Lost Cause – Music FROM the Chalam Chronicles
Well, folks, the time has come. For years I have teased about music I've been working on. If you've been following closely, you know that I have something a little different in store for you: namely music from my books. That's right. Music. As in a soundtrack. A score. Like a movie. Being an author who is also a musician (or maybe a musician who writes novels, I can't decide), it was probably inevitable that I would write these scenes and characters and moments with a bed of music in mind. And yes, that's what I did. So I decided
Music that Inspired The Song in the Shadows
If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know that music plays an important role in my writing process. Even when my fingers aren't on the keyboard, I'm listening to songs that remind me of moments in my books, characters, story arcs, and even emotions I experience writing certain scenes. Listening to these songs helped me to develop the story in my mind long before it ever hits the page. The Song in the Shadows was no exception to this process. So many of the songs on this playlist have become some of my all-time favorite songs,
The Birth of the Chalam Chronicles
One thing I get asked a lot is, "Where did you get the idea for your books?" I think somewhere back in the annals of history (read: one of the past acknowledgments) I mentioned that these books started in my brain when I was a kid. That is absolutely true. I remember lying in the clover patch in my backyard next to my dog, looking up at the sky and imagining a fantastical world beyond ours. I wondered if I could ever visit it; I wondered if it would have the same redemption story as ours. Over the years, that
The Music that Inspired The Stag at Hand
As many of you know, I always make a playlist for the book I'm writing. It's a way of inspiring me to write certain scenes, to get me in the mode, and to connect more deeply with each character and their respective journeys. As a musician, I suppose it was inevitable that music would play an integral role in my writing. So today, I wanted to share with you the playlist I listened to ad nauseam during the writing of The Stag at Hand. Each song has particular meaning for moments in the book, or characters themselves. But I
Why Book 6 is the Most Difficult Book I’ve Ever Written
I think some of you are going to be a bit taken aback by this next book. There are reasons for that, namely that the content is a lot darker, the subject matter is a lot heavier, and the imagery is a bit bleaker. No, I'm not going through an existential crisis that I projected onto these pages. The truth is, I pushed myself to write something more honest than I've ever written. I took off some of the dampers I had self-inflicted and allowed myself to explore some of the darkest themes I have personally faced. Abuse. Neglect. Fear.
The Most Wonderful Time // Christmas EP NOW AVAILABLE
Guys, I've been wanting to do this for years. Transitioning into working for myself full-time has been such a sweet process, affording me the opportunity to do things I've been wanting to do for years. This Christmas EP is a work of love and a fun project that I am so excited to share with you. It's available across all digital distributors and it includes two original Christmas songs, as well as a rather dramatic and over-the-top version of O Holy Night. (You're welcome.) All songs are written, arranged, composed, and performed by moi (except of course, I did not
In Egregious Lapse in Judgment, Christian Author Includes Sex in Her Novels
Dear Mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry. Sex has never been a comfortable topic for me. Partly because of my upbringing, and partly because of my faith, sex has been, for the majority of my life, somewhat of a taboo. Even after marriage, there were aspects of my sexuality that I could not bring myself to terms with (because God forbid a woman should not only enjoy it but... you know... want it). But here I am, writing this, knowing that people I know will read it. Knowing my MOM will read it (good lord in heaven). Maybe even
The Story I Almost Didn’t Tell
Dear Christian, I'm sorry my books offended you. I almost didn't release these books. That's right. When I started writing The Promised One, it was for fun. A labor of love. But I had no intention of releasing it. No, not because I didn't think it was good enough, or because I was suffering from imposter syndrome. I almost didn't release this book because I knew I was going to take the series in a direction that most of my Christian community would not understand. You see, if you've read my books, you know two things: they're blatantly spiritual, and
Non Sequitur: You Would Have Made a Fine Grand Duke
I thought I'd try something new. A way to share with you my WIPs without giving away spoilers or plot points. So I'm calling this "Non Sequiturs." A place in which I share with you random bits from current projects for you to get a sample of raw, unedited manuscripts, whilst simultaneously peering behind the curtain of what it's like to write a novel. So today, I bring you this Non Sequitur, lovingly entitled: You Would Have Made A Fine Grand Duke. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! “It’s a pity you were not born male,” Ezra said.
Happy Birthday, The Promised One!
Happy Birthday, The Promised One. You're still my favorite. I can't believe it's been a WHOLE YEAR since The Promised One made its debut in the world! What a year it has been! In celebration, for one day only, you can get 36.5% off the signed edition of TPO on my website only! (36.5. Get it? 365 days. I mean, you get it, right?) #CleverMarketing Just use the code TPOBIRTHDAY at checkout! Get your copy here! And if you already have one, pick one up for your friends! [av_button label='TPO Signed Edition' link='manually,https://www.morgangfarris.com/product/the-promised-one-signed-edition' link_target='' size='large' position='center' label_display='' icon_select='no' icon='ue800' font='entypo-fontello'
The Novels God Himself Is Not Allowed to Read
I want to inspire you today. I hear this a lot: "Gosh, Morgan, is there anything you can't do?" And I cringe when I hear it, to be honest, because DEAR SWEET JESUS, YES THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS I CANNOT DO. Just the other night, I went to play Top Golf with my friends and, well, let's just say I proved my ineptitude for anything remotely athletic. I'm a spaz, to be quite honest. While God may have gifted me in the artistic arena, he definitely did not see fit to bestow even an iota of coordination into
2018: A Look Back at My First Year In Publishing
What I've learned, what I'm changing, and what to expect for 2019 » When I look back on this year, I have to admit that it has been full of surprises—some good, some not so good. As most of you know, my first novel was released into the world in January of this year, with the second following in October. It has been a whirlwind of learning curves and exciting moments (like when book two became a number one new release on Amazon), but all in all, I have enjoyed every minute of my first year in publishing, and I'm
Women Are Not Stronger Than Men
I see this a lot in my reader groups: people (particularly girls) asking for recommendations of novels with strong female leads. And then inevitably, fifty people comment with various novels they love and recommend. And almost exclusively, the novels feature ass-kicking women with hyper-masculine tendencies and abilities that somehow mark them as “strong.” And inevitably, I roll my eyes. Now let me just say that I will be the first to admit that I’m a Sarah J. Maas fan, and she is the queen of writing ass-kicking female leads. And I am fully aware of the hypocrisy of my own
Shallow Art Does Not Good Theology Make
Shallow art does not equal good theology. Let me say that again. Shallow art does not equal good theology. If art isn't authentic to the human experience, it's not art. There. I said it. *breathes* This topic can be...touchy, to say the least. For Christians, anyway. I think we're scared... I've avoided it, to be honest. I thought to myself, "If someone brings it up, then talk about it. But don't open that Pandora's Box. It's not worth it." People have brought it up in my inner circle. But I can tell that they, like me, weren't sure what to
The Perfection of Imperfection
We all have them. There is no one exempt from their trappings. They haunt us. They chase us. They inhibit us. Sometimes—SOMETIMES—they even inspire us. Imperfections. Bad habits. Quirks. Temperaments. Attitudes. Flaws. Call them what you will, we all have them. And as a writer, I look to exploit them. Because let’s face it: perfect characters are, well... BORING. Like our dear Prince Ferryl with his impulsivity and idealism. While those traits can be a good thing, they can also be a very bad thing for a man who is to inherit a kingdom. That idealism often comes back to
Dinosaurs are Dragons: My Interview with The Arrow and the Song
Hi friends! Today I am sharing a guest post from the blog, The Arrow and the Song, which just so happens to be the blog of my editor, Arielle Bailey. This was one of my favorite interviews ever, simply because the questions are so good. I think you’ll agree. Arielle is quite imaginative (part of why I love working with her). And yes, dinosaurs are really dragons. Dragons are dinosaurs. Whatever. You know I’m right. Check out the interview below! [av_hr class='short' height='50' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_border_color='' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' icon_select='yes' custom_icon_color='' icon='ue808' font='entypo-fontello' admin_preview_bg='' av_uid='av-bvo3h'] From The Arrow and
What’s with all the Hebrew in The Promised One?
Maybe you noticed it... maybe not. But in The Promised One, there are a WHOLE LOT of Hebrew transliterations. Pretty much every proper name, including all the places, provinces, towns, castles, kingdoms, plus all the character names (except a few — more on that in a bit) are Hebrew in origin. What's with that? There's a pretty simple explanation, actually. The book is an allegory of the Old Testament. (Well the first four books, to be precise. And yes, you guessed it, the books after that will be an allegory of the New Testament. You're welcome.) So I spent quite
Ampersand Write Presents: Debut Author Morgan G Farris
Hey guys! It's release day!! Hooray!! The Promised One is officially available for purchase wherever books are sold. Oh man, I am FREAKING OUT!!! I wanted to share with you an article from Ampersand Write, a writing community I am a part of. It was so much fun to answer these questions and I am thrilled to share with you just a little insight into the making of The Promised One. Enjoy! ~Morgan [separator type="thin"] Original article by Kristen Aitken, Ampersand Write Every once in a while, a story comes along that grabs you by the shirt collar and sweeps
What Is The Promised One?
In honor of my book's upcoming release, I thought I might share with you a little bit about it. The story of where it came from, how it came about, and some of the why behind The Promised One: The Chalam Færytales. If you're in the street team, or if you've poked around my site or social media enough, you probably know that the first book (actually, the first three books) is an allegory of the Old Testament. In saying that, I want to make something clear: this is not a character for character, scene for scene allegory. Instead, it
Ampersand Write: For Writers, By Writers
So a few months ago, I had this idea: what if I made a group on Facebook for writers? A place where we could learn from each other, grow in our craft, figure out things as a community, problem-solve. So I just made one. I'll never forget that first day when I invited someone to join. About three members in, a person commented on my invitation to join and said, "Why would I join this? There are only three members." I was a little dejected, but I pressed on. Fast forward five months later and we're about 500 members strong
Music that Inspired TPO
So most of you know I'm a musician. It's in my blood, it colors my world. So of course, music has had a HUGE impact on the writing and creation of The Promised One. It has been a labor of love that started with a tiny seed of an idea. Watered with passion and a whole lot of music, a story—a whole world—started growing. It's still growing. I love sharing it with you. So, I thought you might like to hear some of the songs that inspired the books. There are many, many more and I will add them over
Show Your Love – TPO Wallpapers Now Available
Fallen in love with Ferryl and Elizabeth? Yeah, me too. Why not show your love with a little wallpaper? Available for your computer, phone or tablet, you can show the world your love for The Promised One and look good doing it. Many have asked the significance of the image, and while I can't give it all away (because the book will answer most of your questions), I can say that the image is of a chalam tree, chalam being the Hebrew transliteration for dream. The ancient Navarian legends say that those who share of the fruit from a chalam will share of
The Promised One: The Nameless Monster
Oh man, oh man! I'm so excited, guys. It's time for another short story! This one takes us back to the very beginning—back to when Elizabeth and Ferryl first met, when their friendship first bloomed. You'll find out a little more about how Elizabeth came to Navah, about her mysterious past. And you'll find out what the world looked like through her five-year-old eyes. Not to mention you get to meet a whole slew of new characters, including Ferryl's surly brother, Derwin. It was such a blast to get into my characters' heads as children. I've been living in their minds,
The Promised One: A Short Story
I am so very thrilled to share with you something I have been working on for a long time (and consequently, something I've been *dying* to tell you about). I'd like to officially introduce you to the world of The Promised One, a fantasy series I've been writing since 2015. I'm currently immersed in the writing/editing/writing more/editing more life that is novel creation. It's a crazy world that I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought I'd ever want to be a part of. But something just clicked in me one day about two and a half years ago, and since