Author interview with Iona Morrison

Hello Iona

Tell us about you and your books.

Do you plot or let your story unfold as you write? 

I’m not a plotter. I let my characters tell me where they want the story to go. If I go a certain direction contrary to their personalities, they seem to let me know it’s not working. It works best when the lead the way.

Are your characters based on real people?

 Some are. One is based on a custodian at the church where I worked as an office manager. On the first day I went to work there she told me a story about their church ghost. Her story was the basis of my first book, The Harvest Club. She is in most of the books after she told me you can write me into your book. Melinda is the character lovingly called Red in my books. Sadly, she died before the book was published. Her family loved the book, and I dedicated it in her memory. Radar the bloodhound is in all my books and he is based on a real dog and his handler. 

When did you decide to become an author?  

I came to write later in life. I took a writing class called Breaking into Print. I thought when I started the class that I wanted to write non-fiction, but soon found out I loved writing fiction. The teacher encouraged me to try my hand at writing a novel because my stories had legs. My first attempt at it was The Harvest Club. That was a little over six years ago. My favorite so far is Key To The Past, it’s a blast from my past. 

Who is the biggest influence on your writing? 

My teacher Mary Rosenblum. She had a way of critiquing me while making me laugh the entire time. She was killed in a plane crash two years ago. I miss her and her steady guidance. I still can hear her voice inside my head when I head hop or don’t give it my best shot.

Is there a message in your novels that you want readers to grasp? 

I do write about subjects that are important to me, like human trafficking, or organ harvesting. But the big take away from each of my books is love always wins.

and to get a little personal...

Who do you see as a heroine in your life?  

My mother will always be my heroine. She is the one who taught me the love of reading. She also was one of the kindest people I know.

Have you ever found true love? 

I can answer with an emphatic yes to this question. He was a hippie and I was a straight girl when we met at a protest rally. We went on our first date on April 12, engaged by May 15, and married three months and five days later. His big, blue eyes, and his smile won my heart. I still love him forty-eight years later.

What makes you cry? 

True stories about people, some happy and some sad. I’m an equal story crier. This pandemic has intensified that.

What makes you laugh? 

I love to laugh and I’m never quite sure what will set it off. Hanging with family and friends is when it happens most. Sometimes I simply laugh at myself. As the saying goes, ‘blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they’ll never cease to be entertained’. 

Do you laugh at your own jokes? 

I’m sure I probably do, especially if I found the joke extremely funny. I can’t usually get through telling one to the punch line without breaking down in laughter.

Where can we find you online?

Website:     http://ionamorrison.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Iona-Morrison-Author-534319506628681/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ionacrv

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/ionammorrison/boards/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morrison.iona/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8605155.Iona_Morrison

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/iona-morrison

Download Key To The Past on Amazon and other online retailers

https://www.amazon.com/Iona-Morrison/e/B00N39NJIA?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000