Interview with Shannon Delany


  • How long have you been a writer?
I've been interested in writing as a creative form of expression since 4th grade. I had a great teacher. I was first published in the 8th grade and then published again in magazines after I'd pretty much left teaching.

  • What genre do you write and why?
YA because the voices that seem to want to be written right now are teens. And teens definitely have voices that get a writer's attention.

  • What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Seeing the actual book and being able to hold it in my hands. That was how my first BEA in NYC started.

  • Please tell us a bit about your book 13 to Life.
It's a tale of teenage love, loss and --oh, yeah--werewolves. It's a paranormal with a snarky and heartfelt teen narrator who is struggling with the death of her mother, her own guilt and a friend who may be more dangerous than any friend should be.

  • 13 to Life began as a serial cell phone novel. Please explain what this is and how it works?
Essentially a cell phone novel is something that is either written or read as texts on a cell phone. Chapters and sections are short, the prose is somewhat sparse initially and holding a younger audience's attention is important. It's often about hooks and hangs (beginning hooks and ending with cliffhangers). It's a huge market in Asia that's just now starting to pick up in the west.

  • You're currently doing a huge month long virtual tour. Please tell us a bit about it and how people can be  involved.
The "Start Your Day with Serial" tour takes me back to 13 to Life's roots as a serial novel. Each day readers are invited to a different blog where I've been interviewed or asked to be a guest blogger. At the end of each of those daily posts is a serial segment of 13 to Life so readers can get a taste of what the book's really like before they buy it. It (hopefully) introduces people to new blogs and gives them a snippet to read each day in a different format. And there's a big contest that'll conclude the tour--followers need to comment on 13 of the different posts (because of the book's title) to be entered.

  • You have a very interactive website to your 13 to life Series http://13toLifeSeries.com. How did you come up with the idea?
Thank you! I figured it would be fun to let people take a virtual tour of my narrator's world. The site is still being added to (daily). Soon it'll have links for teachers, librarians and (of course) readers to really have fun with.

  • Where else can people find out more about you and your work?
I'm all over the place!
The 13 to Life Series Website: http://13toLifeSeries.com
Link to massive list of where you can buy 13 to Life online: http://tinyurl.com/BuyLinks
  • Anything else you'd like to add?
Just a big thank you for hosting me and I hope any aspiring authors who follow your blog keep my path of publication story in mind--there is no one path to publication but many roads.


Shannon's hosting several contests during the Start Your Day with Serial Tour. The big contest will award one lucky winner with a royal amber pendant, pietersite jeweled bookmark, stuffed wolf, 13 to Life mousepad, pen, tote, signed poster, personalized copy of 13 to Life and both of the 13 to Life pins. All you need to do is comment at 13 of the blogs hosting Shannon during her 30 day tour. Everyone who does so will be entered into a random drawing. Winner may be international.

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