Shannon McKelden - Introduction

Like all the other ladies here, I want to thank Lee for inviting me! It's a wonderful compliment to be included here with such a selection of talented writers.

UNlike all the other ladies here...I don't even have a book out yet! Really. VENUS ENVY comes out on December 26th...still 48 days away. (I might make it that long.)

Actually, 48 days doesn't sound all that long anymore. See, I sold this book a year and a half ago. What a wonderful, frustrating, and joyous ride this process has been since I sold Venus in May of 2005. You can read about my first day as a newly-sold writer here. What's happened between then and now would fill a book all by itself.

So, what's VENUS ENVY all about? Here's a little hint:

Take one hunky firefighter, one stubborn "Cinderella," and one very reluctant fairy godmother and what do you get?

Rachel Greer wants no part of Venus's scheme to land Mr. March as her Prince Charming, but Venus is determined to do just that. She's only a few love-life fixes short of returning to her former goddess status, and she's not letting one mulish mortal stand in her way.

It appears the only way Rachel can get rid of the very un-Disney-like fairy godmother is to play along. So she follows Venus's plan to interview Luke Stanton's ex-girlfriends...which Venus believes will cure Rachel's relationship fears, but which Rachel knows will only prove her point that men are never what they appear to be.

But, when Venus's plan appears to work, and Rachel and Luke fall in love, does Rachel dare set aside her fears about happily ever? Or will betrayal send her back into relationship seclusion...this time forever? And what happens when a goddess-turned-fairy godmother breaks the most important rule--protecting herself from human emotions?

Publishers Weekly recently said about VENUS ENVY:

"Told from the alternating viewpoints of Venus and Rachel, the story puts a fresh spin on the classic fairy godmother story, and Venus—catty and generous with her barbed wit—is cut from different cloth than the standard well-behaved fairy."

And: "McKelden's sharp sense of humor pulls plenty of weight."

If that sounds good to you, you can take a little sneak peak here.

I've also got a newsletter going, which you can sign up for on my website. Directions can be found on the home page right under my author photo. You never know when I might be giving away terrific prizes, so be sure to sign up soon.

Adding to the wild ride I've been on has been the popularity of Venus, the character, as well as the book. In fact, Venus recently got a job! (How's that for strange?) Affaire de Coeur Magazine has signed Venus on to be a regular columnist. "What Would Venus Do?" will let readers ask the Goddess of Love/Beauty/Fertility and Fabulousness how to solve any manner of problems with love, romance, beauty and, most importantly, men. Venus, of course, will offer advice in her super snarky fub fabulously fun way. Watch for it!

So, I guess that's about all I can tell you about me. Again, I'm so glad to be here. Hope you'll stop by my personal blog also. I can be mildly entertaining sometimes, I think. :-)