Featured Author - March // SHANNON DITTEMORE

   I told you guys I had some fun author interviews coming up, didn't I? ;) And today the epic and insanely talented authoress SHANNON DITTEMORE is here to chat with us! Guys, please welcome this lovely lady to the blog <3. 

A few epic Shannon-things you should check out:

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

   the first novel in her trilogy, Angel Eyes 

shannon's author website, shannondittemore.com

the writing blog that she co-authors, Go Teen Writers

Savannah Grace: Hey, Shannon! Thanks for coming out here today, I'm really excited to chat with you. Alright, we'll hit the first question first - what are a few quirks about yourself that people might be surprised to know?

image credit: shannon

Shannon Dittemore: Oh goodness. Well. I’m a huge football fan. Mostly the 49ers, but I’ll read, watch, consume anything football related. It’s a favorite escape for me. I’ve collected Tinkerbell figurines since I was a kid and I’ve broken the wings of nearly all of them. The Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin House and that scandalized me for a bit, though I’ve since warmed to the silver and green. Oh, and, I ADORE the Lord of the Rings books, but I could do without Tom Bombadil. Like, for reals.

Savannah: Yeah, I was VERY surprised when I got sorted to Ravenclaw, because I thought I was a Hufflepuff for sure. xD And the green-and-silver of Slytherin is pretty epic, I must say!

Okay, about your writings - what’s your favorite book you’re written and/or published?

Shannon: I don’t think I could ever choose! That’s like having to choose which of my kids is my favorite. The thing I will admit to is that I work diligently to push forward with my writing. So, once I’ve sent a manuscript off to my agent or editor, I try very hard to move on to something new. It’s not always an easy transition. In fact, it never is, but instead of looking back and worrying about what I did or didn’t do well--especially once the project is out of my hands--it’s healthier for me to look forward to new ideas and new opportunities.

Savannah: That's great advice, honestly, no one should have to go through all the stress of worrying about what they did and didn't do after submission. But you seem to have done pretty well with the novels you've set to your agent and editor! Did you know right off the bat that Angel Eyes was “the story” when you started writing it?

Shannon: I don’t think I knew enough about myself or my writing process to know anything for certain about Angel Eyes. I just knew that I was going to finish it. I had started and stopped various manuscripts in the years prior, but with Angel Eyes, I committed myself. I think that’s what it takes, honestly. Your process will grow and evolve as you write, but there comes a point when you have to say, “I’m going to finish this thing come hell or high water.” And then you just sit down and do it. Even when it gets messy.

Savannah: Buckling down and really doing it no matter what hits you (which, in my case, could be anything from rabid plot bunnies to my siblings needing my attention!) is tough, but I definitely agree with you that it's really important, even if it is a fight sometimes. And your Angel Eyes trilogy revolves around the fight between angels and demons – what inspired you to write about that?

Shannon: It was a very natural outworking of my teen years. Throughout junior high and high school, I was involved with a performing arts group out of my church. We traveled around, performed at various churches and events, schools, fairs, festivals, and the like. Puppetry and dance, mostly. Mime, skits. As a Christian group, the bad guys were almost always demons of a sort, or Satan himself, temptation maybe. Fear. All sorts of dark, shadowy creatures. In my college years, I dabbled in theatre and many of the same themes were present. Darkness, fear, death, the afterlife. How light changes all of that. While the process of writing Angel Eyes wasn’t devastatingly long, I think the ideas had been percolating somewhere deep inside for years.

Savannah: It's so cool that you were in theatre during your college years - I love seeing that almost every author I talk to has had (or does have!) multiple other creative outlets. I think our want to create spills out into everything we do.

Alright now, back to your book. Every author has a “pet” character – which of your characters do you kind of consider your favorite, and why?

Shannon: I don’t know that I have a favorite. Certainly Brielle and I are very close. We spent several years attached at the hip and I’m sure she’s sick of me. But I do love her. And Jake, of course, is sort of dreamy and full of conviction and that’s hard to upstage. Pearla will always be dear to me. I love everything about who she is and how she SEES. But if I were to venture back into this world, a prospect not entirely impossible, I would love to write from Kaylee’s perspective. I have ideas for her and the halo, and I think she has her own demons to slay.

Savannah: "...and I’m sure she’s sick of me." Haha, well, with what all authors puts their characters through, I'm sure everyone could say that! But without hard obstacles we'd have some very bland stories on our hands ;).

Okay, about your actual writing life - what’s one of the most exciting or meaningful things that has happened to you in your writing career, and why was it so exciting/meaningful?
 

Shannon: On the whole, I’d say it’s the people who make the journey meaningful. The readers, the other authors. The publishing professionals who see potential in your work. If you’re lucky, you’ll start to collect relationships as you move through your career. If you’re good to honor those relationships, they’ll see you through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. Storytellers are amazing people. In their design and their perspective. They see you in a way your closest friends and family may never see you. And to have friends who are also storytellers, is to have an amazing gift.

Savannah: I strongly agree with that! And you worded it all so perfectly <3. I honestly don't know where I'd be without my storyteller friends. Okay, last (very hard) question before we let you skedaddle to do more epic writing things - who are three of your greatest inspirations, and why?

Shannon: Oh golly! Three? And they can be anyone?

I’m going to start with my parents. I can lump them together, can’t I? They are just so selfless and willing to help anyone in need. It’s so much a part of their make-up that I didn’t realize how special it was until I saw others in their position unwilling to do the things my parents do so routinely and freely.

My husband. He’s brave and loyal and he’s a principled person who knows what he believes. He makes me better every single day.

My kids. They are so much smarter than I am. I’m not even kidding. And they have these conversations about books and language and they’re only 13 and 9 years old, respectively. They are creative and unapologetically growing. As adults, we don’t give one another the freedom to do that often enough. To grow and change without apology. But, kids? That’s just part of their everyday life. They expect their friends to morph and evolve. It would be weird if they didn’t. There’s a lot to unpack there. A lot to learn. And I’m grateful for my kids and everything they inspire me to be.

Savannah: I have a feeling that I would love your kids, they sound like such awesome people :D. Thank you so much for being here today, Shannon! I loved getting the chance to hear your lovely thoughts on things. You are an epic human being <3.

Shannon: THANK YOU so much for having me Savannah! Your questions were lovely.

Shannon Dittemore is the author of the Angel Eyes trilogy. She has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and an affinity for mentoring teen writers.

Since 2013, Shannon has taught mentoring tracks at a local school where she provides junior high and high school students with an introduction to writing and the publishing industry. She blogs weekly for Go Teen Writers, posting instruction and encouragement for aspiring authors while emphasizing the importance of community.

The Sorting Hat placed Shannon in Slytherin House, a move unexpected and baffling. Though, she's since warmed to the silver and green. Together with her husband, Matt, (Gryffindor) and their two children (Ravenclaw and Gryffindor) they make their home in Northern California (with a Husky-mix named Leonidas, who may or may not be an Animagus).

Shannon's stories often feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith, as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. In many ways, she's writing her own life story.

Shannon is represented by Holly Root (Slytherin) of Root Literary.

   I hope you guys enjoyed that interview! Shannon is the sweetest lady, and I had a wonderful time doing this interview with her. And if you guys haven't read her Angel Eyes trilogy yet, you really need to! I've just checked it out from the library, and I'm more than ready to dig in to this masterpiece ;). 

   Keep being epic, oh scribbling scribes <3. 

~ Savannah Grace 

what's the last book you read with angels and demons in it?

chat with Shannon in the comments!