Author's Name: Sherry Morris (a.k.a. Sammie Jo Moresca)
Website: www.sherrydeemorris.com and smoldernow.com

Sherry Morris writes mysteries under the name Sherry Morris and romance under the name Sammie Jo Moresca. She has several new and upcoming releases available at Cerridwen Press and Phaze.

Upcoming Release:
TYPE DIRTY TO ME
Phaze, May 2007

The Girls of Washington Series Book One: FDR's secretary, Miss Della Davis, is kidnapped by the Secret Service.

Current Release:
IMMACULATE DECEPTION
Cerridwen Press, February 2007

Chloe Lambert's daughter is romanced by debonair dream weaver, Ashley Jones, as she solves a forty year old murder and discovers she is her father's medical research.

On Writing

I discovered the internet in 1999, about the same time as I discovered the Bee Gees. Yeah, I know, I was a little late to both. Anyhow, I joined a Yahoo Group of Bee Gees fans and we started writing fan fic which I now know was a Regency romance. Anyhow, most of it was pure drivel, there was cat fighting and the project was abandoned. The screenwriter who started it contacted me privately and asked me to write a Regency with her, telling me I had talent. I don't remember what happened, but I declined. I did start a film noir type story with another fan and that was great fun but we never finished that one either. I've lost touch with all of them.

I absolutely love the Elliot Roosevelt mysteries he wrote featuring his mother, Eleanor, as sleuth. When I realized he died, I was so disappointed there would be no more books. This was in 2003. Harlequin Intrigue was having a contest, so I penned HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL, thinking it would be a fab romantic suspense. I had no idea they wanted contemporary romantic suspense and of all the historical eras to select, I chose WWII which no one was buying. It wasn't until much later that I realized I had written my own Eleanor Roosevelt mystery, a la Sherry Morris.

On the Writing Process

I start a new story on my computer and when I think I've got something worthwhile, I'll save the file and switch over to my Alphasmart portable keyboard. Every morning, I'll write X pages (it's different with each book, depending on my goal to finish it). Usually less than two hours. I get mighty cranky if I can't get my morning pages in.

I got my idea for CHRISTINA'S FEAR from failing adult swimming lessons.

I got my idea for HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL from a small newspaper story. A woman was standing on the side of the road in the middle of the night, holding a hundred dollar bill. A car pulled alongside, the passenger grabbed the hundred, but the woman wouldn't let go and was dragged. At the hospital, she refused to tell the police why she was standing on the side of the road holding the money. Not long afterward, my son and I toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, where they print the money and my light bulb went off.

I got my idea for IMMACULATE DECEPTION one evening after a miserable visit to my parents' house. My husband joked that the reason they showered my siblings in wealth and praise and never gave me a penny or attention was because I was really Marilyn Monroe and JFK's daughter and I'd be coming into my inheritance someday. My mother was a private duty nurse to the rich and famous and my dad body guarded seven US presidents, so it's not so far fetched...well of course it is but you don't know my manipulative family and all of their dirty little secrets. Anyhow, I took that and ran with it. I started the book with a phone call I really received from my father and then my muse kicked into uber speed. I wrote the first draft in three weeks. Two more weeks to flesh it out to 100K. And then six months of excruciating agony with my editor, who insisted that I pull a coherent tale out of it. This is truly the book of my soul.

I got my idea for DIET ANOTHER DAY from a gallon of ice cream, that was the flavor.

All of the steamy books are written from publisher's guidelines of erotic categories they are looking to buy and their themes. I do those for the money. I really did enjoy writing TYPE DIRTY TO ME. It's set a year before HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL and has its hunky supporting character as the lead. But the others didn't have my heart in them.

The hardest part of writing for me is getting started on a new story. I get scared I don't have another one in me. Convinced I don't. Once I get the third chapter, I finally know what my characters look like and who they are. Then I can relax.

On Writing Schedule

I fall into a manic state when I am actively writing a new book and I must get it out of me in a big hurry. I write daily. Once it's done, I usually get the first chapter or maybe three critiqued and then I'm in a rush to market it.

I go for months without writing anything new and then in the matter of one season might write two novels and three short stories. I don't like writing in the summers. I want to goof off with my kids. I only seem to be able to write in Spring and Autumn.

On Writer's Block

Writer's block? I'm laughing insanely. Yes, many times and I hate it. Usually listening to Bee Gees songs will summon my muse from his slumber. He's a naughty Englishman called Baroma. The mood of a song will give me my hero, heroine and conflict. The same song can inspire many different stories. Listening to Barry Gibb's Now Voyager album in a candle lit bath or on a treadmill or elliptical will do the trick. I can't listen to the Bee Gees while driving. I drive right past my destination.

On Conferences and Contests

I had an appointment with Raelene Gorlinsky of Ellora's Cave at a New Jersey Romance Writers conference. I pitched IMMACULATE DECEPTION, which was in their queue. She promised to look for it, found it and eventually they bought two books from me.

I didn't expect the new publisher of Phaze, Kat Lively, to be at the Chesapeake Romance Writers conference. I introduced myself. It's a long story, but unbeknownst to me, she had been an editor and read SMOLDER the year before and had wanted to contract it but I withdrew it. She said she loved everything about that book and offered me a handshake contract on it.

I entered 11 contests in 2004 and came in rock bottom in 10. My comments were so horrible that I quit writing. "Hannibal Lechter is more sympathetic than your heroine." Then the last scores came in, IMMACULATE DECEPTION placed 2nd in the Jasmine. So I started writing again.

Last summer, I entered the Romance Junkies contest. I didn't final. An editor from New Concepts Publishing read one of my entries and sent word she'd love to read the full. I am now under contract with them for that novel, DYING TO LOVE HIM.

On Getting "The Call"

I didn't get the call, I got an email from Briana St. James of Cerridwen Press. It had been nine months since I'd submitted to them and I needed closure. I had emailed her detailing when I'd submitted, how I'd met Raelene, etc. and if I didn't hear from her in 24 hours, go ahead and withdraw them. She emailed me, apologized and promised to read them immediately. She asked for more time, which of course I granted.

I had a terrible stomach virus and was up all night. When I finally felt strong enough, I stumbled downstairs and checked my email. She contracted both books.

On Being a Published Author

The best thing about being a published author is validation. A publisher has put her faith and money behind my story.

The worst thing is I don't have a book to hold. Non-writers don't know what eBooks are. Friends, neighbors and family keep asking me when they will be able to buy my book. They mean in a bookstore. They smile and nod patronizingly as I try to explain they can buy my eBook now. They don't do eBooks.

Best Advice Received

"Sex sells" and "Never give up!"

Worst Advice Received

"You'll make a lot of money with eBooks at a RWA approved publisher."

On Promotion

For eBook writers, if you don't promote your book it won't sell. At all. Zero copies. You can't just spend hours in reader chats. I've only traced one chat to a single sale. Those readers are there for the free book giveaways. You must put some money into getting your book cover online at sites that readers visit. You must spend more in promotion than you'll make in royalties on your first few books, it's an investment in future books.

On Publishers

Cerridwen Press likes "different" stories. Not category romances, but they do want Traditional Regencies. They will eventually put every ebook into print.

Chippewa Publishing has a broad readership and will publish stories in many genres outside of romance. Everyone on staff is so nice :).

Mardi Gras publishes romance and Young Adult stories.

New Concepts Publishing is the oldest ePublisher and loves discovering new talent.

Phaze has the highest rejection rate, 98%. The best way to break in with them is to submit a short story for one of their themed HeatSheet lines.

The Wild Rose Press is a kinder, gentler publisher who is looking to grow writers. They give helpful rejection letters and in many cases, the invitation to revise and resubmit. All books over 55k will go to print quickly. I am an editor with the Wild Rose Press and we are actively seeking romance submissions.

On Agents

I don't write what they represent. I have nearly 200 agent rejections across three books. One has told me she loves my writing but there is no market she can pitch it to. I'm not querying any more agents. If they want me, they can query me <grin>.

On the Future

What are you working on now?

MAKE BELIEVE ISLAND, a sequel to DYING TO LOVE HIM.

Advice for Aspiring Writers

Read all you can on craft. Judge contests. Join critique groups.

Don't revise a story more than once. It might not be fixable. Write a new one. You get better with each story you write. Some people make their first sale with their sixth, tenth, twentieth story. They never would have sold if they kept revising the first one.

Exhaust all possibilities in New York before you ePublish.

Do not let rejections, contests and lousy critique partners make you doubt your talent. You are a very capable writer with stories only you can tell. The world needs YOUR stories!

The Last Word

Forget the whole writing business and clean your house. At least you'll have something tangible to show for your long hours of toiling.

Visit Sherry online at http://www.sherrydeemorris.com and http://www.smoldernow.com