Q&A with Author, N.M. Lambert

N.M. Lambert – Author Bio

N. M. Lambert is a part-time writer, editor, avid reader and gamer, and a heavy metal enthusiast. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s in both criminology and anthropology and with minors in both French and psychology. When not writing, she can be seen surfing the web, singing and sometimes trying to perfect her metal growls, and spending way too much time on Animal Crossing, Oblivion, and Skyrim. She currently lives in Pollock Pines, California with her family and a menagerie of dogs, birds, and a cat.

Q&A

What is it about dragons that you love so much?

I believe the one aspect I love the most about dragons is their majestic and mysterious nature. Dragons are one of those mythological creatures whose unpredictability makes them that much more fascinating. There are also many different directions you can go with fantasy, whether that is high fantasy, low fantasy, urban fantasy, or even dark fantasy. In much of what I have read, dragons can take part in any genre of fantasy, including those that take place in our world.

Why do you enjoy writing about dragons?

To be honest, the Beasts of Shadow universe is the first fantasy universe I’ve created that has dragons in it, as my other fantasy series takes place in our world. Fantasy as a genre has always been one I gravitate towards when writing because there is a lot one can do with it. I will say I had a lot of fun creating Reine for this short story, and I’ve also had a lot of fun creating the lore behind all the shifter species, including the dragon one, that exist in this universe. I can’t say I plan to include dragons in all of my books going forward, especially since under this penname, not all of my books will be fantasy. I will say I do have a
plan to include dragons for a future series of mine under this penname as well as for the universe I am currently creating for any upcoming books under my why choose penname, Stella Isabella.

What are some of your favorite books to read featuring dragons?

Skyrim. Yes, I know this is technically a game and not a book, but hear me out! The Elder Scrolls gaming franchise is what got me into fantasy in the first place. Before then, I read a lot of middle grade contemporary books. The Beasts of Shadow universe took a little bit of inspiration from these games, and I have got to give credit where credit is due. Since then, I have read a lot of paranormal romance books, a lot of them indie ones with dragon shifters, as well as some traditionally published titles. The two books that come to mind are the Fallen Isles trilogy by Jodi Meadows and an indie MM paranormal romance book called The Daredevil by Duckie Mack in which one of the MC’s is something called dragon born (a coincidence I will gladly relish in, as the author had never heard of Skyrim before I mentioned it).

There are many fantasy books on my TBR I have not read yet that feature dragons as well. Many of them are, again, indie fantasy titles. I also have the Fourth Wing books on there, which I plan to get to once that series is complete.

What got you into writing?

I don’t even remember. I’ve just always kind of done it. It started with a short story about a kidnapped orphaned puppy in the third grade for school, and then just kind of continued from there. I started my first novel in the sixth grade, a book featuring a small, cursed town not unlike the one featured in my debut novel, Threatening Souls. I did not get very far in that project though before moving onto the next one. In fact, it took ten novel ideas before I found one to stick with, and thus, the very first original draft of my debut novel I had written in the seventh grade had been born. Provided the version you can purchase and read today has gone through a copious amount of edits, revisions, and beta reading and
has even gone through the ringer with a publishing company that is no longer in business, but the heart of that novel and the subsequent books in that universe is what really got me into pursuing authorship.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to other writers, what would it be?

I could say something sappy, such as, “Never Give Up,” or, “Follow your dreams,” but I find those pieces of advice are so overused they do not have the desired effect anymore. Instead, what I will say is this:

Read. A lot. Especially read a lot in the genre(s) you plan to write in. See what works and what doesn’t. Study how exactly these books manage to captivate readers and then incorporate what you’ve learned into your own writing. When I was writing the first Beasts of Shadow book, The Wolf Underneath, it was during nanowrimo in 2022. During that entire month, the only books I read were wolf shifter books, which helped me maintain the motivation I needed to complete my own book. Reading these books also allows me to see what other writers have done so I could better follow genre expectations.

I would also advise to make connections with other writers, preferably other writers who also write in your genre. This will allow you to create a support network and could also lead you to developing connections in the industry.

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