Hi everyone!

Who remembers when I put up my posts list for my February series, and I said that I would be doing a special author interview? Well, I am so excited to announce that the author is Shannon A. Thompson, writer of “The Timely Death Trilogy”!

Hello! I’m Shannon A. Thompson. I’m very passionate about writing, reading, and drinking too much coffee. After ten publications, I am currently seeking new representation so I can continue this writing journey! Photo by Colt Coan Photography.

I was so fortunate enough to have been corresponding with her for the last few weeks, and let me tell you, she is a wonderful lady!
Now for the part you have all been waiting for… the interview!

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At what age did you start writing, or felt like you wanted to write a book?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. Cliché, I know, but my mother taught me to write as a coping mechanism. As a child, I suffered from night terrors, and it was difficult for me to separate my dreams from reality, so she told me to turn them into stories. Since then, I’ve always wanted to be an author, but I started pursuing the dream when I was 11 years old after my mom died.

Give us a quick synopsis of the first book in “The Timely Death” trilogy, Minutes Before Sunset.

 Told in alternating points of view, Minutes Before Sunset revolves around an ancient war between the Light and the Dark, and the Dark is destined to win. While Eric deals with both his human identity and his shade life, Jessica confronts the reality waiting for her in the hometown her parents died in. The two will come together for different purposes, but in the end, destiny is threatening death, and everyone’s lives depend on the secrets of three young people as they face impending doom.  

Do you consider “The Timely Death” trilogy to be more of a Dystopian, Fantasy or Paranormal genre?

 To me, The Timely Death Trilogy is more paranormal than anything. I love anything and everything paranormal, but I feel like literature generally focuses on the same types of creatures – vampires, werewolves, etc. – and that made me sad. Why stick to the same type when there are endless legends out there? Why not create your own legend? So, The Timely Death Trilogy was born.  

How did you come up with the concept of the Lights and the Darks?

 The Timely Death Trilogy is based off of a dream – like most of my books. During a dark time in my life, I started having dreams of a boy coming to visit and talk to me, but he wasn’t exactly human. It was rather strange – almost like he was human during the dream, but as soon as I woke up, I knew he wasn’t – and I wanted to incorporate that, which is why they all have different identities that still seem human-like. I actually shared a real excerpt from my diary when I wrote a reaction to one of the dreams: http://shannonathompson.com/2013/11/15/my-dream-goodreads-extras/  

Was there a specific POV that you enjoyed writing for? Why?

 As a woman myself, this might seem strange, but I generally enjoy writing as a male character more. I honestly think it stems from the fact that I was raised by guys, so I’m more comfortable with male voices. I’m rather a tomboy myself, so to speak, but Eric was definitely a riot to work with. That being said, my novel – Take Me Tomorrow – was only written from a female lead’s POV, and I enjoyed her a lot! I enjoy all of them.  

Did you ever want to write from the POV of a light, instead of a dark?

 Sure did! And – in fact – you will learn a lot about the Light in the last book of the trilogy, Death Before Daylight. You’ll even get to speak to Darthon himself.  

Who is your character “crush/OTP” from your book?

 Pierce/Jonathon was my favorite character. I think I fell for him because he always brought a relieving laughter to the table, but he was always so supportive and sure of himself, too. In both of his identities, he has a complication that touched me, and he is involved in both Jessica and Eric’s life, so – since I was Eric and Jessica – it was hard to not become best friends with him.  

Do you ever want to write a different trilogy, but in the same world as “The Timely Death” trilogy is in?

I have a prequel of Eric’s parents partially written I would love to finish one day, but for now, the three books will be the only three books in that world.  

Are any of your characters influenced by anyone? Or, do they have the same personality as you, or somebody you know?

I don’t purposely base any of my characters off of people I know, but I have been told by a friend or two that certain people reflect characters. I mainly add things that I wish I had in my life. For instance, I have always admired painters, but I’m awful at it in the same way many people can’t sing. Just awful. So Jonathon and Jessica both pick up painting in the trilogy. It was fun exploring their independence as well as their friendship over something I admire.  

When you first started writing this trilogy, did you know from the start that you wanted to make it a trilogy? 

I definitely didn’t. I only knew Seconds Before Sunrise, book 2, and then, I wrote book 1. After that, I was struggling with it, because it didn’t feel right, and one of my best friends – who was reading it – had a dream and told me about it. Everything clicked. Book 3 was born, and it is dedicated to that friend of mine.  

Are you happy with how the covers of your books look, or do you plan to change them?

Although I’m very grateful for Viola Estrella and Autumn Fog Photography for the original covers, The Timely Death Trilogy is getting brand new covers for their re-release through Clean Teen Publishing later this year. I’m very excited to share them!  

Did you share the novel with your family/friends before publishing it?

Sure did! The Timely Death Trilogy was written between 2005 and 2009, and I gave the original copies to fans of my first novel, November Snow. That being said, the original copies are very different from the final product. In fact, I had an original reader call me and ask if I even gave them the same book.  

What advice to you give to aspiring authors?

I always tell aspiring writers to create your own mantra. It helps you through the bad days, and it energizes the good ones. Mine is “write with passion; succeed with self-discipline”, because it reminds me why I write, but it also tells me what I have to do to keep writing.  

How long did it take you to write the first book?

 Well, technically, the second book – Seconds Before Sunrise – was written first. You actually see a dream sequence in there that I had in real life. I basically wrote the trilogy as a way of coping with the dreams because they were equally disturbing as they were comforting. But after I wrote the Seconds Before Sunrise, I realized it wouldn’t make sense without a “first” book, so I wrote Minutes Before Sunset. They both took about four months to write but much longer to finalize everything.  

How do you like to write (listen to music, sit in a quiet place, etc.)?

I am all over the place with my writing. I go through phases, but I currently do most of my writing in a local hookah house.  

Do you ever want to write a different trilogy, but in the same world as “The Timely Death” trilogy is in?

 I have a prequel of Eric’s parents partially written I would love to finish one day, but for now, the three books will be the only three books in that world.  

What is your all time favourite book, and who are your all time favourite authors?

 I can’t have all-time favorites. They are all too amazing! But I love Meg Cabot, Billy Collins, Cassandra Clare, Lauren Oliver, and more. I enjoy reading everything, but memoirs, paranormal, and poetry are my favorite genres.  

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I hope you guys enjoyed my very first interview on my blog! Also, if you didn’t catch the surprise, Shannon A. Thompson is re-releasing the book with a new publishing house called “Clean Teen Publishing”, and is coming out with new covers for them! I’m so happy that I am the first blog that has released this news!

I would like to give a HUGE thanks to Shannon, for letting me read, review, and interview her and her books! It has been a blast! Make sure you come back to see my review for the next book in the trilogy “Seconds Before Sunrise”!

Check out the book review for the first book “Minutes Before Sunrise” here:

Good Night Book Lions!