Hi NJ! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us.

Hi, Jessica! It’s my pleasure to do this interview with Fallen Angel Reviews. Thank you for asking me!

In your new series, Dalakis Passion, you have emerged into the paranormal genre of vampires, have you always been interested in vampires or were vampires something new for you?

I’ve always loved the gothic and the paranormal and have enjoyed reading everything from Anne Rice, Maggie Shayne, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, as well as many others.

Since I enjoy reading about vampires so much, it was a natural progression for me to write a series of my own. I wanted it to combine some of the classic elements of the vampire genre as well as making it distinctly my own creation. One of the things a reviewer pointed out about my vampires is that they are very real. And it’s true, they’re not just vampires, they are men who are looking for love and acceptance, much like the rest of us.

What can readers expect with the second installment in the Dalakis Passion series?

The second book is quite different from the first in many ways. Each of the three Dalakis brothers have distinct personalities and their books certainly reflect that. Cristofor, from Harker’s Journey, was more old-fashioned and quite the lord of the manor still living in his family castle in Transylvania. Lucian, on the other hand, lives in New Orleans and is more sophisticated and urbane. But underneath that façade, Lucian is still very primal and possessive and those instincts rise quickly when he meets his future mate and discovers her life is in danger after she witnesses a murder.

I see that you also have a series called Awakening Desires. Do you prefer to write series or stand alone books?

Now that’s an interesting question. I have started on many occasions to write a stand alone book, but it generally ends up becoming part of a series. Once I get to know my characters and inhabit their world, I end up seeing so many possibilities. Awakening Desires will end up having at least five books. Book 3, Capturing Carly, should be out sometime later this year.

Two of my other books, Annabelle Lee and Christina’s Tapestry, were meant to be stand alone books, but I have series developing around both of them. I just can’t seem to help myself.

What do you derive the most inspiration from for your writing?

I’m not really sure. Many ideas spring from life around me, something I hear on television or read in a magazine. The idea for Erin’s Fancy, for example, came from an article I read in a women’s magazine that focused on the best sexual positions for couples. I suddenly had a picture in my head of this woman sitting at the kitchen table in a farmhouse reading this magazine article and lamenting her lack of a sex life. Erin’s Fancy evolved from that spark of an idea.

Other times, something I say or somebody else says will spark an idea. When I started thinking about writing a vampire series, I began to think about the original Dracula. I began to wonder what would happen if a descendant of Jonathan Harker returned to Transylvania. From there, Johanna Harker evolved and her story became Harker’s Journey.

Then there are the times that ideas just seem to strike from out of nowhere and don’t seem to be related to anything at all. Fully formed characters just introduce themselves to me and demand a story. I tend to write the kinds of heroes and heroines that I want to read about myself, but my characters are always surprising me, reminding me that they are in control of their story.

How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?

I like to spend as much time as possible with my husband and my family and friends. Of course, I’m an avid reader, so I enjoy many hours curled up reading. I also love to walk. Sometimes I get my best ideas when I’m just out walking and not really thinking about anything at all. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of different kinds of crafts as hobbies, but right now, writing takes up a huge amount of my life.

Do your outside interests contribute to your writing?

Certainly they do. Many of the hobbies I’ve had or jobs I’ve done find their way into my books in one way or another. Annabelle Lee is a librarian and I drew on my eleven years experience as an assistant manager in a bookstore when I wrote that book. My interest in needlepoint and rug hooking were the inspiration behind the tapestry in Christina’s Tapestry.

My outside interests also help to keep my life balanced so it’s not all about the writing, which if your not careful, can completely take over your life.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing my whole life, starting with poetry as a teenager and writing children’s stories in my twenties. In my thirties, I wrote a couple of romances and put them away in a drawer for a couple of years. It wasn’t until spring 2003 that I pulled them out of the desk drawer and revised them. They are still unpublished, but it was a great learning exercise.

That fall I started writing a shorter book that eventually went on to become Annabelle Lee, my first published book that was released by Ellora’s Cave in October of 2004. Since then, I haven’t stopped writing. I write almost every day, sometimes for just the morning, other times for most of the day. The main thing for me is to just sit at my desk and write something every day.

To date, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your writing?

That’s a tough question because there have been many rewarding aspects. One of the best things has to be all the wonderful people who’ve read my books and taken the time to write me and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed reading them. The support from readers has been incredible. And writing for a company like Ellora’s Cave has been a fantastic experience. I just can’t say enough about the amazing people who work for them.

Per the Ellora’s Cave website, you are an avid reader; do you have a particular author or style of book that you enjoy?

Like most readers, I’ve hopped around over the years of reading. I love historical romance, category romance, romantic suspense, paranormal, and some mysteries. I used to read a lot of historical fiction years ago, but I quickly discovered historical romance and there was no going back.

Some of my favorite writers are Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, Lori Foster, J.D. Robb, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon… I could go on and on and on and that doesn’t even include any of the wonderful Ellora’s Cave authors. There are just too many of those to mention just one or two! But the very first EC book I read was Violet Among The Roses by Cricket Starr. I was hooked from then on.

You have a family and a career, how do you balance the demands of family with writing?

My life has changed quite a lot since I started publishing, but in a good way. I left my job to pursue my writing full time and now I work harder than ever. LOL My husband is my biggest fan and he’s incredibly supportive and helpful. I don’t think I’d have had the courage to take the plunge and write full time without his encouragement.

As for balance, well, I’m still trying to find that. As a new writer, I’m driven to keep writing and it has consumed much of my life. I’m trying to find a balance between family time, chores, hobbies, and writing. It’s not easy, but I keep trying to find what works best for me.

If there were one thing you could ensure readers come away with after reading your books, what would it be?

Definitely a feeling of satisfaction. As a reader myself, there is nothing I like better than finishing a book and feeling satisfied with the story and the ending.

Can we get a teaser for what you are working on right now? :)

Right at this moment, I’ve actually just started work on Book 3 in the Dalakis Passion series. Stefan is finally getting his book. Once again, it will be different in tone and setting from the other two in the series. Stefan is darker than his brothers, more basic and elemental.

After that, I plan to write Lucas Squire’s story (from Katie’s Art of Seduction) for the Awakening Desires series.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I just want to thank all the readers who have embraced my books. I’ve received the most amazing emails from complete strangers telling me how much they’ve enjoyed my stories and encouraging me to keep writing. So thank you!

I also want to mention the Ellora’s Cavemen: Legendary Tails IV anthology that is being released in December 2005. I’m thrilled to be part of this anthology with five other amazing Ellora’s Cave authors.

Oh, and I have a website: www.njwalters.com that I update often. You can visit it to find out all the news, see my new covers, read excerpts, and enter my contests.

Thank you so much for stopping by NJ. Readers if you have not had a chance to read some of NJ Walter’s work, stop by the Ellora’s cave website to see what you are missing.

Thank you, Jessica. It’s been my pleasure!

Interviewed by: Jessica