Once Linda O. Johnston sold her first novel - a time-travel romance - in 1995, she never stopped. During her 11-year career as an author, she's gone from time travel to romantic suspense and now to paranormal romance and mystery. She talks about what ignites her imagination and the opportunities to write and publish stories about the creatures that go bump in the night.

Anaheim Literature Examiner: What is it about shape shifters that you find so fascinating?

Linda O. Johnston: I adore animals, and the idea of being able to become one now and then, and experience all they do, sounds really fun to me.  Okay, dangerous, too.  And challenging.  Of course my fictional shape shifters have restrictions on when and how they can change, since that makes them more interesting to read about.  And I suppose I'm inspired to write about shape shifters partly because I once owned a piece of property that previously belonged to Lon Chaney, Jr.!

Examiner: Why do you think vampires and werewolves have become so popular in books, movies and TV?

Linda: For a similar reason to my response to the prior question.  People like to imagine themselves in incredible situations, sometimes to escape their own lives and whatever they consider ordinary.  The vampire characters of today are, in general, less menacing than the legends of yore, and it's more comforting to think most won't drink a loved one's blood without permission.  But they certainly can still be haunted and sexy!  Werewolves, too, aren't necessarily as threatening in today's stories as in the past... just mysterious, and sexy, too.  Readers and viewers don't actually believe they'll run into a paranormal character when they leave their homes and probably don't really want to... but the idea can still be appealing!

Examiner: You have an impressive back list. How do you keep it fresh and exciting?

Linda: It helps to write in different genres.  I love my dark, sexy paranormal Silhouette Nocturne stories, like the ones involving Alpha Force, a secret military force of shapeshifters.  But I also love my cozy mystery stories, the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries, which are a lot lighter.  While I'm writing both of those series, I'm also planning a spin-off from the Kendra series about a pet rescuer.  In addition, I'm working on ideas for other romances, and maybe a thriller.  Could I focus on only one genre?  Maybe.  But doing it this way is definitely fun!

Examiner: To the writer who might feel afraid that her story ideas are too fantastic, that no one would buy it ... what advice do you have for such a writer?

Linda: Go for it!  When I started out, many years ago, some of my best rejections before I got published said that the editors liked my style, but my stories included too many genre crossovers.  Today, mixing many genres can sell!  And clearly the fantastic is popular these days.  You have to get your story in the hands of the right editor or agent, who's willing to take a chance, of course, but it's always worth trying.

Examiner: What's next?

Linda: My next Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery, Howl Deadly, will be a December 2009 release, followed by Feline Fatale in July 2010.  My next Silhouette Nocturne, Alaskan Wolf, part of the Alpha Force series about a secret military force of shape shifters, will be available in January 2011.