We are happy to spotlight one of our LDS Beta Reader members this month:
Shaunna Gonzalez
Why
do you write?
I
write because it gives me something to do. I'm an MS sufferer and so I'm
limited in my abilities, but writing is something I can do and I do it
wholeheartedly.
What
is your experience in the publishing world?
I
published with a small publishing house, they did nothing for me so that is
when I decided to go with the indy publishing world. It doesn't do much but it
does a bit every month so I guess it is a win. I would like to make it big and
learned last night that I need a big blogger to come on board, know of any one?
What
advice do you have for young writers?
Write
something every day. It may turn into a great novel or it may not, but at least
you are learning to discipline yourself.
What
regrets do you have in your writing career if any?
I
regret not starting sooner. With seven novels under my belt and the steep
learning curve, I do regret not starting sooner.
What
goals and dreams do you still have in the writing field?
My
goals and dreams--to one day be recognized as a wonderful author not just of
contemporary romance but of the mystery series.
Where
did you grow up?
I
grew up in Idaho on a not so small of a farm. Oh, we thought it was small back
then but as I have matured, I realize the land my father owned was no small
feat. The farm has since been cut up and sold off as my father died when I was
young. Now the only holdings in the valley are my brothers and there is a lot
of ground that he owns that I didn't even know about when I was young. The barn
that my father moved onto the farm was once a saloon and from it grew my first
time-travel book.
What
genre do you write and why?
I
started writing time-travel because it was the one genre my husband had an
interest in, but it has morphed into crime drama. I write what I know and as a
sufferer of MS, my feelings are somewhat stunted, but I love to write and crime
seems to fill that void.
Author
Bio
Shaunna
Gonzales currently resides with her family in the greater Seattle area. Married
over thirty years, her role as wife and mother of four continue to be her
priorities.
A
storyteller in her youth, she endevored to extend her love of stories to the
written word and in 2005 began to write her first novel. Though that manuscript
will remain buried, she has continued to learn.
Once
told by her doctors that she would never leave her wheelchair -- due to her
Multiple sclerosis. It has been tucked in a closet while she continues on. (In
other words muddles on.)
Shaunna
has worked as a professional reviewer for InD'Tales eMagazine for three years.
In 2012 she also served as the vice president of Moonwriters, the on-line
chapter of American Night Writers Association (ANWA) She prefers to write
romantic fiction and has ventured into the romantic suspense and time-travel
genres. Her debut novel, Dark Day s of Promise was released by Desert Breeze
Publishing in 2012, re-released in 2015.
Check out her book releases.
You can connect with Shauna by emailing her at hamxssg@gmail.com or visiting her writing blog. http://www.shaunnagonzales.blogspot.com.