Shelly X.
Leonn is the author of The Broken Series. After graduating with a Bachelor of
Arts in journalism, Shelly worked at her hometown newspaper as the web and
youth editor. During her time advising the youth staff, Shelly realized her
true calling was teaching. Her years in education have been spent in middle
school and high school language arts classrooms. She is also an adjunct
professor. She and her two boys reside in Affton, and she enjoys reading,
writing, outdoor activities, anime, video games, and other dorky pastimes.
Shelly is represented by Stephanie Hansen at Metamorphosis Literary Agency.
How can
readers get in contact with you?
shellyxleonn@gmail.com
Instagram
and Wattpad: @shellyxleonn
www.drsxl.com
What would you like readers to take
away from your book?
I wrote this
book with many of my favorite students in mind. As a teacher, I've always
gravitated to the kids on the fringes, the students who want to meld into the
background and be ignored. These are often the kids with the most creativity
and spirit. I hope readers learn to see the beauty in everyone's
"broken" after reading my series.
What did you learn while writing this book?
I already
knew a lot about paranormal investigation, but I had to research some of the
finer points, especially with proper equipment. I also had the opportunity to
learn more about Bellefontaine Cemetery, which is one of the most stunning
historical sites in the St. Louis area.
What did you hope to accomplish with
this book?
My first
goal was always to tell a weird, cool, scary, intense story about a bunch of
weird, cool, intense kids.
Which character did you have the most
fun writing about?
Lex! I call
Lex my firstborn creative son. While some of the other characters took some
time to develop, Lex popped into my head fully formed. He and Penelope are the
two protagonists of the book. He is brilliant, angsty, isolated, and
damaged—just like most of my favorite people in my life.
What do you believe makes your
stories stand out?
I think my
focus on setting makes my stories unique. I've been told that some of the
locations in this first novel stand out to the point of almost being their own
characters.
What do you do when your book isn’t
selling?
It just
released!!! I'll get back to you on that one.
What literary event can we find you
this year?
I'll be
presenting at the next meeting of the St. Louis Writers Guild with my best
friend, LL Montez!
Who was
the first author you ever met?
Wow, I don't
know! I've met many authors through the years through the various teaching
conferences I've attended. I will say how much I enjoyed meeting Matt de la
Pena before he got really big. He visited my classroom, and he really knew how
to connect with my students.
What’s the most interesting change in
your life as a result of being a published author?
Too new to
tell!
What has surprised you most about
being a published author?
I've been
most surprised by the amount of time the entire process of being traditionally
published takes! I knew this going in, but the reality is very difficult to
face. I was so eager to hold that print copy in my hands, but I've had to
rediscover the importance of patience.
What about writing do you wish non
writers would understand?
I wish
nonwriters understood that just because someone is a good writer doesn't mean
they're going to be picked up by an agent. I know how lucky I am, and I'm
grateful every single day.
Can you give us one do and one don't
for those aspiring to be an author?
DO think
about more than one definition of success. Traditional publishing, Kindle
Unlimited, Wattpad, small press publishers ... The options are endless!
Do NOT think
querying agents is the only way to make it big as an author. I know plenty of
self-published authors who are killing it!
When you're not writing, what do you
like to do in your spare time?
Like my
characters, I love visiting historic sites and cemeteries. I'm a huge reader,
of course. Doing anything outside makes me smile. My two sons bring me the most
joy, and we're always hanging out outdoors together.
Oprah always asks, what do you know
for sure?
Write your
truth, no matter what the cost.
Any last words for our readers?
LaShaunda is
a beast and I'm honored to be interviewed by her!!
Penelope, a
student reporter, struggles to find her identity after a childhood of tragedy.
Desperate to prove herself to her peers, she chases a story tip on a secret
organization of teen urban explorers called “The Broken.” The group demands she
complete a test before they let her write the story. While following the clues
of their twisted scavenger hunt, she encounters Lex, a paranormal investigator
with a knack for hacking, and together they work to uncover the organization’s
darkest secrets. As they tag along on some of the group’s urban exploration
missions, including an abandoned farmhouse, a vacant mall, and a haunted truck
stop, they became entangled in the group’s inner fighting and their leader’s
plans that turn out to be much more nefarious…and deadly…than they’d believed.
Realizing her mistakes too late, Penelope will have to fight for her own life
and the lives of her friends as she learns what it means to be one of the
broken.
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