Shehanne Moore

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Five if you count the one I’ve just finished, I say ‘finally’ because I actually started it before writing my fourth book. Let’s face it, in some ways that first book is easier that way because you do not have the distraction of promoting existing books and doing rounds of edits on recently contracted books. As for me I’m from Scotland where I had this brilliant idea of trying to write romance. Without so much as a Romance Chapter here, it’s been interesting.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is The Viking and The Courtesan. You might think there were no courtesans in Viking times, and you would be right. That’s because Malice, the heroine, is a time traveller from Regency London. As for what inspired it? In a nutshell? The need to get another book written. Beyond that I wanted to write about the absolute need to find true love, or be doomed forever.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You mean like pat the cat five times and stir the spoon anti-clockwise in the coffee? Right? Oh, you don’t. And wait, I don’t have a cat. Probably I don’t have any odd habits.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a huge fan of the hard boiled school. Cain, McCoy etc really knew how to keep that prose tight but flowing, giving you a world in a few lines, or words. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote gorgeous prose. I always loved the history authors, like Anya Seton, Du Maurier. A huge early influence was F. Tennyson Jesse. I loved the funny way she wrote about the daily lives of characters, and effortlessly constructed their whole world. I thought….I want to write like that. it was kind of intelligent, literary but very down to earth too.
In recent years I’ve adored Kate Furnivall’s books because she’s writing in a genre I love. I also like the way Kate Aitkinson constructs her books.

What are you working on now?
Well, I’m editing and formatting my fifth book which is the second in a series about the lives of ex jewel thieves gang members, the Starkadder Sisterhood. They’ve all been cast to the four winds kind of thing. This book is about their skivvy though.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
That’s a difficult one to answer. The market place is changing as we speak. I use my own blog affair bit, have sold books through int4eracting on facebook and also with book trailers. Launch parties are good–just don’t hard sell. I think being prepared to try various outlets, interacting with other authors and readers and yeah, spending small amounts on advertising has been best for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
There’s a lot of books out there. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Above all else you need tenacity. Hang on in there. Promote yourself–you are your biggest selling tool–but also promote others, network, engage.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get knocked down six times, get up seven.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Pendle Curse by Catherine Cavendish. Horror may seem a little removed from romance but I will pretty well read anything if it is well written. Catherine’s books give more than a nod to the finest horror writers. She picks up on the past too.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to sub my present WIP soon and start work on a prequel to The Viking and The Courtesan. I never planned on that being a series but she does belong to time travelling dynasty so,… I’d also like to branch more into historical fiction. I have quite a lot of ideas there. So we’ll see.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
(Lol…anthologies with ten books in each !)

They would have to be ones I reread!
A Pin to See the Peepshow by F. Tennyson Jesse
Mildred Pierce -James M Cain
Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell….it’s nice and long
Les Miserable Victor Hugo.. It’s epic.
Goldwyn – A Scotty Berg

Author Websites and Profiles
Shehanne Moore Website
Shehanne Moore Amazon Profile

Shehanne Moore’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account