R. Dewitt asked Brenda Novak:

"The Last Stand" series really drew me in and it was something I could not put down. It was just dark and edgy enough to keep me interested without completely freaking me out. There seemed to be a lot of thought put into the plots. It made me wonder if you ever stress over research for your books (I get caught up in details) and what you do when you are hit with plots that do not seem to flow? Let characters lead?

Brenda Novak I'm thrilled that you enjoyed my Last Stand series. Thank you so much. I think you might really enjoy my Stillwater Trilogy. I'd give that a try, if you get the chance (if you have a digital reader, you can get it in a boxed set for not a lot of money). Those are my hubby's favorites and I bet they're right down your alley (since you liked Last Stand). As far as research... I used to stress over it a lot more. Fortunately, the internet is so populated with information these days that it's a writer's dream. You can find information on just about anything. Try not to get too caught up in the details. You need to make sure nothing stands in the way of your story's progression (the pace). And I do let my characters lead. I'm not a person who plots out the story in advance. I like to be surprised right along with the reader. Fortunately, I think our subconscious sort of writes the story before we do, because when I take a wrong turn, I get stuck and have to go back and figure out what I did wrong. This stops me from writing chapters and chapters that I then have to throw away. But every writer's process is different. If you like to do an outline of the story beforehand, that might be what's necessary for your particular process (and then you can guarantee that you won't get a plot that doesn't flow).

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