Mussings from Shannan

I am taking a small hiatus from my regular Author Spotlights since June is such a busy month I will have little time to get it out. Instead I thought I would chat a little about how each of my stories come to me and the process to get them to the final stage, publication.

As you all know by now I'm an avid reader, always have been. My mother never understood why I would get excited over a book instead of new clothes. I guess it's the nerd in me since I never got into the joy of shopping. More like a pain for me since I have little patience for trying on hundreds of clothes and don't buy anything. I'm the type who goes into the store with a clear picture of what I want, go get it and run like hell for the exit. But get me into a book store and I will spend hours happily browsing the covers.

Anyway, getting back to what this post is all about. This week I'm talking about my first publication. A small short story in the Anthology 'Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas. My story is the last in the book called A Christmas Wish for Laura. The idea for a widowed woman living in Alaska just was there one day. I knew of a publisher who was looking for authors for the anthology and said what the hell why not? I've already gotten enough rejections to cover the world three times over what's another one right? Well, this time the accepted and boy it took me a while for that to sink in Lol!

Writing this story was the quickest project I've ever written, having it ready to go in just three weeks and the story about Jack Frost's son and a widowed sculpture artist practically wrote itself. I did a quick character sketch of them and jotted down an outline and I was off. The funny thing is I hate the cold and of all things that would get picked up had to be set in Alaska of all places. This is one state I avoid like the plague since I get cold so easily.

My characters came to life seemingly all by themselves, their hopes and fears, insecurities and dreams laid out before me to put into a story I felt was sweet more than hard core erotic. I may some day revisit Laura and Elric for they may have more to say. Or perhaps Elric's father will take center stage and tell his story.

Who knows what will happen, but for now they are living with their happily ever after and at the end of the day isn't that what we all want?