SHANNON SCHUREN INTERVIEW AND THE VIRTUE OF SIN GIVEAWAY AND IWSG POST

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Shannon Schuren here to talk about her debut YA contemporary THE VIRTUE OF SIN. It tackles the very hard issue of living in a religious cult. I haven’t read a book about this before and grew up in a town that had a mysterious defunct cult. So I'm excited to read this.

Before we get to Shannon’s interview, I have my IWSG post 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

The co-hosts this month are:  Diane Burton, Kim Lajevardi, Sylvia Ney, Sarah Foster, Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

Optional Question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?. 

I only write fantasy although I might be interested in writing a mystery. I like fantasy because of the world building, strong characters and plot, magic, and ability to incorporate other genres into a fantasy, such as mystery, romance, etc. I also like to write MG and YA. Adult fantasies get to be too long and complicated for me to read or write.

What about you? Which genre is your favorite to write?

How I Can Help You

I also want to remind you how I can help you and am re-posting what I wrote about this last month:

I want to help my followers when your book releases. Because I only post once a week, I cannot participate in a few blog tours for you. However, there are other ways I can help you. For anyone who doesn't know or doesn't know, I'm glad to post about your book release in Follower News. Just e-mail me a two-sentence blurb with your book cover and a few links. This is open to picture book through adult as long as your book is not erotica. You just have to be a follower who regularly visits the blog (once a month is okay) and leaves a comment so I know that you have stopped by.

Also, I participate in a monthly book giveaway hop with other book review bloggers where I offer a variety of MG and YA new releases. I get about 70-100 comments and 1000 or more page views on these posts. I'm going to also open this up as a way to help my followers. I'm glad to offer your book as one of the choices when it releases. This is also open to picture book through adult as long as your book is not erotica. Same follower requirement as for Follower News. Just e-mail me your book cover!

Take advantage of these opportunities to let me help you promote your book!

Now onto my interview with Shannon. Here’s a blurb of THE VIRTUE OF SIN on Goodreads:

A novel about speaking out, standing up, and breaking free.

Miriam lives in New Jerusalem, a haven in the desert far away from the sins and depravity of the outside world. Within the gates of New Jerusalem, and under the eye of its founder and leader, Daniel, Miriam knows she is safe. Cared for. Even if she’s forced, as a girl, to quiet her tongue when she has thoughts she wants to share, Miriam knows that New Jerusalem is a far better life than any alternative. So when God calls for a Matrimony, she’s thrilled; she knows that Caleb, the boy she loves, will choose her to be his wife and they can finally start their life together. 

But when the ceremony goes wrong and Miriam winds up with someone else, she can no longer keep quiet. For the first time, Miriam begins to question not only the rules that Daniel has set in place, but also what it is she believes in, and where she truly belongs. 

Alongside unexpected allies, Miriam fights to learn–and challenge–the truth behind the only way of life she’s ever known, even if it means straying from the path of Righteousness.

Hi Shannon! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Thanks for having me! I’m so happy to be here to talk books and writing. Like many writers, I started out as a reader first. I have no shortage of stories about being the awkward girl who took books to her slumber parties, or got caught reading behind her textbook in science class. I used to dream of being a writer—in fact, I still have a journal from middle school where everything in it is written like backflap copy for imaginary books. Like I said, AWKWARD! Somewhere along the line, I stopped believing writing could be a career, though writing a novel was always at the top of my bucket list. When I turned 30, I decided to go for it. I finished my first draft of my first novel the day I went into labor with my son—and he was 17 days overdue! It felt like a sign that I was supposed to finish that book. I was wrong; the book was NOT good. But by the time I figured it out, it was too late—I was already writing another and I was hooked.

2. I was a very awkward, shy girl who loved to read too. Where did you get the idea for THE VIRTUE OF SIN?

There were actually two inspirations: a vacation and a dream. My family visited Koreshan State Park in Estero, Florida, which is the site of an abandoned ‘Utopian Community.’ So, basically a cult. A lot of the old buildings are still standing and I wandered around and read all about their lives and beliefs and took a ton of notes for what I thought would be a novel about a cult that practices celibacy, and the fall-out when a woman becomes impregnated by the cult leader. But I abandoned that idea pretty shortly after returning home. A few months later, I had a very vivid dream about a boy and a girl who embrace and speak for the first time just before she is married off to someone else. I was intrigued by those dream characters and just started writing, wanting to explore the idea of what—if anything—would push them to break the rules to be together. It wasn’t until fairly late in the first draft that I realized both experiences were part of the same story.

3. I love how your travels inspired your story. I've had that happen too. Your book tackles living in a religious cult. I know from your website that you never lived in one. What research did you do so that you could create an accurate portrayal of what that is like?

A lot of reading and imagination! I read everything I could get my hands on from actual cult survivors—there are some really courageous and amazing stories out there! I also listened to a lot of podcasts about cults—my favorite is Oh No Ross and Carrie. When I initially started writing, I was excited about the idea of creating my very own religion, but that faded pretty quickly when I realized how hard it was going to be to manufacture all these rules! I wanted the Children of Daniel to be believable as a cult, but I also wanted it to be unique. It was a hard balance to achieve.

4. It sounds like Miriam must go through a huge emotional challenge and growth in the story. And it may be even more difficult because she’s been taught not to express herself as a girl. Share a bit about her growth as a character.

I’m going to try to do this without spoilers, so here goes! Miriam was so much fun to write, because

she is so curious. All of the adults in her life are worried that her curiosity—and her mouth—will be her downfall. But she has this voice inside her that, while she can’t identify it, she also can’t silence it. And that voice doesn’t always agree with what she’s been taught. Whether you call that a conscience or a moral compass or an angel on your shoulder, I think we all have some kind of inner guide that helps us distinguish between right and wrong. But we also have other influences—family, friends, society—that help us make those hard decisions. Miriam really doesn’t, at least not until she meets Aaron. Then she has to make up her own mind about what she believes in.   

5. What was a challenge that you had in writing THE VIRTUE OF SIN either before or after you signed your book deal. How did you overcome it?

The ending was always a challenge—both before and after the book deal. I can’t say too much without spoiling, but the last forty or so pages changed several times between signing with my agent and publication. I had help, thankfully, in the form of an amazing critique partner and a very gifted editor. I love the ending now; it feels absolutely right for the characters and their journey. But it was a long road to get there!

6. Glad you had the help. You’ve also had over 20 short stories published. Has writing short stories helped you in writing this book? If so, how?

I don’t have a writing degree, so short stories were really the bulk of my writing education. Twenty published means at least twice as many written, and I learned something from each one—how to write believable characters, how to craft a plot, how to survive rejection. It was much easier to practice on short works, especially when I had small children at home. I could hold a whole story in my head, while a novel was a messier thing. Though I have a few ‘practice novels’ under my belt as well.

7. Sounds like writing short stories is a great way to learn about the craft of writing. Your agent is Barbara Poelle. Share how she became your agent and what your road to publication was like.

It took me a few years and several drafts to find the heart of this story. I’d queried previous versions of the novel, but something wasn’t working. I’d actually gotten two R&R’s from two different agents, both of whom passed on the novel after the revisions, which at the time was heartbreaking. After the second rejection and a head-slap moment where I realized it was more a coming of age story than it was a romance, I finished another rewrite in January of 2017 and came up with a short list of possible agents. Luckily, Barbara was on that list, and she responded with a full request the same day I queried her, then called the next morning to offer representation. We did another round of revisions before going out on sub, and in July of that year I signed a two-book deal with Liza Kaplan at Philomel Books. I am incredibly lucky to be working with such strong, talented women who have really championed my work.  

8. Wow! You really worked on this. How do you plan to market your book? How are you balancing this with your writing schedule, job as a librarian, and family life?

In terms of marketing, I am fortunate to have a great team behind me at Penguin Random House. They’ve been fantastic at helping get the word out! I’m also (slowly) learning to use social media (I’m on Instagram now! Follow me there!) and I’ll be doing some reading and signing events, as well as presentations at some local book festivals. As far as balance, I’ve had to get strict about my writing time. I used to only write when I was alone and had a couple of hours free, and even that often get pushed aside for everything from laundry to doctor appointments to car-pooling. Now, pretty much everyone in my family now knows that if I’m in my writing shed, I’m unavailable! So far it hasn’t affected my work schedule at the library, but I’ve banked a few vacation days just in case I get into trouble with the deadline for the next book.

9. You are also a children’s librarian. How do we best find children’s librarians and connect with them when our books release? Do you have any suggestions on how to get our books on library shelves throughout the country?

I think social media is a great way to connect with almost anyone these days. There are a lot of librarians on twitter, and the great thing about librarians is we love books! We also love writers, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them with publication news or to ask them about hosting events. As far as getting books on shelves, I think most libraries use one of the bigger distributors for ordering—Baker & Taylor or Ingram. So a feature or ad in their publications might have a better chance of reaching a librarian audience, or at least getting your book on their radar.  

10. What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on another contemporary YA about a sixteen-year-old girl whose small-town life is thrown into turmoil when her star athlete boyfriend turns eighteen and their relationship becomes a source of controversy, gossip, and scandal. While it has some similar themes to THE VIRTUE OF SIN, it’s also been a very different experience writing about teens living in the ‘real world’ of high school, prom, SATs, and social media. After spending years immersed in New Jerusalem, it felt a bit like emerging from a cave. I think I can relate to Miriam even more now!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Shannon. You can find Shannon at INSERT YOUR LINKS

Website: https://shannon.schuren.org/

Twitter: @shannonschuren

Instagram: @schurenauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35903407-the-virtue-of-sin

Shannon has generously offered an ARC of THE VIRTUE OF SIN for a giveaway.  To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through June 222nd. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter either contest.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The book giveaway is U.S. and Canada.

Here's what's coming up:

Monday, June 10 I have an interview with author Lamar Giles and a giveaway of his MG fantasy/adventure THE LAST LAST-DAY-OF-SUMMER

Wednesday, June 12 I have an agent spotlight interview with Kerstin Wolf and a query critique giveaway

Friday, June 14 I am participating in the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop

Monday, June 17 I have an interview with author Brenda Rufener and a giveaway of her YA contemporary SINCE WE LAST SPOKE

Hope to see you on Monday!