Joseph Morgan recently signed with agent Holly McClure of Sullivanmaxx. Thank you Joseph for agreeing to this interview, and good luck with your book.

QueryTracker: How long have you been writing?

Joseph Morgan: Through out my adult life, however most of my writing has been technical in nature, I am a forensic scientist.



QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

JSM: No. I have lulls is productivity however there is an inexplicable force which impels me to write. My work is the ultimate cathartic therapy.

QT: Is this your first book?

JSM: Yes, though I have worked on professional/technical writings.

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

JSM: Approximately a year and half.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

JSM: No.



QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

SM: No. I do my best writing spontaneously. My family is kind enough to understand when I am “moved” to clear out of my way and give me space.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

JSM: Yes. I have several friends with strong literary backgrounds that have helped me.



QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

JSM: I had an idea of various chapters but it was very non-linear.



QT: How long have you been querying for this book?  Other books?

JSM: 3 months



QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

JSM: Genre and geographic location.



QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

JSM: No. They could either take it or leave it. I have a story to tell and a manner in which I tell it. You must remain true to your inner voice and your muse.

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

JSM: Persistence and an understanding that one man’s trash is another’s treasure.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

JSM: Sure.

“Blood Beneath My Feet: The Journey of a Southern Death Investigator”, this is the title of the text which I am proposing for publication. My name is Joseph Morgan and I began my journey as the youngest medicolegal death investigator in the United States, this according to the renowned forensic pathologist Dr. William Eckert, in 1986. Though my career began along the eclectic canals and boulevards of metropolitan New Orleans, it ended in the crime ridden and self important streets of the “New South” of Atlanta.
My narratives are not so much CSI fluff or singularly focused crime stories as much as they are about the price paid for staring death in the eyes for twenty years. These experiences are expressed in a uniquely southern manner and this is brought to light through the quirky characters that I encountered throughout my career as well as the heart breaking consequences of loss suffered by the inhabitants of two great southern cities. The viewpoint which my writing brings is unique in that it is not told from the perspective of a homicide detective, who solely deals with criminal events leading to death. My stories are told from the point of view of the coroner and medical examiner. The medicolegal vantage point is, in every respect, wholly different from that of law enforcement in that it deals with every imaginable manner and cause of death.
This book will appeal to not only those interested in true crime and life in the morgue, but also to those who wish to put a human face on the medicolegal practitioners. From the utterly gut wrenching experience of an awkward 22 year old man making his first death notification to the reality of dealing with seemingly insane co-workers, this book will open a door for the reader that few have had the opportunity to peer through. At this point, some 13 chapters have been completed with 2-3 more due.
As a result of being severely effected by PTSD, due to the occupational hazards of death investigation, I now am an Assistant Professor of Forensics and Criminal Justice at North Georgia College and State University. It is in the cool air of the Blue Ridge Mountains and among the students of our great university that I have found healing as well as a unique new perspective on my harsh past.

So many writers, both fiction and non-fiction, write about death in an attempt to capture the reader by appealing to the base instincts of man. Many will use forensics as merely a plot device to seduce the reader into great heights of suspense. Though “The Blood Beneath My Feet” contains many salacious elements ranging from necrophilia to decomposing crossing dressers, these elements are not mere props in the text. The people and the events are a very real part of my life that will provide the reader a perspective never seen before. This work is not a gore fest……it is a visceral experience for the reader who wants to dig deeper than the superficialities of reality shows and dramatic Hollywood falsities.
My professional credentials include 20 years of medicolegal death investigations, roughly having investigated over 6000 deaths during that period. Furthermore, I have worked as a pathology assistant having actively participating in 7000 autopsies. In 2002 I attained the highest possible certification as a death investigator following the completion of my board examinations administered through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. Presently, I am completing my doctoral studies in Health Science at A.T. Still University, in addition I hold a Master of Forensic Sciences degree from National University.
Along with my family, I reside in a peaceful mountain retreat, no longer assaulted by the urban onslaught of the megalopolis that is Atlanta. My wife, who is a middle school teacher, and I have been blessed with 3 beautiful children. Our family spends it’s time enjoying hiking and fishing in the cool, healing waters of our local rivers and lakes.

QT: Here is your chance to plug your book. Tell us a little about it.

JSM: My work will present forensic practice in a whole new light. For those looking for a gore fest this is not the book for you. If you are interested in an individual’s motivation for working with the dead for over twenty years, this maybe for you. From nightmare filled dreams, alcohol, constant fear of ones own death, insane co-workers and screaming out of control families, the reader will see how death touches and ultimately demands payment for those things witnessed over the course of a career spent investigating death in both New Orleans and Atlanta.