An Interview with JC Morrows

JC Morrows is a bookaholic, not plain or simple… She started reading at four years old and has never slowed down! When she started running out of books to read, she had to start writing new ones!

The best-selling author of more than a dozen books spanning fantasy, dystopian, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, action/adventure, survival, steampunk and urban fantasy, she writes for young adult, middle grade and adult audiences—with a thread of romance woven into each story.

JC is the middle of three generations of authors, both mother to and daughter of an author! She reads in every genre she writes, plus so many more. JC prefers hardbound books, but will read in any format she can get her hands on. She does own a Kindle and uses it whenever she happens to finish the other book(s) she carries absolutely everywhere with her.

A true storyteller, JC is one of those authors who grew up thinking it was perfectly normal to make up wild and sensational stories, talk to people who weren’t there, and look at the world from a perspective that no one else understood…which is why she tends to write such fantastical tales!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I spent most of my childhood telling stories to my mother, my cousins, my little brother, my dolls, even to nothing but thin air. I couldn’t not tell stories. There are simply too many that are part of me. I tried writing them down all through school, but I was always better at just telling them. It wasn’t until I had children that I finally succeeded in finishing my first novel. Now, I can’t stop. To this day, there are more stories inside of me than I could ever possibly tell, but I keep trying.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Well, it was a couple of things. First, I had a dream about it. Yes, I was Cassie in that dream. The Sea King was obsessed with me… of all people. It was unexpected and absolutely irresistible!

Second, my daughter has joked for as long as I can remember that she is part mermaid. She wants…really wants…to be a mermaid. She can even swim like a mermaid in the water—without the use of a monofin or a tail. She just does it. That inspired me to turn this book into a series. The main character in book two is based on her.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Not every title is easy for me. This one was. It was kind of a no-brainer. In my story, those with royal blood are Sirens and the Sea King’s subjects are Mermaids. The Sea King then would be a Siren—and he has a supernatural charm that overwhelms and turns on Cassie whenever he is near! Voila—Siren’s Charm!

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

My book does have a soundtrack! I have a playlist on Spotify for it. “Edge of the Ocean” by Ivy, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, “I need you” by M83, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, and “Evermore” by Dan Stevens are some of my favorites!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Back in the day I did everything from working at Kroger to working in food service to working retail in a dozen different places. I even worked in an arcade/adult amusement park that Regal Cinemas opened in my hometown (sadly, it didn’t last long. Knoxville was a bit too small for it then). At the moment, my day job is decorating cakes for Publix. I do hope one day to be able to at least lessen my hours a little, if not quite my day job entirely—and JUST focus on writing.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I made up so much of my book, I really didn’t need anything other than a few Google sites. I did heavily research names and their meanings. I wanted real names that have water-related meanings or etymology. I purposely did not research Sirens of Mermaids because I wanted to write the book with the sort of knowledge the average person would have. That way, I knew I was actually making up all the things I wanted to include.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

There is no perfect reader. I’m not one. Just like there are no perfect authors. I’m certainly not one. I don’t have any illusions in that area.

Some people are going to love my book. Some are going to hate it. All I really want is to know that my words have made readers feel something—and left them with a story that won’t just fade away when they put it down.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.