Shannon Stacey
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
The fourth book in the Kowalski Family series is out today and we got the chance to ask Shannon Stacey some questions.. here's what she had to say.
Hi Shannon, welcome to UTC! Thanks for taking the time and talking to us and our readers.
Thank you so much for inviting me!
Hi Shannon, welcome to UTC! Thanks for taking the time and talking to us and our readers.
Thank you so much for inviting me!
Who is Shannon Stacey? Tell us five interesting things about yourself that you feel readers wouldn't know about you.
1) Being a Virgo and the oldest child, I have a tendency to be a little bossy. Okay, a lot bossy.
2) I talk to other drivers constantly while I drive. Not yelling at them, but just making conversation. “Nice bumper sticker.” “You should have that exhaust looked at.” But, as long as I don’t believe they can actually hear me, that’s not weird, right? Let’s see…
3) I worry way too much about whether or not people think I’m weird. I’m a writer. I think that’s pretty much a given.
4) I was knocked out of the 3rd grade spelling bee on forfeit and I’m still not over it. And
5) I lie about being allergic to coconut. Even my own mother believes it.
We are super excited about getting more Kowalski boys! In the coming months, you have three more books coming out (Mitch - September, Ryan - October and Josh - November). Can you tell us a bit about each hero and what it is about them that made you want to tell their stories?
Ryan and Josh’s stories have actually been rescheduled for November and January, but I’m glad people are excited about getting more Kowalski boys because I’ve loved writing them. I thought Sean, the Kowalski cousin (YOURS TO KEEP) would be the last, but his brothers and sister really took hold in my mind while I was writing that book, especially when Mitch made an appearance. Mitch was a bit of a ladies man and I wanted to see him fall him love. Ryan’s a little less easy going than his brothers and cousins, and I wanted to explore how he felt about a woman from his past. And Josh grabbed me the hardest. He’s a bit like George Bailey—reluctantly staying behind to hold down the fort—and, just when he might get to leave Whitford and explore the world, love slaps him upside the head.
ALL HE EVER NEEDED is Mitch's story. Mitch is an easy-going guy, someone who doesn't take relationships too easily. But I think he falls hard in his book. What was it like writing about Mitch? What major obstacles did you have while writing this book? How did you overcome it?
Writing Mitch was a bit of a challenge because there’s a very fine line between ladies man and dirtbag and I definitely wanted to stay on the right side of that line. But he’s really a good guy at heart, so as long as I stayed true to his character, I was fine. And watching him come to the realization he wanted to spend the rest of his life with one woman was a lot of fun!
Ryan's book is nicely set up in ALL HE EVER NEEDED. What can readers expect in his upcoming book?
Ryan doesn’t go home to Whitford very often and, when he does, he stays close to the family’s lodge. He’d rather not run into the woman he’d, years before, asked to leave town with him only to be told no. But now he has to do some work on the Northern Star Lodge, which means an extended stay in his hometown, and there’s no way to avoid running into Lauren Carpenter.
How would you describe Josh in a few words?
Cranky in ALL HE EVER NEEDED, but once some of the weight’s being shared by his brothers, we get to see the youngest Kowalski relax…until he realizes the girl who’s always been “one of the guys” is really anything but.
These books are going to be a digital release through Carina Press. What is the best thing about being a Carina press author?
The very best thing about being a Carina Press author is my editor, Angela James. The entire Carina team is wicked awesome and working with them has been an amazing experience. And my covers. They give me gorgeous covers!
Do you have a writing schedule? If so, how many hours and how many words and/or pages do you try to accomplish in a day?
I’ve had a pretty chaotic 2012 on a personal level, which has wreaked havoc on my schedule. But now that things are settling and the boys are back in school, I hope to settle into a routine of doing a workout or the treadmill at 7:30 and then working until the boys get home at 2:45. Then I’m usually half-working, half-watching-TV in the evenings until close to bedtime. I don’t really have a set goal. Some days the words fly by and others I have to fight for every sentence.
Did you ever expect the kind of success that the Kowalski family has brought you?
I can honestly say no because I never expected “the Kowalski family” series at all. They’re like the Spanish Inquisition that way. I wrote most of EXCLUSIVELY YOURS just for my own enjoyment. I was writing the story I wanted to read, but I didn’t expect to publish it. Who would want a romance with mud and Deet jokes and a camera-crazy kid? But I loved it and I’d been thinking there had to be other readers who’d enjoy it and then Carina Press was announced and I thought…why not?
If you could collaborate with another author, who would you pick and why?
I don’t think I could collaborate with another writer, though now that I’ve said that, I’m sure an opportunity I can’t refuse will arise. If I had to choose, I’d pick Jaci Burton because 1) she knows me well enough to not be scared away by my many idiosyncrasies as she’s been shaking her head at them for years and 2) she writes a lot faster than I do, so by the time I’d plotted out a scene, she’d be all “Oh, I turned the book in last week”.
What book do you wish you had written?
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, because then I could buy the northern half of New Hampshire and have thousands of miles of private ATV trails. I’d also have one of every Coach bag. Okay, not really. I often say I wish I’d written Meljean Brook’s IRON SEAS steampunk series. Such rich worldbuilding and brilliant craft. I have to read her books at least twice because the first time I’m just blown away by her writing.
If you had to pick a Kowalski guy to date, who would you pick and why? What would you do?
It probably wouldn’t be Joe, because he’s a writer. I’m not sure if you know this, but writers aren’t really easy people to live with. I’d wouldn’t mind dating Josh. We’d go to a Patriots football game and then make out on the tailgate of his truck in the parking lot. Sean’s probably the most like my husband, though, so I might gravitate toward him. Who can choose?
We are super excited about getting more Kowalski boys! In the coming months, you have three more books coming out (Mitch - September, Ryan - October and Josh - November). Can you tell us a bit about each hero and what it is about them that made you want to tell their stories?
Ryan and Josh’s stories have actually been rescheduled for November and January, but I’m glad people are excited about getting more Kowalski boys because I’ve loved writing them. I thought Sean, the Kowalski cousin (YOURS TO KEEP) would be the last, but his brothers and sister really took hold in my mind while I was writing that book, especially when Mitch made an appearance. Mitch was a bit of a ladies man and I wanted to see him fall him love. Ryan’s a little less easy going than his brothers and cousins, and I wanted to explore how he felt about a woman from his past. And Josh grabbed me the hardest. He’s a bit like George Bailey—reluctantly staying behind to hold down the fort—and, just when he might get to leave Whitford and explore the world, love slaps him upside the head.
ALL HE EVER NEEDED is Mitch's story. Mitch is an easy-going guy, someone who doesn't take relationships too easily. But I think he falls hard in his book. What was it like writing about Mitch? What major obstacles did you have while writing this book? How did you overcome it?
Writing Mitch was a bit of a challenge because there’s a very fine line between ladies man and dirtbag and I definitely wanted to stay on the right side of that line. But he’s really a good guy at heart, so as long as I stayed true to his character, I was fine. And watching him come to the realization he wanted to spend the rest of his life with one woman was a lot of fun!
Ryan's book is nicely set up in ALL HE EVER NEEDED. What can readers expect in his upcoming book?
Ryan doesn’t go home to Whitford very often and, when he does, he stays close to the family’s lodge. He’d rather not run into the woman he’d, years before, asked to leave town with him only to be told no. But now he has to do some work on the Northern Star Lodge, which means an extended stay in his hometown, and there’s no way to avoid running into Lauren Carpenter.
How would you describe Josh in a few words?
Cranky in ALL HE EVER NEEDED, but once some of the weight’s being shared by his brothers, we get to see the youngest Kowalski relax…until he realizes the girl who’s always been “one of the guys” is really anything but.
These books are going to be a digital release through Carina Press. What is the best thing about being a Carina press author?
The very best thing about being a Carina Press author is my editor, Angela James. The entire Carina team is wicked awesome and working with them has been an amazing experience. And my covers. They give me gorgeous covers!
Do you have a writing schedule? If so, how many hours and how many words and/or pages do you try to accomplish in a day?
I’ve had a pretty chaotic 2012 on a personal level, which has wreaked havoc on my schedule. But now that things are settling and the boys are back in school, I hope to settle into a routine of doing a workout or the treadmill at 7:30 and then working until the boys get home at 2:45. Then I’m usually half-working, half-watching-TV in the evenings until close to bedtime. I don’t really have a set goal. Some days the words fly by and others I have to fight for every sentence.
Did you ever expect the kind of success that the Kowalski family has brought you?
I can honestly say no because I never expected “the Kowalski family” series at all. They’re like the Spanish Inquisition that way. I wrote most of EXCLUSIVELY YOURS just for my own enjoyment. I was writing the story I wanted to read, but I didn’t expect to publish it. Who would want a romance with mud and Deet jokes and a camera-crazy kid? But I loved it and I’d been thinking there had to be other readers who’d enjoy it and then Carina Press was announced and I thought…why not?
If you could collaborate with another author, who would you pick and why?
I don’t think I could collaborate with another writer, though now that I’ve said that, I’m sure an opportunity I can’t refuse will arise. If I had to choose, I’d pick Jaci Burton because 1) she knows me well enough to not be scared away by my many idiosyncrasies as she’s been shaking her head at them for years and 2) she writes a lot faster than I do, so by the time I’d plotted out a scene, she’d be all “Oh, I turned the book in last week”.
What book do you wish you had written?
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, because then I could buy the northern half of New Hampshire and have thousands of miles of private ATV trails. I’d also have one of every Coach bag. Okay, not really. I often say I wish I’d written Meljean Brook’s IRON SEAS steampunk series. Such rich worldbuilding and brilliant craft. I have to read her books at least twice because the first time I’m just blown away by her writing.
If you had to pick a Kowalski guy to date, who would you pick and why? What would you do?
It probably wouldn’t be Joe, because he’s a writer. I’m not sure if you know this, but writers aren’t really easy people to live with. I’d wouldn’t mind dating Josh. We’d go to a Patriots football game and then make out on the tailgate of his truck in the parking lot. Sean’s probably the most like my husband, though, so I might gravitate toward him. Who can choose?
Thanks so much for spending release day here with us, Shannon!
Thank you again for inviting me to visit UTC and your readers!
Born to Roam
Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with running the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man—for anything. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge, especially a beautiful one.
Looking for Home
After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto men are a luxury, not a necessity. But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.
Mitch won’t stay put for a woman, and Paige won’t chase after a man—they’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize the amazing sex has become anything but casual…
About Shannon Stacey
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up.
Shannon is giving away a $25 gift certificate to the online book retailer of choice.
