by J.R. Ward

Knock, Knock, Click, Click, Bang, Bang

So two years ago I was minding my biz, writing contemporary romance, keeping myself out of trouble… when two thousand pounds of male vampire came into my head. The Brotherhood and their world landed with all its dimensions and conflicts and rules and rituals. The scenes and voices were so loud it was like… okaaaaaaaaaaay, I guess this is what I’m writing next.

What really shocked me at first was the tone of the books. The stories were so totally different than what I’d been writing before. I mean, there’s violence and life and death situations and a real erotic feel. But as I go further and further into the series (I’m on the fourth of the books now), I’ve found that the harder core to the books sets up the thematic swings of light and dark beautifully.

In a lot of ways, I just feel like the Brotherhood’s first reader. I watch the books play out in my head, hanging on the twists and turns. Writing the stories is exhausting. It takes me about six months of working every single day and a lot of nights. By the time I get the manuscript off to my editor, I’m a mess (and so is the house). But I can’t get enough. You know, they say write the book of your heart. I’d always given that idea a big whatever. Except now I know. Write what you care about, what you’re passionate about, and no matter how hard it gets, it’s still the best damn job you’ll ever have.

(c) Copyright J.R. Ward 2005-2006