Name:
Shannon Cahill
The Title of Your Work:
Not All Who Wander are Lost
Where are you from?
Spokane, Washington
In what genre do you write?
I write romance. My current release is a fantasy romance and I am currently working on a New Adult title.
In your own words, what is your book about?
If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? Crimson is a 400 year old elf who has wandered the world as a Guardian, but never been in love. After being betrayed by her sister, she is sent to guard a Human, only to find out he has secrets of his own, as well as a hot bod. It is a whirlwind romance, with a little bit of fun, a little bit of sex, and a little bit of adventure.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
I knew starting out how the story would end, but getting there was as much a journey for me as it is for the reader. As far as the rules, I figure as long as it’s fun, there are no rules--except for those pesky grammar conventions that plague all writers.
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
A few years ago, I wrote a hilarious blog post about kamikaze squirrels and thought it was perhaps the funniest thing I ever read. Alas, it was eaten by the destruction of MySpace and lost to the world. While not as earth shattering as that, I am pretty proud of this book.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
I had the help of a few great beta readers and many long hours of reading and rereading my manuscript for editing. I did the current cover myself, but a really great graphic artist friend of mine, Beth Heart, is currently working on spicing up the cover for me.
Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
This is such a hard question! I read more than 100 books a year and picking a favorite just doesn’t seem fair. I have to say though, that when I read Lois Duncan’s autobiography back in high School, that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a writer.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Dialog has always been a challenge for me. I think I came a long way in overcoming that while working on the project. I just had to remember that my characters are people and give them each a voice of their own.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I’d like to think that I write them, but the truth is, the characters tend to reveal themselves one line at a time, sometimes without my even being aware of it.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
There is a little bit of me in all of my characters. Sometimes it’s a part of me I love, sometimes not so much, but it’s all for the sake of the story and I have always thought that it is easiest to write genuine emotions if they are emotions you know intimately.
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I’m a student and stay-at-home Mom right now. I’d love to be a full time writer if that is in the cards.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
I would love to meet Maud Gonne. She was an actress, a revolutionary, and a strong independent woman in a time when women were seen as property or ornaments. I think that she would have much to teach me.
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
My characters don’t take themselves so seriously that they are not able to still have a little fun in the face of adversity.
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
A Blog Tour seems to be great place to start. Social media, of course, has its own merit. I think the most important thing that I am doing is supporting other authors. We all need to stick together.
Enjoy an excerpt of Not all who wander are lost:
Prologue
Finn was fully absorbed by the oil change he was doing when he heard the sound of heels clicking and then a soft, throaty voice say, “Excuse me, you there, can you help me?” Intrigued by a sexy accent that he couldn’t quite place, he slid partway out from under his truck to get a better look at the owner. He came face to face with the smallest pair of 6 inch heeled thigh high boots he’d ever seen, and above the boots, what could only be described as a mini version of his wildest dreams. He felt himself harden as he struggled to regain his composure.
“How can I help you?” he breathed. His words coming out a little cracked, like he was a teenager again. He knew he was in trouble.
The tiny girl bent over to be closer to him and said in that devastating voice, “My car seems to be having a bit of a problem. Well, actually, more than a bit. It is making a horrible sound and I fear I’ve done some real damage. Can you look at it for me?”
Finn swallowed and tried to find his voice. From that angle, he could see that she may be small, but not where it mattered. She looked to be just under 5 feet tall, even in the soaring heels, compact, but curvy as hell. He couldn’t stop his eyes from lingering on the low neckline of the tight black dress she was wearing. He found himself wanting desperately to tangle his big hands in the long black riot of curls falling into her face. He noticed her eyes were an unusual shade of brown—almost wine colored--and the same shade as the streaks in her hair. She was stunning.
Struggling for control, he found his voice at last. “Of course. Let me get out from under here. Where are you parked?”
“Just outside, “she purred.
At that, she turned and started to walk to the door, then stopped and looked back over her shoulder, “I’m Crimson, by the way. Crimson Thorn.”
Now, where can we find everything about you?
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