Monday, June 24, 2013

Getting To Know Author Of The Angel Eyes Trilogy, Shannon Dittemore

Today, the ultra cool and fabulous author, Shannon Dittemore is in the house! I have 9 questions for her, (because 9 is funner than 10) but first, I want to show you guys the cover for the third installment of her Angel Eyes trilogy, Dark Halo, which is available August 20th. Squeal!!!!! Isn't it GORGEOUS?!?!?!

Okay, now let's get down to the business of learning more about Shannon....
1.    If you could be any book character, who would you pick?
HUGE question! Well, let’s just acknowledge here that the world of Harry Potter would be very hard to resist if given the opportunity. So, let’s go with Hermione. Elizabeth Bennett would also be a fun choice, though the restroom deficiencies back in the day would have been quite the hassle! There are a lot of other heroines I adore, but what makes them heroic is all the tragedy they have to overcome and I’m not sure I’d wish that on myself! 
2.    What’s the best perk about being a writer?
The stories! I get to make stuff up for a living. That’s hard to beat. And the reading. I get to read YOUR STUFF and the imaginings of other writers I adore as a work requirement. When my nose is stuck in a book and the husband hollers, “You gonna do these dishes?” I get to call back, “Nope, sorry. Working!” We’ve put out ads for house elves, but thus far . . .
3.    Since I’m a huge fan of Angel Eyes and Broken Wings, I want to know how in the world you thought of all the rocktastic elements? Do you have a special writing process, or do you just dive in and see where the characters take you?
Thank you, lady. It’s incredibly satisfying to have readers who’d go to bat for your stories and I can’t thank you enough for doing that. How did I come up with the rocktastic elements? I’m glad you think they’re rocktastic! Mostly I just let my noggin do its thing. Because I’m a preacher’s brat and because I love the Bible, I’ve grown up with a biblical foundation of the invisible world. To let my imagination do its thing with truths I cherish was a very natural thing for me to do. Getting it all down on paper was the challenge.  
4.    Guilty pleasure?
Duck Dynasty? Does that count? Or maybe Disneyland. We did season passes last year and while I was ready for a year off, I’m now going through withdrawals. I miss the magic!
5.   If your stories are made into a movie, what actors do you envision as Jake and Brielle?
Easy peazy! For Brielle, I’d cast Elle Fanning. She could absolutely be a ballerina and her acting chops are stellar for someone so young. By the time we convince some big studio to make Angel Eyes into a movie, she might be the right age!
For Jake, I’d love to see Thomas Dekker. I’ve been fascinated with him since he played John Conner on Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. It’s his eyes, I think.
I do have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to the Angel Eyes trilogy. It’s a rather addicting way to brainstorm (and procrastinate). You can see my other casting choices and images here: pinterest.com/shanditty
6.    Let’s pretend you’ve crossed over into the business of world domination—what’s the first thing you’d change about the universe?
I’d give everyone Brielle’s eyes! A way to see the invisible. Oh, and everyone would get wings too. I mean, that’s just fair.
7.    I know you’re tight lipped about your projects while you’re working on them, but could you give us a hint about what’s stored on your flash drive right now?
I actually have a handful of WIPs started. I’m trying my hand at different genres and with different characters. I do have one story of the bunch that I’m committed to finishing. It involves a shamed academic, a mystical staircase, and a girl determined to unravel a family secret. Pray for me! I’d like to get this bad boy done by fall.
8.    If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?
Right now? I could do with a sandy beach and a big fat book. Or a sailboat! I would love to be on a sailboat. Or Disneyland. I know. I know. I’m working on it.
9.    In your stories, you write a lot about fear. I’m scared of cows! What are you afraid of?
COWS? That’s awesome. Now, don’t laugh, but as fascinated as I am with flying things, I’m actually terrified of birds. Especially the little ones. They’re so erratic and unpredictable. I rather like the plodding walk of the elephant. I know just what HE’S going to do, but those tiny birds? They’re impossible to predict.
  For more info on Shannon, click on the links below.

I hope you guys enjoyed learning about Shannon as much as I have! Until the next time, happy writing or whatever makes you smile. :)

17 comments:

  1. Loved the interview! I'm so jealous of how frequently Shannon has been to Disneyland. I've only been to Disneyworld once and that was seven years ago :(

    The cover is gorgeous! I'm adding this series to my tbr for sure! Funny enough, Elle Fanning would be perfect for one of my characters. I guess the girl is pretty versatile :D

    Sam
    Writing Through College

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    1. Me too, Samantha! I wanna go to Disney! I think that cover may be the most stunning one I've ever seen! Glad you stopped by! :)

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  2. Knuckle bumps Shannon. I am totally petrified of cows. I almost got my dog killed with my fear. My husband is a cattle farmer and I was with him on a tractor and the doggone cow charged (my husband says I'm crazy, it really just loped toward me) and I flipped out. My trusty pooch must have picked up on my fear and went after the cow.

    I'm pretty sure cows may be evil.

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    1. HAAAA!!!! I did't know Chad did the cow thing! I've got a similar story, except no dogs were involved. :)

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  3. Really entertaining interview! Shannon was great!

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    1. Thanks, Morgan! Isn't she awesome?!?! Love her books, too! :)

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  4. Awesome interview! And fear of birds is actually kind of common; a few people I've heard of are scared of them.

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    1. Thanks, SC! And I didn't realize that was common. I just thought Shannon was strange, lol, but at least she's not scared of cows! :)

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  5. Celeste, I read your post at Livia's - I am SO glad the IWSG has helped you. Thank you for your awesome testimony.

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  6. Hey, Alex!

    Thank you! Without IWSG, this would've been a hard journey! I'm thankful for the support and great friends I've made along the way. :)

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  7. Celeste - high five on your interview questions and another goes to Shannon. Awesome!

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  8. Thanks, Terry Lee! I'm a huge fan of high fives, so I'm glad you stopped by! :)

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  9. Oh man, I would totally take the wings! :)

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  10. Awesome interview Celeste- and what an amazing cover! If I walked past it I would have to stop and pick it up.

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  11. Great interview, ladies. Great cover!

    Disneyland is addiction. There should be a warning. :)

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