Interview with Bo Brair and a look at Morgan Hall

Good Morning!!  I had the chance to get Bo on here after I read Morgan Hall, to get a little insight, not only into the book, but also the author.  This is what Bo had to say:

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to write?

I was a teenager and my boarding school inspired me to write. It was set in an early 18^th century ex-stately home with 300 acres of landscaped gardens and a glorious lake. The estate had been inhabited and owned by aristocratic families since the 12^th century and the ruins of the old manor were both beside and at the bottom of the lake. It was both beautiful and spooky and I had quite a few eerie experiences there of a ghostly nature. I thought to myself I must write a spooky novel one day in a similar setting but wasn’t actually able to sit down and do it until I was much older.

Tell us a little bit about the book.

Well, love never dies, and revenge never sleeps in Morgan Hall.

Morgan Hall is a desolate country estate that has been in Lady Christie Morgan’s family for almost 400 years. A family cursed by eternal tragedy, and now Christie is the last Morgan. Apparitions appear, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men who love her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely.

This is a saga of mystery and sordid family history weaving intrigue for the passionate love triangle. Past and present war as the secrets of three aristocratic families unfold - resurfacing in a spine-chilling mystery of passion and lust, ghostly happenings, and blood-curdling murders.

Emotions run high as their world spins wildly out of control. Are they all cursed to repeat the grizzly past? Does sweet revenge claim its prize? That’s up to you the reader to find out…

What made you choose this genre?

I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal, a gothic atmosphere and all things ghostly. If you look through my books you’ll see shelves dedicated to books about hauntings, ghosts and spirits. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. As a very young child I’ve often experienced paranormal/ghostly activity around me. Then intermittently throughout my life this has always been the case. It freaks me out but leaves me intrigued.

Most authors have an unusual story or way that they come up with their ideas for books…Do you have one?

I think I’ve always just had a tale brewing within me. I write from bouts of inspiration. It just suddenly comes to me. I know the ending first, then the beginning and then everything in between falls into place.

What is the key element in your character creation?
My characters are out of the ordinary and special, but they also have to be believable and have a down to earth quality too.

What was your biggest influence that steered you towards writing?

As in one of the previous questions, I think I’ve always just had a tale brewing within me. As a child I was always fascinated by ghost stories, classical architecture, historical places and drawn to heroes that were a bit dark and mysterious such as the classical Heathcliff and I would have loved the modern day Lestat. I’ve always had that romantic gothic inclination. Then as you grow up, you meet certain people, experience intense emotions both good and bad and get thrown into situations out of our control; basically life is one big story. Together with a creative imagination and much life experience Morgan Hall just evolved naturally within me until I had to write it down on paper and transform it into novel.

I have to ask, what are the hardest scenes for you to write?

Violent scenes are hardest for me to write.

Are sex scenes difficult for you to word?

So far I haven’t written any.

Do you see yourself writing in another genre?

Not really – but never say never!

Has your family been supportive?
Yes, my father, mother and brother have all been very supportive, but especially my Dad. He’s a star and is an avid reader himself. As for everyone else in my life, not many people knew I liked writing or that I was actually was writing a full length novel. The few who did were very supportive.

Are any of your characters reflective of you?
Christie Morgan, the heroine is very much a part of me. She possesses parts of my own character plus everything I love and hate as well as everything I aspire to be – all within Christie.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Spending time with my kids and relaxing!

Who is your favorite book heroine?

My Christie Morgan of course!

Do you have any unusual habits that revolve around writing?
I’m not sure if my writing habits are unusual as such, but I write from bouts of inspiration. It just suddenly comes to me. I know the ending first, then the beginning and then everything in between falls into place.

What is you favorite mystical creature?

I have two. The Phoenix and the Unicorn.

What were some of your biggest challenges at the beginning of your career?
Finding the right publisher.

How do you feel about reader comments?
I feel reader comments and feedback are important.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
A writer needs to have imagination, creativity and passion, and also needs to be very persistent. Believe in yourself and your work and keep going.

Where are your books available?
Morgan Hall is available at pretty much every online bookstore such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble etc. You can also walk into most bookstores and order it if it isn’t on the shelves. It is also available through my publisher’s website (World Castle Publishing). If you search online/google for “Bo Briar Morgan Hall” a wide range of different bookstores will come up.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I am working on the sequel to Morgan Hall and plan on creating a series. Like with Morgan Hall, the characters are passionate, dark, romantic, deep and intriguing. This time the story is very contemporary and takes the characters (new and old) from the UK up to the icy mountains of Switzerland and half way around the world to Hong Kong in the mystical East. The villain is even worse than the last! The sequel is much scarier. I get chills writing it.

Where can we reach you and become informed of updates?

My website: www.bobriar.com is under construction but keep checking back.
Email me at: bobriar1@gmail.com

I am very happy to receive emails from readers and anyone interested in Morgan Hall or any updates. I always reply!

Thanks for stopping by!! It was a pleasure interviewing you!!