Welcome to Shannon K. Butcher's guest blog

Welcome Ms. Shannon K. Butcher to Love Romances and More, thank you for
joining us.

Thanks for inviting me. I'm happy to be here.

Did you always want to become a writer?

No. I always wanted to be an engineer, and that's what I did. It was only after I left engineering that I decided writing would be a cool second career. I've never regretted that decision.

What is the most, and the least interesting fact about writing?

The most interesting part to me is developing the worlds and characters. I love spending hours breathing life into imaginary people and places, then throwing them together to see what kinds of character-driven stories develop.

My least favorite part is revisions. My engineering background taught me to strive to do things right the first time, because you might not get a second chance. Redoing work I've already done is always hard on me, but necessary.

How did you celebrate your first release? What was it like to see your book
in a bookstore? Do you have a special ritual for celebrating a book
release?

We went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate, which, although not exciting, is a great excuse to get out--one I use every chance I get.

Seeing my book in the store was completely surreal. In fact, most of the time, it still doesn't feel real. Maybe one of these days...

How did your family react to fact that you also write romance novels? Have
your family read your books?

Sure, they read my books. Even my dad does. Only my son stays away, which works for me--he's still too young. :) My family is totally cool with my job, and although they may not always enjoy all of the subject matter, they're proud and supportive of me.

Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who
are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?

It seems like everything I experience influences my writing: books, TV, music, the people around me. I love to read, though I don't get nearly as much time now as I used to. I stick mostly to romances, but vary the kind I read. Some of my favorite authors right now are Suzanne Brockmann, J. R. Ward, Lori Foster and Lora Leigh, though that's just a few.


Your characters come to life in your books. Do you feel each of your
characters live with you as you write? Do their lives sometimes take over
a part of your life? Can you name an example? Do you have living role
models for your characters?

I'm a fairly pragmatic writer, so I don't find that the characters take over in any way. I have a path I want them to follow in the hopes that it'll create the best story I'm capable of writing. Occasionally, a better idea will pop in my head and I'll go with it, but in general, I keep a pretty tight hold on the reins of the story.

As far as a character taking over part of my life...the only thing that even came close was when my research into serial killers led me to buy a gun and learn how to use it, because it opened up my eyes to how much real evil is in the world.

Bits and pieces of my characters come from real people, but I'm more likely to use quirks from real people rather than basing an entire personality of a character on someone.

Where do you get the inspirations for your books?

Inspiration strikes me mostly when I'm listening to music (especially while driving) or in the shower. I think that's when my brain takes all the little bits and pieces I've read, seen or been thinking about and mashes them together into a single coherent idea. I'm not really thinking about anything, so things tend to flow better.

You have written very successful Romantic suspense and now your first
Paranormal romance will be released, what made you decide to try out
another genre and will you still continue to write Romantic suspense?

I grew up reading fantasy and sci-fi books, so paranormal romance was a natural fit for me. In fact several of my first awful attempts at writing were paranormals. It just so happened that the first book I wrote that was good enough to let someone look at turned out to be a suspense, which I also love.

I hope to continue to write in both genres. In this business, there are no guarantees, but I definitely plan to do what I can to make it happen.

Do you find it difficult at times to write love scenes?

I used to. In fact, my writing speed would be cut in half or worse when I hit the hot spots, but I guess I've written enough of them now that they don't faze me nearly as much as they used to. I’m sure I'll still hit times where that kind of writing is hard (you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to write a love scene--not worrying about the grocery shopping or having a herd of kids stomping through the house), but so far so good.

What is your favorite book from the books that you have written so far? Who
are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

My favorite suspense is NO CONTROL, and I love Caleb, because he's kind, patient and sexy as hell. My favorite paranormal is the second book from The Sentinel Wars, FINDING THE LOST, which comes out in January 2010. It's no coincidence that my favorite heroine is also from that book.

Which book was the hardest to write and which the easiest?

NO CONTROL was the easiest book I've ever written. It just fell out of me in about 23 days, if I remember right. The hardest has probably been my October 2009 release, LOVE YOU TO DEATH. It was some of the creepiest stuff I've ever written and actually gave me nightmares.

If you could change places with one character from your books, who would it
be and why?

No way. Huh uh. I'd never want to go through the torture I inflict on my characters! Not in a million years. :)

Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?


I need silence when I write, so no music for me during the actual work. I do use music when brainstorming, though. It can vary from the emotional music of soundtracks, to my standard fare of alternative rock, or anything in between.

Congrats to your newest release, Burning Alive, can you tell us something
about your new book and the Sentinel Wars series.


Thanks! I'm really excited about the book coming out. It's been a long wait!

The story revolves around Helen, who has been haunted by visions of her own death for as long as she can remember. She burns alive while a dark man watches her, smiling. When that man, Drake, comes into her life, she knows her days are numbered and her vision is real. She tries to run, but doesn’t get far. Instead, she stumbles upon a hidden world of magic and monsters. Without her help, an entire race of ancient warriors may be destroyed, and if they are, the human race will not be far behind.

It's loosely based on druidic magic (very loosely) with a spin on some old favorite paranormal creatures I hope folks will enjoy.

Are you working on anything right now, and can you tell us a teaser about
these projects?

I'm working on a new romantic suspense series, but it's too early to talk about it yet. The whole thing isn't quite done cooking in my head, so I'll have to wait to go public. :) What I can tell you is that I've created a cast of characters who I'm dying to bring to life and torture mercilessly.

Thanks so much for having me. It's been fun!