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Author interview with Shannon Mayer

Good morning! I am thrilled to have Shannon Mayer here today, the author of Sundered, which I am reading on my Kindle as we speak.

I normally don’t do zombie stories, but hers sounded so intriguing I had to give it a try, and I’m glad I did!

Shannon dropped by to answer some questions for you all – so without further ado, here she is.

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

For sure the past! I love history, the feel of place with age and stories behind it. I’ve always been drawn to the mythology and legends from long ago, which probably explains why I wove Irish mythology through my book “Dark Waters”.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

Hmm. Five people? In all honesty, I’m not one for those who have “famous” status. A great dinner party would be my three cousins and my two brothers. We would have a riot as they all have a wicked sense of humor, something I absolutely can’t get enough of. Boring maybe to the rest of the world, but to me they family comes first, always.

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

My husband (he’s Mr. Handy), toilet paper (I’m a believer in the small comforts in life) and some sort of musical instrument (I assume I’ll finally have time to learn to play ;p)

What is one book everyone should read?

Oooh, that’s a hard one, there are so many that I think are THE BEST EVER, until I find the next BEST EVER BOOK. At the moment, I would say that it would have to be The Gunslinger series by Stephen King. Really, this is a book/series that I have read and re-read. Not your typical gore, it’s a blend of fantasy, urban fantasy, western and horror. I think that’s one of the books that has influenced my writing the most, at least when it comes to genre bending.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

The sequel to “Dark Waters”, “Dark Isle” will be out in June if all continues to go well, then I have the third book in that trilogy set to be released in July. After that I have two standalone full length novels, (both urban fantasy) set to be released. In September is “Priceless” the story of a Tracker who hunts down children kidnapped by supernaturals, and in December “The Chronicles of Sin” follows Toni, a woman who carries Gluttony within her and how she sets out to free herself from her vice.

What inspired you to want to become a writer?

I think it runs in my blood, my mother fed that by encouraging me to read books way beyond my age which only pushed me further into the world of the imagination. So, I guess it’s my mom’s fault.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. Anytime I get a 4 or 5 star review, I just feel the flush of knowing that what I’m doing/writing, is making people happy. That is an incredible feeling.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be?

Kushiels’ Dart by Jacqueline Carey, without a doubt. Very cool world and if that was a no-no, I would jump into Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Both books have such a depth to the world building it feels as though you could easily stumble across them.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

The Chronicles of Narnia, but of course! What proper writer of fantasy would say anything else?

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

Not really, though I was listening to the Transformers Score while I wrote. Love the orchestra, the power of the music really inspired me.

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Just keep at it, the only way you will fail is if you give up. Don’t worry about hard critiques and one star ratings, all authors get them, in fact, I would warrant that until you get a one star rating, you are still a baby in this business

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

A few, but I ain’t saying more than that, too incriminating!

What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had?

ROFL! Well, I did have this vague idea to blend vampires and pirates, but it faded once the laughter from my writing group subsided.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Dreams are meant to be chased. So chase them and know that you are following the path that God laid out for you.

Thank you, Shannon! Some great questions, and fun responses. I always love discovering what other people have to say when random questions are thrown at them.