My blog will be moving to my new site soon! You can find it at akmorgen.com/blog

Monday, July 9, 2012

Buccaneer Blogfest: Meet Ayden #bloghop

Banner by Cody Underwood

The Buccaneer Blogfest officially starts today, and it's Introduce Yourself Day. So, let's get to it, shall we?

My name is Ayden, and I write young adult romance as A.K. Morgen. My first novel, Fade, was contracted for publication by Curiosity Quills Press a few months ago, and will be released soon. The ever amazing Krystal Wade and I have been whipping the manuscript into shape lately. I just finished the first round of edits on the novel. Yay!

If you've been here before, you probably already know that Fade is the first book in a series that focuses on Norse mythology, and the unexpected role our heroine (Arionna Jacobs) and hero (Dace Matthews) play in some of those myths. You can expect love, loss, shapeshifting, angels, Norse demi-gods, and possibly even the end of the world. You'll just have to read and see how that works out for our wayward T.A. and his stubborn soul-mate. ;) You can read an excerpt of the novel and more here.

I graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology, and a M.S. in Criminal Justice and Law. I am a huge nerd. I love learning new things and will spend hours researching the most obscure facts ever. If I don't know the answer to a question, I will find it even if it takes me all day. This drives my husband insane because I also love to argue. He swears he can never win because I'm too anal retentive. He's probably right on that last bit. ;)

I plan on attending law school next fall. My ultimate goal is to open a non-profit that provides legal services to the mentally ill, specifically those in the criminal justice system. My other life goals include learning the Thriller Dance, blowing something up (legally), owning an Audi R8, hiking to Machu Picchu, convincing the husband I do need a live pet cow, and building the largest spork army ever.

When I'm not writing or studying, I'm the volunteer coordinator for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, and a volunteer with several different organizations close to my heart. I am a big believer in getting involved and giving back, and I absolutely love writing for charity, organizing fundraising campaigns, educating people on some of the issues that deserve attention, and getting others involved in worthy causes.

I spend my free time hanging out with my husband, our teenage daughter, my sister and her kiddos, getting into mischief with my partners-in-crime, reading, dancing, swimming, hiking, or catching up on the shows I never seem to watch while they're on air. My favorite drink is vodka (which the neurosurgeon banished), my favorite food is cookies (or anything chocolate), and I firmly believe that watching hockey (Blackhawks, baby!) is a sport. 

I love blogging, but I often lack the time to put a lot of effort into maintaining the blog. I typically pop in when I have something important to say about the world, or something to share about the writing journey. Otherwise, I post random updates as time allows. I'm kind of crazy so you never know what's going to come out of my mouth (or fingertips). Hell, I never know what's going to come out of my mouth.

You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and YALitChat.

I look forward to getting to know my fellow buccaneers! You can get to know them via the links below :)

xoxo,
A.K.M.

 

31 comments:

  1. Nice to meet you Ayden. Your books sounds fascinating, I'll be coming back to your blog later on in the fest to find out more about the story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Clare! I'm looking forward to hearing more from you"! :)

      Delete
  2. So nice to meet ya! It sounds like you live a very busy, full life. I'm so glad you are taking time to introduce yourself and get to know some fellow authors! Can't wait to read more about you and your book:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS. I had this blog template on my blog not to long ago. My templates changes on a regular basis, sometimes even daily:)

      Delete
    2. I definitely keep busy. I don't mind though. I love the things I do, so it works out well for me. I adore this blog template. :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Hi Ayden (love your name)!
    It's great to meet you, your book sounds great. You had me hooked with Norse mythology.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I always love hearing I'm not the only one with a soft spot for Norse mythology. :)

      Delete
  4. Many congratulations on the publication! Always awesome to hear a success story. Following you now. :)

    http://anallegedauthor.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I can't wait to check out your blog and see what you've got going on. :)

      Delete
  5. Hockey is most definitely a sport. I'm from Minnesota, and subsequently gave it up for a while out of despair, but when I moved to Chicago I started getting back into it again just in time to watch that amazing Stanley Cup run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, yay! You have no idea how excited I am to see a fellow hockey fan here. I think I may be the only one in Arkansas. It's lonely! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Delete
  6. Hey there, Ayden! Glad our lovely Krystal is treatin' you right ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Verity, I love working with Krystal. She has been such a huge help! :)

      Delete
  7. Hi Ayden! Your novel sounds really intriguing. I'd love to read when it's released.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Michelle. I am looking forward to getting to know you. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  8. Hi Ayden :)
    Love the twist on your book Fade :) Can't wait to read it. Sounds like you've been busy editing with Krystal. I'm yet to be assigned an editor, but I've just finished CQ 26 page editing document! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Jade! Welcome to the family. :) I hope you have as great an editing experience as I've had with Krystal once you get an editor assigned. CQ has been great. I am looking forward to getting to know you. :)

      Delete
  9. Hi Ayden! You're quite witty, aren't you? I love your life goals!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Sharon! I'm glad someone finds me witty. My daughter loves to tell me I'm a nerd, lol. Thanks so much for putting the blogfest together. I'm really excited to get to know everyone participating!

      Delete
  10. Nice to meet you! I've recently gotten really interested in Norse mythology, so that makes your book sound all the more appleaing! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Kendra! I love that you have an interest in Norse mythology. The Norse pantheon tends to be the most overlooked when it comes to mythology. It's always nice to meet others with an interest. : I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

      Delete
  11. Hi Ayden! I'm always collecting the tabs off aluminum cans, and if we met in person, you'd probably be the first person to know why I do that! Enjoyed reading about your life goals. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria, thanks so much for taking the time to collect the tabs. It's such a small thing, but can make such a huge difference for RMH and the families. Kudos on participating! I am looking forward to learning more about you. :)

      Delete
  12. We collect tabs, too! Oh, and I've learned the Thriller dance & performed it in public 3 different times. If we ever meet in person, I'll totally teach it to you:-) Looking forward to hearing more from you in the blogfest (and how'd I score such a cool interviewer!~Lucky me!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jamie, I'm so glad you collect the tabs too. I've recruited my extended family to the cause, and they have so many others helping. It's such a small, but effective way to make a difference. So thank you from a RMH staffer. :) I am so excited you're my interview subject for the blogfest! I will get my questions to you tonight.

      Delete
  13. You sound super fun and have the same blogging schedule as I keep. Sorry about the vodka, is red wine allowed? I'm seriously impressed by your education, too. Whoa!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shell, sadly red wine is not allowed either. I'm on a strict no-alcohol diet. Neuro meds really suck the fun out of life. Ah well, though. At least I still get to torture my characters and eat chocolate. It's the next best thing, right?

      I'm looking forward to getting to know you! And thank you. I didn't think I'd survive college, let alone grad school, but I finished this spring and I am so, so glad I didn't give up! :)

      Delete
  14. HI Ayden! It is nice to meet you my fellow CQ Sister. I know what you mean about the arguing and researching things until you find the answer. It is crazy to think what people did before the internet. Maybe go to the library and pull dozens of books? I also wanted to go to law school, took the LSAT, and applied and all, but then soul searched and decided it wasn't for me. I hope it isn't one of the biggest regrets of my life but I digress.

    You've got such a large heart. You are such an inspiration.
    I think we were meant to be friends. :)
    Glad you are blogfesting with us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Court, thank you. My nephew was born 3.5 months early with severe medical problems. He's 7 now and ventilator dependent (but doing amazing!). We've been blessed with such a phenomenal support system throughout his illnesses and hospitalizations. It's impossible to watch such a special child overcome so much, have so much support from the community, and not want to get involved and give back to others in some way. :)

      Delete
  15. Here for the blog quest. I think you'd like Crazy About You. I donate $1 of each sale to Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, KS. Those folks work the suicide hotline for this part of the country: http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-About-You-ebook/dp/B005DC623E/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311167216&sr=1-3

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice to meet cha'! I, too, want to learn the Thriller dance and love chocolate. Fade sounds awesome. Congrats on the contract!!!!
    It also warms my heart to hear how much you volunteer and give back.
    See you around, matey! : )

    ReplyDelete

Blog Archive