Fantastic Fives on by N.J. Walters

Five words and/or phrases that describe you:


That’s a hard question to answer, so I asked my husband what he thought. This is what he said.
Industrious,

Organized,

Creative,

Patient,

Generous. I questioned the last one and he added self-effacing. LOL


Five people and or things that inspire you:


My husband is a constant source of inspiration for me. He believes in me and my books and always has. He’s given me the confidence to reach for my dreams.
Other writers. I see them pushing themselves to create wonderful books and it inspires me to do the same.
My sister. She has a unique way of looking at the world. Always has. And when you’re around her you get swept up in her excitement about things.
My brother. He’s dealt with a lot of illness in his life, yet he never complains about it no matter how hard things get. It’s a reminder every day for me to be thankful for my health.
Readers. I’ve received the most wonderful emails from readers letting me know how much my books have affected their lives—making them laugh and taking their mind off their worries for an hour or two.
The world around me inspires me. Yes, there are a lot of bad things going on in the world right now, but there are just as many, if not more, wonderful things happening every day. Big things, like people working toward a greener world, to small things, like helping a stranger in need.


Five of your favorite authors:


Jayne Ann Krentz—She’s the writer that got me interested in reading romance to begin with.
Joan Brady—She wrote an amazing little book entitled God on a Harley. That one, and Heaven in High Gear, are very inspirational to me.
Sarah Ban Breathnach—She has a unique way of looking at the world and there is a poetry and truth to her writing that I enjoy. I especially like Romancing the Ordinary and Moving On.
Lori Foster—In a way, she’s responsible for getting my writing career started. It all began when I saw a contest on her website in 2003 and wrote part of a story. The piece wasn’t chosen for the contest, but I continued to work on it and it became my first published work—Annabelle Lee, which was published by Ellora’s Cave in October 2004.
Louisa May Alcott—Her books are more than children’s stories. They are about the human condition. I love them all from Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys, The Good Wives, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, Under the Lilac, Jack and Jill, An Ordinary Girl…
It’s hard to pare it down to just five authors as I’ve enjoyed so many non-fiction books over the years, not to mention the thousands of romances I’ve read. The list is endless.


Describe five of your heroes/heroines through your eyes:


Jo Harris is the kick-ass, loyal heroine in my story “Shadows Stir,” which is in the Ellora’s Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis IV anthology. Jo is a cop who knows her missing sister is in danger and nothing will stop her from finding her. She throws herself into danger, heedless of the cost to herself. She’s courageous, stubborn, and more than a match for the Shadow Ryder who crosses her path.
Seth is the hero from “A Love Eternal,” which is featured in the Ellora’s Cavemen: Legendary Tails IV anthology. Seth is a mysterious figure, powerful beyond comprehension. He’s cold, methodical, and efficient. He’s never made a mistake before. Then he meets Genevieve Alexander and learns what it is to truly love someone more than life itself.
Arrik Varkas Drakon from Drakon’s Treasure is more than just a man. He’s a Drakon lord. Half-dragon, half-man, his kind usually ignores the affairs of men. Hard, secretive, and lonely, he finds himself in a tavern. That’s where he meets Eartha, a runaway slave. She intrigues him and, when he sees her face, he knows he must have her. Her pursuers will not give up, but a dragon always keeps and guards his treasure well. Behind his mask of hardness there is a sensitive, caring man, but it will take a very special, understanding, and accepting woman to bring that part of himself into the light.
Stefan Dalakis is the youngest of the Dalakis brothers, who just happen to be vampires. His brothers have found their chosen mates and he is alone. He feels that loneliness to the very core of his being. He is facing eternity alone. His loneliness cried out to me from book one in the Dalakis Passion series. At first, I thought he would be the light-hearted one, the comic relief. Instead, he turned out to be the most intense of all. When he finally finds the woman to complete him in the hills of North Carolina, nothing will keep him from her.
Laurel Rose McCaffey has always been different. An injury from a car accident has left her with a limp, and her psychic abilities have always frightened her neighbors. She’s been labeled everything from a witch to a crazy lady. Living alone, she’s content to live her life on her own terms. But strange things are happening, and the peaceful life she’s built is being threatened. Developers want to buy her land, and her property is being vandalized. But Laurel Rose won’t back down. Armed with only a shotgun, she stands her ground against intruders. Help comes from a stranger, who is also different. Laurel Rose understand the kind of loneliness that comes with that, but she has no idea just how different Stefan Dalakis is.


Five reasons to read your books:


People have always commented on how much they love the characters in my books, the emotional connection between the hero and heroine. I believe that a good romance should evoke feelings in the reader. You have to care about the heroine and the hero and their struggles. I want you to laugh and cry with them, to yell at them when they make you angry, and to care about them as much as I do. And, of course, there has to be a satisfying happily ever after.

It’s a great way to push aside your worries for an hour or two.

There is something for everyone. My Jamesville series is contemporary romance—the later stories in the series are high heat. My Ellora’s Cave books are all erotic romance—from contemporary, to shape-shifter, vampire, time-travel, ménage a trois, to paranormal.

They’re available on-line in ebook form any hour of the day or night. So if you can’t sleep some night, download one and enjoy.

I also have 14 books available in print if you’d rather read hold a “real” book in your hands.



-N.J. Walters

http://www.njwalters.com/



Extra!Extra! Comments and questions are welcomed.A lucky commenter today will be chosen to get a copy of Amethyst Moon.