Shannen Crane Camp Author Interview!

Finding June by Shannen Crane Camp 

June Book 1

Published December 20, 2012

 

 Standing up for what you believe in is hard for any teenager in the battleground known as high school. It's even harder in the world of Hollywood, which is where sixteen-year-old June Laurie dreams of being. Thanks to the constant training from her agent/grandmother and the support of her best friend Joseph, June is positive she's ready. But is an innocent little Mormon girl like June ever really ready to be cast as the love interest for the country's hottest star, Lukas Leighton? When June lands a role in Hollywood's most popular crime drama, Forensic Faculty, she finds herself caught off-guard by the fast-paced world of tabloids and paparazzi, and swept off her feet by her gorgeous co-star. Now June must decide what she's willing to give up to achieve the title of Hollywood starlet—or more importantly, what's too sacred to lose.

     Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp

    Published April 30,  2013

 Reagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath. The only trouble in Reagan’s perfect life comes from the constant threat of her dirty little secret leaking to her fellow classmates and casting her into a lifetime of ridicule. Reagan West is a closet gamer and hates her role as the evil cheerleader. But, as any well versed teenager knows, it’s better to suppress your own nerdy tendencies than to submit to a lifetime of being shoved into lockers and so, Reagan bravely soldiers through life as a reluctant bully… until a boy from her guild moves to her school and becomes Tawny’s next target. The newcomer threatens to reveal Reagan’s nerdy little secret and force her to come to terms with who she truly is. Now Reagan has to decide if she’s going to defend her fellow geeks, or if she’ll continue to be a total troll.

 

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

This might make me sound like an airhead but I'd go back to the 20s and 50s and go on a massive shopping spree :) Really deep answer right?

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I'd want the ability to freeze time. To keep those perfect moments just a bit longer... plus sleeping in would be nice too.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I'm pretty specific :) Cheesecake ice cream mixed with strawberry ice cream with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and sprinkles mixed in.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld was my favorite as a teen :) Though in high school I did also love "Lord of the Flies".

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book?

There are too many! I guess for "Pwned" (my newest book) it would have to be "Stand Up" by Melee.

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Don't get discouraged by rejection letters or the opinions of others. Definitely take constructive criticism still because it'll make you and your story better, but don't listen to people who tear your work apart just to tear it apart. There's nothing constructive about that.

 

What is your favorite Quote?

“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward." -E. E. Cummings

How do you react to a bad review?

Funny you should ask since I JUST read a terrible awful review. The person absolutely hated my book, hated my character, thought I was the world's worst writer and should probably never write again. I wish I could say I shrug bad reviews off but I get pretty upset about them, swear I'm never going to write again, threaten to delete all of the books from my computer... then I go to bed, wake up, and realize I can't live without writing so I force myself to get over it :

What do you do in your free time?

Besides writing? I love gaming. I'm a HUGE nerd, hence why I just wrote a book about gamers (Pwned). I also love to paint and play music. Love learning new songs on guitar and piano!

Something your readers would never guess about you?

I narrate my life in my head :) It's a little ridiculous actually. I look at my life like a book and when things happen, I have an inner narrator. I'm either creative or crazy. Not sure which one.

What do you find inspiration in?

Every day life. Just normal people who do nice things when they think others aren't looking.

Are any of your characters a portrayal of you?

I put a little of myself into all of my characters unintentionally but I think June is the character who's the most like me. She loves vintage stuff, silent films, and acting and she's a bit insecure and likes to stress about every worst case scenario possible :)

Why do you write YA?

Because I love to read YA!

About how long did it take to write your book?

"The Breakup Artist" took 1 month, "Finding June" took 4 months, and "Pwned" took FOREVER because I kept telling myself writing a book about gamers was a horrible idea and no one would ever read it. So I abandoned that book a lot. Poor "Pwned"!

What is your favorite part of the writing/publishing process?

Reading good reviews. To feel like all of the heart and soul you put into a book didn't go to waste is the most amazing feeling ever! I love it when people "Get" exactly what I'm trying to say with a book.

Enter to win e-copies of Pwned and Finding June + more in my blogiversary giveaway!!!!