Interview with the Fabulous Rionna Morgan

The Wanting Heart, released, July 9, 2012 by Crimson Romance.

“The Wanting Heart is a sexy, intriguing, modern-day western romance.  A fun summer read.”  -- Kat Martin, New York Times Best Selling Author

Katherine White, a barrel racer from Colorado, lives in a fast-paced world where rhinestones shine, hooves pound, and dreams come true.  She plans on winning World Champion Barrel Racer and being with her friends until she graduates from college.  
 
She doesn’t plan on the man who broke her heart strolling back into her life.  She doesn’t plan on finding solace in a charming stranger’s smile or falling victim to his knife.  
 
Blake Spencer, the man who broke her heart, is all cowboy—from the hat on his head to the dust on his boots. He thought it’d be easy, coming back to town, bowing his head a little, saying he was sorry, and all would be forgiven.  But what he didn’t know, what he didn’t plan on, was that the girl he thought he loved had become the woman he couldn’t have. If he doesn’t succeed in changing her mind, it won’t only cost him Kate’s love—it will cost Kate her life.
 
Will Kate survive the stalking of a serial killer and find what her heart truly wants?

Hi Rionna and welcome to our blog!! We are so pleased to have you with us today! 

Thank you for having me.

Let’s start off easy:  Where are you from?

I am from Missoula, Montana.  In my heart and in my soul, I am a Montanan.  It is a beautiful state with amazing, courageous people.  However, I was born in North Carolina: the daughter of an Army man and his lovely wife. 

It sounds absolutely amazing there!  It must be completely different from North Carolina.  So, what book are you reading now? 

I am reading a book entitled Killing Casanova by Traci McDonald.  She is a new writer.  She is blind, but man can she write!  Her scenes are just beautiful.

Wow!  We are going to have to add that one to our reading list.  We love books with well-written scenes, and of course characters.  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think I’ve pretty much known forever!  My mom, the lovely wife I mentioned before, was an avid reader and writer herself.  She was a poet and a storyteller.  I so wanted to be like her.  Before I could even write I would draw loops and circles in notebooks imagining all manner of things for my scribbles.  Soon those child scrawls turned to words and my stories grew.  I hope they always continue to do so.

  

A born writer and it is evident in your book!  It’s great that the love was passed down from the generations.  On the topic of writing, what was the hardest part of writing your book?

The Wanting Heart is my first novel.  I’ve written poetry and short stories for a very long time—since middle school.  I helped pay my way through college by winning writing contests.  But, The Wanting Heart was my first big project.  It has morphed from a simple, sweet story that really was completely different from the strong barrel racer, her sexy cowboy and the serial killer who nearly rips them apart.

Finding the true story in the recesses of my imagination was definitely a struggle, but an amazing one!

We are so happy that the story found its way to the page because we were absolutely blown away!  What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I see the book in my head like a movie.  I get flashes of scenes.  Or I get a single flash of a scene and build an entire book around it.  My next book, Judge Thyself First, set to be released November 12^th is built around a single scene—a fire at an Alabama women’s prison.

Sounds like another exciting book!  We can’t wait for it to be released so we can read that one as well.  What do you like to do when you're not writing?

My husband and I have four children together.  Their ages range from 19 years old to 22 months.  I love being a mom!  I love to cook and bake for them.  My chocolate chips cookies are kind of famous in this house.  I also love photography and sewing.  I’m always taking a picture and making something.  And I love to read!!  When I’m in the groove, I generally read a book a day. 

  

Chocolate chip cookies, you say?  We would love to try your famous cookies.  We bet your kids are in heaven in your home!  What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

It’s harder than it looks and easier than it seems.  Harder, because of the amount of work there is.  Research, interviews, writing, re-writing, editing etc… Easier, because I love it.  I love doing research, interviews, meeting new people and putting myself in their shoes.  In a way, I get to be all things.  Anything my imagination dreams up.  The writing, the re-writing and even the editing is an amazing process.  Getting the words on the page to match what I see in my head is such a great, fulfilling feeling.  Then sharing that work with my readers and have them talk with me about how much they enjoyed this scene or that scene.  I am just giddy.  And I didn’t expect that. 

  

 We can certainly agree that your scenes within The Wanting Heart were breathtaking.  That is a vital part of a good story for us.  What do you think makes a good story?

For me a good story is one I can connect with.  I can easily believe and live for a time in the life of the hero or heroine.  I can ache and cry when things are going badly.  I can laugh and celebrate when things are going well.  Most, of all though, a good story is one that lasts beyond the final word.  It stays with me, and I even miss the characters and the life I lived with them. 

The most amazing feeling, for us, is also being able to connect, which is why we enjoyed your book so much!  Well, that’s all the time we have for today.  Thank you, Rionna, for stopping by for a chat and for sharing your world with us.  We hope to see you again very soon and we will be watching out for the release of your next book!  Thank you again!

Everyone, let's thank Rionna for being here with us the past three days!  She has been absolutely amazing!  While you're here, make sure you enter her giveaway through the rafflecopter at the bottom!  Thanks for joining us!

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