Nalini Singh Q&A 4th June 2015

You can find the original chat here. 

1. Do you think that you will ever set a psy-changeling or guild-hunter book in New Zealand?

2. Also have you ever had thoughts on what kind of changelings would be the ruling packs in New Zealand?

Nalini Singh 1. Unlikely at this point, as neither series has a main character in NZ, but both series have scenes set in different locations, so that could happen. 

2. Likely smaller predators or strong non-predatories, since we're geographically smaller, so packs would have a smaller range.

Will you ever have a story featuring a romance between two men?

Nalini Singh If two characters get to a point where that is the natural outcome, then sure. But I don't want to write an m/m story just to write it. I want to feel as passionately about their story as I do about all the couples I've written about.

Is there another genre you've always wanted to try your hand at?

Nalini Singh Mystery/thriller!

Will alice have her own book? i mean being trapped and all. Also, will the hawk clan-forgot the name- will have thier own story? thanks and more power.

Nalini Singh Alice - I don't know. I'll have to see how she develops. At this point, she's still quite damaged. 

WindHaven - yes, they'll have a book.

Thanks Nalini for your wonderful books, I love getting lost in the worlds you create. Probably a terribly hard question, but which character is secretely your favourite (I'm guessing its like asking you to pick a favourite child, lol) Also, thanks for your other author recs shared in the past, do you have any other new awesome authors you would recommend after we've run out of your books?

Nalini Singh No way can I pick! As for newer writers - Sonali Dev is wonderful.

Why did you give Charlie and Gabriel American accents? In particular they both used Mom instead of Mum.

Nalini Singh Because the series is set both in the US and NZ, we had to choose how to edit the books. Since more books will be set in the US than in NZ, we went with US spellings. It would've been too hard to swap between the two.

Nalini will Kit have his HEA anytime soon? And will it be with a psychangeling?

Nalini Singh Not soon. He needs time to grow into his skin. 

Which character are you closest to?

Nalini Singh ALL of them! I love my characters!

What was the hardest book to write

Nalini Singh They all have easy parts and hard parts. 

Have you ever wished you changed a ending in one of your books? Have you ever thought of rewriting an author cut edition to a book?

Nalini Singh Yes. No to the second question - I do put up deleted scenes on my website, but those scenes were deleted for a reason, so I wouldn't want to put them back into the book usually.

Will you write more about the guards of the Wing Brotherhood that you mentioned in Angel's Blood?

Nalini Singh Yes

 Will there be any spin off series after you finish the Guild Hunter series? you cant possibly pair up the rest of the characters in another 8 books or so, unless there are a lot of novellas coming out?

Nalini Singh I don't think everyone will get a book or a novella. The series revolves around a core cast, and they will remain the focus, though we will find out what's going on with everyone else - so long as it's a natural part of the storyline.

1) Can an extreme situation change a changelings dominance permanently ; a dominant into a submissive and vice versa?

2) Could an alpha mate an alpha?

3) Where did Dark River and Snow Dancer get their names? And is it the same name from before the Territorial Wars?

Nalini Singh 1. I can't see that happening - dominance can shift, but not to that extent. Being a dominant or a submissive is an integral aspect of a changeling's nature. 

2. Yes.

3. They both have long histories. SD had their name before the Wars. DR was created after the Wars, made up of survivors from a number of different packs.

Have you listened to the audio books, and did the characters sound like you imagined they would?

Nalini Singh I actually find it really difficult to listen to the audios because the characters and their voices are so vivid in my mind.

You've mentioned that Psy Changeling is now moving into a new season like a tv show would. How long do you expect season 2 to be? And will there be a season 3? 

Nalini Singh I never know exactly how many books it'll take to tell the story - it's very instinctive. But it'll be a good number of books! As for season 3, it depends on the events of season 2. It's important to me to that the stories remain fresh. If I feel the world and the characters are in a good place and it's time to end the series, then I will (and cry and cry!).

Will we be seeing a Psy-Changeling book for Nikita?

Nalini Singh She's unlikely to get a book of her own. You'll continue to see her as the series continues though.

After a couple get their own story, they don't just stagnate in the background. How do you know much to develop a character after they've already had their own story? Is it a tricky balance or do you find it comes naturally?

Nalini Singh It's pretty natural. To me, they're like real people, and so like real people, they grow and develop from day to day, year to year.

What is the next book in the series

Nalini Singh Psy-Changeling: 2016

Guild Hunter: September 2015

Rock Kiss: October 2015

 Do you see Judd and Brenna starting a family soon? And also, who is next in line to fall pregnant?

Nalini Singh No, I don't think so. They're actually quite young and need more time together as a couple first.

I've noticed lately that a few authors ard doing serials at the moment either via free online or selling. Have you given any thought to doing something along those lines?

Nalini Singh If I did a serial, I'd have to write it all beforehand! I don't plan a book out before I start writing, so it'd be tough for me to do a chapter by chapter serial and have it all make sense at the end. 

1. Which book in the series was most fun to write in the P/C series ?  

2. Any television shows you're currently loving? 

3. If you only had three words to describe Aden as a hero and Zaira as a heroine what would they be ? 

4. Chocolate cookies or chocolate cupcakes? 

5.Any updates of the P/C anthology? 

6.Any plans to come to UK in 2016? 

Nalini Singh 1. Can't choose!

2. I binge watch TV after I finish a book. I haven't chosen my next binge series yet, but I'm hoping to find something science fictiony.

3. Too hard to answer so quickly, but the word loyal describes a big part of both their natures. 

4. Cupcakes

5. I update the original blog post as info becomes available, so keep an eye on that. 

6. Not at this point. Will announce if that changes!

Who is going to be in your next book in your psy/ changeling series or do you know yet?

Nalini Singh It'll be an ensemble cast

When will we read about Kit??

Nalini Singh When he's ready. As a young alpha, he needs time to grow and come into his own.

Who is the character that has taken the most dramatic, unexpected turn from what you had originally thought?

Nalini Singh Difficult to say - many of the characters have changed and grown through the series. I think Nikita has had a unique character arc, one that's still developing.

Will we see pupcubs be born in the next book? Will Riley and Mercy get another book to show what its like to bring up pupcubs and how it affects both packs?

Nalini Singh Yes. I don't know if they'll get another full length book, but you'll definitely see how things are going as the series continues.

What is the best bit of advise you can give someone who wants to start writing? It always sounds stupid when I read what I write.

Nalini Singh Write every day and develop your own voice as a writer. You don't have to work on a book necessarily. Write short stories, novellas, anything you like. The important thing is to write and stretch your mental muscles.

Is there a method that you follow to generate ideas or plots for your books

Nalini Singh No - I believe in being open to ideas and listening to my characters.

Is the time frame for pups/cubs to carry the scent of an alpha? Is it at birth or does it develop as the child grows?

Nalini Singh Dominance grows as a child grows, but if a child has the potential to be alpha, it'll become apparent quite quickly, likely in the first year of life.

What is the weirdest thing you've hurriedly written book plots on?

Nalini Singh Receipts, paper napkins, backs of maps, the back of my hand... basically anything within reach!

I'd just like to know if you knew from the first book onwards (Psy Changeling and Guild Hunter both) how it's all going to end? Or do you figure it out as you write? 

Also, any exciting news about the next Psy Changeling book that you can share?! I read Shards of Hope (obviously :P) and can't wait for the next one.

Nalini Singh With the Psy-Changeling series, I always knew where we were heading - I think that's been critical to holding all the story threads tightly together. The GH series is structured slightly differently so there's been more exploration there, but I still did have a strong feeling of how things were going to develop. 

Answered about next book lower down the thread - ensemble cast. 

Who would be more dominant out of Mercy or Indigo?

Nalini Singh Oooh... I'll leave that to you to imagine.

Hello, I want to thank you for writing such interesting books. I happen to find Archangel Alexander quite interesting, will he get a book of his own in the future?

Nalini Singh Sneaky question. Wait and see 

Can we expect more stories about angels in other regions of the Guild Hunter series?

Nalini Singh Unlikely, unless it involves one of the core cast - I don't want to go away from that core group of characters.

1. Any idea who the hero and heroine for the next Psy-Changeling book is?

2. Will we see more of the packs in this book?(I especially want more about Remi's pack)

3. Did you think whos book you'll write after Nassir? 

4. What are you working on now?

Nalini Singh 1. The next book is an emsemble cast - everyone will be back, rather than it being focused on only one couple.

2. Yes. 

3. I'm letting that simmer in my brain for a while - I'll probably announce it later in the year.

4. On my "secret" Psy-Changeling anthology, featuring some Psy-Changeling novellas. Here's the link to more info about it: http://www.nalinisingh.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/whats-next-for-psy-changeling-series.html

Will we get to read about Naya's first change? I think it would be amazing to read about a first time change for a child 

Nalini Singh Yes, when it's time. 

How do you come up with an interesting plot, that won't bore the reader?

Nalini Singh By the time I finish writing a book, I'll have read it probably a hundred times, so if I still feel interested, I hope readers will too!

When will we find out if Father Xavier found his Nina! I was anxiously waiting to find out what happened

Nalini Singh Yes, in book 15 

I love all of your series, Psy/Changeling, Guild Hunter, Rock Kiss. Do you have another series in mind that you would like to write?

Nalini Singh Yes, always!! But I don't want to start a new series until I've ended one of my current ones - otherwise, the books would come out too far apart.