Interview with Shannon Leigh:
Hi Shannon. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...
- Please tell us about your latest book...
More Than Prophecy is my latest book, and was just released from Amber Quill Press on January 1, 2005. It is a paranormal romance involving a Native American woman who gets transported on a magical zephyr to planet Zandar, a mundane world similar to Earth’s 1400’s where Clan Lords and High-Ranking Officials rule all.
- What can we expect from you in the future?
I love the paranormal genre, and will probably devote most of my writing to that category. I’m currently working on the sequel to More than Prophecy, as well as three short eroticas for some of Amber Quill’s upcoming Amber Paxes. I also have plans for several more romances before possibly venturing into some other realms such as gothic horror.
- How do we find out about you and your books?
I currently visit many of the popular yahoo groups related to ebooks, romance, and the paranormal genre. I’ve set up two websites, one for each of my books, which include excerpts, information about me, and info about past and upcoming novels. I also try to trade banners, get involved in exchanges, schedule author days/chats at varying romance/book sites, and basically list stuff about my books anywhere I can find a spot that will allow me.
- How may readers contact you?
Anyone who wants to discuss my writing, a particular book I’ve finished or that I’m working on, or has general questions, comments, suggestions, etc. about my work can contact me at either one of my email addresses.
1) paranormalfictionsuthor
2) Shannon Leigh
- How many readers contact you?
The most contact I get is from the yahoo groups. Especially during and after an Author Day. I’ve had some readers contact me about where to purchase paperback copies of my book, and others who just want to let me know they’ve read my book and enjoyed it. So far, all feedback I’ve gotten has been positive. *knocking on wood*
- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?
Absolutely, they inspire me to keep writing. I am my own worst critic, so to hear from someone who says they really enjoyed my book, or were touched by my characters, means a lot to me.
- Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
One reader wrote to me about the character Adrien in my first book, Immortal Desires. She said she needed to find a man like that. It still makes me laugh.
- Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I’ve been reading romance since the age of 12. I guess that’s just what comes naturally to me.
- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
I’d say a lot of my personality goes into my female characters, or perhaps what I perceive it to be. I also find myself putting experiences such as an interaction with someone, other people’s temperament, movements, distinguishing behaviors, etc. into it as well. Then I create a unique paranormal world around them.
- When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?
I started writing in elementary school. Nothing fancy mind you, and certainly nothing worthy of submission. My stories flowed more along the lines of fantasy, and some horror. It wasn’t until middle and high school that I got more into romance writing. I jotted down several short stories along the way, but none of which I ever intended to submit anywhere. It wasn’t until about 7 years ago that I started thinking about publishing. I had begun work on More Than Prophecy, and was about 90 or so pages into it, when I had the idea for Immortal Desires hit me out of the blue. I had to stop what I was working on immediately and write it. From that point on, it was like I was on a mission. I wrote it, rewrote it, and then began submitting. I dabbled with literary agents for a while, hadn’t really heard of ebooks, then, when I was feeling lower than low one day, came across some discussions about ebook and traditional publishers. What I read convinced me to focus my goal in another direction. I submitted to a few ebook pubs, and within a couple of days, was contacted by DLSIJ Press. I never did submit to the first traditional print house.
- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
That depends on what’s going on around me. More Than Prophecy actually took me about 7 years to complete. But I had stopped along the way to do other things. Immortal Desires was much quicker, less than a year. If I put my mind to it and really buckle down, I can write fairly quickly. Unfortunately, things don’t always work that way. And with four small children and a full-time job, I have to give up necessities like sleep to write as much as I want.
- What is your writing routine?
I generally do a lot of writing at night, and more so on the weekends when I can stay up until 3 or so, and still get a few hours sleep before the troops come out. (children I mean)
- Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I kind of just go with the flow. Sometimes I’ll sit down to write a few lines, and before I know it I’ve hashed out 15 pages. Other times, I try to write 1 paragraph and I can hardly get through a single sentence worth keeping.
- What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?
I can’t get any writing done when they are around or awake. I can barely think straight let alone concentrate on writing.
- What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
Get in the tub. I have a Jacuzzi tub and it’s so nice to fill it up with steaming water, then let the jets massage me from head to foot.
- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?
While I tend to bite off more than I can chew, having something to complete or accomplish really motivates me. I like being constructive, and feeling like I’ve accomplished something at the end of the day. Sometimes reading excerpts from other authors gets my gears rolling. If I’m feeling stumped in my writing, taking a break and being a reader for a while instead of an author can motivate me to get back on track. Getting feedback from my readers makes me want to write more. I feel like I’m doing something that makes others happy.
- Where do your ideas come from?
I have a pretty active imagination. Sometimes I might see something that sparks my creativity, but usually, I’ll just have something come to me unexpectedly. I found that I can’t “force” ideas. I don’t seem to write as well when I do that.
- Do you feel humor is important in women's fiction and why?
Absolutely. I like female characters that are witty and intelligent. A stiff or completely submissive character with no humor is boring. And if the character is boring, the story likely will be as well.
- What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?
No in that I’m embarrassed or ashamed to write them, but yes in that I want to make sure I capture the essence of what’s going on between the characters in words, without sounding vulgar or obscene. I not only want the reader to be turned on by what’s going on in the scene, but feel the emotion as well.
- What kind of research do you do?
I do a lot on the internet. For my chapter of the Insomniac Tales, by Chaucer’s Women (available at DLSIJ Press), I was writing the Knight’s Tale. I wanted to tell how the first vampire, actually a woman, was created. And I wanted to tie in the history of the real Vlad Dracul. So I did a lot of research about him. In Stairway to Heaven, one of the Amber Pax stories I’m working on, the character is in an Indian village in the middle of the Amazon, so I pulled up some info about actual tribes to give it some realism.
- Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?
I’d like to write some gothic horror, Anne Rice kind of stuff. And some fantasy, along the lines of Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffrey.
- What does your husband think of your writing?
He seems to enjoy whatever I write.
- Do you ever ask him/her for advice?
Yes, in the book I’m working on now, When Destiny Calls (sequel to More Than Prophecy), the female is a warrior in her father’s army. She is knowledgeable in hand to hand combat, sword-fighting, etc. which is something I know very little about. There's a particular scene where the woman, Whisper, is fighting her nemesis, Aurelius. When he grabs her from behind, I wanted her to escape his hold, force him to the ground, and land on top of him with a knife at his throat. I suppose I could just say that, but that really doesn't explain "how" she does it. My husband practiced this hold/escape maneuver with me, showing me exactly what I would need to do to get out of a situation like that and end up in the position I wanted my characters in. I was able to put it into words exactly so the reader can visualize how Whisper escapes Aurelius's hold and winds up with the upper hand, so to say. Practicing it was fun too.
- Please tell us about yourself...
I am married. I have 4 boys varying in age from 13 to 2. I also have two male cats, so I’m sort of outnumbered. J But we did recently add another addition to our family, a female chow chow named Aysia, so that evened the score a little. I love to do crafts. Other than writing, that is probably what I enjoy doing the most. I have a lot of fun trying to create new promo items. Some have really turned out well, others…scrap pile. In the summer, my husband and I enjoy taking the boys fishing and camping. There’s nothing like sitting out by the fire at night. Of course, I end up smelling like a campfire all week at work because the aroma really seems to cling to my hair. But no one seems to mind. My co-workers just laugh and say, “You’ve been camping again haven’t you?”
- Fill in the blank favorites
Dessert—chocolate
City–Dallas, Texas
Season–Summer
Type of hero –Strong, firm in his beliefs, true to his word, compassionate, able to love and put his woman at the top of his list, above all others. Willing to lay down his life for her if necessary.
Type of heroine –strong-willed, intelligent, has own ideas/beliefs and not afraid to voice them. Doesn’t back down from intimidation, also true to her word, does what’s right even if it costs her to do so.
- What are some of your favorite things to do?
Write, of course. Being a working mom, I also like to spend time with my children as much as possible. And as stated above, make crafts, go fishing, and go camping.
- Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?
Not really. With the ebook discovery, there are so many good authors coming out that I find it difficult to have a favorite. I try to give every book, every author, and unbiased eye.
- Who are some of your favorite authors?
Growing up, I loved Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffrey. There were several romance authors, but for the life of me, I can’t name them. I know Iris Johannsen (spelling?) was a favorite.
- Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
Probably the same authors as listed above.
- Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?
I actually have my own author critique group. It’s very small, only about 8 members, and mainly comprised of other DLSIJ Press authors. And it has proved very helpful over the last year.
- What do you think of critique groups in general?
I think if you can get into a small group that’s willing to really look at your work and pick out mainly grammatical errors and not everything they’d write differently, then you’ve found yourself a priceless resource for editing. There’s nothing like another set of eyes (or perhaps several other sets) to give your manuscript a thorough once over. Authors tend to look over the most obvious mistakes when reading their own work, but it’s amazing what you’ll see when reading someone else’s.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
Probably still working where I am now. L But that’s okay, as long as I’m still writing, which I expect I will be, I’m okay with that. I hope to have several more books out by then.
- How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?
Since Elementary School, actually. But I didn’t really consider publishing though until about 7 years ago. I just wrote stuff, then put it away. It wasn’t until I started working on More Than Prophecy and Immortal Desires that I felt the urge to seek publishing. I guess I never thought I could get published before. Once I set my mind to it though, I was on a mission.
- How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I’ve written two full-length novels, both paranormal romances. I’ve also written a short story as a collaborative work included 13 authors for a book called The Insomniac Tales by Chaucer’s Women. I’ve just completed a short story for an upcoming Amber Pax due to be released from Amber Quill Press in August, and I’ve just had a short story released from Chippewa Publishing entitled Ivona Knight, Vampyress.
- After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and read it?
Actually, I haven’t had time. I’m afraid when I do, I’ll probably go through it thinking, “Oh, I wish I would have put this,” or “Oh, missed that.” But I have re-read various parts throughout all my writings and said, “Wow! Did I do that?” Sometimes, I truly don’t know where I come up with the stuff I do.
- Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
Of all my finished books, More Than Prophecy is my favorite. Probably because it took the longest to write. But I really enjoy all my characters and their stories
- What book for you has been the easiest to write?
Immortal Desires
- The hardest?
The one I’m working on now for another upcoming Amber Pax due out in October, Greenwood Manor.
- The most fun?
More Than Prophecy
- Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
I usually have the two main characters come to mind in a particular scene. I build from there. Since it frequently isn’t the first scene of the book, I have to backtrack and create the “characters” before the scene, who they are, why they’re there, etc. Then, I continue on after the scene to the end.
- What are the elements of a great romance for you?
There’s got to be love. To me, a romance isn’t romance if the heroine jumps in the sack with the hero on page two. Not unless there’s a good reason for it and love develops between them at some point. There’s always your exceptions. I also want to see a guy who’s willing to set his pride aside and step up to the plate, take responsibility for his actions and fight for what he wants.
- What is the hardest part of writing/the easiest?
Doing the research is the hardest. I’m a stickler for details, so I tend to put a lot of research in what I’m doing. The easiest, is when I can write a scene that doesn’t need any research. The ground rules are already in place and I can write until my heart’s content.
- Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?
I start out in control, but somewhere along the way, they tend to take over.
- Have you experienced writer's block---> If so, how did you work through it?
Yes, and it really sucks. Sometimes, I have to sit down and jot out a basic line of events, how to get from point A to point B. I don’t generally like to write from an outline, but if I can’t get my thoughts on track, sometimes I just have to. I found this with the sequel I’m working on for More Than Prophecy. I was so caught up in my characters, that I couldn’t let them go and work on the next ones. I was having a hard time bringing the hero and heroine for When Destiny Calls, to life. Creating an outline really helped.
- What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Having someone tell me they enjoyed reading my book(s).
- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?
Probably drawing. I wish I had more time to pursue that. I can draw anything I look at, but I would like to learn to draw from my own ideas.
- Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Don’t give up. Sometimes it just takes time to find the right publisher for your style of writing. But if you keep trying, you’ll eventually succeed.
- What question would you love to answer that I didn't ask?
I think you pretty much covered them all.
Thank you very much Shannon, for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination, and the books you have now from DLSIJ Press, Amber Quill, and Chippewa!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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