Annelise Ryan | Conversations in Character with Morgan Carter

Book Title: DEATH IN THE DARK WOODS

Character Name: Morgan Carter

How would you describe your family or your childhood?

My childhood was quite unique beginning from the moment of my birth. My parents were not only wealthy, but they were also avid cryptozoologists who traveled the world in search of cryptids, creatures believed to exist despite no proof of same. I was born aboard a boat in Loch Ness when my parents were on a hunting expedition for Nessie. That’s how I got my name because Morgan means water born. Hunting for cryptids was definitely a family affair for us. My childhood was spent traveling the world with my parents, and I followed in their footsteps and took things up a notch by earning degrees in biology and zoology with minors in mysticism and religions. Sadly, both of my parents are gone now, murdered two years ago when we were on a search for the Jersey Devil. I miss them terribly.

What is your greatest talent?

I have a keen eye for things that are unique, weird, unusual, and desirable. I own a store called Odds and Ends that sells oddities along with mystery fiction, making this a valuable talent to have. The items I sell aren’t for everybody, but I’m good at finding things others want. I also have a healthy sense of skepticism, a trait that can become invaluable if you’re a cryptozoologist. That, and a strong gut instinct.

Significant other?

I’m a little gun shy these days, though I’ve recently begun a slow-moving relationship (we’re talking slower than the winter ice floes in Lake Michigan) with the Chief of Police on Washington Island, a man by the name of Jon Flanders. One of my employees, Rita Bosworth, calls him Flatfoot Flanders. I’d never call him that to his face, though Rita might as she tends to say what she thinks, sans filters. Honestly, I’d have to say my closest relationship these days is with my dog, Newt, because by the end of my last relationship I had a heck of a case of PTSD. Newt can not only sense when my panic is about to strike, he has a way of diverting it.

Biggest challenge in relationships?

That would be my experience with David Johnson, my fiancé from two years ago, a man who apparently murdered my parents and is still out there somewhere. That history, along with my incredibly bad judgment and the horrendous price I paid for it, has put a definite damper on my love life. My father warned me about David, but I was too blinded with lust to see what David was doing or to realize the danger I’d put my parents in.

Where do you live?

I’m blessed to live in the beautiful vacation mecca of Door County, located in the thumb of the mitten shape that is Wisconsin. It’s a peninsula sandwiched between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, and the waterways, which include several islands, have a fascinating but deadly history. In fact, the stretch of water between the peninsula and the largest island, Washington Island, is known as Port des Mortes, or Death’s Door because of all the shipwrecks that have occurred there. There are so many, some wrecks lie atop others. Despite this scary and tragic past, Door County is known for its beautiful and unique geography, cute little towns, quirky people, and unpredictable weather. It’s a vacation mecca for thousands of people.

Do you have any enemies?

That’s a darn good question. The man who murdered my parents is still out there, and I’m always wondering if he wants me dead, too. I mean, I’m one of the few people who can identify him. Though I think if he’d wanted me dead badly enough he would have found a way to do it in the two years since my parents’ murders. Right? Or am I deluding myself?

How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?

I love where I live. My parents converted the floor above the store into an apartment and it’s been my home since as far back as I can remember. The place is filled with furniture and pictures my parents acquired during their travels, items from numerous countries. Each one comes with a story and a memory of them, giving me some sense of comfort.

I’m not crazy about the fact that Jon Flanders lives on Washington Island, which is a half-hour ferry ride plus a twenty-minute car ride away. It certainly complicates things anytime we plan to get together. I can’t decide if this physical barrier is a good thing or a bad thing. Did I mention we’re taking things slow?

Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?

I’m alone as far as family goes. I’m single, childless, have no siblings, and both of my parents are gone. There are no aunts, uncles, or cousins in my life. My employees, Rita and Devon, are my family. Plus, I have Newt. He’s big and nearly blind and I think he might have been used for illegal dog fighting simply because of his size, but he doesn’t have the temperament for it. He’s a sweet, empathic dog and he provides me with a degree of emotional support, something I desperately needed when he first showed up and something I continue to need from time to time.

What do you do for a living?

As I mentioned before, I inherited my parents’ love for cryptozoology and took it to a more professional level than they did with my college degrees. Hunting for cryptids became more of a hobby than a profession after the death of my parents, but things have picked up of late, and I find myself back in the hunt again, enjoying it more than I expected. My main, day-to-day occupation is running the store my parents started, Odds and Ends.

Greatest disappointment?

David Johnson. I thought he loved me, but all he really loved was my money. I let myself be duped by him and it cost my parents their lives. I regret not listening to my dad and realizing he only had my best interests at heart. I wish I could go back and do it all over.

Greatest source of joy? Finding Newt. Or rather him finding me.

What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?  I research and hunt for cryptids, of course. There is nothing more exciting than feeling as if you’re about to discover a creature for the first time by uncovering irrefutable proof of its existence. The world, heck even the universe has become so small in these modern times and there aren’t very many things left to be discovered. The possibility of being the first to find undeniable proof of a totally unknown creature lures me onward. That and the principle of plausible exist-ability, a concept my mother coined during her cryptid hunting days.

What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?

I was too trusting. Now I’m not trusting enough. I can’t seem to find a happy medium. Maybe with time.

What keeps you awake at night?

Nightmares. Thoughts of David. Wondering if he’s nearby. Mentally replaying a history I’d prefer to forget but can’t. And guilt. So much guilt.

What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?

David and his whereabouts. And his motives. Where is he? Is he watching me right now? Did I mention that I’m the prime suspect in the murder of my parents? The police have no proof, only a motive since I inherited my parents’ wealth. But they have no proof David did it, either. In fact, they’re doubtful he’s even real. They think I made him up because David was clever enough in the six months we were together to leave no traces of his existence. The man is a ghost, and he’s doing a devilishly good job of haunting me these days.

Is there something you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?

I want people to take the science of cryptozoology more seriously and for the field to have greater credibility. I’ve always approached it from a scientific perspective and, while I’m open to all possibilities, I won’t become a true believer until I see proof with my own eyes.

Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?

The biggest problem is all the hucksters out there who want nothing more than attention or money, and who get these things by creating fake evidence to convince the populace of something untrue. Sadly, there are a host of gullible people out there just waiting to be had.  Maybe, in my own way, I can remedy that through honesty, education, and professionalism. Wish me luck!

DEATH IN THE DARK WOODS by Annelise Ryan

Monster Hunter Mysteries #2

A potential Bigfoot sighting is linked to a vicious murder, but skeptical cryptozoologist Morgan Carter is on the case in this new Monster Hunter Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Business has been booming since Morgan Carter solved the case of the monster living in Lake Michigan. The Odds and Ends bookstore is thriving, of course, but Morgan is most excited by the doors that were opened for her as a cryptid hunter.

Recently, there have been numerous sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. After a man is found dead from a vicious throat injury in the forest, the conservation warden asks Morgan to investigate.

When Morgan and her dog, Newt, go there to investigate, they uncover a trail of lies, deception, and murder. It seems a mysterious creature is indeed living in the forest, and Morgan might be its next target.

Mystery Woman Sleuth [Berkley, On Sale: December 12, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593441602 / eISBN: 9780593441619]

This Monster Hunting Cozy Series Keeps Delivering the Chills as Bigfoot Stalks the Deep Dark Woods

About Annelise Ryan

USA Today Bestselling Author Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of the Mattie Winston Mysteries and another mystery series. She has written more than 200 published articles, worked as a book reviewer for Barnes & Noble, and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She currently works as a registered nurse in an ER.

Mattie Winston | Monster Hunter

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