Welcome to FAR, Tee. Tee Morris is the author of Reality Check (No Longer Dreams Anthology), Billibub Baddings and The Case of the Singing Sword, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, Asleep At The Wheel (The CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology), multiple essays in The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, and Co-Edited The Fantasy Writer’s Companion.

It's my pleasure to be here...again! You all make me feel like a rock star so I'm tickled to be talking to FAR once more.

What inspired Reality Check?

Reality TV annoys me to no end. Why we as a society and a culture are turning vapid, shallow individuals like Paris Hilton and Gordon Ramsey into overnight sensations and talk show hosts like Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Jerry Springer are being referred to as "journalists" and "experts" baffles me. And now there is a Reality TV show coming out called "I Want to Be a Hilton" where self-described "trailer trash" (and that's how the participants are describing themselves!!!) are given a chance to be "adopted" by the Hilton Family. (Personally, if I had my choice between being a working stiff and raised under the same value system that Paris was, I'll take the 9-to-5 way of life.)

But in the early heyday of the Reality TV boom, MTV (in their unending quest to remove music videos from their programming) offered up a show called FEAR. I have to admit that FEAR intrigued me, not in what happened on the show, but more on what the show's participants were tampering with. The producers would find all sorts of abandoned locations with some seriously twisted history and then play with an individual's fear. Head games...caught on video.

So my thought, taking into consideration the paranormal themes FEAR seemed to challenge and dare, was "What if something REALLY went wrong?"

How is writing for an anthology different then writing your own stories?

Writing for an anthology or a theme is thrilling, not to mention a little imposing, because you are climbing into a "writer's sandbox" with many others. All these writers have their own voices, and you want to make sure your voice is heard obviously; but now you are part of a chorus and continuing the theme. You need to remain true to your style, but still blend in with the overall collection.

That's a good way to look at an anthology. Instead of performing solo, you are part of a group, working together to create something unique.

Billibub Baddings and The Case of the Singing Sword is a creative and amazing combination of history and mythology. Where did the idea for Billibub Baddings originate from?

Well, with a setup like that, the inspiration just MIGHT throw you for a loop...

I got the idea from Leonard Nimoy.

You see, I received from a dear friend of mine a 90-minute cassette of novelty songs, comedy bits, and flat-out-slap-nuts-funny gag reels. On this cassette, I heard for the first time a jovial diddy called "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" sung by Mr. Spock himself. The song was so dreadful that, naturally, I had to hear it again...and again...and again. I was singing along with it when the name "Billibub Baddings" popped into my head. I stopped singing and said out-loud "And the Case of the Singing Sword." Immediately after that, the opening line came to me.

This set the tone for the book.

Did the Prohibition Era automatically click with Billibub Baddings or did it take some time?

It just felt right setting this "Film Noir-Fantasy" in the Prohibition Era. Along with Fantasy, I have a soft spot in my heart for Capone's Chicago. I'm not saying he was a hero or a great man. Al Capone was a thug, but what I find fascinating about him is he's a thug that was a master of image. He was the ultimate bad boy who relished in being a bad boy, and did nothing to hide from the public. Capone is just a compelling character on so many levels, and he was a lot of fun to write.

And being a supposed "spokesman for the common man," I really wanted to see what would happen pitting Public Enemy Number One against a four-foot-one gumshoe. I'm thrilled with the end result.

MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana was Co-Written with Lisa Lee. How did sharing the world and story with another author affect the story?

That was the beauty of working with Lisa. We worked together to make this world an equally shared world. She gave me plenty of background, and I was welcomed to contribute to this world of hers with characters she had never considered. I even added a few dimensions and directions to Lisa's creations that surprised even her, and she did the same with Rafe and Tudor England. We traded off taking liberties with one another's creations, and we would either give it a nod or pull back when we felt something didn't work. It was a true cooperative, team effort, a team effort that I am thrilled people continue to enjoy.

Breaking away from that partnership, however, was rough. VERY rough. With Legacy of Morevi, Lisa chose not to join me. It was now up to me to elaborate on cultures, government structures, and even the magic systems introduced in the first book. At first, I thought Legacy wasn't going to happen because I kept thinking "Is this what Lisa intended?"

Then I had to come to grips with the reality of it: Lisa's opinion and Lisa's intention no longer applied. With her decision not to collaborate on the second book, Lisa surrendered the last say on anything in Morevi to me. I had to make Morevi, once a shared world between us, all mine. That was a little scary, and as Legacy is my first sequel, I'm extremely anxious to find out how it will be received, whether or not people will notice Lisa's voice absent, and if it holds up to the original.

With all this facing me, I'm very proud of the end result. It's a very different book from the first one, but still remains true to the original's spirit of adventure and fun.

The subtle exploration of the exploitation of women within male dominated societies through Askana and Rafe’s romance is priceless. Where did the idea come from?

That idea was naturally unfurled the deeper we wrote into the plot, and I think that is why it struck such a chord in readers, in particular my female readership (and probably one of the reasons many people think "Tee Morris" is a woman...SURPRISE!). Lisa and I did not intend to write a commentary on the place of women in society, else we wind up with a contrived, forced Fantasy that sounds less of a tale of swashbuckling adventure and more of "Chick Lit" Fantasy. We focused on the story and let any subtleties bubble to the surface. If you let the characters and the story to guide you, commenting on things like culture, society, and institutions is much easier than brow-beating your audiences.

Askana’s growth from despising men to acknowledging that a man can work alongside her as her partner is powerful. How did past and present society create Askana?

On my website, Lisa comments on how being a daughter in a family of women in a traditional, multiculturally-structured Southeast Asian society (She's originally from Malaysia.), Askana was born from her own observations on daily life and modern dynamics of male-female power struggles.

Lisa says,“Most people have a skewed view of the Amazonian myths, and most modern retellings present the women as glorified sex objects. Of course, love and sexuality are a part of this story, but our focus is on how this abrupt change affects the society, families, and individuals, and how everyone readjusts. We also explore the reactions of other societies with different rules and values to this change. I think basically the book looks at how the power struggle between sexes affects our lives and loves, and poses the question: Who should have the most power? Is a true partnership at all possible?"

Strong women can be found throughout history and in our modern culture, but where I think writers fall short is they create strong female characters that forget or deny they are female, becoming nothing more than men with different...equipment. If you want a confident, authoritative woman of power, it would be a good idea to remember that your character is female. Don't shy away from that. Embrace it.

How was researching Henry VIII’s era different from Prohibition East Coast America?

The further you go back in history, the more accurate the statement "History is written by the victors" becomes. Resources concerning Al Capone and his Chicago tend to be more accurate while books and websites on King Henry VIII and his England are based less on hard fact and more on opinion. One resource will call Henry a hero and brilliant politician while another will call him a tyrant and an egomaniac. When researching Tudor England, I concentrated on common threads, embellished a bit (as Morevi and Legacy are Fantasies with historical backdrops, not historical commentaries), and tried to remain true to the history while keeping the story a fun ride.

For Capone and Gangland Chicago, I kept the time and the research crisp and clean, down to the language and slang used in the time. I still get people who call me on the history...and sadly, I have to politely correct them, suggesting the websites and the resources that backed up my research.

Whenever you bring in the historical element, you are going to get people who will want to trip you up and score a gold star for themselves in one-upping the author. And these fans are what keep me rock solid in my research and my writing. My novels are not--repeat, NOT--historical essays or dissertations. They are Fantasy adventures with historical backdrops. I try to keep my dates and facts in order, but the story and its central characters always comes first.

In creating the realm of Morevi, how did you and Lisa choose which aspects of Asian culture to use?

There was so much to delve into that we didn't limit ourselves to "Okay, we will use this, but let's pass on that..." We allowed ourselves to build a realm deeply routed in Asian culture as other books build their worlds around European ones. Fashion, architecture, and language (when we could sneak it in there) all played a part in creating the feel and depth of Morevi, and it is really rewarding when you have people comment on how much they enjoyed the different setting of Pacific Asia and the Golden Triangle. Asian-based Fantasy is an untapped culture, philosophy, and mythos that can give an author a new playground for this genre.

What resources have you found to be the most valuable when writing Fantasy and History together?

The Internet is always the resource I continuously rely on to provide answers. When researching on the Net, you have to be careful, just as you have to be careful when you research in a library with print-pubished material. I have heard many authors dismiss the Net for research because "anyone can throw up a website" and to an extent that is true.

However...

See my earlier reply "History is written by the victors." There are some historical resources-in-print that are just vivid, precise, and must-have's, and others written by people who watched "Black Adder II" or "The Untouchables" one time too many. Just because it's in print does not make it an air-tight or accurate resource.

For Morevi, one of my favorite resources was David Cordingly's UNDER THE BLACK FLAG: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates. A wonderful resources that goes into the truth and fiction of pirates. For Billibub Baddings, I couldn't write without A DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN SLANG, a colorful and extremely handy reference that dates and defines a variety of street talk.

How is Asleep At The Wheel different from Reality Check?

The obvious one: Asleep at the Wheel is Science Fiction, while Reality Check is Horror. ;^)

Now, the not-so-obvious: Reality Check came from my aggravation and frustration over reality TV shows, but Asleep at the Wheel literally came to me the day after I _did_ fall asleep at the wheel of my car. The material at the beginning and at the end of Asleep at the Wheel is autobiographical. All that really happened. I was driving back from a workout and drifted off. As far as I could guess I was asleep for at least five minutes. Perhaps ten. When I came to, I was nearly on top of the median of the Washington DC Beltway. I immediately swerved to miss the concrete, but then briefly lost control of the car. Swerving across four lanes of traffic in less than five seconds provided an incredible adrenaline rush, but not something I would recommend to anyone. (For those of you reading this and who live in the area, you all know how blessed I was that there was no traffic around me.) When I got home, I was shaking. I eventually went back to sleep (in my bed), but the next morning my imagination started piecing together a short story of "where I was" in that pocket of time when I blacked out. It was an idea that stayed with me for a few years, and finally I hammered it out.

The end result received an "Honorable Mention" for CrossQuarter's SF Short Story contest. So what was a traumatic event for me turned out positive. Writing can be extremely therapeutic, you know?

When did your fascination with role-playing and weaponry start? How has it affected your stories? How did it influence your essays in The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy?

I dabbled with role playing in high school (back when Dungeons and Dragons was released by TSR, came in this cardboard box with die that never really rolled right, and the book inside spelled out the most basic of rules) but it was hard to find friends that were into playing for hours on end. I loved it...and found myself gravitating to reading in the genre and getting into acting. It was in the pursuit of my theatre degree I got into stage combat and working with weapons. The difference between stage combat and historical re-enactors/SCA is that stage combat is designed more for flash and safety, not historical accuracy. This doesn't mean you can't fight with historically accurate weapons. It just means the choreography and planning in the fights are very different.

In my stories, I try to depict the accuracy of combat, much in the same way you see combat depicted in films like Master & Commander and the Horatio Hornblower mini-series. You have to keep it fun and entertaining, but you also cannot kill a man instantly with a single sword wound to the arm. In the stomach, sure, but don't be surprised if that guy with the bleeding gut gets up. He'll die...just slowly.

For my chapters in The Complete Guide..., I go into the variety of weapons so as not to confuse a schlager blade with its thinner counterpart, the epee blade. Both are rapiers, but the build and damage dealt are very different. I also stress safety, again from real-life experiences. Some writers like to get hands-on experience, but weapons of any kind--firearms, in particular--are weapons and pose a danger. You just have to be careful.

How were your experiences as Co-Editor of The Fantasy Writer’s Companion different and similar to your experiences as a contributor in the previous book?

For one thing, I wasn't writing for the title. It's like being a director instead of being an actor. I can tell actors where to go, what to do, and maybe give them a nudge into how to handle a particular line or scene, but I can't do the acting for them. Same thing with editing. The writers reserved the right to say "That's a great idea, Tee..." and then run with an idea I gave them, or reply with "Bite me, Tee..." and disregard what I offered up. Then, if the idea also flew with Val (as in Valerie Griswold-Ford, the other editor of The Fantasy Writer's Companion), we would all work together to make the chapter work.

Okay, maybe none of my writers said "Bite me, Tee..." but I don't doubt some of them thought it! Still, sitting in the editor's chair was VERY different from writing, and I have a new-found respect for the crap editors have to put up with on occasion. The Companion experience sadly cost me a friendship. However, I discovered that there are some writers who want to be authors, but don't want to do the work that comes with the byline. So yeah, it was a lost friendship...but what I discovered later about this one writer's efforts validated Valerie's and my decision.

What future books are you currently writing? How are they similar and different from your previous stories?

Right now, I'm working on a "For Dummies" book on podcasting, and I've also got two titles underway while I'm flushing out the details for a third book. And, of course, I'm going to be taking some time out to seriously look at the next Morevi and Billibub Baddings titles. Oh, and I really want to get this title off the ground with my friend Tony Ruggiero, but what is slowing me down is time, especially with the demands of writing non-fiction. Turnaround time for non-fiction is a matter of months as opposed to fiction titles which can be anywhere from a year to two years. I would say the similarities between all these titles I am working on (apart from the "For Dummies" book...but it's still high in the geek hierarchy!) are rooted in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, but what makes writing these titles a challenge is finding the time to dedicate to them all.

This is a subtle hint to all the visitors of your website...buy more of my books so I can go full time. *LOL*

Are there any other genres you would like to explore?

There are so many sub-genres within Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror that I could easily keep myself busy exploring them all. I'm hoping in my next novel, I can give it a cyberpunk aspect because I really love that genre. It's a slick, cool, and seriously rock-and-roll approach to Science Fiction, and I want to see what I could bring to that sub-genre. Then there's Steampunk. I would love to write something in that genre, so long as it doesn't come across as a rip-off of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Van Helsing.

But for now, I've got PLENTY to keep me busy.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your books?

Just that I've been working for the past few months on a new way to promote my books: podcasting. You heard me mention it earlier, but let me explain exactly what it is. Podcasting is where you take mp3 files, post them on the web, and leave them up for downloading either with a podcatching client (such as iPodder or iPodderX) or manually. You do not need an iPod to listen to podcasts. All you need is an mp3 player, either portable or on the computer, and you can program your own playlists of audio content. Pretty cool, huh?

Okay, so here's what I've been doing since January, every week I've been podcasting Morevi one chapter at a time, leading up to the premiere of the sequel, Legacy of Morevi. It has been a real hoot! I've been getting some incredible feedback from all over the world, and my downloads have been through the roof. In a sense I'm giving away a free audio book...a free ABRIDGED version of Morevi. You want the WHOLE story? You'll have to buy the print version. And people have. There's been a slight spike in my sales on Amazon, and people are now asking about Legacy.

Morevi: the Podcast will be rerunning on www.podiobooks.com. Subscribing to the feed is free. There is also a detailed explanation of how to podcast there and plenty of links to pursue for podcatching clients.

Along with the Morevi podcast, it's been a great year. Billibub Baddings was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Award for Best SF/F and received an Honorable Mention for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year in Fiction. Then there's the Fantasy Writer's Companion, a finalist for both the EPPIE and ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year. Then there was the contribution to the No Longer Dreams anthology, an article for Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets from BenBella Books, Legacy of Morevi, an essay for the next volume of Dragon Moon's Writing Fantasy series called The Business End of Things (coming out in April 2006), and then Podcasting for Dummies with Evo Terra.

I think before I start work on my next book, I'm going to take a nap!

I am in awe of your variety of genres. Do you need time to switch from one genre to another?

In awe? Hey now, flattery will get you everywhere! ;^)

Thank you, but there's no real mystery or talent in this. There is a switch in mindsets, I will admit. Then again, genre jumping is no different than my taste in movies. If I give myself a day off, I'll watch a movie like National Treasure and then turn around and watch something like The Incredibles. Writing is no different. Granted, I prefer writing fiction as that can be good fun for the imagination, but I enjoy writing. Of all kinds. Period.

Is there any music that inspires the different genres?

Wow...did YOU just hit the mother lode! *LOL*

First off, I own an iPod which means I am in the process of going through my CDs and making custom playlists on iTunes. I suppose it is a hobby in that I love music and I love creating playlists for moods, parties, and (of course) past works or works in progress.

I have in my iTunes/iPod several "soundtracks" for my books. Morevi is a lot of tracks from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Dune mini-series while Legacy's soundtracks hopped around between The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix films, and Krull. (Just because I didn't like a movie doesn't mean I can't enjoy the soundtrack.) For Billibub Baddings, the playlist is a lot of Crime Jazz, Mob Hits (both of which are compilations available online and in stores), and Dean, Frank, and Sammy. It's very easy to write about Capone's "greeting card" to Bugs Moran when you've got ol' Blue Eyes singing about "My Funny Valentine.

For my Science Fiction work-in-progress, I've got in this mix anime tracks (one favorite the theme from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), a few techno-trance tracks, and Lenny Kravitz. One song from Lenny I discovered when watching this quirky, fun Japanese SF movie called The Returner. Just a cool popcorn flick!

Music, I find, will trigger ideas and give me a direction in my writing. I can write without it, but I find that it is a big help for me in putting together a scene, keeping the pace quick, and (depending on the scene) creating an atmosphere. I've always been a musician at heart (played trombone between my junior high and college years) and nurtured an appreciation for music. With the iPod, I can now have my soundtrack to go.

I love my iPod. It's an author's best friend!

Do you have a specific routine before you write? Do you write in one area only or everywhere?

Between the iPod and the PowerBook, my Writer's Desk is wherever I am. I prefer to write in my office, of course, with my pirate artwork, the movie posters, and my cat Puck asleep in _her_ office chair, but sometimes life (i.e. the day job...as mentioned earlier, I can't afford to go full time as a writer, yet. If only I could get those Dan Brown numbers...) forces me to go mobile. That is one advantage of taking a commuter train into work. I can enjoy the long train ride in and write.

For the record, the commute I prefer is when I have to work in Silver Spring, Maryland. Literally, I go to the end of the line in both directions, so I don't have to pay close attention to which stop I'm at. Additionally, I am guaranteed a seat both ways. Bonus!

Who/What inspired you to write?

The gentleman that got me into this genre and got me writing was Terry Brooks. He's the kind of author that I've noticed other authors take digs at, claiming he's just a "blatant rip-off of Tolkein."

I'm not one of these authors.

I find this blanket statement of "why Brooks is a hack" to be nothing more than petty jealousies coming to the surface. Brooks, in the Seventies, did what Rowling did in the Nineties and what Brown did in the 2000's. They are vein-tappers. Terry Brooks came along with The Sword of Shannara at a time when the Fantasy genre was practically non-existant, and opened up a venue that old school Science Fiction authors (who will remain nameless...personally, they aren't worth my time. Get a few beers into me if you see me at a SF/F convention and I'll start naming names...) are threatened by and therefore snub Brooks for his accomplishments. I loved the original Shannara trilogy and it got me interested in the genre as well as writing. To me, when a writer inspires, I think that's the sign of a talented writer.

Another reason I'm such a fan of Terry Brooks is that he's a hell of a guy! I met him at a signing, and he was extremely unassuming, charming, and down-to-earth about himself, his work, and his life. I am thrilled that he agreed to be our Guest of Honor at RavenCon, a SF/F convention happening April 21-23, 2006 in my hometown of Richmond, VA (http://www.ravencon.com). I just hope I can keep my hero worship in check...

...but after reading Sometimes the Magic Works (Terry Brooks' memoirs on the writer's life), it's hard not to look up to him. He's just a really cool guy.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Along with Brooks, you mean? Well, here's the thing about being a new author and bumping into the same authors at conventions, you want to try to familiarize yourself with their works, especially if you like the authors as people...

With all the really cool people I've met, both online and in person, I've got a reading list that is growing exponentially. And as I'm a slow reader, that makes it all the tougher for me.

My current read is "Just a Geek" by Wil Wheaton. Yes, Wesley Crusher of Star Trek: TNG...and let me tell you something -- Wil Wheaton is a TERRIFIC writer. I'm also going back and re-reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy after enjoying the new movie, a terrific tribute to the book and its author. I'm also a fan of Tony Ruggerio which is one reasons I tour with him when and where I can. I also love books by Wen Spencer, Patricia Bray, and Walter H. Hunt, and I recommend their books to everyone. Terrific people, terrific writers.

And as far as the reading list goes, I've got David B. Coe, Paul Levinson, John C. Wright, Peter Prellwitz, Sheri McGathy...and the list goes on and on and on...

I REALLY wish I could read faster!

Is there a way other than your website for fans to keep updated?

You can keep up with me at www.teemorris.com and sometimes get a few of my straight-up opinions on www.dragonpage.com where I review movies and anime, and--when time affords--review books. I don't have a blog at present as I don't have the time to develop one and I'm afraid if I did have a blog, I would disappear along with my free time!

But yeah, keep tabs on me at www.teemorris.com and www.dragonpage.com. And if you like what you read, feel free to review me on Amazon.com or drop me an e-mail and let me know what you think. I appreciate and welcome feedback, of all kinds.

What final advice would you offer to writers who are seeking publication?

Before submitting manuscripts and signing ANYTHING, do a bit of homework on the BUSINESS side of publishing. Find out how the gears, knobs, and levers work in making a book happen and then carefully weigh your options. There are various ways to get published, some better than others. You need to understand those options and find out how you can make these options work best for you. The books I recommend are How to Get Happily Published by Judith Appelbaum and Being Your Own Literary Agent by Richard Curtis. These books give you a sneak peek at what "the man behind the curtain" is up to. Understanding how the business works and how books get from printers to bookstores is essential.

Finally, any last thoughts.

Thanks again, Dena, for interviewing me and for reviewing my works. Fallen Angels Reviews has been nothing less than supportive and enthusiastic with Dragon Moon Press and its titles, and I feel very lucky to have an organization like FAR in my corner. (God forbid I ever write a bad book...you all would come at me with everything you got! So, pressure's on with Legacy!!!)

To those of you reading this interview, my sincerest appreciation in spending time with me, one of the "new kids" in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. Please take a look at my titles, and if you like what you read, tell a friend because nothing beats "word of mouth" in making a book a bestseller. I sincerely hope you enjoy the rides I provide!

Thank you Tee for taking the time to answer my questions and give us a glimpse into your life and world. For more information about Tee Morris and his books, visit his website at http://teemorris.com/.


Interviewed by: Dena