I'm Terry Morgan and TJM Books is my self-publishing platform.
I started writing stories and poetry while traveling with my own exporting business.
Having visited well over seventy countries - some so many times I lost count - I now try, whenever possible, to give hotels and airports a miss and live with my Thai wife, Yung, in the quietness of rural Petchabun, Thailand.
We still return home to Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds valleys in the UK occasionally, but all that lonely business travel - to Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, across Europe and America - did give me something quite special. Many of my memories and personal experiences find themselves - together with a lot of imagination - in what I now write about. So, it's mostly international and covers business, politics, terrorism, crime and espionage plus a bit of science thrown in because I'm still a biologist in my heart. Mostly it's serious but sometimes satirical and I especially try to write enjoyable reading for that largely under-catered for part of the population - mature men.
And you'll get your money's worth because most of my books are well above average in length and the e-versions are free. Why free? For an explanation, read an abstract from my Smashwords interview below.
I started writing stories and poetry while traveling with my own exporting business.
Having visited well over seventy countries - some so many times I lost count - I now try, whenever possible, to give hotels and airports a miss and live with my Thai wife, Yung, in the quietness of rural Petchabun, Thailand.
We still return home to Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds valleys in the UK occasionally, but all that lonely business travel - to Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, across Europe and America - did give me something quite special. Many of my memories and personal experiences find themselves - together with a lot of imagination - in what I now write about. So, it's mostly international and covers business, politics, terrorism, crime and espionage plus a bit of science thrown in because I'm still a biologist in my heart. Mostly it's serious but sometimes satirical and I especially try to write enjoyable reading for that largely under-catered for part of the population - mature men.
And you'll get your money's worth because most of my books are well above average in length and the e-versions are free. Why free? For an explanation, read an abstract from my Smashwords interview below.
THIS WEEK IN AMERICA:
Thanks to Ric Bratton for the radio interview following the recent US publication of 'Whistleblower'. Here's the link:
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/thisweek1/episodes/2019-12-20T10_16_03-08_00
Thanks to Ric Bratton for the radio interview following the recent US publication of 'Whistleblower'. Here's the link:
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/thisweek1/episodes/2019-12-20T10_16_03-08_00
And since the US publication of Whistleblower we've got more 5-star reviews!
"......an action-packed political drama...........a fast-paced thriller, one that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and waiting for more. Corruption is a major issue for countries all over the world and there are many authors who are talking about this, but I feel like Terry Morgan has done, by far, the best job of it."
"....a spellbinding thriller............... exploring themes of politics, justice, crime, and a character’s unwavering quest to expose the truth...... This is a breezy read with characters that readers will enjoy.
"......a spellbinding thriller with a memorable protagonist and a cast of strong characters....... Whistleblower is well-plotted and skilfully written, and I enjoyed everything from the gorgeous prose to the deft character handling. It is fast; it is exciting; it is surprisingly delightful."
"....Fans of realistic, tough and gritty modern fiction are sure to adore the work of author Terry Morgan, who brings thrills and action to the world of the global political conspiracy genre with great gusto. The atmosphere surrounding protagonist Jim Smith is constantly thick with subterfuge, secrets, and lies, and the threat is conveyed beautifully with Morgan’s sharp prose and atmospheric dialogue. Each chapter is a masterclass in heightening tension..."
"...an incredible mystery/thriller that would actually be a great motion picture as well.."
"....The characters are well-developed and the plot ingeniously thought-out. Great writing, punctuated with exciting dialogues. The setting is captured in vivid descriptions and Terry Morgan gives readers strong imagery .....a breezy read with characters that readers will enjoy."
More on Whistleblower as things develop!
"......an action-packed political drama...........a fast-paced thriller, one that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and waiting for more. Corruption is a major issue for countries all over the world and there are many authors who are talking about this, but I feel like Terry Morgan has done, by far, the best job of it."
"....a spellbinding thriller............... exploring themes of politics, justice, crime, and a character’s unwavering quest to expose the truth...... This is a breezy read with characters that readers will enjoy.
"......a spellbinding thriller with a memorable protagonist and a cast of strong characters....... Whistleblower is well-plotted and skilfully written, and I enjoyed everything from the gorgeous prose to the deft character handling. It is fast; it is exciting; it is surprisingly delightful."
"....Fans of realistic, tough and gritty modern fiction are sure to adore the work of author Terry Morgan, who brings thrills and action to the world of the global political conspiracy genre with great gusto. The atmosphere surrounding protagonist Jim Smith is constantly thick with subterfuge, secrets, and lies, and the threat is conveyed beautifully with Morgan’s sharp prose and atmospheric dialogue. Each chapter is a masterclass in heightening tension..."
"...an incredible mystery/thriller that would actually be a great motion picture as well.."
"....The characters are well-developed and the plot ingeniously thought-out. Great writing, punctuated with exciting dialogues. The setting is captured in vivid descriptions and Terry Morgan gives readers strong imagery .....a breezy read with characters that readers will enjoy."
More on Whistleblower as things develop!
CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS:
I've always run two, three or even four writing projects together - putting aside one to focus on another for a while, then reverting. Here are some of my current ones.
I've always run two, three or even four writing projects together - putting aside one to focus on another for a while, then reverting. Here are some of my current ones.
"Mosquito"
The fifth in the "Asher & Asher" series
An ex United Nations Biological Weapons Inspector comes out of forced retirement to pursue a suspicion of a secret project that would enable genetically modified flies to carry deadly viruses. But can he prove his suspicions before becoming a target for state or private security forces? And is there more to it than flying insects?
That was the original idea of this story and it's still the main theme - politicians and government-led security forces are not unknown to have dealt with UN weapons inspectors if they step out of line against their wishes!
Back in December 2019 I put this story aside for a while to watch emerging technology as it was moving rapidly in the direction of where this story was heading, But, as of May 2020, I'm back on it again with a few changes including some of the main characters. In comes a quiet young American engineer called Carlos Garcia with a hidden flair for criminal investigation. Not quite knowing where stories will go when I start out has been the hallmark of eerything I've so far written!
The fifth in the "Asher & Asher" series
An ex United Nations Biological Weapons Inspector comes out of forced retirement to pursue a suspicion of a secret project that would enable genetically modified flies to carry deadly viruses. But can he prove his suspicions before becoming a target for state or private security forces? And is there more to it than flying insects?
That was the original idea of this story and it's still the main theme - politicians and government-led security forces are not unknown to have dealt with UN weapons inspectors if they step out of line against their wishes!
Back in December 2019 I put this story aside for a while to watch emerging technology as it was moving rapidly in the direction of where this story was heading, But, as of May 2020, I'm back on it again with a few changes including some of the main characters. In comes a quiet young American engineer called Carlos Garcia with a hidden flair for criminal investigation. Not quite knowing where stories will go when I start out has been the hallmark of eerything I've so far written!
"Back Streets"
I initially called this one 'Bad Boys' - a story about two young men from a poor, run-down, multicultural, inner-city area. Both boys were fatherless, one from Pakistani parents, the other mixed race Pakistani-English.
But they're not bad boys and it's now become four boys, all from the same neighbourhood and all with the same poor, ethnically mixed-up backgrounds. It moves from the inner-city backstreets to Turkey and Northern Syria during the ISIL fighting and then to South East Asia.
This one might take a while. It's sensitive.
Publication: Perhaps by the end of 2020.
- "Four Men"
Politician Quentin Kelp and Doctor A. Sinnick have lived in my imagination for quite a while. In fact, Quentin once had his own book ("Uncensored Newsletters") that I archived a while back as the politics was looking dated, and a collection of Sinnick's 'poetry' has sat on my computer for years. I'd always said I'd get a full length story out of them sometime. This is the result.
Joining forces with Quentin and Sinnick are two other middle-aged characters: aspiring Hell's Angel Charlie McTavish and Paddy O'Brian. a fan of Irish literature and poetry.
'Four Men' is a humourous/satirical commentary on modern society seen through the eyes of four white, middle-aged men (divorced or nearly divorced) struggling in a world increasingly dominated by gender issues, women, equality legislation and stifling political correctness and 'wokeness'.
Update: Four Men was rrecently published on Smashwords & Free-eBooks (see Humour & Satirical Page) & a paperback version is available from me.
Why my days are often interrupted:
And why my self-published books are currently free:
Because:
Writing was always a hobby. Years of scribbling when I was travelling and when I was quiet, alone and able to escape into my own thoughts for just a few hours. I could make myself laugh or cry or put into words serious thoughts that I knew would never get spoken aloud - deep thoughts, controversial, political, sensitive, very private ones. My first full length novel, fitted around months of travelling, took me ten years to get it to a state where I was sufficiently confident to self publish.
Now: If I had charged my time at even a minimum wage for ten years at only one hour a day I reckon a return of 40,000 dollars might just be enough to break even. The arithmetic is open to challenge but it's either a bit less than 40,000 dollars or, more likely, ten times more - it depends how you value your time. My subsequent novels have vastly increased the time I've spent writing and what I'd expect as a return if I was doing it for a living. But I expected nothing and got nothing because it was just a hobby.
There's an awful lot of published trash out there - a lot of it 'written' by established names, celebrities, politicians and sportsmen who actually get others to write for them. If you want to read it, feel free - buy it.
Likewise, if anyone likes my stuff enough to invest their time and money then good, go ahead, offer me a deal. That's when I'll start to negotiate a price that might offset some of my expense. On the other hand if mine is also trash then tell me. I still won't mind because I've enjoyed the writing.
The modern writing/publishing business is increasingly complicated, made more so because literary agents have failed to move with the times. They have missed, and are still missing, so much good literature written by total unknowns.
The other reason is that books, like so many other commodities, are grossly undervalued because of the economics and the need for mass appeal. In UK I can buy a paperback in a Tesco supermarket at a price that barely covers printing costs. What is the point of writing good stuff if, just at the end point where you might expect to earn a reasonable return for years of time and effort, you are treated like the bags of Tesco's mixed vegetables on the next shelf?
I, for one, do not want to be treated like that.
Because:
Writing was always a hobby. Years of scribbling when I was travelling and when I was quiet, alone and able to escape into my own thoughts for just a few hours. I could make myself laugh or cry or put into words serious thoughts that I knew would never get spoken aloud - deep thoughts, controversial, political, sensitive, very private ones. My first full length novel, fitted around months of travelling, took me ten years to get it to a state where I was sufficiently confident to self publish.
Now: If I had charged my time at even a minimum wage for ten years at only one hour a day I reckon a return of 40,000 dollars might just be enough to break even. The arithmetic is open to challenge but it's either a bit less than 40,000 dollars or, more likely, ten times more - it depends how you value your time. My subsequent novels have vastly increased the time I've spent writing and what I'd expect as a return if I was doing it for a living. But I expected nothing and got nothing because it was just a hobby.
There's an awful lot of published trash out there - a lot of it 'written' by established names, celebrities, politicians and sportsmen who actually get others to write for them. If you want to read it, feel free - buy it.
Likewise, if anyone likes my stuff enough to invest their time and money then good, go ahead, offer me a deal. That's when I'll start to negotiate a price that might offset some of my expense. On the other hand if mine is also trash then tell me. I still won't mind because I've enjoyed the writing.
The modern writing/publishing business is increasingly complicated, made more so because literary agents have failed to move with the times. They have missed, and are still missing, so much good literature written by total unknowns.
The other reason is that books, like so many other commodities, are grossly undervalued because of the economics and the need for mass appeal. In UK I can buy a paperback in a Tesco supermarket at a price that barely covers printing costs. What is the point of writing good stuff if, just at the end point where you might expect to earn a reasonable return for years of time and effort, you are treated like the bags of Tesco's mixed vegetables on the next shelf?
I, for one, do not want to be treated like that.
