Author spotlight with Annette Shelley

 Hello Annette and welcome.

Tell us, what has been your biggest influence on becoming a writer?
For years, I would have various kinds of jobs, but I would not keep them for more than about three years at a time. I’m the kind of person that once I understand something, I need to move on. Despite my years working for newspapers, magazines, etc., I only began calling myself writer a few years ago. I went to my first Romance Writers of America convention and I couldn’t believe that there were other people like me with multiple interests and I felt more at home there than any place ever. I now write full time and I know this is the one career I will never leave because within the confides of fiction writing, I can live out all my fantasies and be whoever I want for however long I like. It’s the greatest feeling in the world!

I know the readers are curious. How do you categorize yourself: pantser or plotter?
No doubt I am a panster all the way! I write like I read. I get a thrill out of seeing what will happen to the characters so if I know in advance, it spoils all my fun. I made myself attend one plotting session to see how it worked and I still never completed the project I offered to that group. My philosophy is to entertain myself first and then hopefully others will like it, too.

What makes a book great in your eyes?
A great book has characters who we cheer for, tons of intricate mysterious details that all get neatly resolved in the end.

What is the biggest piece of your advice you can give a beginning writer?
Don’t give up! If you have the dream, work on it. You won’t become great overnight. It’s all part of the journey. In college, I had the opportunity to become editor-in-chief of my college newspaper because I was a great businessperson and the paper was in a financial mess. The problem was I couldn’t string more than a few sentences together at a time and I was responsible for writing two editorial columns per week. My staff taught me how to do that on the job, and today, to think the girl of so few words has written over thirty books and novels now is amazing. I worked really hard and still do. I only began writing fiction three years ago and I love it because it is so challenging for me. I’ve had to completely relearn how I was taught to write, but with every project, I believe I’m learning more and growing, and that is what life is about. I love it and I have so appreciated everyone at eXtasy Books! They have the best editors I’ve had the honor to work with so far.

Name one thing readers don’t know about you.
My non-fiction name is Shelley Kaehr (www.shelleykaehr.com) and I am a real-life past-life regression therapist and energy healer. I get a lot of my sci-fi/horror material from my clients and some of the places I’ve lectured in that capacity. One of the best was when I was invited to present at the Roswell International UFO Festival. I rode on the Alien Autopsy float. What a kick! Many of these experiences will be trickling out into my work at some time or another.

What are you working on now?
My next one is a story based on the Hermit card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot for eXtasy Books. I’m writing a vampire, only this guy doesn’t drink blood because he isn’t from Earth! Stay tuned to find out!

Who is your favorite all-time author?
No doubt—Dean Koontz. I think he is a master storyteller who seems to continually work on his craft. A lot of the big names break in and don’t seem to refine themselves anymore. We all have to follow rules to get in, but even Koontz’s later works reflect that he is keeping up with the current trends in fiction writing. Plus as a fan of the macabre and the spooky, I love his stuff!

Are love scenes easy/difficult to write?
You would think as much dating as I’ve done over the years this should be easy for me, but it isn’t. I find it challenging to come up with new ways to describe body parts, etc. I am pleased to say that I no longer wonder what my parents will think when they read it. They’ve read all my books so far and I know they’ve read other racy material so it doesn’t faze them.

Do you write in one genre or several different ones? And why?
I enjoy writing across genres under both pen names and my non-fiction name. I think it’s because I have a sort of ADHD *LOL J* or curiosity about things. When I first decided to write fiction full time,, I wrote everything from Sci-Fi, Western, Romance, Paranormal, etc. to get a feeling for what I enjoy writing. I don’t think you know what you like until you do it. Now I’ve found several characters I really enjoy and who I wouldn’t mind spending more time with in series formats. Among my favorites are my Sci-Fi characters in my forthcoming 2012 series. They’re from Venus and I will be doing a lot more with them over the years. I think of my fiction as an art form so it’s important for me to express my artistic self in the areas I love the most. Life is supposed to be enjoyed and I am doing just that.

How do you deal with the dreaded writer’s block?
Since I decided to do fiction full time, I expect myself to produce material or edit material every day. The fact is, sometimes that doesn’t happen. I’ve come to understand that stories are born, especially for a panster like me. I believe I work on stories in the deep part of my subconscious mind even when I’m doing the dishes or working out at the gym. All things come in their time so I give myself a break and know that as long as I understand what the deadline is, I will get it done. If there are breaks along the way, so be it.

Do you have another career besides writing? What is it?
Yes, I am a hypnotherapist/past-life regression therapist and also write books on the healing properties and lore of gemstones.

If you had the opportunity to say one thing to your readers, what would that be?
Thank you for reading books! I’ve come to believe that fiction allows us all to escape from the real world and enter into unknown places. By doing so, I think it helps us solve our problems, rest, regroup and gain the perspective that all things are possible in our lives, no matter what struggles we may face. None of that would happen without the readers so I thank you so much for supporting the artistic endeavors of writers.

Visit Annette online at www.annetteshelley.com