Interview with N.J. Walters

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is N.J. Walters and I write romance, mostly paranormal these days. I am lucky to be able to write full time and have been published since 2004.

Is one of your main characters a supernatural creature that is traditionally considered “evil?” If yes, how does this character break that traditional stereotype?

The hero of Wolf in her Soul is a werewolf. Traditionally, they’re seen as dangerous, bloodthirsty creatures who change during the full moon and hunt for blood. Reece—the hero of Wolf in her Soul—is a police detective in Chicago and has spent a decade working for justice. He’s protective of his pack. And while he is stronger than any human could ever hope to be, he depends as much or more on his brain than his brawn.

What kind of antagonist is your favorite?

I think the most interesting kind of antagonist is the one who doesn’t think he is evil, one who truly believes what he is doing is the right thing. After all, aren’t we all the hero/heroine of our own stories? The same is true for antagonists.

Who is one of your favorite fictional antiheroes?

That’s a tough one. There are so many good ones out there. One of my favorites is Kaleb Krychek from Nalini Singh’s Heart of Obsidian. He really is the most dangerous man in the world. His ethics are questionable when it comes to business and he won’t hesitate to remove any obstacles in his path, by whatever means necessary. But the reason I love him is there isn’t anything he won’t do in order to protect the woman he loves and make the ones who hurt her pay for what they’ve done.

What is one of your favorite paranormal creatures and why?

I’m obviously partial to werewolves when it comes to writing, although I have also written vampires and drakons. But I love to read about all kinds of paranormal creatures. I think I’m drawn to their darkness, the thing that makes them different. Every paranormal creatures lives by its own rules. It never think that it is evil, although sometimes it is and sometimes it can be the hero. It’s the fascination with the unknown, with what is more than human.

Wolf in her Soul

She’s ready to run, but so tempted to stay…

Salvation Pack, Book 8

Detective Reece Gallagher is a long way from Salvation, North Carolina. He’s spent a decade in Chicago searching for her—the elusive red-haired woman who haunts his dreams. He knows nothing about her, only that she’s in trouble. After ten fruitless years, he’s ready to give up and go home.

Hannah Burdette is burdened with a secret that won’t allow her to get close to anyone. She’s a half-breed werewolf, targeted by a stalker who wants those of impure blood eliminated.

There’s something different about the arson/murder case Reece and his partner are working on. His heightened senses tell him there’s a werewolf involved. Even more shocking, it’s related to an assault case involving a beautiful redhead in trouble. A scared, wounded woman his wolf wants to protect as his own.

But first Reece must convince her she doesn’t have to be alone anymore. And he’s going to have to talk fast, because the killer has upped the ante—and now they’re both in danger.

EXCERPT:

His wolf was going crazy inside him. The creature wanted Hannah safely tucked away in Reece’s apartment too. More than that, his wolf wanted to take her home to the pack. Reece was in perfect agreement, but first he’d have to win Hannah’s trust. Getting her to his place was the first step.

“Come on, Hannah,” he softened his tone. “You know you can’t stay here.”

She looked around the tiny room and shuddered. “No, I can’t stay here.” She stood and walked to the window, being careful to not stand directly in front of it. She peered around the side and looked down on the busy street. It was afternoon and the city was alive with people and vehicles.

“How do I know you won’t try to kill me?”

His entire body jerked with anger, but it was a valid question. “You don’t.”

She spun quickly around and began to sway. He leapt forward and grabbed her before she hit the floor. “Damn it, you’re in no shape to be up and around.”

Quick as a snake, she knocked his feet out from under him and ran toward the door. Even as shocked as he was, he rolled to his feet and was on her before she could turn the knob. His big body covered hers, pressing her against the wooden panel.

She elbowed him and tried to fight. He grabbed her hands in his and placed them against the door. “What the hell was that about?” He was more than a little impressed with her, even as he was angry she’d managed to trick him.

“I won’t go down easy. I’ll hurt you,” she promised.

Reece realized that she thought he was going to harm her. “Oh no, babe.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “You might not trust me, but I’ll never hurt you. That I promise. I want to protect you.”

He loosened his grip, careful to watch for any sudden movements. She’d dropped him on his ass once. He wasn’t looking for a repeat performance.

“Okay?” he asked as he slowly turned her around. He kept his hands around her wrists and his body pressed against hers. She was pale and he smelled blood. “Fuck.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the daybed. “You broke at least one of your stitches. Why aren’t you healing?”

“I don’t heal as quickly,” she told him. “And I haven’t eaten since last night. Usually I get something at work for breakfast, but I never quite made it there this morning.”

He lifted the thin top she wore, displaying the hospital dressing and a small swath of her stomach. The sight of the bandage made his stomach muscles clench, but no blood had seeped through, which meant whatever damage she’d done while fighting him was minimal.

He kept his touch light and as gentle as possible as he examined the area. “Doesn’t look like you tore too many stitches, if any. You might have just pulled one. It doesn’t seem to be bleeding much.” If he wasn’t able to smell the fresh blood, he’d never have known she’d hurt herself at all. He pinned her with his gaze. “Good thing or we’d be headed back to the hospital.”

“No more hospital.” She shuddered and tugged her top back down.

Reece cupped her face in his hands. Her skin was pale like porcelain, smooth and fine. A sharp contrast to her vibrant hair, which snapped with vitality. There were dark circles under her eyes. He looked into them until he was sure he had her total attention.

Then he slowly lowered his head. He figured there was about a fifty/fifty chance she might bite him, but what the hell. He liked to live dangerously. He pressed his lips against hers.

It was like getting zapped with a million volts of electricity.

His entire body shook as he ran his tongue over the seam of her mouth. She sucked in a breath but didn’t pull away. She ran her hand over his upper arm, and even through his jacket and shirt, he could feel the heat of her.

He wanted to deepen the kiss more than he wanted his next breath, but he knew it was too soon. He didn’t want to spook her any more than she already was. When he pulled back, she was staring at him, her blue eyes wide and bewildered.

“What was that about?”

He smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Me showing you what I want to do to you. And, Hannah, I certainly don’t want to kill you.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B01MUFGTWR

Samhain Publishing: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5861/wolf-in-her-soul

Barnes & Noble: https://goo.gl/t50uEp

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/wolf-in-her-soul

 

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

 

Visit me at:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters