the writing of the lemons?

MOG: Ha—just the old-fashioned kind.

ME: Uh-huh. *fans self*

Do you imagine Edwad and Bella when writing them versus the pure mechanics of the ‘act’?

MOG: I do, but I tend to rush them…Jenn wants me stretch them out, so I do. I think they suck until she pats me on the head and says, “C’est bon”.

ME: You obviously do a good job of it…”Oui”.

ME: It’s obvious that you don’t use profanity in your style. Is that a conscious decisions or just the way you roll?

MOG: Absolutely, I figured that if I was going to write, I would keep it artistic.

ME: And now I’d like to ask you about your music, if you have time.

MOG: Yes, I will stay for music. I have a few bands.

ME: What are the names of those bands?

MOG: Cool Beans, Miracle Max, Absolute Value

Miracle Max broke up over Bella Voce.

ME: Why the break-up?

MOG: Band mate got mad that I released ‘Lost and Found’ on a blog. We are on iTunes and he just wanted the money. He insulted me with a severe reaction to the decision, so I gave him a severe reaction he won’t ever forget – “Bu-bye”

ME: Oohh…tuff guy…love it *swoon*

The music linked to Bella Voce…are they your own compositions?

MOG: The music is, oh yes, and I’m not trying to sell records. I’m trying to tell a story. The music is an enhancement, not a scam to make a buck.

ME: It is truly a gift for the reader as I can attest to.
Do you play gigs? Where?

MOG: Yup, mostly in Portland with Cool Beans.

ME: Do you tell your audience about your writing?

MOG: Sometimes…I’m very proud of Bella Voce.

ME: You so should be.

You collaborated with @BettiGefecht, how did you meet?

MOG: Betti found Bella Voce and hounded me to listen to her stuff…it’s brilliant. I became a fan and now we duet together from time to time in each other’s fics.

ME: It must be difficult to collaborate, considering she lives in Germany.

MOG: It would be if she wasn’t so good. All I do is sing…she does EVERYTHING else.

ME: Wow. Interesting. She does seem to be quite the ball of energy.

MOG: We are quite the pair.

ME: You should get together…live.

MOG: One day…in New York, I hope…

ME: Really? I so will be there!

ME: OK…thank you so, so much for agreeing to chat with me.

MOG: Thank you. Great questions. I appreciate that.