Shanna Hatfield ~ About the Author

Our last featured author of the year is Shanna Hatfield

Shanna writes these amazing love stories, where the couple always seems to find not only love but a better, more positive life. They may need to learn some hard lessons, but in the end, love finds them worthy. Jen has read a few, and I have some on my TBR. I am hoping to enjoy them after Christmas.

She also has one of the greatest newsletters where she shares recipes, bits about her books, and of course, the antics of her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. You will find the link to join it below.

I can’t wait; let me introduce Shanna Hatfield.

Personal

Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something not many people know.

I love to bake, and plan parties. In another life, I might have operated a B&B or been an event planner.

What made you want to become a writer?

Books have always been part of my life, and that love of books was a gift from my mom. She read bedtime stories to me, then listened when I was old enough to read them myself. The joy I got from books led me to want to create stories of my own to share.

Which author(s) do you read the most?

I enjoy reading many different authors, but some of my favorites are Debbie Macomber, Karen Witemeyer, and Jodi Thomas.

Do you play a musical instrument or sing?

I can play the piano, although I don’t get much time for it these days. I used to love to sing and was in the choir in high school, just don’t ask me to perform any solos!

What type of music do you listen to?

A variety. It depends on what book I’m working on because I tend to listen to music that helps set the mood for the story. If I’m listening for fun, it’s usually today’s country hits, or songs from the 1980s.

What is the worst job that you have ever had?

Hands down, the worst job was working as a “motel maid” for three weeks before the health department shut the place down. I was new in town, attending college, away from home for the first time, and it was the only job I could find at the time. I was not sad when it ended. The worst moment from that experience was when I went to change the sheets on a bed and found what had been either a hamster or gerbil before it was smooshed.

Where do you go to relax?

My favorite place to relax is at home with a good book. Give me a cup of tea or hot chocolate, my cozy chair by the fireplace, and I’m in bliss!

This sounds perfect.

Does Captain CaveDweller help you with your writing?

He does! He’s a great sounding board, and he’ll see things from a totally different perspective than I do, which is wonderful. He is amazing, and I’m so blessed by his continuing encouragement, support, and willingness to listen to my crazy ideas.

Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or an un-haunted cottage or maybe an old ranch house fixer-upper?

Not a haunted mansion. I lived in a haunted apartment for a few months, and that was not a great experience. We have a ranch house that seems to constantly need something fixed up, so I’ll go for a cottage. I love Thomas Kinkade paintings, so the word “cottage” always makes me think of the lovely images he painted.

I get that, as we have a few of his paintings too.

What is your go-to recipe or restaurant?

My go-to recipe for a quick dinner is something Captain Cavedweller calls noodle goo.

One large package of wide egg noodles

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning

1 teaspoon onion flakes

Put water on to boil (according to noodle package directions), and while it is coming up to temp, break the ground beef up in a medium skillet and start browning. Add a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and some all-purpose seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash) and a spoon of onion flakes to the beef. While it is cooking, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until fork-tender. Drain the water from the noodles and return to the stove top. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the beef. Mix in the two cans of soup, give it a good stir, and cook just until it all blends and the soup is hot. You can either mix in the cheese before serving, or plate the noodles and sprinkle cheese on top. You can also serve with spaghetti sauce that has been warmed.  Serve with a  nice tossed green salad and warm bread to complete the meal.

My go-to dessert recipe is crisp. It can be assembled quickly, and you can use any type of fruit.

3 cups of raspberries (you can use any type of berry or fruit)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup butter – softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cornstarch and granulated sugar with berries. Let rest for about 10 minutes.  I mix this right in the baking dish – using a square 8-inch pan. While the berries are doing their thing, mix the remaining ingredients together with a pastry blender, food processor, or a fork. You want the mixture to have a crumbly texture. Sprinkle on the berries and bake until fruit bubbles and topping is golden brown, generally around 30-40 minutes.

Are you ready for the upcoming holidays?

Nope. Not even close to being ready. I usually have my shopping finished by now and have started decking my halls but between a kitchen remodel this summer and my dad breaking his ankle and needed round the clock care this fall, I’m way behind schedule.

How did you get involved with the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund?

Back in 2013, I was researching details for The Christmas Cowboy, the first book in the Rodeo Romance series. I wanted to know how much medical care an injured cowboy would receive at a rodeo versus going to the hospital.

In the story, the hero is a saddle bronc rider named Tate, who sustains an injury at a rodeo. In an attempt to get my facts straight for the story, I reached out to the Justin Sportsmedicine Team®. Through mobile medical centers, they provide care at more than 125 PRCA rodeos annually. Their responses to my questions were extremely helpful, and I was so impressed with them, I wanted to do a little something in return.

So, I launched a campaign to donate a portion of my book sales to the JCCF. This is the 10th year for my Read a Book, Help a Cowboy campaign.

This is such a cool way to help out cowboy sportsmen. I know we donated last year and bought some books. We are looking forward to doing the same this year.

Writing Style

What do you love most about your writing process?

Creating characters that stay with readers. I love it when a reader tells me they have a book hangover. Or they reread a book (or series) because they’ve fallen in love with the characters. That makes my heart so happy.

Do you have a writing schedule?

Normally, yes. I treat my writing like a full-time job, and you can find me in my office working five to six days a week, eight to ten hours a day. It doesn’t seem like work, though, because I love writing the stories that are in my head and heart.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym, or do you?

I don’t, and haven’t really considered it. It’s important to me to just be authentically Shanna Hatfield, flaws and all.

What comes first for you, the plot or the characters?

Both! It just depends on the story. Sometimes the plot comes to me, and I add the characters. Other times I have a character in mind and figure out the plot to go along with the character.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or do you feel like you have the reins of the story?

Most of the time, I have the reins, but sometimes they sure like to be bossy and tell me the direction they want the story to go!

Do you choose the character names based on how they sound or their meaning?

I don’t usually look at the meanings of names unless it is specific to the story, but the sound of a name, how it rolls off the tongue, is something I definitely consider. I like the names I choose to be different, off the beaten path, and hopefully memorable.

Describe your writing space.

My office is a happy place for me. Generally, it’s neat and tidy unless I’m bumping up against a deadline, then there are research books and papers piled here and there. The walls are a calming “spa” green with white trim around the doors and windows. Green is one of my favorite colors, so it’s a joy to spend the day in a room I so enjoy.  My desk is huge (a find Captain Cavedweller dragged home from a yard sale years ago) and gives me lots of space to work. The window nearest my desk faces our neighbor’s pasture, where their dogs keep me entertained with their antics.

It sounds lovely.

How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?

There are scenes that grab onto my heart like I hope they do the readers, and those can be hard to get through. I’ve sobbed my way through a few of them. Or laughed out loud at some that were funny. For me, you just keep on writing through them.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

It depends on if I’m writing in an existing series or something new. If it’s an existing series, I don’t have to spend much time on world building because it already exists. It’s more of adding to what is there. If it’s a new project, I do spend time thinking about the landscape, the buildings, the season, and the overall feeling of the place before I start writing. For my Summer Creek series, I even made a map of the town so I could “see” where everything was located.

What is your favorite cover out of all your books? Why is it your favorite?

That’s like choosing a favorite child. So hard to pick one! Here are three:

• Lake Bride – it is just so pretty, and it tells a bit of the story right there with the cover.
• Lucky Shot – it has the perfect vibe for a story set in 1972.
• Distracting the Deputy – it has a dreamy, romantic quality to it while being playful too.

Book/Series

How did you come up with the titles of your books?

I most always think of the story and what I want the title to say about it. Sometimes the titles are fun (like Crumpets and Cowpies), sometimes it’s a single name (like Aundy or Sadie), and sometimes it has a little action in it (like Protecting the Princess).

Does one of the main characters hold a special part in your heart? If so, why?

Of all my characters, one that has stayed in my heart is Sadie. She endured so much, and you just really, really want her to have a happily ever after. From the Rodeo Romance series, one of the characters that stayed with me is Jessie from Chasing Christmas. She is quiet, a little on the shy and reserved side, but she has so much to share with those who take the time to get to know her.

Now I am going to have to add Sadie to my list.

When writing a series, do the previous characters pop into your head to add to the story of the new couple?

Yes! All the time. They want readers to remember them, even if it is just a passing mention with an update of what is happening in their lives.

What is your favorite part about working in the romance genre?

Romance! The swoony, sweet falling in love thing is something I will never, ever get tired of writing.

How did you decide on the setting for Tricking Christmas?

Tricking Christmas is tied to the Savoring Christmas, which released last year in that the heroes of both books are cousins, and they both live on the same ranch with their grandmother. Since Tricking Christmas is part of the Rodeo Romance series, there had to be some rodeo settings, and it was a lot of fun to include the main characters doing their thing at rodeos.

Do you travel to the rodeos, or were you involved in rodeos before?

We have two rodeos we like to go to each year, and one of them is the National Finals Rodeo. It’s something special we look forward to all year.

When you are writing a book set in the past, how do you get into the characters?

I’m a very visual person, so I create Pinterest boards for all my books. With the historical stories, especially, it helps me to see the clothes from the time period, and house plans, paint colors. All of that helps shape the story and the characters in my head.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Everywhere! I can be standing in line at the grocery store or bank, or flipping through a magazine, and something will spark an idea, and from there, a story or character begins to grow. I also love to take drives with Captain Cavedweller. I almost always come home with a new idea just from something we’ve seen and then brainstorm together.

What project are you working on now?

A brand-new holiday series called Christmas Letters. There are four books that all begin with a good old-fashioned snail mail letter. I’ve had several people mention how much they miss getting “real mail” and I thought this series would just be a fun way to tie into how special a letter in the mail can be.

Do you have any books planned for next year?

I do! The first one will release in January in my Winter Wishes series. It’s called Winter Wonderland Romance.

Where to find Shanna on the web:

To see my reviews of Shanna Hatfield’s books, go HERE!

Shanna’s Series

Love at the Beach

 

Pendleton Promises

Romance by Chance

Stand Alone Romances

Non-Fiction

Holiday Romances

Winter Wishes

Other Holiday Books

Collaboration with Other Authors

Giveaway

Prize: (1) $15 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A special thanks to Shanna Hatfield for spending her time with us. We are so grateful that you were able to, and those recipes look amazing. I can’t wait to try them.

Until the next time,

Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon, Books A Million, and Barnes and Noble affiliate, meaning that if you click on a link that takes you to one of those retailers and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.

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