Please welcome to my blog, T.H. Morris, paranormal author of The 11th Percent.
Blurb:
Jonah Rowe has an uneventful life. He is
always bored, can’t see the point of anything, and just wishes that
something in his life would turn out right. He gets his wish
in rude fashion; his uneventful life takes a turn for the weird when
he discovers that he is an Eleventh Percenter, an ethereal human who
can influence and interact with the spirit world. As he discovers
more about his true nature, he makes new friends, learns new truths,
and juggles his “normal” life with his new life in fellowship
with spiritual beings. His survival depends on his successful
handling of all three.
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Bio:
T.H. Morris is a
lifelong writer who was born in 1984 and raised in Colerain, North
Carolina. He has been living in Greensboro, North Carolina for the
past twelve years. He has been writing in some way, shape, or form
ever since he was strong enough to hold a pen or pencil, but the
expectation of securing and maintaining a traditional 40 hour job was
the expectation of all around him.
The call of writing never diminished, though, and soon became too powerful to ignore. Morris
began writing The
11th
Percent series
in
2011, and published book 1 in the series, The
11th
Percent, in
2014. He still resides in Greensboro, with his wife of six years.
Interview:
1.
Paranormal fiction is an interesting genre. What books influenced you
growing up and what made you decide to write in this genre?
Paranormal
fiction is indeed an interesting genre! Growing up in rural North
Carolina, I heard a myriad of ghost stories via word of mouth or
library books. I think that the one that had the largest impact on me
in my youth was a book named Ghostly Terrors. It frightened the heck
out of me at the time, but MAN if those stories weren’t fascinating
and gripping! As for writing in the paranormal genre, I gave it a
great deal of thought, but didn’t have a story on the horizon
mentally. When my book idea came to me (courtesy of a seven-hour,
uninterrupted dream on February 19, 2011), it happened to be
paranormal fiction. I didn’t decide to write in the genre. The
genre chose me!
2.
Tell us about your publishing experience. Did you try and find an
agent or publisher first or did you always want to self publish?
When
I finished The 11th
Percent, I queried agents. To say I got a great deal of rejections is
a gross understatement. Most of the rejections had the same recurring
theme: my story didn’t fit their mold. I’m not putting words in
their mouths, either. “Despite its poise and polish, this isn’t
the right fit for us.” “You’re a talented writer, but this
material doesn’t quite fit our agency.” “The concept is
interesting, but not a good fit for our list.” They go on and on.
It was demoralizing, and kind of heartbreaking. But then I read
something that shifted my entire perspective. It was a quote from an
indie writer who’d crowdfunded a novel. She said in her post “If
your material is judged based on marketability and not artistic
merit, then you need to re-evaluate the avenue in which you are
attempting to showcase it.” It changed my life and viewpoint. So I
made the decision to become an indie author that day, and I’ve been
one ever since.
3.
Is there a sequel in the works? What are you currently working on?
I
am working on Book 3 as we speak! It is named Lifeblood, and will be
Book 3 in my The 11th
Percent Series (it was preceded by The 11th
Percent, which is Book 1, and Item and Time, which is Book 2). I am
hard at work on it, and am shooting for a November 29th
release! I am also working on a collaboration novel with my close
friend and fellow author Cynthia D. Witherspoon, which mashes up our
respective universes in an action-packed flash fiction effort. That
book, entitled Grave Endowments, will be released on the winter
solstice!
4.
What have you learned since you first published that you wish you
knew when you first started?
I
definitely learned a great deal about the mechanics and inner
workings on self-publishing. That’s a huge deal. But I think the
main thing that I’ve learned is to continuously stoke the market,
but do so in a way that forges bonds, creates new relationships, and
makes people feel honored and welcomed to be in your movement. So
many artists will pimp their purchase links for reviews and buzz in a
manner that is impersonal, mechanical, and brusque. It’s like
they’re saying “Here is my work. Read it and review it. Thanks.”
That is not the way to go. I’ve learned that the best way to build
up your brand as a creator is to build up others. If authors grow as
a collective, out works do as well. It has definitely been a learning
path since I published The 11th
Percent, but one that I wouldn’t change for the world.
5.
For those reading about you and your book today, what can you say to
them that might convince them to give your book a try?
Okay,
Rose, this one will be a little longer than the other questions, but
that’s all well and good. I believe that the selling points of The
11th
Percent include:
The
DEMOGRAPHIC AND RANGE-
Is it just me, or are a lot of paranormal fiction books centered on
teeny-bopper kids? If the Twilights and Vampire Academies exasperate
you, then my main character, Jonah Rowe, is just for you. I
deliberately aged him beyond adolescence! People tend to forget that
we’re still growing even after we’ve “come of age.” Fantastic
and unconventional things can still happen to people, even once
they’ve reached adulthood—something I’ve illustrated throughout
my story.
The
SETTING-The Eleventh Percent mainly takes place in the sleepy,
fictional, rural town of Rome, North Carolina. It’s
an amalgamation of the types of towns I’ve known all my life—small,
quaint, and quiet. The sweet tea flows like water, butter and
biscuits are not only a requirement but a staple, and family is at
the center of it all. Plus, everyone knows everybody’s business.
But in the small town of Rome, some secrets have been very well-kept.
THE
MYSTERIOUSNESS- There are many people in this world who are
different, individualistic, peculiar, off-beat, or simply don’t fit
the molds that have been put in place in this world. And I have
always believed that nothing is wrong with that. Everyone is
different, but despite our variations and circumstances, we are all
still people with talents and attributes to contribute to the world.
I hope to illustrate this fact with my words in these books.
The
HUMANITY- The characters in my story are remarkable and supernatural
humans, but they are still human. They still have to contend with all
the everyday things all people have to, in addition to these
realities brought about by their abilities. My story merges
the
ordinary realities of everyday stressors and strife with the
extraordinary dynamic of paranormal phenomena.
The
CONCEPT-Many
people believe that no idea is original. If you leave it at that one
simple phrase, it’s rather confining and cynical. I think that the
focus shouldn’t be so much on the idea so much as the expression of
that idea. So, I like to say, “An idea may not be original, but the
expression of it is!” My book is an original twist on your everyday
ghost story.
And
I would finish off by telling them welcome to my world and enjoy
their stay!
Cover Reveal!!!!!!
Yes, Book 3 is coming soon! It's another great cover and the set together looks fabulous...
Please follow T.H. Morris at his Amazon Author Page HERE for news on all of his books.
You can also follow him at these links
Last but not least, check out this fabulous review of The 11th Percent by The Minter Book Reviews
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