Local author publishes first novel

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By Tammy Watts

DailyAdvocate.com

RUSSIA — Local author Morgan Plantz released her debut novel, Deerly Beloved, on May 17. The thriller/romance story has been nearly a year and a half in the making.

“I’ve always loved books; I was always reading, and I thought, I can do this,” Plantz stated. She explained that her writing is not planned, but comes from a one or two-sentence idea, and then takes on a life of its own. Often, her inspiration comes from vivid dreams, which she writes down on waking.

Plantz is nearly finished with another novel, Exodus-b, which will be available next month. Unlike Deerly Beloved, her second work delves heavily into science fiction, and unique perspectives on the afterlife, although not overtly religious. “This one has taken a lot less time to write,” she said. “After my first novel, I realized what I needed to focus on.” Plantz admitted writer’s block was a factor with Deerly Beloved. “Then one day, I thought of a character; he just popped in my head, and it made the whole story.”

Plantz already has more stories in the works, teasing, “I’ve got the cover images for my next three books.” Her stories cross different genres to appeal to a wide variety of people, and they are relatively short in length. “I don’t have the attention span to spend days or weeks reading a book, so I write shorter stories; ones where people can spend a few hours, or a day, and finish it, and feel satisfied.”

With four children, whom she homeschools, Plantz understands time constraints, a major reason why she chose to self-publish. “People think you’ve got to go to a big company, and if a big company doesn’t buy it, your book is nothing,” she stated, adding, “If I was with a publisher, and they gave me a time limit, with my kids and all, I can’t promise that.” Plantz took pride in having complete control and creative license over every aspect of the book, from cover art to formatting. “It takes a lot of time, and a lot of work, but I think self-publishing is the way to go. It’s like being your own boss.”

Plantz is a certified Emergency Medical Technician, and plans to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing.

Deerly Beloved is available to order online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.com. For more information, visit Plantz’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/authormorganplantz.

Contact Daily Advocate Reporter Tammy Watts at [email protected].

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