How did you start writing in the
many different genres you write?
Like most
writers, I was a huge reader before I ever put pen to paper (or fingers on
keyboard) to start writing. I devoured romance novels for years. One day, I
found myself thinking, “I can write one of these.” So I did. I wrote two books
and eventually put them away. Six years later, I started writing again and
eventually published my first book. And those first two books I wrote? They
were eventually published as the first two books of my Jamesville series.
Are you a: Plotter or pantster?
Pantser. If
I plot a book I lose the drive to actually write it. (It’s the same reason I
never talk about whatever I’m working on.) But that doesn’t mean I don’t do
some preliminary work before I begin writing.
It’s all
about character for me, so I do character sketches on file cards. It give me an
idea of who the hero and heroine are, where they come from, what they want,
what motivates them. From there, I think about the first scene. Once that scene
is set in my head I start writing. I may have an idea for a scene or two, but I
don’t plot the book. If I get ideas as I go along, I’ll make notes at the end
of the manuscript and keep on writing.
What are three things you have
on your writing desk?
I work on a
small computer desk in the corner of my living room. It’s barely big enough to
hold my monitor and keyboard. But three things I always have on my desk are:
1. My file
cards for my current book are propped up above my keyboard for easy reference.
I live and die by the file card.
2. My daily
calendar. I keep track of what I’m doing with my writing—words written, edits
done, rewrites, release dates, and stuff like that.
3.
Highlighters and my purple pen, because I make all my notes in purple pen.
I don’t
even keep tea or water on my desk. It’s just too small. My mug sits on top of a
shelf just behind my chair.
Tell us a little about your new
release. What character in the book really spoke to you?
Drakon’s
Knight is the seventh book in the Blood of the Drakon series. The world and
characters have been established throughout the rest of the books. Which brings
me to the heroine, Karina Azarov. She’s a very complex woman—independent,
ruthless, intelligent, goal-oriented, and driven. She’s also been the villain
throughout the first six books of the series. But everything is not as it
seems. And there is a whole lot more to the story.
Honestly,
Karina surprised even me. I may be the author, but I’ve often said I just take
dictation. The characters tell their own stories.
Finish this sentence: I write
because ____...
I have to.
What is your favorite type of
character to write about?
I do tend to
love the dark, brooding hero. I can’t seem to help myself. It’s fascinating to
uncover what made them that way. It’s also a challenge to see if there is a way
to bring them out into the light again—that’s if they even want to. Sometimes,
they entice the heroine into the darkness to join them. In the end, all I want
for my characters is a happily ever after, whatever that means to them.
What is the sexiest scene you
ever wrote?
That’s an
impossible question to answer. LOL It tends to be whatever sexy scene I’m
currently working on.
What is next on your writerly
horizon?
I have a
brand new paranormal series releasing with Entangled Publishing starting in
October 2019, which I’m super excited about. Still kicking around titles, but
the first three books have been written and contracted.
The
remainder of the Tapestries series will be released from Beyond the Page
Publishing.
And the
Marks Mercenaries series—a sexy sci-fi, space romance series—is being released
by Evernight Publishing.
There’s
always so much happening.
Drakon’s Knight
Blood of the Drakon, Book 7
Entangled Publishing
Drakon
Jericho Drake, the child of a pure-blood dragon and human, has a simple plan:
Kill the leader of the Knights of the Dragon and start a war. Except, when he
meets his target, Karina Azarov, she can’t remember who she is. Worst of
all––he can’t kill her. His dragon side has just claimed the dangerous woman as
his mate.
Karina has no idea why these Drakon’s have taken her to their home. And she most certainly does not understand why she’s so drawn to her captor. Maybe because he’s strong, intelligent, and caring, in his enigmatic sort of way. One thing she knows, he’s not going to hurt her. If only she could remember something from her past that would explain why these Drakon’s hate her so much.
But if her memory returns, mated or not, he may get his war.. And one of them will die.
Karina has no idea why these Drakon’s have taken her to their home. And she most certainly does not understand why she’s so drawn to her captor. Maybe because he’s strong, intelligent, and caring, in his enigmatic sort of way. One thing she knows, he’s not going to hurt her. If only she could remember something from her past that would explain why these Drakon’s hate her so much.
But if her memory returns, mated or not, he may get his war.. And one of them will die.
Buy Links:
EXCERPT:
Karina was
desperately trying not to panic, but it wasn’t easy with four big men watching
her every move. It had taken every ounce of determination and pride not to run
screaming when they’d all looked toward her.
Any smart
person would be wary of them. And no matter what her earlier actions might
suggest, her intelligence wasn’t in doubt.
She was
seeing them as a group for the first time without being totally muddled by her
injuries. If she were more of a coward, she’d wish for the worst of the
headache back again so she wouldn’t have to face them.
They were
tough and big. Mercy, were they big. They were all well over six and a half
feet and took up every square inch of the rather large country kitchen.
She studied
the others first. Anything to avoid having to face Jericho.
They all
watched her with varying degrees of suspicion etched on their faces. The man
closest to Jericho had the fiercest scowl.
Seeing the
direction of her gaze, Jericho glanced over his shoulder. “That’s Sadiq.”
The
scowler—was that even a word?—nodded at her. With his cropped, dark hair and
equally dark eyes, he was not a man she wanted to get on the bad side of.
Problem was, she was already there, for whatever reason. He looked like, given
the chance, he’d rather kill her than sit down to dinner with her.
A cold
sweat broke out on her skin, but she managed to nod. Never let them see fear.
That tenet seemed ingrained in her very being.
“That’s
Enoch.” Jericho continued the introductions. He, too, had black hair, but it
was longer than Sadiq’s. His eyes were green, their expression more curious
than murderous.
“And that’s
Khalil.” Like the rest, he had black hair, but his fell down his back in a
tight braid. Like Enoch, his eyes were green. The two looked remarkably like
brothers.
All of them
were wearing jeans, heavy boots, and T-shirts. Tattoos ranged down their bare
arms. Her first assessment of them had been correct. They looked like badass
bikers.
But what
would a biker gang want with her?
“Who am I?”
She turned back to Jericho, addressing her question to him. It was obvious he
was the leader of this small group.
“I told
you.” He eased back in his chair. “Your name is Karina.” The wood creaked, and
she held her breath, wondering if the seat would crack under the sheer weight
and size of him, but it held. At least for now.
“And that
tells me nothing.”
“What do
you remember?” Suspicion dripping from every word, Sadiq moved closer. “Surely
there must be something.”
She could
hear, almost taste the threat in his words. But she took the time to really
think. The more she knew about herself, the better off she’d be.
Pressing
her fingertips to the side of her head, she concentrated on trying to recall
what had happened. “I remember flying through their air, the sound of metal
crunching, and then the silence.” Her stomach lurched, but she kept it in
check.
“The
memories are spotty,” she went on. “But that’s not what you’re asking, is it?”
“No,” Sadiq
answered and took another step closer to Jericho, almost as though he was
trying to protect him. From what? Her? She wasn’t exactly a threat to anyone in
her current state.
Who is Karina? What did she do?
(The Blood
of the Drakon series is a paranormal romance series published by Entangled
Publishing.)
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:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
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Thank you so much for having me at Dawn's Reading Nook!
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