My Book Therapy presents Jean Shattuck as this week’s featured Voice.
Jean started writing when she was thirteen. She’s always had a love for telling stories and for reading, so taking the next step and writing a novel seemed natural. She dabbled for years and didn’t start to get serious about it until her early twenties. Then she was hit with a long-term illness and her dreams were put on hold for a while. Three years ago she got serious about writing again. She is currently working on her first Romantic Suspense novel and has plotted her second. When she’s not busy writing, she’s a nanny to a 6 1/2 year old little girl. Jean lives in Minnesota, and has two Papillion dogs. One is eight years old and the other is a 9-month-old puppy.
What is the biggest writing challenge you’ve encountered this past year?
The biggest writing challenge I’ve encountered this year was when I couldn’t write for five months after the loss of a loved one. As much as I wanted to write and tried, I couldn’t get anything down on paper. Which was horrible. I just couldn’t focus on anything but the grief that consumed me. The horrible loss that I felt.
How did you solve it?
After several months of not being able to write a word, it all ended when I got a gift in the mail. I was given a copy of Susan and Rachel’s writing book, From the Inside Out. After going through it, I was inspired to try again. I worked on the exercises in there and found my joy for writing again. I found where I couldn’t wait to write. I was excited about something again, and it felt wonderful. It was like coming out a fog. Words started flowing. I still struggle from time to time, but it’s nothing like it was earlier this year.
What is the one thing you learned that you could share with other writers?
The best thing I learned came in the form of a book. Susan and Rachel’s writing book, From the Inside Out. A wealth of knowledge in there.
Tell us about your current WIP.
The past 7 years have left Dani Sloan broken–in spirit and in body. When she is rescued from a brutal rape by her brother’s friend Sawyer Grant, his presence in her life becomes her lifeline … the only spark of hope for a future filled with love and not pain.
Sawyer Grant has harbored hatred for his deceased father for over 20 years, the bitterness touching every aspect of his life. His involvement with Dani was unexpected, but he can’t let her go until he knows she is safe. He is determined to keep her alive, even if it means risking his heart. But he’s in over his head trying to keep Dani alive from the men who hurt her, and who want nothing more than to see her dead.
Jean, thank you for being our featured Voice this week. To learn more about Jean, visit her on Facebook.
Visit the Voices forum and Meet the Voices thread to discuss writing, life, and everything in between with Jean. We will feature Jean as our guest Voice along with a casual Q & A with our book therapists, Susan May Warren and/or Rachel Hauck during a chat on Friday, August 21 at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST.
To access the My Book Therapy chat, follow these steps:
* Log onto My Book Therapy.
* Click on the forum button.
* Sign in with your username and password, if necessary.
* Along the bottom of your browser window, you will see MBT Voices Chat. Click on that and the chat window will pop up.
* Your name will show up in the box on the right hand side. To comment, type in the box in the bottom under the yellow smiley face.
* If you have any questions, send an e-mail to lisa@mybooktherapy.com and put Chat in the subject.