What genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy
classification?
I suspect one reason why I don’t
have an agent is that I don’t specialise in any particular genre. While I’ve
sold more westerns than other genres, my published books are also in the crime,
fantasy, espionage and thriller categories. I have a sci-fi
apocalyptic/dystopian book seeking a publisher, and a pirate novel is in
progress, plus a humorous illustrated book and a non-fiction book about dates…
What made you choose those genres?
I believe a writer should read
widely and not stick to any particular genre. Good stories come from all
genres.
How long does it take you to write a book?
A western takes about a month, while
a complex crime or fantasy book will take maybe six months. I can recommend Write
a Western in 30 Days which provides considerable insight into the
writing process and is not solely about writing westerns.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
As I reach the end of the plot
outline, the word-count per writing day increases. I don’t write exclusively
for my own work, so the time has to be rationed as appropriate, to allow for
paid work and private life and commitments.
Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Let me quote from Write
a Western in 30 Days: Plots are relatively easy to think up, it seems.
They must be. More than once I’ve been accosted by a would-be writer saying,
‘I’ve got this great plot for a novel. Will you write it for me?’ Well, no,
thanks, I’ve got more than enough of my own to work on.
I get ideas from newspapers,
magazines, research I’m doing for something else – even from letters to the
editor or an agony column!
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I think I was about 12 when I
started to write stories in longhand. I wrote my first novel on my Remington
portable when I was about 16.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Read, watch films, swim, see
family…
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your
books?
It’s a long time back now, but when
I realised that my characters spoke to me even when I wasn’t at the keyboard,
then I knew they were ‘real’.
How many books have you written?
Twenty-two. Nineteen published.
Which is your favourite and why?
Pain
Wears No Mask because it was in the first person, written by a nun who
used to be a policewoman, and several readers found it surprising to learn it
wasn’t written by a woman!
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
It went in phases – cowboy (Roy
Rogers), spaceman (Dan Dare), Tarzan… then James Bond entered my consciousness
so I wanted to be a spy, until I read Le Carré and realised it wasn’t
glamorous… Oh, I also wanted to join the navy – I did that, and stayed for over
20 years.
What are you working on now?
Blimey. To Be King, a sequel to Wings
of the Overlord, a joint venture with Gordon Faulkner; a western; Catalyst, a book about a female
cat-burglar; Sneeze on a Thursday,
the first in a series about a PI in Los Angeles, Bradbury & Hood, a Victorian crime series and maybe the third
Tana Standish psychic spy thriller, The
Khyber Document – sequel to The
Prague Manuscript and The Tehran
Transmission, both of which are out of print and seeking a new publisher!
BIOGRAPHY
Nik
served for over twenty years in the Royal Navy, appropriately as a Writer, then
went into IT. He has sold many short stories and articles and edited several
books and magazines. He now lives in Spain. In February 2011 he was hired as
the editor-in-chief of the US publisher, Solstice Publishing. Blood of the Dragon Trees is Nik’s 18th
book to be published – since 2007. He writes as Ross Morton, Robert Morton, and
Robin Moreton, among other names.
Also,
this year his books Write a Western in 30
Days and Wings of the Overlord, a
fantasy quest jointly written with Gordon Faulkner, will be published.
Published books
in order of publication
Death at
Bethesda Falls (2007), Pain Wears No Mask (2007), The Prague Manuscript (2008),
Last Chance Saloon (2008), The $300 Man (2009), The Tehran Transmission (2009),
A Fistful of Legends (2009/editor), Assignment
Kilimanjaro (2010), Blind Justice at Wedlock (2010), Spanish Eye (2010), A
Sudden Vengeance Waits (2010), Death is Another Life (2011), When the Flowers
are in Bloom (2011), Old Guns (2012), Bullets for a Ballot (2012), and Odd Shoes and Medals
(2013/ghost-writer).
Website
- www.freewebs.com/nikmorton
Twitter
- @nik_morton
Facebook
- nik.morton.10@facebook.com
Goodreads
- http://www.goodreads.com/Nikmorton
Amazon author page - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CJFB2AQ
Critique Service for Writers
Flash 500 Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500 Humour Verse Competition
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