Amy Shannon
Guest Author Interview
Welcome, Amy!
It's a pleasure to feature you on my blog.
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When did you decide to become a writer and why?
I’ve been telling stories since I was a young child, and
really started writing at age ten, where I wrote poetry and short stories. I
was always writing whenever I could, in some form or another. In 2004, I
started writing a story that I figured would be another short story, however,
it “somehow” turned into a full length novel, and my book “Unwritten Life” was
born. I don’t think I ever “decided” to be a writer, as I was always a writer,
but I kind of decided to be an author, as it fit in with me writing and telling
stories. (There are so many stories that I’ve told, and never wrote down).
What genre or genres do you write?
I write under three different pennames, but when I write
under my own name (Amy Shannon), I write crime dramas, that are mixed with
romance and suspense (I usually call them “crimance” novels. I do have a
multi-volume, multi-series, I call the M.O.D Epic Saga (it’s over 65 books),
and it has a mixture of everything from family, to crime, to suspense, and even
raising the dead (through medical mysteries).
How many books do you have published?
Can you tell us about your current book?
I currently have (just under my own name) 89 published
books. (For all pennames, it’s over 100). My most current book, “Fettering
Shadows” was just released on June 9 (which coincides with my birthday).
“Fettering Shadows” (only my second book with a male MC) is
about Jake Dalton, a former Texas Ranger turned PI, who is not only haunted by
a cold serial killer case, the case has followed him to Oklahoma, and may also
be his new client’s stalker.
Do you have a website or blog?
What kind of features do you post?
Yes, I have a website (http://writeramyshannon.wixsite.com/stories)
which features all of my books, and series of books.
I also have an author blog (http://writeramyshannon.wixsite.com/amyshannonblog),
where I promote by own books, provide tips about writing or publishing, services
such as promotional services, editing or tutoring services. I also promote
other Indie Authors. I think it’s very important to help other authors get
their name out there and introduce their work to the world, especially if it’s
unknown.
I also have a book review blog, I call Amy’s Bookshelf
Reviews (http://writeramyshannon.wixsite.com/bookshelfreviews), where I review
books of all and any genre, and specifically focus on Indie Authors (but I
review anything that I read and like).
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I like the work of James Patterson, especially his Women’s
Murder Club series (I just finished book 15). I am currently reading “Things I
over heard while talking to myself” by actor Alan Alda. I read his first book
and look forward to reading his latest release.
I read so much that I don’t have one or two favorites, as
sometimes, I’ll finish a book and think, “I loved that” and “that’s my new
favorite book or author” until I read my next book.
I do love the classics, and if I had an “all time” favorite,
they would be (yes, more than one) Shakespeare, Whitman, and Twain (though, not
a fan of Huckleberry Finn).
With the reviews that I do, I find those diamonds in the
rough that I would never think to read until I’ve been asked, and when I
finish, I am so glad I had the chance to read it. I keep a top 20 author list
for each year of my review blog, and though the author’s names change, they are
my favorite until I add to the list.
Do you have any hobbies or interests you enjoy?
I love to cook, and have even worked on a cookbook. Nothing
really fancy, just a book put together of recipes to share with my family.
Describe yourself in three words.
Creative. Open-minded. Inspired.
Do you have a family?
I am single mother of
4 boys, ages 26, 20, and 17 year old twins.
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Don’t ask yourself if
you’re a writer, just write. If you’re a writer, you’ll know it. You’ll feel
it. Don’t give up and never get rid of anything you write. (I have several, and
I mean several pieces of writing that just got started, and sometimes they just
sit in a file, other times, they become the story they were meant to be).
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Author Bio
Amy Shannon is an American Storyteller. She is also
a writer/author and poet. Amy Shannon runs the book review blog "Amy's
Bookshelf Reviews," which has become extremely popular for Indie authors
and their books.
In 2004, Amy was a cancer survivor. In 2005, she
survived a domestic violence assault, which resulted in her spouse going to
prison, and lifelong headaches. Amy doesn't let that get in the way of taking
care of her four boys, who are very supportive of their family, and her
passion. In 2015, Amy received her Bachelors of Arts in English, and her Masters
of Arts in Adult Education and Training. She is currently working on her MBA.
All of Amy's stories are about inner strength, as
sometimes no one realizes how strong they truly can be until they think they've
reached their limit. Her latest collection of her work categorizes these
stories in one collect, called "Empowerment" ad it's due for release
Nov. 1 2016.
Amy Shannon is the author of about 100 stories,
with more than half as part of different series or sagas. Once she falls in
love with her characters, it's hard to let go of them. Her first novel
"Unwritten Life" started off the Sars Springs Saga. Other series,
have several books within a series, and they are slightly open-ended in case of
a new idea for the series. "Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice"
is a fictionalized version of her own experience with Domestic Violence.
"Chains" was just released to show the inner strength when all hope
seems lost.
Social Media Links
Private Investigator Jake Dalton, a former Texas Ranger, has settled down in a small town in Oklahoma, set in his ways, and creating a new life for himself. Even when his former partner asks for help on some unsolved serial murder cases, he is still focused on what is rather than what was.
Then she walks into his agency and life, and turns it upside down. Dr. Agatha "Aggie" Constantine hires Jake to find her stalker, a stalker who she believes is also the serial killer only known by the name Icarus.
Jake finds himself drawn to Aggie, while also wondering who he can and can't trust, and pulling in all of his resources and contacts for help. The case that continues to haunt Jake may have just brought more than he bargained for, right to his doorstep, especially when torsos resembling his old case are starting to surface.
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Thanks for sharing more about yourself as a writer and a person. You're a prolific author, Amy, and a friend to other authors. Best wishes for your continued success!
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Comments and shares are always appreciated. If you'd like to be a guest on my blog, please email me:
lindalee.author.@gmail.com
