We were lucky to catch up with Erika Morse recently and have shared our conversation below.
Erika, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
From an early age I was creating stories. I have written poetry, novels, and children’s books. I have always been a very vivid dreamer. One night I had such a vivid dream that I had to write about it. Thus, my novel, The Road to Fall, was created. It took me two weeks to write the story. I wrote for a year to develop the characters and story line. My children’s books were created based off of my own experience with my two sons. The first book, There’s a Tornado In Our House, was created after I was tired of cleaning and the boys coming in behind me and messing it all up again. The book has a lesson in it for kids to pick up after themselves. I wrote two more books in the series, There’s a Picky Eater In Our House and There’s a Night Owl In Our House. All of the books have lessons and coloring books at the end. I’m working on the sequel to my novel and possibly another children’s book. It’s bee a lot of fun having the creative outlet. The marketing is the hardest part. I have done a book signing and attended book fairs to try and sell the books. It’s pretty hard. I’ll keep trying.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
From a young age I was writing creative stories. I even illustrated some but wouldn’t dare try it now! It’s cute when a seven-year-old draws stick figures. I have written poetry and off in my adult life and moved into novel and children’s books in the last ten years. My first children’s book, There’s a Tornado In Our House, is based off of my own children. When my boys were young (well still even) I would clean and they would come in behind me like tornados and make a mess once again. The children’s books are now part of a series. The other two are: There’s a Picky Eater In Our House and There’s a Night Owl In Our House. All three of the books teach lessons and have coloring books at the back of the book. I wrote my novel, The Road to Fall, based off of a vivid dream. I am currently writing the sequel but have not decided on a title. I hope to one day write about my experiences as a high school English teacher. I think I might need some space away from teaching before that comes to fruition. I’m proud that I have published books. It’s never been about being part of the New York Times best seller list, BUT I wouldn’t turn them down!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an author is hearing from readers how much they love my writing. People are constantly asking when my next novel is coming out. It makes me feel so good. It’s also a lot of pressure! I have started to meet people in the industry through attending book fairs and other events. It’s great to make new friends and learn about strategies to put myself out there.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I have been teaching high school English for nearly 24 years. Though I have enjoyed many of those years, I’m really ready for another road. If I could make enough off of the sales of my books and even teach part time, it would be great. If I could write full time, that would be amazing. Marketing is the hardest part. I continue to sale my books on social media and will continue to attend book fairs and other events. I’d like just one of my books to gain notoriety. That would be a great goal to accomplish.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Erika Akers-Morse
- Facebook: Erika Akers Morse
- Linkedin: Erika Akers-Morse