Featured Author: Shannon Hale

One of my favorite author's is Shannon Hale. If you haven't read any of her books, you are missing out! She is fabulous!! Let me introduce you to
Shannon Hale!

Bio:
Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she began to write books, mostly fantasy stories where she was the heroine.

She continued to write secretly for years while pursuing acting in television, stage, and improv comedy. After detours studying in Mexico, the UK, and a year and a half as an unpaid missionary in Paraguay, Shannon earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah. She was finally forced out of the writers closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.

the goose girl, her critically acclaimed first book, is an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. enna burning and river secrets are companion books to goose, continuing the Bayern books series. princess academy is a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times best seller. book of a thousand days, her newest fairy tale retelling, received a CYBILS award. austenland, a romantic comedy, was her first book for adults. The Actor and the Housewife, her second book for adults, will be published June 2009. She and her Dean husband are working on a series of graphic novels, the first of which, rapunzel's revenge was selected by Today's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids.

Shannon makes her home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with her super-human husband, their indomitable toddler, stunning baby girl, and their pet, a small plastic pig.

What are you working on now?

the actor and the housewife, a book for adults, was released June 2009. forest born, the fourth Bayern book, will be out September 2009. The sequel for rapunzel's revenge, calamity jack is slated for January 2010 release. I am working on another novel for young adults that probably won't be in bookstores until 2011.

I want to be a writer. What should I do?

There’s no secret on how to be a writer—you write. I highly recommend focusing on your writing and storytelling and not worrying about the publishing part for as long as you can stand it. When you do decide that you must publish or perish, the following items do seem to improve your odds: read a lot, write a lot, seek and accept constructive feedback, rewrite a lot, learn as much as you can about publishing, and develop a tough skin. It also wouldn’t hurt if your favorite aunt is a top editor in a large New York publishing house or a powerhouse literary agent.

Do you have any help for teachers or book groups doing one of your books?

Yes! The US paperback of the goose girl and princess academy include reading group guides and author interviews. Download the guides at www.bloomsburyusa.com. The paperback of austenland also has a reading group guide.

Don't forget to visit Shannon's Blog at Squeetus Blog

Shannon's Books:








all info can be found on Shannon's Official Website Squeetus