What is one of your favorite things about writing?
Creating something from nothing. It’s always a thrill whenever I finish working on a book.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
The characters always come first for me. I have to get to know them before I can understand their story. I use file cards to do character sketches for both the hero and heroine, and then I think about their story.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a pantser. Once I know who my characters are, what motivates them, and what problems they’re facing, then I think about the story. Once I have the opening scene figured out I start writing and trust the rest will work itself out. If I get ideas for the story I jot them down on file cards or make a quick note or two. I don’t talk about my work-in-progress for the same reason I don’t plot. If I talk about it or think about it too much, I lose the drive to actually write it.
When you’re writing, who is more in control, you or your characters?
I’ve always said that I’m just taking dictation. That’s what it always feels like to me. So I’d say that the characters are in control. They constantly surprise me.
What is the most difficult thing about writing?
I find the promotion and business side of writing the most difficult thing to deal with in my writing career. I don’t have any kind of marketing background and I’m technically challenged, which had probably held me back somewhat. I’m constantly learning new things, which can be frustrating at times, but is also wonderful when I do master a new skill.
What do you like about writing series books?
I love getting to spend time with a group of characters, to be able to watch them grow and evolve, and to immerse myself in their world. Nothing better. I also know when to stop. When the characters stop talking to me, then I know a series is finished.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
Wolf on a Mission is book 6 of the Salvation Pack werewolf series. I’d originally planned on five books for this series—one for each of the original pack members. But I wasn’t ready to let go of that world. One day, Elias Gallagher walked into my imagination and he brought his two teenage nephews with him. This book opens up the Salvation Pack, infusing more characters and drama into the mix.
BLURB:
When love runs wild, there are no limits.
Salvation Pack, Book 6
Full-blooded werewolf Elias Gallagher, sole guardian of his half-breed teenage nephews, is all too aware that the world is not a safe place for a werewolf on his own. Doubly so for half-breeds.
He brings his nephews to North Carolina to check out the Salvation Pack’s openness to half-breeds. He never expected to find a mate—the fully human mother of a young boy—while there.
After enduring one tragedy after another over the past two years, Sue Walsh is focused solely on earning a living and raising her five-year-old son. With her ex suddenly demanding custody, the last complication she wants or needs is an attraction to a ruggedly handsome stranger.
But the sexual pull between them is too strong to be denied. And when there’s trouble with the local hunters, Elias will do whatever it takes to protect the people he loves. Even if it means revealing his biggest secret.
Samhain Publishing: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5761/wolf-on-a-mission
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B017NGWR5Y
What makes the hero of Wolf on a Mission hot?
He’s a sexy werewolf for one thing. But what makes him even hotter is his dedication to his family and pack. He’ll do anything to protect them. He’s tough and stubborn, but once he commits to a relationship, he gives it everything he has. It makes him hard to resist.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I love to read contemporary historical, and paranormal romance, as well as romantic suspense. I also love to write contemporary romance, but for the last few years my focus has been on paranormal. There’s just so much to explore and I’m not bound by as many rules. I can create any world I can envision.
Where can we visit you online?
You can visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
I do a lot of reading. I’ve also gotten into the adult coloring books. I’m like a kid buying colored pencils and markers.
What is your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate and cheese are my favorite comfort foods.
About NJ
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.
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Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. 🙂
Thank you for being here, N.J.!