Interview with Shannon Hart

When given the chance to interview Shannon Hart, the author of "Until the End of Forever," I was thrilled.  The book, which I reviewed for Shannon's tour is a charming read.  Here's our interview for your enjoyment!

Where did you get the idea for "Until the End of Forever?"


The idea for the storyline actually started out as bits and pieces of ideas, feelings and emotions I was feeling… about work, about marriage, about life as a mom, and a lot of other things. I have also had the privilege of meeting a lot of people and have a lot of good friends who are married and whenever we would talk, we would always end up talking about the same thing: at one point or another, we’ve all had moments when we wondered if there was more to what we already had. Especially some of my friends who made sacrifices in their career, those who always wanted to do things but never got around to doing them. That’s how the basic plotline of Sarah going away on a Sabbatical came about. After that, everything else just fell into place. 

This novel is very unique, I loved the plotline and characters.

 In what ways do you connect with Sarah and her story?First of all, thank you so much! I’m so happy you loved the story! Connecting with Sarah was easy actually. When I was writing, I infused a lot of myself into Sarah’s character. Her complicated thought process, her insane level of denial, and her ability to overreact to everything – that’s basically all me. Unfortunately. J Even her physical features are based on me: petite and dark haired. I’m just not as pretty as she is!

Do you find yourself drawn to, or more like, one character than another?

Do you have a favorite character?I am totally in love with all my characters. But if I really had to choose, I’d choose Rob. He’s the ultimate dream guy! He’s romantic, talented, dedicated, and from what is written, seems like he’s ridiculously handsome too. The only problem he has is that he’s a tad bit clueless when it comes to women’s emotional instability. Haha.

Do you believe dreams tell us something?

Probably not all dreams, but some, yes. I remember when I was younger, I used to dream all sorts of weird things and well, me being me, I’d always (over) analyze them. But in doing that, I discovered a lot of things, believe it or not! Like when I was in college and I kept dreaming about either running around in circles or running into dead end alleys. I basically realized that it was like an illustration of what I was feeling. I did feel like I was at a dead end. At the time, I was struggling with Business Statistics (I failed twice!) and I just felt like no matter what I tried, no matter how much I studied, I just never got it right. 

Did you have fun writing this story?

Oh yes, I certainly did. In fact, on some nights (I could only write when my husband and kids were asleep), I’d have such a massive adrenaline rush that I’d write until the sun came up. Literally!

What has the publishing process been like since you were "discovered"?

It’s been a priceless experience for me. I have met wonderful people who have become new great friends, and I have learned so much. Publishing is a really tough job and it’s not for everyone. It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of details, long hours and requires so much dedication and concentration. I’ve always loved books but now I appreciate them much, much more.

How does it feel to see your novel in print at a bookstore?

Seeing Until the End of Forever being printed is surreal. I never thought it would be anything else than a Microsoft Word document in my laptop. The other day, I caught a colleague at work hiding behind her laptop and secretly reading the book. I was over the moon!

Until the End of Forever has been receiving wonderful reviews! Did you ever expect such an outpour of love for your book?

I am so grateful that people are responding well to my book. When I wrote it, I had high hopes that people would be able to relate to the story and enjoy it. Of course, I was never sure that they would! It really means so much to me that readers love it. It’s a dream come true. 

What's it like having fans?

I have fans? Really? That’s awesome! I am unbelievably grateful.

Do you have a publicist or PR Agency?

No, I don’t at the moment. You think I should get one?
      I highly recommend BookSparks PR

Have you made any new friends through this experience?

Absolutely! I am so delighted that this experience has led me to meet such wonderful people like Samantha (http://www.chicklitplus.com/) and Nancy (http://www.chicklitbee.com/) and I’ve been in touch with some of the nicest authors, bloggers and readers too. I’m dying to meet a lot more people who share my passion.

Do you have a writing buddy?

I have Chris – he’s not really a writing buddy, more like a reading buddy. But I send him everything because I know that when I send him something to read, he’ll read it and give it to me straight. He’ll tell me if it sucks or if he loves it. He’ll tell me when something sounds a bit off or unrealistic. 

What are you currently reading?

I’m actually in the middle of reading Tina Fey’s Bossypants right now. I don’t usually read anything besides fiction unless I really have to, but come on, this is Tina Fey we’re talking about. She’s hilarious! 

Any new titles in the works?

I have a second novel that is in the works. I’m so excited about it. I hope you’ll be able to read it soon. 

How can readers connect with you?

If readers want to get to know me, they can read a lot about me and my life on my personal blog http://www.lifeisonebigdrama.blogspot.com/. For updates on my writing projects, reviews and books, they can go to http://www.shannon-hart.com/. I’d love to be able to connect and speak to more readers actually! They can email me anytime, too. I can be reached through shannon@shannon-hart.com. And of course, I am on Twitter constantly (@dramaprincess). I tweet about anything and sometimes about nothing at all. Consider yourself warned.

Thanks so much Shannon!!  I enjoyed our interview and your book, but more about that tomorrow....