Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.
J.M. Walker – I’m a Canadian author and have been publishing since 2013. I write anything from erotica romance to dark romance. I am venturing into other genres. Or I have ideas anyway but I haven’t written them yet. I’m a little scared to but at the same time, I sure do love me a challenge.
When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?
For me, the others after it are the hardest because I suck at keeping track of character names, characteristics and timelines. Just as my editor. Good thing she knows what she’s doing.
When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Oh gosh. I don”t read a lot of romance anymore, so maybe that helps? Not sure. But I do know that while I’m writing my MC romances, I won’t read MC. I’ve actually only read 3 MC books and that was long before I started writing it. That helps keep things fresh for me. Oh and for my next MC series, I got an idea from a horror movie. That also helps.
Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?
Be kind to yourself. If you don’t meet your word count for the day, don’t be hard on yourself. Trust me, as someone who’s currently dealing with burn out, writing thousands of words a day, is not always a good thing.
On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
Not long at the moment. But I used to spend my mornings writing and then I would work the day job for the afternoon. I miss that but will get back to that in the upcoming months.
Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.
I have 3 – Lucas Crane, Sammy and Cyrus Butcher. Once Lucas started talking to me after 6 years of trying to write his book, his story poured out of me. And with Cyrus and Sammy, they know how to communicate and had no issues telling me exactly what was on their minds. I had so much fun writing both of their books that I can’t wait to write someone like them again. Actually, he’ll be more like Sammy but worse. 😉
What is your definition of success?
Constantly improving. It’s one of the things I love most about this author journey. I’m always learning. With the market changing so often, while sometimes it can be quite challenging to keep up with the times, it’s also fun as well.
Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?
I just want to thank you ladies for inviting me back this year. This really doesn’t go with this spotlight but I’m putting this here anyway. With my current publishing break, a part of me is scared that people will forget about me. It’s a weird feeling. I know. But I want you girls to know that I truly appreciate you for inviting me back each year. It’ll help readers remember my face. Anyway. I am truly a lifer and as long as you’ll have me, I’ll always attend Writers On The River. xx
What are your social links?
https://linktr.ee/authorjmwalker
What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)
Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?
They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com
$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*
$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*
$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*
$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.
$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.