Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My mom and dad were entrepreneurs and, I believe, that the way they looked at the world and how they solved problems in their personal and professional lives had an impact on how my perspective on navigating the world and helping others to do so. Mom always told me “knowledge unshared is worthless” has become a guiding principle in my life. My parents instilled me with resourcefulness, tenacity, and creative problem solving.
My first book “Women Under Glass: The Secret Nature of Glass Ceilings and The Steps To Overcome Them” helps women in business remove the barriers between them and the upper levels in corporate America to which they aspire. It was an Amazon Top 40 bestseller within it’s first month of release.
My second book “Triumph: Winning Big In Life With Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance” helps people to remove the barriers between the life they have and the life they want.
My current book is “Evil Does Not Have The Last Word” helps people try to make sense of life once tragedy or trauma has touched them. Evil is everywhere but what do you do when evil gets personal? This book provides many answers people seek in times of trauma, terror, or tragedy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Evil Does Not Have The Last Word. What inspired me originally to write it was seeing all the superhero movies that had been released and how many of them were held up as role models, specifically godly role models. What you have to understand is that I love superheroes, Always have and still do. Following my transformation to a follower of Christ, there was something that didn’t ring true about that. That’s where my journey started. While in the midst of my writing I realized the message, the focus, was much bigger than that.
As time went on and paying attention to what was going on in the world, I realized the focus on the book was truly “what do you do when evil gets personal?” Who do we trust and how to we recover in the aftermath of terror, trauma, or tragedy? Do we trust ourselves to handle matters our way with our sense of justice or do we trust that God is still working even when we have no idea how that could be?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I have an unusual writing habits. Any writer has a preferred process in which they work best, that helps them to be the most creative or productive. What may by unusual in my approach to my writing is that I try to write in a conversational tone so that when someone reads my books they feel like I’m having a conversation with them, not just reading words off a page. I like to employ storytelling in my work. A common piece of feedback I get from people who read my books is that they felt as though I was talking to them as they read. To me, that’s as good as it gets because that’s exactly the experience I want readers to have as they’re consuming my work.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow, that’s a tough question. My personal bookshelves run the gamut of genres and authors. If we’re going to narrow it down, I’d say Kyle Idleman and David Platt helped shaped how I presented a Christian message without being heavy-handed or “preachy”, Stan Lee helped me to find my storytelling voice, and Richard Marcinko demonstrated what leadership in action looks like.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a companion Bible study for the book. One of my close friends asked me “Now what?” when she finished reading Evil Does Not Have The Last Word. That led me to really consider that there was another level on which this book could help people. Having never written a study before, I’m venturing into unfamiliar territory but am connecting with people who can give me guidance on how to do so. If there’s one thing I want to accomplish with the book and one day with the study, it is to help people heal from whatever pain they’re carrying from a past trauma and believe they’ll never be able to emotionally recover. Having once been one of those people, I want to help others know that restoration is possible.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As many writers do, social media is a big tool for me. Facebook fan page has been good. Goodreads has been good. One thing I try to do is to coattail my posts on Facebook and Twitter. If I see something that is related to my book – and there never seems to be a shortage of evil in the world – I will share that post with my comments and hashtag my book title. That has worked fairly well. The main thing I’ve learned is that you form relationships first and then you sell.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is GO FOR IT! In my opinion, there’s never been a better time to be an author. We don’t have to rely on traditional publishers any more to get our work out there and there are so many marketing tools and platforms available to promote our work that there’s no excuse not to write. Sure, it’s more work but, to me, the hardest part is getting the work published. Once an author gets his or her work out there, the marketing is easier than it used to be.
The most critical aspect for any author is to speak in their voice. It’s fine to be inspired by other writers or their style but it’s important we find our own voice as authors and then stick to it. Readers will connect with your writing better if your voice is authentically you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My mom told me: “Never tell your trouble to your friends. Half of them don’t care and the other half wish it would have happened to you sooner.” It’s a tad cynical but it’s amazing how many times in my life Mom’s words have been proven accurate.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Jim Martin’s The Just Church: Becoming a risk-taking, justice-seeking, disciple-making congregation. It’s an excellent, thought-provoking read.
What’s next for you as a writer?
In the immediate future, the Bible study has my writing focus. Eventually, I’d like to help my mom get published. She has a unique voice and perspective I think people need to hear.
What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s like asking me what my favorite kind of pizza is. If I had to choose one book, it would be Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”. Miller’s storytelling is very noir – which I love – and compelling. There’s nothing predictable and he draws you into the story as if you’re standing next to the character. Since it first came out, I’ve had to have read it over 100 times. No joke.
Author Websites and Profiles
Eric Shoars Website
Eric Shoars Amazon Profile
Eric Shoars’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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