Author Interview with Shannon Thompson

Hello Random Readers (like that name? made it myself. *proud gaze*)

Anyway, today I will be interviewing Shannon A. Thompson!

Shannon A. Thompson is a 23-year-old author, avid reader, and a habitual chatterbox. She was merely 16 when she was first published, and a lot has happened since then. Thompson’s work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies, including a Norwegian magazine, and her first installment of The Timely Death Trilogy, Minutes Before Sunset, became Goodreads Book of the Month. The sequel, Seconds Before Sunrise, has released, and AEC Stellar Publishing released her latest novel, Take Me Tomorrow, on July 17, 2014.

She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing.

Shannon spends her free time writing, but she loves spending time with her father and brother. She also has one black cat named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart

Source: Shannon's Goodreads

1. Who inspired you to write? What did he/she do? 

 

My mother truly turned me onto writing. As a child I suffered from night terrors, and it was really difficult for me to differentiate reality from fiction. She taught me how to turn that confusion into stories. When she suddenly passed away, I put all I had into writing. It was my passion, and it still is, and I want to spend the rest of life writing and sharing my stories with the world, but I ultimately want to help aspiring writers follow their dreams, too.

 

2. If you were to pick a character in Take Me Tomorrow to marry, who would it be and why?

 

Now, that is a blush-worthy question. I’m not sure I can answer it though. My characters – as much as I talk to them – are my dearest friends, and I cannot imagine marrying any of them, especially since I (generally) know what their futures will bring, even if I don’t put it in the book. But if I was just having fun with the question, I would say Miles. He has a kind heart, a smart head, and direction.

 

3. Who is your favorite character in Take Me Tomorrow? Why?

 

It’s impossible to pick favorites, but I do love spending time with Noah. As controversial as he is, I find him to be the most surprising. He always keeps me on my toes and challenges everyone around him, including himself. It might sound like a contradiction, but I’m always looking forward and hesitating to learn from him. He can be interesting and break your heart at the same time. It’s rather exhausting sometimes (in a good way.) Fun fact: he was going to tell half of the story, but his voice was so jumbled that it didn’t make sense, and ultimately, it had to be cut.

 

4. If Take Me Tomorrow became a movie adaptation, who is the actor that you think would best play Sophia?

 

I would absolutely beg for an open-casting call. I wish Hollywood did those more. It gives new artists a huge opportunity, and (I believe) it helps viewers believe in the character if they are new actors rather than actors they’ve seen everywhere.

 

5.  What is your favorite scene to write in Take Me Tomorrow?

 

Oh, so many come through my mind, but the first scene that I thought of is the scene of Noah and Sophia when they are locked in her father’s forgery. Other than some of the explaining that happens, I believe it’s the first time we see Noah’s facade fall down. It was a very difficult scene to write, especially when Sophia realizes she’s actually more terrified of Noah’s sober state than his tomo-state, but the moment became unbelievably real when she said that. Even I had to stop and contemplate if I should keep such a line in a book about drug-use, but it stayed because it was real. It happens to people, and that moment is one that stays with you forever.

Thank you very much, Shannon! Want to know more about her and her books? Visit her website!