Three Times A Charm with Shannon L Brown
Three Times A Charm is my weekly feature where I introduce
readers to new authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters
from the children’s publishing industry.
Today’s guest is author, Shannon L. Brown. Thanks for
joining us, Shannon. Please tell us a little about you.
I read and read as a kid,
particularly every mystery I could find. I didn't plan to be a writer though. I
first earned a degree in journalism & communications then a second degree
in education. But I didn't end up working in either field. I wrote my first
book, a clean romance, shortly after earning those degrees. I submitted it to a
publisher, but when it was rejected I moved on.
Fast forward to a day some years
later when I was driving and an image of a briefcase filled with feathers
popped into my mind. I knew it was the idea for a children's mystery and The Feather Chase was born.
I wrote it while I worked in
unrelated fields. I also began writing magazine articles on the side and
gradually moved to doing that full-time. I'm now an award-winning writer, have
sold more than 600 articles for local, national and regional publications and,
until I resigned to finish the book, was the contributing editor for a jewelry
publication. (Which tells you, you never know where life may take you.)
I stepped back from most of that
writing to edit The Feather Chase and
see it published in February of 2014. It's a fun mystery and the first in the
Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series. Now I'm using the classes I had in
communications to write and those in education to speak to children about
writing.
I'm originally from Alaska but live
in Nashville, Tennessee with my professor husband and our adorable calico cat
Evie. I'm working on the second book in the series. Hint: It begins with a gift
wrapped package that is left on Sophie's front porch.
I find it so brave when people quit their jobs to pursue
a writing career. It’s so risky! Now, tell us more about The Feather Chase.
The Feather Chase
is a fun mystery for girls ages 8-12. It has tense moments, but it’s overall
fun and upbeat.
Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica are stuck
together for the summer, and they don’t have much in common. Sophie loves
hiking and her small town. Jessica would rather be shopping in a city. Then
they find a briefcase in the forest with a surprise inside. When they hear
footsteps behind them and bad guys run after them, they have no choice but to
work together to solve the mystery.
The Feather Chase
is available in print and ebook wherever books are sold.
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.
- Top 3 snacks to munch on while working.
Like Sophie, I enjoy fruity things.
I often have a frozen grape juice bar as a snack. But I also share Jessica’s
love of chocolate. (The two girls have bits of me in them.) Unlike Jessica, I
only need one piece of chocolate, and I’m good for the day. Dark chocolate, of
course! My third favorite snack would be something sweet like a cookie or a
granola bar. Right now I have some snickerdoodles I made stored in the freezer,
and I like to grab one and eat it frozen.
- Top 3 leisure activities.
Reading is probably my favorite
thing to do. I read a novel in bed every night. Mysteries are my favorite, and
it helps me relax so that I can sleep well. The books aren’t boring; fiction
just quiets me down.
Shopping and baking tie for second
place. Baking from scratch is also relaxing, and I love being able to share the
things I bake with others. Like Jessica, I enjoy shopping. To me, it’s like a
treasure hunt—I hit the sales and find great deals for things I really like.
Hiking on a trail through the woods
is both awesome exercise and relaxing. I guess all of my favorite leisure
activities are relaxing to me. Unlike Sophie who sees hiking and camping as
equal, I’ll stick with the hiking and sleep in a nice bed at night. I grew up
camping in Alaska—everything from boating to a camping site next to a lake to
flying in and sleeping on a frozen river in the winter. I fit a lifetime of
camping into my life early on.
- Top 3 favorite places.
Almost anywhere in rolling, green
hills. I think my home of Nashville, Tennessee is beautiful. I’m from Alaska
and we had tall mountains right behind my house, more than half the year
covered with snow. I picture the fictional town of Pine Hill in The Feather Chase as having rolling
hills around a lake. I hope to be able to visit somewhere that looks like that.
A beach is high on my list of
places to visit. I spent a lot of time in Hawaii growing up and love walking on
a warm beach with the water lapping at my feet. I say “warm” because I walked
on a beach in Alaska and my feet went numb. Really.
Beautiful cities in Europe are also
a favorite. I gave Jessica the hometown of London, England. I’m a huge
anglophile and have read hundreds of books set in England.
Where can our tech savvy readers find more about you and
your books?
Thank you, Shannon,
for joining us on Three Times A Charm. Best of luck to you and The Feather
Chase.
THANKS!
Great premise on your series, Shannon! I also have a calico cat. She can be moody at times! Cheers and best wishes for a best seller!
ReplyDeleteAlways great to see you, Sharon. Thanks for stopping in :)
DeleteMy calico's a sweetie. She has a full language of meows, one for each different situation.
DeleteInteresting interview, ladies. A briefcase with feathers inside. Isn't it funny where story ideas come from. Best of luck to you, Shannon. I have a calico too. She's a sweetie, but doesn't get along well with my tabby cat. I'm trying to teach her to be nice. She's not buying. :)
ReplyDeleteKids love the oddity of feathers in a briefcase.
ReplyDeleteWe've thought about getting another cat but I'm not sure it would go well. :)
I guess Patches is jealous because she really bullies Tiger. He's easy going and just runs from her. I've tried everything the "experts" say to do. Nothing works, so when I leave the house, I put the cats in separate rooms. :)
DeleteI just went ahead and ordered a copy of the ebook through Amazon (sent to her iPod touch) for my 11 year old daughter who loves mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI love Nashville too. My agent is based out of there.
That's so great, Lisa! Thanks for visiting. Hope your daughter enjoys her new book!
Delete