Author Interview with Shannon Greenland!!

I've been lucky enough to interview Shannon Greenland, author of Shadow of a Girl among many amazing books and I'm very excited (I'm struggling very hard to keep all of my fangirl in right now but I'll apologise for the excessive number of exclamation marks I'll likely use).
I received an ARC of Shannon's newest release Watching You (and loved it!!) while also getting the amazing opportunity to ask her a few questions about it and writing in general. This was such a great experience because I've been a massive fan of Shannon's work ever since reading Shadow of a Girl back in 2016, so I'm super happy to be posting this!!
Without further adieu, enjoy...

Shadow of a Girl Book Talk

Watching You Book Talk

Interview with Shannon Greenland

Many authors put aspects of their own personalities into their characters. How much of yourself do you think you've put into your own books?

I think every character I write has a little something of me in them. This holds true for main characters and secondary, too.

As an aspiring author myself, I dream of the day I might one day publish a book. How did it feel when your first book got published?

This was the the photo taken when I received the call. It says it all:

You've written both series and standalone books during your writing career. Which do you think is harder: writing a series or a standalone?

Hm, they both have their challenges. With series you have to think about story and character arc over many books, and that can be difficult. Series are also bitter-sweet in that you both love the world and are also ready to say goodbye, read to start something new. Standalones are nice because you immerse yourself in the world, knowing it's going to end. There's a sense of freedom in that (at least to me). 

Being a maths professor, how do balance an everyday job and your writing commitments?

It's actually not as difficult as it sounds. It's all about keeping to a schedule. I will say, though, that when I was in grad school and balancing it all, I thought my days would never end!

Do you listen to any particular music as you write? If so, any particular songs/artists?

I have a sound machine that plays white noise while I work. Music is way too distracting. It makes me want to break away in song and dance. 

Will we be seeing more of the Bus Stop boys? We know West and have seen a bit of Levi in Watching You, so is there any chance we'll hear from the others? Maybe Simon and Kirstie's story? (Side note: I really hope you say yes to this question because I absolutely love all of these characters). 

I'm smiling as I read this because it is definitely what I have in mind. I'm not sure of the details yet, but I do believe more stories with the guys of Bus Stop are coming down the line. 

What fiction books do you think your characters in Watching You and Shadow of a Girl would like to read? Any particular genres or favourite authors?

I see Viola from Watching You reading all non-fiction dealing with engineering. I see Eve from Shadow of a Girl falling slowly in love with poetry. 

You've said that Shadow of a Girl took you years to write and that it's the story of your heart. Did that make the writing process harder because it was so personal and emotional for you? 

Yes, Shadow of a Girl has my heart for sure. It was a very personal journey for me and many times I would step away from my laptop and find myself in tears.

Some of my favourite side characters in your books have been Anne and Gillian. How important is LGBT representation in fiction?

I love Anne and Gillian, and I am so happy they are receiving hugs from my readers, too. I've been blessed with a life full of diverse friends and I'm happy to be able to incorporate that lovely variety into my writing.   

Watching You plays with gender stereotypes in the best way possible. Why do you think it's important we challenge these gender norms? 

It's so very important to challenge stereotypes. This is one of my favourite things to do, too. I love building a character and then giving them traits that a reader won't expect.

And, finally, the age old question, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Travel and see the world! It will open your mind and soul to this amazing planet that we live on.


Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe