The late-night quiet often finds novelist Sterling R. Walker typing away. The Holly Springs mother of six published her first young adult novel, “The Orphan Ship,” this spring and is hard at work on the sequel.

“The Orphan Ship” takes place on Mars Station and follows cousins Jake O’Brien and Lorina Murphy as they become stranded and begin helping abandoned street children. The ship’s captain, Danae Shepherd, faces an alien virus while also confronting the same mystery as Jake and Lorina: Why are homeless children disappearing without a trace?

Walker hopes to use the characters from “The Orphan Ship” to create a trilogy or series.

Known as Rachel to her friends, Walker first fell in love with science fiction as a child. When she was 11, she saw “Star Wars” and continued to enjoy the science fiction and fantasy genre into her adulthood.

Q: As a mom, how do you find time to write?

My children are older now. I have two in college, and my third is a senior in high school. As long as I feed them, they are fine. In order to write, I end up staying up late. I need the quiet, uninterrupted time to think.

Q: Why does science fiction, and particularly young adult sci-fi, appeal to you?

I’ve always liked science fiction, and I am always trying to find good sci-fi writers. It’s hard to find writers who don’t put profanity and sex into their books. That’s why I write YA novels.

Also, with young adult fiction, I don’t have to have a plot that is as complicated or as intricate as one for adults.

Some of the writers I have found who write solid sci-fi and fantasy are Andre Norton and Elizabeth Moon. I like to read and write character-driven sci-fi. Their books are also appropriate for teens.

When I started writing, I scoured the young adult shelves at local libraries and book stores. I found that the subject matter was very trendy – vampires, dragons and wizards. I thought the timing might be good to publish a book like “The Orphan Ship.”

Q: Was “The Orphan Ship” the first novel you ever wrote, or do you have other books sitting in a drawer somewhere?

“The Orphan Ship” is my second completed novel. The first was a different genre. One publisher was interested, but after a couple of revisions, the time wasn’t right. I knew “The Orphan Ship” had a strong plot and was publishable.

Q: How is the sequel coming along?

I am presently halfway through the second book, “The Lost Sheep.” I hope to have it finished by next year. I’m not sure if it will be a trilogy or series.

Q: Do you bounce ideas off of your kids? How helpful are they as you write?

I asked them for advice as far as reactions that people their age might have. I use them to get inside the mind of an adolescent; I ask for their thoughts.

None of them has read “The Orphan Ship” yet.

Q: How did you come up with the setting, concept and theme for “The Orphan Ship”?

I wanted the book to be set in the future, but I didn’t want to surround it with complicated world building. It’s essentially social commentary about the plight of children.

I’m an adoptive parent; two of my children are adopted from other countries. I have visited orphanages in different countries and have seen the homeless and refugees around the world. The plight of children is a universal problem.

Q: Do you belong to a writers’ group or solicit feedback from fellow writers?

I belong to the Holly Springs Writers Guild. We set up a table at the Holly Springs Farmers Market to sell our books. We meet once a month about a certain topic; last month was blogging.

The publishing world is tough to navigate, so it’s good to know people who have been through it. It’s like your first child; you make so many mistakes.

I am not in any other writing groups right now. I have been in the past, and I need the feedback. you I am trying to organize a regular writing group. If any writers in the area are interested, they can contact me at anawritinggroup@yahoo.com.

“The Orphan Ship” is available in some local bookstores and online at major retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. For more information, you can visit Walker’s blog at sterlingrwalker.blogspot.com or email her at sterlingrwalker@yahoo.com.