Please Welcome Author Monica Murphy

Welcome to author Thursday, hosted by Never Too Old for YA Books group on Goodreads.

Today we welcome author Monica Murphy to the group. Have you read any of Monica's awesome books?

New Adult Contemporary Romance
**Mature situations and sexual content - recommended for ages 17+**
Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.
But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…
Me.
I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him.
Forever.

**Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual content and language, mature subject matter**
New Adult Contemporary
Lost. That one single word best describes my life at this very moment. I lost the last games of the season and both my team and my coach blame me. I lost the last two months because I drowned in my own despair like a complete loser. And I lost the only girl who ever mattered because I was afraid being with me would destroy her.
But now I realize how truly lost I am without her. She has become my story…and even though she acts like she’s moved on, I know she still thinks about me just as much as I think about her. She’s beautiful, sweet—and so damn vulnerable, all I want to do is help her. Be there for her.
Love her…
If only I could convince Fable to give me a second chance. Then I wouldn’t feel so lost anymore, and neither would she. We could be found together.
Forever

 

And now, without further ado, let us hear what Monica had to tell us!

  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

First I was a voracious reader. From the time I was young, I read constantly. As I grew older and devoured a ton of YA books and romances, I realized I wanted to write them. Took me a while (marriage, work, babies) but I’ve finally turned it into a career. Being an author is my dream job.

How long does it take you to write a book? 

I’m a fast writer. It took me about five weeks to write Second Chance Boyfriend. But when I’m in love with the story, it tends to pour out of me.

What do you think makes a great story?

Compelling characters, bar none. A book can have a great plot, wonderful writing and beautiful description but if I don’t care about the characters and what’s happening to them, then I’m not invested.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing? 

Pure madness? Ha. I tend to write when my kids are in school, so from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. I’ll write after they go to bed too. Since currently I’m on deadline, I’ve been doing that a lot.

How do you balance family and writing?

It’s so tough. My husband just gave me an encouraging little speech tonight. I’ve been so busy lately I hardly have time to breathe. But then I remember my kids won’t be this age forever and I walk away from the computer and hang out with them.

But it’s hard to ignore your work when it’s always there mocking you. It takes as much discipline to work from home and get the job done as it does to make yourself take time off!

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? 

This is such a hard question. Ideas usually come to me out of nowhere. Watching TV, reading a magazine, hearing a story someone tells me. Heck, my husband made up a goofy plot a few days ago and I was nodding and saying, “I love it.” Inspiration is everywhere. You just have to look for it.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? 

My characters tend to take over like they have a mind of their own. It’s ridiculous considering I created them, but I really do feel like they make their own decisions sometimes. I sound crazy.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? 

Well, as Monica I’ve written two books and am contracted to write three more. My favorite? That’s like asking who’s my favorite child! I love them all.

Are your characters based on anyone you know?

Not really but I take pieces of people I know or have met and include them in my characters. Pieces of me show up in them too. Sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously.

Do you have a favorite place you love to write?

My desk on my pretty new iMac. Love this thing more than I probably should.

Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know already know about you.

Um, I’m remarkably boring.

What do your family and friends think about your books?

They’re very proud of me, which is cool. I’m lucky that I have a supportive family and good friends. Some of them even read my books! LOL

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Read. Hang out with my family. Travel. Watch really bad reality TV (I call it research).

Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they? 

Never ever stop learning. Don’t be afraid to experiment. And finish the book. That is the biggest thing. I would play and write a scene here, write a scene there. But when I finally, finally finished a book, that helped me realize that hey, maybe I can do this writing thing.

Finishing a book takes courage. Be brave and finish the thing. It’s the best feeling in the world.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? 

My grandma kept a book and she asked me every year through grade school what I wanted to be when I grew up. I usually said a teacher. That so didn’t happen.

What are your favorite books and which authors inspire you?

There are just too many to mention but a book that touched me deep and amazed me with its greatness is Stephen King’s The Stand. I’m sorry but when you can create such a huge cast of characters and I care about every single one of them, you are a master storyteller. King included the POV of a dog for the love of God. And I even cared about that damn dog!

For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for writing a successful book?

Everyone has their own methods and they have to find out what works for them. I will say discipline is key and learning your craft. Don’t think you can ever stop learning. There is always something new out there to absorb and learn from.

Oh, and make friends with other writer peeps! They will be your lifeline, your support, your posse. I am so thankful for my writer friends who understand exactly what this business is all about. Cherish your writer friends!

What are you working on now?

The first book in my new series for Avon Impulse. It’s a little different compared to One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend. Sexier, a bit more romance-y, but the characters are still on the younger side (mid to late twenties) and I’m writing it in first person, alternating POVs. I’m excited for people to meet these characters. They’re fun.

Thanks so much for stopping by to talk with us today, Monica. It's been a pleasure having you here!

Monica Murphy is a wife of one and mother of three. A native Californian, she lives in the foothills below Yosemite but hasn't visited the park in years (whoops). She is also the author of theUSA Today bestselling One Week Girlfriend and its sequel,Second Chance Boyfriend.

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