Check Out Shannon Thompson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Thompson.

Hi Shannon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for writing began at a very young age. During the second grade, I remember staying in from recess to complete my 14-page story on leprechauns for a St. Patrick’s Day assignment that only required a page. I always fell head over heels for stories, whether writing or reading them. I often credit my mother for my love of reading because she often took me to the bookstore and library, and most of my memories of her involve her reading romance novels (with Fabio on the cover) or Star Trek. Though she expressed interest in writing, she was ill, and her illnesses led her to an opioid addiction, which ultimately resulted in an overdose that ended her life when I was 11 years old. I mention these details because we need to talk about the growing opioid crisis, but also because her sudden loss had a profound effect on my life. I knew from a young age that life wasn’t guaranteed and that I wanted to spend my life pursuing my dreams. I began writing full-length novels, and my first one was released a few years later. It has since been re-released as the Bad Bloods series, a young adult science fiction series about magical teens gaining their rights back within a society that has rejected them for being who they are. My other trilogy, the Timely Death trilogy, is a paranormal romance set in Kansas about fate, love, and identity, and what it means to fall in love when everyone has a secret identity and no one knows who is who. There are also magical swords! That said, pursuing publishing was not an easy journey. My first novel was released before eBooks were invented. (It happened one month later.) I made a lot of mistakes. I worked with lots of small presses, and one small press led to another small press, which eventually led me to connect with more authors. As the industry pivoted to being more accessible online, I found a larger community and gained the confidence to pursue a literary agent to shoot for the moon. Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represents me, and my team there is fantastic. Our first step? I recently wrote a middle-grade novel-in-verse about my mom’s loss so that other kids who are struggling with addiction in their families can see themselves and know that life can not only continue but be beautiful, too. We’re going to get it on the shelves.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Publishing is a very competitive business that has changed a lot over the years. It has been challenging. I’ve written eighteen novels, eight of which have been independently published by small presses. One hurdle I faced was when my first publisher closed down unexpectedly, which happens often in indie publishing. I thought my career was over. I was lucky enough that a super fan of the Timely Death trilogy, who was waiting for book 3’s release when the publisher closed, highly recommended me to another publisher. That publishing team looked at my backlist, and they are now the reason the Bad Bloods series and the Timely Death trilogy exist. I am eternally grateful for that second chance. Getting an agent came after, which is unusual. Most authors get agents before pursuing traditional publication, but all roads differ. I got my first agent right before the pandemic hit, so you can imagine how devastating that was. When she left the industry, I was thrust back into the querying trenches to find a new agent, and about a year later, I was connected with GZLA, who loved my verse novel and understood the importance of my story being out in the world for kids who grew up like me. I’m thrilled with where I am now and look forward to the future! That said, this one paragraph of history took place over ten years. I am not an overnight success. I continue to believe in my dream day in, day out, year after year because I love stories. I believe in their ability to change lives for the better.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m not a full-time author. I work full-time at The Story Center for Mid-Continent Public Library, where we teach others how to tell their stories, whether they are writing a novel, creating a YouTube channel, performing, or some other medium. I love being able to go to work and have the opportunity to learn from storytellers. I’m also a mom. Finding ways to balance family, work, and writing is constantly juggling. I am most proud of how I have managed it all without giving up. There’s a lot of societal pressure on mothers to choose between work and family, let alone dreams or hobbies you may have on the side, and I have completely ignored it all. I work full-time, write when I can, and still spend quality time with my family. Sometimes, that means writing on my phone in the grocery line. Sometimes, that means reading craft books while doing the dishes. I find the littlest of spaces in my life and fill them with joy. Over time, those gaps will become bigger, especially if I continue to work toward them. That said, I have yet to do it alone. My spouse is 1000% supportive of my writing and often helps me carve out time to pursue it. Other family members have also stepped in to help when I’m on a deadline, and my favorite block of writing time is my lunch break at work, which stay-at-home caregivers don’t get. Everyone needs and deserves a village. We all must help each other. When I think about what sets me apart from others, it is the lack of a village I had growing up. A child coming from a single-parent household is statistically more likely to engage in risky behavior that may lead them down a dangerous path. And yet, here I am. That’s something I carry with me every day. More than anything, I want to show other kids that they can stand here, whatever their dreams may be. Whatever hurt them doesn’t have to define them. They can be who they strive to be.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Ebooks, audiobooks, and other technologies have caused big shifts, and we’ll continue to see that. For instance, with the emergence of AI, everyone is asking what contracts should look like, how we can prevent them, etc. AI will continue to be a hot topic over the next few years. That said, I hope we see more mentorship opportunities for writers hoping to enter publishing and those who have recently entered but may need help with their next steps. With professional editors, cover artists, formatting, and more being more accessible, not to mention the power of social media, I also believe we’ll see more indie and self-published books rise in popularity faster and more consistently than before. It will be interesting!

Pricing:

• Minutes Before Sunset, book 1 of the Timely Death trilogy, is free on Amazon
• Bad Bloods, book 1 of the Bad Bloods series, is free on Amazon
• All of my eBooks are under $5.00
• You can order signed books from my website: https://linktr.ee/authorsat

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shannonathompson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorShannonAThompson/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSAT
• Other: https://linktr.ee/authorsat