RJ
Morgan Smith
THE BOOKS
Welcome to my website! Below are the books I've either completed or am in the process of finishing. I have actually been writing since I was seven years old, when I embarked on a career as co-writer of a neighborhood newspaper! Obviously, the creations below are a bit more readable than my first efforts, but for other writing samples and some great stories, feel free to check my blogs and the Articles/Papers page on a regular basis!
701 Miracal Place
Jack Campbell doesn’t know it, but he is the die being cast in a supernatural wager. One side is betting that if Jack is given everything he has ever dreamt of, he will walk away from his current life—including the “family” he has found in Dannigan’s Boarding House. The backing bet is that Jack will have enough strength of character to handle the changes in his new life and still find a way to maintain the ties to his more humble origins.
Foremost among those ties are the ones connecting Jack to the other residents at 701 Miracal Place, an old brownstone apartment building that he calls home. Coming from all walks of life—differing in age, race and socio-economic backgrounds—are ten strangers who have managed to build a family with each other. Each tenant has his own story, but in sharing their lives, they find support during times of struggle and praise as they achieve success. As time passes, the residents find their own individual paths being woven ever more tightly into a beautiful tapestry of life within the boarding house.
As Jack’s success swells, the threads connecting him to his neighbors begin to loosen. A magnificent increase in pay—as well as astounding financial bonuses—makes working longer hours easy to swallow. Time formerly spent with boardinghouse friends is replaced by after-hours rounds with co-workers and fancy dinners with business associates. Weekends are spent learning how to climb the social ladder and woo new clients. Socially exclusive parties supplant simpler celebrations on the boardinghouse roof. Among the other perks of working for the city’s biggest mover-and-shaker, Jack finds himself pursued by his boss’s two gorgeous daughters!
And then there is Molly, Jack’s pretty downstairs neighbor in the boardinghouse and the love of his old life. As she watches Jack drift away, Molly is faced with decisions of her own—personally and professionally. Should she wait for Jack, hoping he comes back to her, or move ahead emotionally without him? Does she dare step out of her comfort zone at the newspaper where she works, to reach beyond the mediocre assignments being sent her way in order to achieve her own dreams as a journalist?
701 Miracal Place is a story about family—real and found—and following your dreams. It’s about living life the best you can, making choices and then accepting their consequences. 701 Miracal Place is also about understanding that there are things out there bigger than we imagine and beyond our control—and living with that, too. Most of all, 701 Miracal Place is not about where you are, but who you are with.
This is fantastic! ... I love the way you think!
Reader from Washington state
Smith weaves an evocative tale in 701 Miracal Place full of allusions and soulful creativity. Her skillful touch proves she understands the human condition and she is able to pull from her own well of experiences to move mountains in her fiction. It’s exciting to find a new writer with such an irresistible grasp of language.
Laura Anderson Kurk, author of Glass Girl and Perfect Glass
Another Year
at
Miracal Place
The continuing story of Jack , Molly and the rest of the residents of Dannigan's Boarding House.
Life After Death
Do you ever dream of finding your true love? You know—your soul mate. But what if that true love is a long-lost love that you don’t remember? What if the soul mate holding your hand is no longer alive?
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Claire is a young woman who survived a car crash that killed her husband and infant son. Six months later, she has taken the insurance money and bought an old, run-down Victorian house that she plans on turning into a small inn. The problem is she thinks maybe she’s going crazy. It’s not the fact that she relives the accident every time she closes her eyes… it’s the music.
Claire hears music playing in the house—not constantly, but often. The tune is always the same, but she can’t find the source—and the music always fades whenever she tries. She knows she’s heard the tune before, but she can’t quite place it, or the reason it’s familiar.
Then there’s the mysterious neighbor. He first appeared on the day she moved into the house and then… he vanished. Daniel continues to show up—and disappear—on an increasingly regular basis and he always seems to be there to help with things Claire can’t manage… heavy lifting, plumbing repairs, wiring. Claire assumes he lives in the neighborhood (he says he lives “nearby”) but she doesn’t know where and she’s starting to have doubts about whether he’s even real.
As time passes, Claire’s heart begins to heal. She understands now the concept of “gone but not forgotten” and the nightmares that have haunted her become less frequent. Daniel still perplexes her but feelings for him begin to grow, despite her doubts regarding his actual existence. Despite her doubts about her own sanity.
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This is the thought that continues to run through my mind: I’m dead.
That… or I’m insane.
And now, I’m wondering, which is worse?