B. L. Morgan

answers the Usual Questions

B. L. Morgan

American author B. L. (Bob) Morgan is the creator of the infamous John Dark Books.

He says, "I was born in the Midwest, live in the Pacific Northwest and I have a mentality straight out of the Old West. My fiction is fast-paced, harsh and brutal. If you like action on top of action then you'll like what I do. I always warn people: If you have a heart condition what I write may be hazardous to your health."

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

I've had several requests for a sequel to Land of No Return. As soon as I have the time I'm hopping into that one. Going back to The Hollow Earth would be a blast!

Not a whole lot. I pretty much do what interests me. That way people who read my work know it's done with all the full passion and energy I can bring to it. However that being said, when I am told that people want a sequel to a novel I do automatically put that one on my to-do list for future projects.

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

This one's kind of funny. I told Jennifer Carress (a good friend and wonderful author) that I was thinking about killing off Johnny Davis. She told me if I did she'd tie me up, slit my eyelids open and pour salt into the slits. I guess she kinda likes Johnny.

Of course, I'm so hard headed that meant I had to do it. You'll have to read Blood and Bones to see how I survived that one.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

Right now I'm reading a whole lot of Dean Koontz. Plain and simple, he's great. I grew up reading Edgar Rice Burroughs. That's why my stuff is so fast paced. I still read Mickey Spillane. Again, it's the fast pacing and high action. Other than that I read mostly Small Press/Independent Authors. That's where you get highly creative, unusual and surprising fiction.

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

Without a doubt my wife Judi. She's my best friend and most trusted confidant. We can talk about anything and have fun while doing it. We can talk about nothing and have fun doing it. I'm lucky to be married to the person I want to be with twenty four hours a day.

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

Any politician, religious leader or anyone at all who believes they have the right and the wisdom to tell other people how they should live their lives. I can't stand people who want to impose their ways, beliefs, habits or way of life on others. As long as someone isn't hurting someone else they should be able to live their life any way they choose.

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

A kindle packed full of sci-fi, detective, adventure and horror novels. As long as it has a fast pace and lots of action I want to read it. One book just wouldn't do. I'd probably read that in a few hours then go insane. Food: Anything that tastes good. I'm not a picky eater. DVD's: Believe it or not I'm rewatching The Wild Wild West with Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. It's just pure fun adventure. TV series like Lost, True Blood, The Sopranos, Dexter, Deadwood, ... the list goes on and on. Drinks: Fruit juices, sodas like Coke or Pepsi. A little beer (I gotta be careful I don't get to enjoying that too much.) Coconut Juice with Pulp. I live that stuff.

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

I'd just like for people to be entertained when they read one of my novels. No matter what we do, from birth to death, our lives are so short we stare death in the face every day. If I can give people a bit of an escape from the grim realities of life that makes me happy. As a writer I see myself as an entertainer. So I foremost want my stories to be entertaining.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

Overall people do seem to enjoy my work. It's nice knowing that. You can't please everyone so you shouldn't even try. But if most people like what you do consider it a victory and yeah, that's a great feeling.

submitted by B. L. Morgan

23 July 2014

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Just the facts:
Born: I was born in Granite City Illinois in 1959.
Resides: Since I have been subjected to harrassment and stalking because of my work I'm not going to be specific. I live in the USA. That's close enough.
Bibliography/Awards:
I am the author of John Dark Books (Blood and Rain, Blood for the Masses, Blood on Celluloid and Blood and Bones.) I am the author of the Zombie Western Night Knuckles, the hard core noir crime novel You Play, You Pay and the science fiction novels Land of No Return and Grey World.