Nalini Singh - one question

before I forget it ...

if I could ask Nalini Singh one question, what would it be?

There is one thing that I am really curious about.

The Psy/changeling series consists of 13 novels so far, number 14 is being written now, and some novellas too.

How much is strategy and planning ahead and how much is writer's instinct and intuition?

Here is my example:
Kaleb Krychek is the male hero of Heart of Obsidian - book 13.

Nalini Singh - Heart of Obsidian

Kaleb first appears in Visions of Heat - book 2 as Faith's competitor for the Psy Council position. He is mentioned as a young ruthless cardinal who rises through the Council structure very fast and becomes Councilor at the end of book 2. Then he appears throughout all the other books as all Councilors appear throughout all or most books.
Sahara is also mentioned briefly in book 2 in context with Faith's Net dropout and increasing her forecasting prize to set up a fund for those who disappeared like her cousin Sahara.

As both are mentioned first in Visions of Heat I theorize that Nalini had some kind of idea for those two from the beginning. It's just as possible that they both were side characters to further the story and give it enough background with no connection or any other thoughts in mind.

So, that is my question. Does she have a story (past, present, future) in mind for all characters who appear in the books, even minor? Or do they develop their own life throughout the story and develop from minor side character to main character with their own book? Or maybe both, some knowing ahead and some development throughout?

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I posted a link to this blog on Nalini Singh's facebook page and she answered in the comments!! yay!!!

This is her answer:  
"It's a little of both - in the case of K/S, I knew from book 2 that they were meant to be together, and that their book would be a turning point for the series. I wrote the first chapter of Heart of Obsidian about seven years before it was published I think. However, things can also develop naturally throughout the series, as I get to better know characters."

Thank you Nalini for the answer.
You just proved yourself able of keeping a secret - or your Psy Net vaults are even more impregnable than the Psy Councils' because not even the faintest whisper got out. You may get an unexpected visit in the next days.