Interview with Urban Fantasy author Nalini Singh

Hi Nalini

Thanks so much for agreeing to do an interview with us at Fangtastic Fiction!

Thanks for inviting me!

Your books are being devoured all around the world and people just can’t get enough of your Psy-Changelings or Angels.  Do you ever (and do you have time) to sit back and think OMG this is awesome *grin*?

I’m incredibly excited at being able to follow my dream – there’s such joy in it, and yes, I very much appreciate being able to do it :-)

What’s your favourite part about being an author? Have you always wanted to write or did this desire come to you more recently?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since childhood – it’s really the best job I can imagine!

As for my favorite part…it’s too difficult to just pick one thing. I love so much about it, from the writing, to the publication process, to the feedback from readers.

I often think that the journey to being published must be just awful.  Being based in New Zealand did you find it harder than your American counterparts to get the attention of an agent and publisher?

Personally, I think it’s all about not imposing arbitary limits on yourself, so no, I don’t think it was more difficult. With the Internet especially, the world is a much smaller place – I’ve kept in touch with my editor and agent while in Japan, in Scotland, in Fiji and in Ireland, to name a few spots!

What did you do when you got that phone call (or was it a letter) telling you that Slave to Sensation was being picked up by a publisher? (and just how loud CAN you scream?!)

It’s actually a really fun story. The book went to auction, which was an amazing event in itself. Because of the time difference with New York, I spent the entire night babysitting my cellphone. And when I got the news, I promptly rang my mom and yes, there was much screaming! Then I emailed everyone I knew *grin*

I know that writing takes time and discipline. Are you one of these early morning people up writing at 5am or are we more likely to find you typing at the witching hour?

I keep trying to turn myself into an early bird, but I’m a night-owl through and through. I can work into the wee hours and I enjoy that sense of silence at night, when everyone else is asleep.

How do you manage to balance your writing and your personal time?  When not engrossed in your latest project, what are the fun things that you like to do?

My biggest indulgence, aside from reading, is probably traveling. I’ve just spent a month traveling through England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, with stops in Germany and Hong Kong…and I already can’t wait to put on my traveling shoes again! I really love seeing different parts of the world, and exploring vistas that I might not otherwise get to see.

You were a lawyer before you were a writer, right?  What do you think your legal training and skills have brought to your books?

Legal writing is very different from fiction writing, but I think the general skills of being extremely careful with grammer, punctuation etc are all very useful tools.

Also, my legal background / the skills I learned while practicing law, helps with the business side of things, and in terms of time management and being organized.

You write about strong alpha males. What do you think is so appealing to women about these men? 

A true alpha is someone who is not only strong and protective, but also confident enough to accept a woman’s strength (whether physical, mental or emotional). He is also a man with a core of honor, someone you can trust absolutely. What’s not to love about a man like that?!

Thank goodness you give us such great characters and hot, hot, hot action *happy sigh* but are you ever tempted to raise the temperature even more?

The heat factor depends on the characters. For example, Branded By Fire is one of the hotter books in the Psy/Changeling series, and that comes from the fact that both characters are changeling – and touch is the cornerstone of their life.

Psy characters tend to be a little more reserved, and so the heat simmers more slowly…but that’s not to say it can’t burn white-hot! (eg. Judd in Caressed By Ice).

So how much time have you spent in the San Francisco area?  Is it an occupational hazard that you now imagine hunky men  behind (or up) every tree? (because all your readers now lurk in forests hoping to find their own Lucas you know)

I’ve been to San Francisco several times, and have spent enough time there to really get a feel for the “beat” of the city. It’s one of my favorite cities in the world.

As for the hunky men – it’s an occupational hazard *grin*

Blaze of Memory has just come out and each book hitting the bookshelves is quickly being nabbed by your readers!  What did you enjoy the most about this story?

I want to give readers something new and fresh with each story, and here I really loved being able to explore the world of the Forgotten. The ending of this book is also very emotional, and it really tore out my heart when I wrote it – it’s become one of my favorite scenes.

And you must know that everyone is dying for more of Raphael and Elena’s story! ANGEL’s Blood completely blew me away – I just loved it!  When you close your eyes what are the images of Elena’s world that you see most vividly?

Aside from Elena and Raphael (those wings!), Manhattan’s Archangel Tower has always been one of the most central and powerful images for me – I see it piercing the sky, this column of light that eclipses everything else in the city.

 But,  do you realize how mean it is of you to put the excerpt of Archangel’s Kiss on your website? This teasing taste is wonderful, but are you trying to drive us mad with impatience?! We want the book!!! Now!!!  When can we get it, oh nasty tormentor?!

That was my Evil Twin ;-) The book releases February 2^nd, and I really hope you’ll love seeing the next chapter of Elena and Raphael’s story. You’ll also get to see Illium, Dmitri and the others of course!

So now that we’ve established that you’re a cruel woman who likes to tease us with hints of your coming books, do you want to rub the anticipation in further for us?  What’s next? 

The next Psy/Changeling book, BONDS OF JUSTICE, features Max, the cop who helped Talin in Mine to Possess. And after that will come Indigo’s story – which I’m working on right now.

I’ve also got a novella in the BURNING UP anthology in August next year, and that features Lucas’s administrative assistant Ria. It’s set several years in the past, so you get to see DarkRiver as it was just starting to become a power in the city.

I’ve also started making notes on the next Guild Hunter book, but it’s early days there yet, so no hints at present *grin*

Oh and don’t go yet! I want to know just what’s wrong with vampires hmmmmm?  Got something against a nice pair of fangs? Or do you find the changeling’s love bites or the waft of a feather enough for you??

Hey, nothing wrong with fangs – I adore Dmitri, though he’s definitely a very bad boy. And you know, Venom’s so much fun – in his delicious, snarky way.

There’s so much we’d like to ask you –!!! So, mucho thanks for taking the time to visit with us fangsters - BUT YOU NEED TO GO AND WRITE MORE!  FASTER, FASTER!

Thanks for the great interview!

(thanks Nalini!)

Books by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changelings

1. Slave to Sensation
2. Visions of Heat
3. Caressed by Ice
4. Mine to Possess
5. Hostage to Pleasure
6. Branded By Fire
7. Blaze of Memory
8. Bonds of Justice (Mid 2010)

Stroke of Enticement in The Magical Christmas Cat Anthology (Novella set in the Psy/Changeling world)
An Enchanted Season (Novella set in the Psy/Changeling world)

Guild Hunter

Angel's Pawn (e-book only)

1. ANGEL'S Blood
2. Angel's Judgement in Must Love Hellhounds (novella)
3. Archangel's Kiss