An Interview with Shannon Mori
Shannon Mori is an internationally sold children’s book author. Her Pawsome Pals book series features pets with problems and their pals that help their pets sort through them. Shannon has had a passion for writing and a love of animals since she was a child. Combining both into books that children and their parents not only will love to read, but also will learn something about themselves, others, and the world around them at the same time is her dream come true! Her incredibly supportive husband and her two bright young children, who love reading as much as she does, are her inspiration. After living all over the U.S. with a love for new adventures and travel, Shannon and her family, which include their beloved pets, now reside near the lake in the beautiful Ozark mountains of Missouri.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
The inspiration for the Pawsome Pals book series is to offer encouragement to all children, and after reading a Pawsome Pals book, children and their parents will feel better about themselves and the world around them. My inspiration behind all that I do is my own two incredibly bright children.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
I wrote about this exact topic in my blog, That’s A’Mori, and Ernest Hemingway explains it flawlessly. He said, “There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and blasting it out with charges.” Sometimes there is drilling rock to finally get a thought to flow in written word. That’s how writing is, but luckily, the Pawsome Pals stories came easily. For me, children’s books was the absolute way to go. As a proud mom of two, a lover of animals and a former poetry writer, I knew exactly what stories I had to tell and what message I planned to deliver. The latest book in the Pawsome Pals series is Puppy Day Jitters.
Describe your dream book cover.
Both of my books and their covers are beautifully illustrated by the incredibly talented Ada Konewki, and I could not even consider Pawsome Pals without her. She made the visions I had for the books come to life with her artwork!
What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?
The two best things writers can do to improve their craft are to write something every day and to read. Whether I was an author or not, I would be doing both, as these are my two favorite things to do in my free time. My favorite books to read are mysteries and thrillers, but I also love to read non-fiction books, especially about my favorite subjects, animals and art. Luckily, my kids are still young enough that every bedtime is not complete without a bedtime story, so we read together every night, whether it’s a short children’s book, a new chapter from a chapter book, or pages from animal encyclopedias.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
Prior to becoming a writer, I had a career in marketing, which has proved to be extremely beneficial as an independent author. I was a Director of Marketing in the resort industry before becoming a stay-at-home mom and then a published author. My family and I have lived all over the country, from Nevada to California to Texas to Arizona to Florida to now Missouri! I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. My husband and I love to travel, and we love making new adventures and memories with our children!
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