In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.
Interview with Natalie
What inspired you to write specific story?
For Perilous Obsession I watched a series on stalking cases and I was shocked at how hard it is to protect victims. I wanted to write a story that showed how dangerous stalking crimes are and how vulnerable and helpless the victims are when it comes to protecting themselves.
How do you develop your characters, and are any of them inspired by real people?
When I begin planning a story, I usually have some idea of who my main characters are but as I start plotting and writing they begin to develop into “real” versions of what I imagined. A lot of my characters have traits that are inspired by real people in my life—but I won’t name names. LOL
What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and how did you overcome it?
I don’t normally have a hard time putting my characters into troublesome situations but stalking is just a whole other level of creepy—especially when I love my heroine. I had a hard time basically ruining her life when all I wanted to give her was a happily-ever-after.
Do you have a favorite scene or moment in the book? If so, why is it significant to you?
I love tacos. I love banter. I love a cast of characters that are fun. One of my favorite scenes (before I have to ruin it) is when Lahela gets together with her friends for tacos and it’s just fun chaos. Again, before I have to ruin it.
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
One of the themes in Perilous Obsession is the importance of allowing friends, family, community help you. I think so many of us think we’re burdening those around us if we ask for help so we face challenges, hardships, and scary life issues on our own. We are meant to share the arrows of life. Also, I want readers to have fun and enjoy reading the story!
About Natalie
Natalie Walters is the author of the SNAP Agency and Harbored Secrets series. A military wife, she currently resides in Texas with her soldier husband and is the proud mom of three. She loves traveling, spending time with her family, and connecting with readers on Instagram and Facebook. Learn more at NatalieWaltersWriter.com.