Interview with Young Adult Romance Author Angela Morrison

(Book Give-Away November 1 - 8: for those interested in Sing Me To Sleep, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. U.S. and Canada.)

As a child, Angela dreamed of being a veterinarian, having ten kids and a hundred cats. None of it came true. She did marry the man of her dreams from Ontario Canada, but ended up with only four children and no cats! She plays the piano and is a licensed scuba diver. Angela said, “I’m a compulsive reader and have to ration myself or I won’t do anything else, including eating, sleeping, and interacting with other humans in any way.” She claims to be a vagabond, moving from place to place such as Switzerland and Singapore, etc, and now lives in the desert lands of Arizona. 

Hello Angela. My oldest daughter is named Angela. I understand that you write Young Adult Romance. Please tell us about Sing Me To Sleep.

SING ME TO SLEEP is about Beth, who is the ugly girl at school. All the guys call her "The Beast." She's got one friend--a short nerdy boy named Scott. But Beth can sing. When she gets the solo part in the elite girls choir she belongs to, her choir friends decide she needs a massive make-over. They’re off to Switzerland for the choral Olympics and Beth gets swept off her feet by the gorgeous and talented tenor soloist from the Amabile guys choir just across the border in Canada. Derek makes her feel like she's never felt before. Loved. Cherished. Valued. When she gets home, though, Scott tells her he's always loved her. And Derek starts acting suspicious. He's got a secret he won't let Beth in on that threatens to tear them apart.

Your novel sounds like it has a bit of mystery to it. Where did you get your inspiration for your novel? Do you ever use real life experiences?

For me, writing a novel is like a tidal wave hits my life. It takes everything I've ever done, seen, read, sung, watched, imagined, dreamed, and breaks it all up into tiny little pieces. When the wave retreats, all those pieces are lying on the sand. It's my job to fashion a story out of those pieces.

When we lived in London, Ontario, my daughter sang with the Junior Amabile Singers--a competitive all girls choir. I always wanted to write a novel using that unique setting, but I didn't have a story. A few months before my editor decided Razorbill wanted me to write a new novel for my second book, something happened to one of my daughter's best friends in the world-famous Amabile Young Men's Ensemble. You should hear these guys sing. They are so amazing. You'll find them on my website.

Anyway, she was still hurting--in fact the whole Amabile family of choirs was still dealing with a heartbreaking tragedy. That inspired me to start writing. My editor loved the idea and got it approved. The young man's mother and Amabile Choirs got on board and were fantastic support. It was the most intense artistic experience I've ever had. I wrote the first draft of SING in a single month. I know I had help from unseen hands. I feel blessed to have been the tool for it's telling.

I listened to the CD on your site. It's wonderful. I encourage all my readers to go to Angela's website and listen. It's so beautiful. What does your family think about your writing?

They think I've become an insane hermit, but they are all patient and supportive. My sons think it's weird that their mom writes romances that are kind of on the steamy side. (I love to write romantic kissing scenes--what can I say? My books aren't explicit, though. Just achingly romantic.) My daughter lets me pick her brain. And my husband paid for my MFA. If that's not love, what is?

So you’re a romantic at heart! Please tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I wear pink ballet shoes instead of slippers and write all my novels on pale pink paper.


Pink? Hey, I should have known since you’re a romantic. Now we know the real you, who sits around in pink slippers and writes novels on pink paper.