Interview with Shelly Crane, Author of Revolution

In the fourth and final installment, everything is on the line. Merrick's life is in the balance and Lily is their only hope. Ellie and her new powers are miraculous, but also problematic; if she's with the bunker family, they won't be able to sense when the Lighters are there. There are many new members to the bunker and sparks will fly, and with the food shortage, they will all have plenty to deal with. Miguel is intrigued with Rylee, her past and her spunk. Ryan and Elli are barely scratching the surface of their relationship. Cain and Lillian will have to deal with Daniel, who has no qualms about showing his true feelings for her. And Sherry and Merrick…what will happen to this happenstance family who have worked so hard to come together? Can they all survive? Can they all withstand the new enemy that is right outside their door? Can they beat the Lighters, once and for all… 

Interview

1. If you could work with any author who would it be? 

M. Leighton 

2. Who is your favourite author and is you writing style similar to theirs? 

Richelle Mead is my favorite and no, we are absolutely nothing alike :)

3. What's your favorite part of a book? 

The happy ending 

4. When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?

Not usually. I try to see what 'feels' like that character's name 

5. how do you get started with writing a story (as in, how do you start developing the story, how do you get inspired for it) 

 I don't outline or plot. I have a basic idea, I do the cover and then write the blurb. Then start the novel. It basically writes itself from there.

6. what advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

Not to sound gloaty or egotistical, but I have never experienced this and honestly the only thing I tell people who ask me this is to keep writing. Even if it doesn't make sense and you think it's silly, keep writing and eventually, you'll get back in the groove. 

7. How long did it take you to publish your first book, after you started trying?

A couple months. I am a very impatient person and those few months were KILLERS! 

8. How did you come up with the title? 

Same thing with character names. I feel it out and see what seems to work. In some cases, a title of a book that I had thought up was the only starting point I had and it grew from there into the actual book idea.

9. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 

That happiness is a real thing. That real love is real. That honesty and morals aren't cheesy. That you should write what you would want to read, not write for other people.

Shelly is a YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.