Welcome, Shannon! Hi, there!
About me—well, I write MG and YA, I live in Ontario, Canada with my hubs, one son, two dogs, two horses, and a canary. (And a partridge in a pear tree) So, other than writing and reading, I love animals, traveling, boating, and shopping…shoes being high up on the list.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing I guess about 3 or 4 years. It’s hard to pin point an exact time. I know I started writing longer ago than that, but stopped because I’d been working full time as a nurse. Now that I don’t do that anymore, I focus on the writing which I love.
The cover for SPECTRAL is gorgeous. Tell us what the story is about.
Thanks for the cover love! I have to say I love it, too. It was done by Claudia McKinney at phatpuppyart.com I actually can’t say enough good things about her. In one word, she’s awesome.
SPECTRAL is about a teen girl (Jewel) that believes she is living in the Witness Protection Program because of her dad. With the constant moving around the globe, not being able to make close friends, and with the strict rules her family sets on her, (like having to hide her supposed tell-tale birthmark at all times,) it’s very tough on Jewel. At her new town she meets two hot boys, one of which has magical powers and claims to be her guardian, and warns her that she’s in real danger. Even though there are sparks between them, he tells her a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about him, the more she questions who to believe: her family, or him. She soon discovers there’s a lot more going on then she could have ever imagined. With a magical Witchcraft book showing up, unexplained powers appearing, kidnappings, and romance, Jewel wonders if she can wade through the complications, and discover who she can trust…hoping she’ll make it through her 17th birthday alive.
Sounds amazing! I can't wait to get my hands on it! How did the idea of the story come to you?
The idea of the story came to me when I couldn’t sleep one night. I knew I wanted to write a story with witches, but that was it. Sometimes when you’re in that half-awake, half-asleep state, the mind is the most creative I think. After that night, I kept thinking about it, expanding on it, talking about it etc…and SPECTRAL was born! I really hope people like it.
Are you a pantser or planner?
How about a Plantser? Haha. Well, I used to be a total pantser and wrote my first book, my middle grade like that. That was a lot of fun, but I do think it can take longer to write a story that way. Now I like to write a synopsis before I start and to also take notes along the way on a word doc as more ideas and thoughts pop into my head. But, I don’t like to be completely locked into anything. As I write, I get to know my characters more and see things going different ways, so I give myself the freedom to change things up. So basically, I like to have a good, solid plan or a guideline and then just fly.
What's the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part of writing for me is finding enough time. With family stuff always going on, and right now, tons of workers doing stuff around the house, it gets distracting. I love weekends where it’s completely quiet, and I don’t have any plans. Then, instead of working in my office, I go off to my bedroom with my laptop. Those are PJ’s and sushi weekends. Gotta love it! I get lots of writing in then.
What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?
I have to have a glass of water for sure….and I love a tall glass of diet coke with tons of ice. In the morning it has to be a big cup of raspberry chocolate coffee. And hey, when my little Yorkshire terrier, Bambi sits on my lap, I’m golden.
Oh my God, that coffee sounds like heaven! *coffee envy* (And cool, I used to have a Yorkie too!)
If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Super power, super power. Hmmm thinking. Well, I’ve always wanted to fly because it would be very cool, but let’s face it, if I could touch people and cure cancer, I’d be all over that. Nothing could rock harder than that.
Very true, good call. What's the weirdest thing you've googled?
One of the weirdest thing I’ve googled is the meaning of Spectral. Never thought I’d be looking that one up!
Quick writing test! Use the words daisies, catastrophe, and telepathy in a sentence.
Okay, fun! How about:
Using my trusty mental telepathy, I disarmed the bomb-wielding daisies bandit, narrowly avoiding a florist catastrophe.
Very creative! Here's the part where you thank the people supporting you. Let's hear your shout-outs.
I have to first of all shout out my critique partners, Rachel Harris, Trisha Wolfe, and Brenda Drake. They are made of awesome, really. They are not only great CP’s, but also amazing friends. Then, of course my fabulous agent, Lauren Hammond who always believes in me and makes me smile. Tribute Books for acquiring Spectral. And always a huge shout-out goes to my family—my husband, my son, my parents, and my sister. They’re always super supportive in every way imaginable. And lastly, but certainly not least—I have to shout out a huge thank you to the readers!! Seriously, thank you! I love readers and their enthusiasm for books.
Where can we find SPECTRAL?
You can buy SPECTRAL here:
Kindle buy link - $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RMZYL4?tag=tributebooks-20
Nook buy link - $4.95
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fbooks%252F1109953082
iBookstore buy link - $4.99
Coming Soon
Google buy link - $3.79
http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=Ov0LCe_6RY4C#v=onepage&q&f=false
Smashwords buy link - $4.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145573?ref=tributebooks
PDF buy link - $4.95
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1580735
Shannon, thank you so much for chatting with us. It's been fun! I wish you lots of success with SPECTRAL and all your books to come! ;)
Love Plantser! Great interview, and best of luck with your book--sounds like it will have wide appeal.
ReplyDeleteDorothy, thanks again for hosting Shannon today. She really is such a fan-friendly author :)
ReplyDeleteJenny, thanks for the comment. I hope you have a chance to check out "Spectral." It's only $2.99 for the Kindle.