Today, we have the honor of getting to know author Shannyn Schroeder, as well as her latest book, 'More Than This.'
What
was the inspiration behind this book?
I
had the idea for Quinn as a woman who wanted to have a baby even if
it might mean doing it alone. I came across an article about 50
things everyone should do before they die. In reading it, I
discovered a bunch of things I hadn’t done, and some I had no
desire to do. Then I looked for more articles that described things
that every woman should do before she’s 30 and things like that.
Inspiration for Quinn’s list was born.
How
much alike are you and Quinn?
Quinn
and I share a lot of similarities. Like Quinn, I was an English
teacher and I also love to bake, especially when I get stressed out.
We’re both shy and have a difficult time in social situations.
Quinn is much more of a romantic than I am, though. Although I love
to read and write romance, I think deep down, Quinn is a little more
starry-eyed than I am. Plus, she actually likes to teach Romeo
and Juliet. I hated
teaching it.
What
was your favorite scene?
My
favorite scene in MORE THAN THIS was actually a late addition to the
book. I have the excerpt on my web site. Ryan shows up at Quinn’s
house to bring her coffee and check on her because she had a little
too much to drink the night before. When he shows up uninvited, Quinn
is baking Comfort Cookies.
My
editor questioned the necessity of the scene because it had
originally been much shorter. I knew I needed it, if for no other
reason, because it was the scene where Comfort Cookies were
introduced. My editor said to cut it or expand it. I chose to expand
and I love it. There’s some subtle flirting going on and Quinn is
lost because she can’t read Ryan’s cues. She shares a really
personal experience (baking cookies) with him, which opens her up a
little.
Quinn
has her own bucket list for before she gets pregnant. What is on your
bucket list?
I’d
like to travel more. I went to London for 2 weeks after graduating
high school. I went alone, but I had family who lived there, so I had
a place to stay for free. Once I hit college, all I did was work and
school and prepare for my career as a teacher. Now I have kids. Once
my kids are grown, I definitely want to travel more. I want to go to
Australia, Hawaii, and back to England.
What
other projects do you currently have in the works?
I’ve
just been contracted to write more O’Leary books. Book 2, A GOOD
TIME, will release on July 4, 2013. Two more books in the series will
come out in 2014.
How
do you think your former career as an English teacher impacts your
writing?
I
think being an English teacher helped me a lot. First, although I’m
far from perfect, I have a pretty good grasp of grammar. I might not
always follow the rules, but I’m aware of them. Come to think of
it, that might not be as much of an English teacher thing as a
Catholic school thing.
Having
critiqued student papers for years also prepared me for receiving
critique. I’m the kind of teacher that will tell you exactly what’s
wrong with your paper and then try to help you fix it. I look for
that same kind of honesty in critiques I receive. Finally, being an
English teacher forced me to be well-read. I read a lot of things
that I didn’t necessarily like but could appreciate.
Would
you ever like to go back to teaching?
I
do teach a few college level classes a year on writing a research
paper. I like the structure of those classes and the courses only run
for 5 weeks. I don’t miss teaching full-time and although I won’t
say I’d never go back, I don’t have the intention of doing so.
What
is the best piece of writing advice you have ever received?
Keep
writing. As soon as I finish one manuscript, I start another. That
bit of advice made writing a routine for me, but it also gave me a
leg up when I did get my first contract. I signed a two-book contract
and both books were already written. I didn’t have that sudden
shock and fear of writing under a deadline.
You
have the nickname of "Cookie Lady." What are some of your
favorite recipes?
In
the back of MORE THAN THIS, I share the recipe for Comfort Cookies. I
had a lot of fun trying different recipes to develop the right one.
Comfort Cookies
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
¼ c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 ½ c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1-½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt
butter, unsweetened chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate in top of
double boiler. In mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together
until mixture thickens. Add melted chocolate. Mix well. Add flour,
baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop teaspoon-sized cookie onto cookie
sheets. Batter will be gooey. If using aluminum pans, line with
parchment paper (no paper needed on stoneware). Bake for
approximately 11 minutes, until tops are cracked and edges are set.
Let cool on sheet for a minute or two then transfer to cooling rack.
Yield: 4 dozen
My
kids of course love the standard Nestle tollhouse cookie and my
mother-in-law makes a 6-layer cookie (only at Christmas). These are
my husband’s and my son’s favorite so I make them as a treat. I
know there is a real recipe written somewhere, but I kind of eyeball
it when I make them because it’s so easy. One pan, 6 ingredients.
No mess.
What
is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?
I
came to romance reading late in life. As I said, I was an English
teacher, so most of my focus was on reading the dead white guys. Each
summer, I would choose one or 2 books that were for pleasure reading.
After I had my second kid and I decided to stay at home, I discovered
romance. I was reading 4-5 books a week. There’s a lot of downtime
while feeding an infant and that’s when I read. I haven’t looked
back since.
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Shannyn
Schroeder is a former English teacher, who now works as a part-time
editor while raising her three kids.
Even
though she wrote from high school through college (mostly poetry),
she’d never considered a career as an author. Writing fell by the
wayside as she focused her energy on creating lesson plans and new
and fabulous ways to torment her teen students. One group in
particular dubbed her “The Torture Master,” a title she carried
into motherhood.
After
the birth of baby number two, Shannyn resigned from teaching and fell
in love with reading romance novels. She read so many books so
quickly that her husband teased, “If you’re going to read so many
damn books, why don’t you just write one?”
So she
did.
That
first book is safely buried on her hard drive, but the process set
Shannyn on the path to professional author. She came to reading
romance later than many, but lives for the happy ending because real
life can be depressing. She writes contemporary romance because she
enjoys the adventure of new love.
In her
spare time, she loves to bake cookies and watches far too much TV,
especially cop shows. She is recovering from her Diet Coke addiction,
fears putting her foot in her mouth on social media, and has a
renewed appreciation for the bad girls of the world.
Twitter:
@SSchroeder_
More
Than This
by
Shannyn Schroeder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When
a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome bartender for some
outrageous acts, they both get more than they bargained for…
Learning
her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to
have a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her
sister and friends believe she needs to focus on herself first, and
step out of her comfort zone by completing a list of adventures.
Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a
few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy
bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance.
Ryan has
always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense.
But lately, he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his
own. The woman he has in mind is Quinn. Though it seems all she wants
is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels
between them. In the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help
out with Quinn’s list. But when she asks him for a serious favor,
he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become more than
friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“Are
you okay?” Ryan asked, stepping closer.
“I’m
fine.”
“I
wasn’t trying to piss you off. It was only a question.” His
soothing voice skimmed across her skin like cool satin on a summer
night, but it did nothing to chill the warming of her blood.
Why was
he here? Why didn’t Kate come out to check on her? “Why don’t
you go back in and plan an adventure with Indy?”
He
chuckled, low and quiet, without humor. “You think I want your
sister?”
She kept
her gaze trained on the fold of her arms, afraid of what she might
find in his eyes. “Why wouldn’t you?” she asked quietly.
Ryan
stepped so close the hairs on her arms bristled and her heart
thumped. His voice was little more than a whisper. “She’s not my
type.”
“Indy
is every man’s type.” She’d hoped for sarcasm, but her tone was
resigned. Quinn raised her eyes but needed to tilt her head up to
meet Ryan’s.
He laid
his left palm flat against the brick beside her head and looked down
at her, first at her lips, then into her eyes. His intent was there,
and she licked her lower lip in reaction.
Oh, God.
Don’t kiss me. She sucked in a quick, shallow breath.
His blue
eyes darkened a fraction and he lowered his head.
Quinn’s
arms dropped to her sides. Push him away, you idiot. Instead, she
tilted her face upward a bit more, her scalp scraping against the
brick.
Shannyn
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