Author Interview with Shelly Crane + eBook Giveaway

Shelly Crane 
Check out her website: HERE
Find her on Facebook: HERE
Find her on Twitter: HERE
Purchase her books on Amazon US: HERE
Purchase her books on Amazon UK: HERE
View Donna's reviews: HERE
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Author Bio: Shelly is a YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read. Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

1) How long have you been writing? and who or what inspired you to write?

I've only been writing since the latter part of 2010. To be honest the only reason I started writing was because I couldn't find anything to read. I wasn't involved in book clubs or anything like that online yet and the few books that I had read on recommendations weren't the kinds of things I like to read. So, I wrote Collide, my first book, based on a dream as cliche as that is. However it turned out the finished product wasn't anything like the dream so that helps right? ;)

2) How long was the writing process?

Not long at all because I ate, drank, breathed and slept my books! Literally. I stopped watching TV, stopped reading, stopped doing anything that wasn't writing in my spare time and at night. Long nights up til 4 am. I wrote Significance in a month. At that time that I was waiting for query letters to return from Agents for my first book, Collide.

3) How did you come up with the concept 'Aces' for Significance?

Well, I don't do outlines or have brain storming sessions. I just write. When I sit down to write a book, I may have a few things that I want to happen or something that I want someone to say, and I have a massive notebook for these things, but as far as where the story goes, it just comes as I write. Some call that faulty or sporadic, it's just how I do things. So the idea for the Aces, literally just popped into the story at the right moment. All I had when I started writing Significance was that they touched, imprinted and that was pretty much it. I stop sometimes during my writing to do a little research if I need to add something like that to the story. At first, the Aces were going to be called "Charmed" but I did some background and decided Aces \ Virtuoso sounded better for my story. I remember back to high school and having to do outlines and be so formal in my writing and it felt like work, not fun. I feel like it would be the same for me now, so I don't do it because even though this is my job, I don't want this to be anything like work ;)

4) Who is your favourite character and why?

 I think my fav is probably Maggie. I want to be like her, just let things roll off your back. Have a mini-freakout and move on. She's not selfish and she questions things just enough to get stuff done but not be paranoid ;) And uh, of course because she's with Caleb. That helps.

5) What was the most challenging thing for you when writing this book?

Trying to make it exactly like I wanted it and not worrying about what people were going to think. I kept wanting to take things out thinking "People are going to think that's so cheesy or way too sappy." But I love to read things like this and could never find anything like it, so I kept it, hoping that there were others out there like me that love the LOVE ;)

6) How many books are you planning to write in the series?

 At least four. It's a wing and see how it goes process for me.

7) If the book was made into a movie, who would be your dream cast?

There's a cast pics folder on my Facebook page that fans have added to.  Robbie Ammell is in there for Caleb, and Channing Tatum for Bish. There's lots ;)

8) Is there any teasers for 'Defiance' you'd like share with us?

Well...I will tell you this. Maggie will find out who her father is without a shadow of doubt. But it may not be who you think it is...

Three Random Questions:

Favourite Animal: Definitely dogs, or monkeys

Favourite Song: Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol (Could listen to it a million times and probably have.)

Favourite Country: I'd love to go to Italy

eBook Giveaway! 

Shelly has kindly offered THREE lucky winners a copy of Significance in eBook format. 
Want to enter? 
Fill out  the rafflecopter form below. 
Extra entries are optional.
Ends January 31st, 2012
A huge thank you to Shelly Crane for joining us today and good luck all! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway