A set of weekly questions from the Longmire Book Club answered by author Craig Johnson about the Longmire literary universe. Simply click on any title to read Craig’s answer which will open in a new window.

#10 “The Road Less Traveled”

It can be challenging to continue developing a character after numerous novels. We’ve seen Walt go to Mexico, to the past, and recently into the surreal and fantastic. Do you worry about how far to stretch the storytelling space before you begin to lose what readers love about the character? - Tim Goncharoff

#9 “Lawyers, Guns & Money”

Thanks for doing this again, Mr. Johnson. Walt walks the Earth with a strong moral compass. As you and other writers have stated, ‘write what you know’. So, with that in mind, how did your upbringing influence your moral compass that you passed along to Walt? I know for me, one of the tried-and-true things I got from my dad was, never talk money, politics, or religion with friends or family. While that’s general on the face of it, I take it to mean to be accepting of all views and to ‘own’ my stance and to not force it onto others. Interested in reading your perspective. Thank you for your time! - Jason Dildine

#8 “Up the Mountains”

What is your favorite location setting in the series outside of town itself? - Shannon Shultz Eckley #7 “By the Numbers” Except for one book, there are 16 chapters. Why? - Leo Mellon

#6 “The Road Less Traveled”

“I’ve noticed writers are doing smaller tours these days, but yours seem to remain robust, I also noticed you were asking people on social media concerning their opinions on larger tours and I was just wondering about yours? - Eric Hilton

#5 “Where to Begin”

“If you had to choose one book from the series to give to someone to read and it was going to decide whether or not they were going to be a fan, what would your go-to book be? Personally, A Serpent’s Tooth or The Western Star are always the first ones that come to mind.” - Matt Smith

#4 “It Ain’t Me, Babe”

“I noticed while reading the books and seeing your photos on Facebook that you bear an uncanny resemblance to Walt. Was that a conscious decision, and if so, have you faced or battled any of the demons Walt has? In the first book I felt Walt was so depressed he was a hair away from death, but also a closet alcoholic and the arrival of Dog seems to have been the catalyst to force him back into life. I guess two questions there. Thank you, I love these books!!!” - JoRo Momo

#3 “The Bubbly”

“Not sure where to send the 52 Pickup. But here is my question. What do you do to celebrate the ending of the book? Party with Judy? Crack a beer? Do a jig around the loft?” - Ingrid De Groot Minnisto

#2 “Apple for Teacher”

“I am consistently amazed by the complexity and humanity of your characters and was wondering if you planned that kind of thing, or did it just come about naturally in the process of writing the books?” - Katie Landsdale

#1 “The Fuller Brush Salesperson”

“A twenty-seven-city tour! How do you prepare for something like that?” - Susan Summerlin

A set of weekly questions from the Longmire Book Club answered by author Craig Johnson about the Longmire literary universe. Simply click on any title to read Craig’s answer which will open in a new window.

#10 “The Road Less Traveled”

It can be challenging to continue developing a character after numerous novels. We’ve seen Walt go to Mexico, to the past, and recently into the surreal and fantastic. Do you worry about how far to stretch the storytelling space before you begin to lose what readers love about the character? - Tim Goncharoff

#9 “Lawyers, Guns & Money”

Thanks for doing this again, Mr. Johnson. Walt walks the Earth with a strong moral compass. As you and other writers have stated, ‘write what you know’. So, with that in mind, how did your upbringing influence your moral compass that you passed along to Walt? I know for me, one of the tried-and-true things I got from my dad was, never talk money, politics, or religion with friends or family. While that’s general on the face of it, I take it to mean to be accepting of all views and to ‘own’ my stance and to not force it onto others. Interested in reading your perspective. Thank you for your time! - Jason Dildine

#8 “Up the Mountains”

What is your favorite location setting in the series outside of town itself? - Shannon Shultz Eckley #7 “By the Numbers” Except for one book, there are 16 chapters. Why? - Leo Mellon

#6 “The Road Less Traveled”

“I’ve noticed writers are doing smaller tours these days, but yours seem to remain robust, I also noticed you were asking people on social media concerning their opinions on larger tours and I was just wondering about yours? - Eric Hilton

#5 “Where to Begin”

“If you had to choose one book from the series to give to someone to read and it was going to decide whether or not they were going to be a fan, what would your go-to book be? Personally, A Serpent’s Tooth or The Western Star are always the first ones that come to mind.” - Matt Smith

#4 “It Ain’t Me, Babe”

“I noticed while reading the books and seeing your photos on Facebook that you bear an uncanny resemblance to Walt. Was that a conscious decision, and if so, have you faced or battled any of the demons Walt has? In the first book I felt Walt was so depressed he was a hair away from death, but also a closet alcoholic and the arrival of Dog seems to have been the catalyst to force him back into life. I guess two questions there. Thank you, I love these books!!!” - JoRo Momo

#3 “The Bubbly”

“Not sure where to send the 52 Pickup. But here is my question. What do you do to celebrate the ending of the book? Party with Judy? Crack a beer? Do a jig around the loft?” - Ingrid De Groot Minnisto

#2 “Apple for Teacher”

“I am consistently amazed by the complexity and humanity of your characters and was wondering if you planned that kind of thing, or did it just come about naturally in the process of writing the books?” - Katie Landsdale

#1 “The Fuller Brush Salesperson”

“A twenty-seven-city tour! How do you prepare for something like that?” - Susan Summerlin