June 26, 2011

Series Sunday: Getting to Know Author Shawna Hill & Her Novel Life


Welcome to Precision Reviews, today's stop on the Intimate Betrayals book blog tour. 


On my Series Sunday meme, I reviewed In Between Lies and Intimate Illusions. Two great books to kickoff the steamy "Intimate Betrayals" series. Check out the sizzling trailer below.



Today you get to know the author behind the books.

In Between Lies   Intimate Illusions 

Literary Marie: Tell us a little about yourself.

ShawnaI am a single mom of two children that keep me busy. When I am not juggling my kids, I do work full time and find time to squeeze out a few words or two in my books. Currently I am working on the third installment in my “Naomi” series, which now I have dubbed as the “Intimate Betrayals Series.” My great grandmother introduced me to the world of books way back when and I was instantly hooked. The Library became my secret place. Every time you saw me there was a book in my face. I have been writing since the age of about 8 or 9 years old. 



Literary Marie: What does it mean to live a "novel life"?

ShawnaWell, for one, I believe that there is a story or novel in each of us. At least one. My life in particular, there are many! LOL! I hate to admit it but in my mind, I live more in my novels than in reality. I am constantly thinking about my characters and their situations. It’s not a bad thing. I say that to say that my characters come to me all the time and express themselves and make me want to write, think and wonder about their lives…if that makes any sense to you. Like right now, I have one particular character that is evolving, and I feel her struggle. So to make a long story short, I live a novel life.  
 
Literary Marie: I just love that philosophy! Now, back to your keeping a book in your face. I'm a firm believer that readers write. Who/what originally inspired you to go from an avid reader to writing at an early age, and finally to a published author?

ShawnaThere is not one thing that triggered me to turn to writing as far as reading goes. I seriously turned to writing when I was in a dark place in my life. Things were just not right and I needed some form of escapism. After reading so many books I was confident that I could write the same as any other author out there. The trick was getting it published; but the fact that I wasn’t published didn’t deter me at all. I still wrote.   

Literary Marie: Glad to hear you were determined. You can certainly write the same, if not better, than some authors currently out. Do you have a writing ritual or favorite place to write?

Shawna: I don’t really have any writing rituals. I just sit down and write. I write in spurts. I cannot sit for hours and pound out thousands of words like most authors do. I don’t write from an outline. Most of the time I free write to see what becomes of it. For example, I had a general idea of what I wanted with In Between Lies. When I first started it, it was supposed to be your typical love story/romance. That wasn’t the case, however. Characters popped out of nowhere (while free writing) and the rest is history. I just went back and cleaned up the story, maybe added a few extra things and tweaked it. I love to free write because you never know what comes out. It’s amazing how your mind can wander!

Literary Marie: Yes, it is. I realize In Between Lies was also a result of conversations with your girlfriends. But were you ever involved in a similar relationship situation or love triangle?

Shawna: Yes, unknowingly…I have been cheated on as I’m sure many others have been too. It’s not an uncommon incident. I have also known people who were either the cheater or cheatee and neither is a side you want to be on. It gets really complicated and very messy quick. My philosophy is if you want to cheat, break the relationship first then move on. Anything outside of that will not come out good. 

Literary Marie: I totally agree. What is the lesson you want readers to learn after reading Intimate Illusions?

Shawna: Mainly, what goes around comes around. If you read the first book and read the subtle clues about Naomi’s past with Kevin and what really happened…then it will become clearer to you what her motive was and why she did what she did. You may not agree with her tactics and motives but Kevin had his flaws that she felt needed to be taught a lesson. Now…what she has to remember is that lesson is not one sided… 

Literary Marie: Who is your favorite character to write about in the series?

Shawna: You probably guessed it. Naomi is my favorite character. She is over the top with everything and does things that may have crossed my mind but would never bring myself to do. I can explore with her. 

Literary Marie: I knew Naomi was your favorite! I assume when you're not exploring with her, you take a break from writing and leisure read. Which author inspires you the most and what are you reading right now?

ShawnaRight now, any indie author that is able to juggle all aspects of life and still succeed inspires me. It sometimes disturbs me when I hear people (non readers or non writers) just say “Oh you wrote a book, huh? I think I want to write one too,”  like it’s a simple process. It’s not as simple as it seems…  especially when you sit down to a blank screen. Then you have to market, etc…a lot of work! So anyone that can accomplish all involved and come out on top, is an inspiration to me.  

At the moment, I am not reading anything. I have been so busy preparing for the blog tour, marketing my books, taking care of my kids, etc. I haven’t had time to sit down and really read a book lately. I can tell you however, I just finished re-reading a friends script for a movie that he wrote, directed and produced. I had the opportunity to work with him last year and be a part of the production team, but I had to regretfully pass it up due to time constraints. The movie premiered yesterday and I wanted to refresh myself with the story. I also re-read his production board, which allowed me to brush up on my screenwriting skills or lack of.   

Literary Marie: Speaking of production, there is a casting call to be held Saturday, July 23. You're looking for actors/actresses for an upcoming web series. Please tell us more about this exciting news.

Shawna: WOW, you saw that!? 

Literary Marie: Of course! Being a copyeditor, I have a sharp eye and rarely miss anything.

Shawna: Yes, it is true. The series is called… you guessed it, Intimate Betrayals! Initially, the pilot episode will be approximately 10 minutes long. I know that is not long, but it really is. Each additional episode will run every 3 weeks for the same allotted time frame. I am working on the promo video now and hope to have it out soon. 


My team and I have been talking about a web series since the 1st book came out and wanted to base it off of the book. The question then became how do we present this web series without giving away the book? We still want people to purchase the books. Finally we decided to possibly do a prequel to In Between Lies. The good thing about this series is that almost everyone in this book is there for a reason and has their own specific issues. Each character can be expanded on and delved into. So the stories can and will be endless and I can still write my series without giving them away. Its genius, I think. Also the web series will give you more insight to characters that you read about.

I put an ad out on craigslist and have received a few inquiries from people that are interested in attending. It’s also listed on Facebook and now there is a blogspot.com page that we are developing. It takes time to build, but we will get there.

I have been lucky enough to be in a circle of friends that have film/video experience that are willing to help and do what they can to help us get this off the ground. We pretty much have everything we need. I am working on the scripts now, with the hopes of having the first three ready by July 9 for the readings on July 23. So I am very excited. Our expected first episode will be uploaded in September to our YouTube channel under Urban Prints Productions and the blog page as well.  

Literary Marie: Wow. How exciting and genius! Plus you're already working on the third book in the Intimate Betrayals series. I, along with others that read the first two books, are eagerly waiting for it. When can we expect it?

Shawna: Originally, I was expecting to have the third installment completed by the end of June. It’s not looking like I will be finished by then. I am projecting it to be July now. After getting it edited, I’m hoping to have it completely done by August and ready to go.

Literary Marie: Great! Well, thank you so much for interviewing with Precision Reviews and the chance for us to know you better. 

For more information about Shawna Hill, visit her blog for a live chat at 9 p.m. EST tomorrow.


Be sure to check back here on Tuesday, June 28 for giveaway details and an exclusive interview with main character, Naomi Saunders. She's a diva you don't want to miss!


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