Hi, Marisa! Thank you so much for hosting me today!
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
It actually took me a surprisingly long time, when you look back and see all the clues in my life. :) I started writing when I was about 6 years old. My best friend, David Pleau, and I would pretend to be the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (my poor little brother had to be Oscar Goldman—he’s nearly 40, and is still traumatized by it!), and I wrote some short stories that featured Jamie Summers as the main character. Through my tween years and probably into my teens, I plotted movies and acted out scenes with another best friend, Tammy Moran. I still have a notebook with some of the treatments we came up with.
I’ve been a voracious reader since I was 4, and in high school was always praised for my writing. But I hated it. My mother was a writer, and part of me wanted to have my own thing. But I hated it because nonfiction has never been my thing. I finally started writing fiction right after I graduated from college, and never looked back.
What has been the most thrilling part of being published?
I’ve had a pretty slow-growing career, so all of my thrills have been little things. But that means I get thrilled just about every week. :) When a scene is flowing perfectly, when I reread something I wrote a long time ago and it’s actually good, when I get a good review or a lot of hits on my website. Royalty checks of any size are thrilling, as are good Amazon rankings and sales at Diesel eBooks featuring one of my titles. I love it all. The most thrilling, though, are when readers or reviewers say something that tells me they really got what I was trying to do. Someone e-mailed me a little while back asking if one of my villains would get his own book, and she felt the same way about him that I do. That makes any challenge this business throws at me worthwhile.
How many books have you written, and which one is your favorite?
I’ve written 23 full-length novels (17 of which will be available for sale by January), and it’s really hard to pick a favorite. Almost impossible if you throw in the 29 short stories and novellas. :) They have to fall into different categories of favorites. Soul of the Dragon was my first single title romance and my first paranormal, the first true “book of my heart.” But Under the Moon was pure joy when I first wrote it, something I’ve never recaptured to the same extent. My favorite short is Lost Our Forever/Rebuilding Forever, two novellas I did in conjunction with four other authors for the Blue Silver collection. I am so totally in love with the band we created, those are the only stories I go back and reread once in a while for no good reason.
What books have influenced your writing?
Every single book I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way, most as inspiration to evoke the same emotions in readers that those books evoked in me.
What do you do when you're not writing?
Boring stuff. Reading, of course. I’ve become a total TV junkie, and I love movies, not just to watch, but the entire process of making them. My kids and I, and sometimes my husband, love going to see the local pro soccer team play in the spring and summer, and come fall, it’s all about the NFL.
What are your pet peeves?
My biggest one is slow people. Walk slowly, talk slowly, drive slowly, you’ll drive me insane. I also hate generalizations (in general! LOL), especially those that expose a gender bias. And I have a completely unreasonable animosity against the idea that it’s bad for people to say “happy holidays.” You don’t want to get me started on that one. :)
Do you have a nickname?
Since the day I was born, it’s been Nuj. When I was little, it was Nujie, or Nujie-Budge. It comes from my original initials, NJJ.
Fast Facts:
Coffee or tea?
Mocha in the morning, tea all day long
Morning or night?
Night, sometimes extending into morning
Rivers or oceans?
I like both, but my heart belongs to the ocean
White wine or red?
Ugh.
Champagne or liquor?
Liquor, but only because champagne is only for special occasions, and I never think about it when they come along. LOL
Laptop or desktop?
Desktop, because it’s way more comfortable, though I love my laptop beyond reason.
Casual or couture?
Casual!!!
Ponytail or headband?
Mostly neither.
Shower or bath?
Shower. I love baths, but there are very few tubs that can do it right.
Summer or winter?
Fall! LOL
Motorcycle or bicycle?
I ride a bicycle more, but motorcycles are way sexier. Unless you’re Joseph Gordon-Levitt (man, those calves…).
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You can learn more about Natalie and her books at her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. She blogs with a number of fantastic romance authors at Everybody Needs a Little Romance and just to hear herself talk at Indulge Yourself.
Natalie's Latest Release
The world is not what Riley Kordek imagined. On the run from those who’ve targeted her, all Riley wants is a chance to figure out her new ability to bend metal’s energy. When a hot guy who knows more than he should helps her escape her attackers, she thinks she might’ve found someone who can lead her to the answers she needs.
Three years ago, Sam Remington walked away from his employer and the woman he loved, and now, all he’s looking to do is fill the gaping hole left behind. Except, when Sam takes Riley to the Society for Goddess Education and Defense, the stakes rise beyond what either of them could have imagined.
After being alone for so long, falling for Sam would be far too easy—and far too painful, once his old flame calls needing his help. Worse, Riley uncovers a plot with disastrous ramifications not only for herself, but for Sam and the people he loves—and potentially every goddess in the country.
About the Author
Natalie J. Damschroder grew up in Massachusetts, and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.) When she's not writing romantic adventure for Carina Press and paranormal romance for Entangled Publishing, she does freelance editing and works part time as a chiropractic assistant. She and her husband have two daughters they've dubbed "the anti-teenagers," one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)
So excited you stopped by to read about Natalie and her fabulous new release!
Care to share the excitement with a tweet?
Happy Book Birthday to @njdamschroder & HEAVY METAL! http://pensandpeonies.blogspot.com/2013/08/interview-natalie-damschroder.hmtl #amreading @entangledpub
xoxo ~Marisa
