Shelley has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania. She sold her master’s thesis to a major commercial publisher after she graduated in 2002, and it subsequently became a double finalist in the 2004 National Readers Choice Awards. Grounds to Believe, her debut novel from Steeple Hill Books and the first book in her Elect Trilogy, won the 2005 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Novel of the Year from the Romance Writers of America. The second book in the trilogy, Pocketful of Pearls, became a RITA Award finalist the following year. Between books, Shelley enjoys playing the piano and Celtic harp, making historical costumes, and spoiling her flock of rescue chickens rotten.
Nikki: When did you first feel “called” to write and how did that evolve into the writing life?
Shelley: I don’t think I was ever called . . . I’ve just always written. I got my first review when I was eight on a school composition about a ghost in a graveyard, and decided then and there that I was going to be a writer. We never played “house” when I was a kid. With me scripting the adventures, our neighborhood gang played “Escape the Orphanage” and “Survive in the Wilderness” and “Adrift at Sea on a Raft.” Since we actually had a sea to be adrift upon (on Canada’s west coast) this one was a lot of fun.
As an adult, I trained my imagination with education and classes on the craft of getting the story down on paper. I work three days a week at a marketing communications agency, but the rest of the time, I’m out in the garden with my chickens. They debug the yard and I write from 11 until 4.
Nikki: How has writing deepened your spiritual journey?
Shelley: This industry demands a lot of trust—in yourself and in God. He has made it very plain to me that this is where He wants me, so I’ve learned to pay attention when I feel a sudden breeze and realize that He’s opened a window behind me while I was staring at the door.
Nikki: Tell us something most people don’t know about you and would be surprised to learn.
Shelley: I’m a historical costumer. My mom taught me to sew when I was five, and the first thing I made was a costume. I live and work in Silicon Valley, in the midst of cutting-edge technology and a fast pace, so it’s a mental respite to work with fabric and lace and the straight of grain, putting together something beautiful with your own hands (and your Elna). I’ve made a Regency day dress with bonnet and spencer, a Regency ballgown, an 1892 late Victorian ballgown (for which I had to buy a corset), and a couple of Renaissance things. If you’re on Facebook, you can see the Victorian one here. Next up is an Edwardian ballgown to go with some of the Art Nouveau jewelry I collect. And maybe one of Elizabeth Swann’s dresses from Pirates of the Caribbean. I’ve had a hankering for a robe à la Francaise, or saque-back dress, for a while now despite the necessity for pocket hoops (for examples, click here).
Nikki: What is it about your writing style that readers tell you draws them to your books?
Shelley: The emotion, and maybe the darkness. The theme I work out most often in my books is that of a woman trapped in a structure that she hasn’t chosen and doesn’t know how to get out of. Her emotional journey as she learns who God really is frees her from these structures, whether they’re community expectations, a toxic church, or simply a life she’s accepted but hasn’t chosen. I think many women unconsciously identify with these themes, and like to see a woman’s struggle at the center of the story.
Nikki: Tell us one of the high points of your career and what it meant to you?
Shelley: Folks might think that winning the RITA was the high point—and it sure was. But even better than that was having my parents read Grounds to Believe and begin their own journey out of the toxic underground church in which four generations of my family had lived. I left that church in 1998, and they came out in 2006. It’s a miracle I still thank God for today.
Nikki: If people want to follow your writing journey, where are you on the Internet and what appearances do you have scheduled this year?
Shelley: I live in a couple of places on the web. For my women’s fiction, you can find me at http://www.shelleybates.com. In May of 2008, FaithWords will be launching a new line of novels for Christian teens, beginning with two of my books written as Shelley Adina. Find out about them at http://www.shelleyadina.com. I’ll be doing six books total in the All About Us series, and am having way too much fun with them! “God, girlfriends, and a great handbag–what else do you need to survive high school?”
I’m done with traveling for this year, but next year I’ll be speaking at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Pittsburgh, PA (April 16–20), teaching at Seton Hill University (June 24–29), teaching at the RWA National Conference up the street in San Francisco (July 30–August 2), and hopefully attending Mount Hermon and the ICRS trade show as well. Good thing I bought new luggage!
Shelley’s latest release: Over Her Head (FaithWords May 2007).
Sneak Peek -
What kind of mother suspects her own daughter of murder? Laurie Hale has the perfect life—and the perfect family to go with it. She imagines fun, love, and academic success for her daughter, Anna. But when one of Anna’s classmates is murdered and the police start asking questions, fear and suspicion threaten everything Laurie values. Anna isn’t the only suspect—a whole group of teenagers seems to be involved, but none of them is talking, and the community is in an uproar. Laurie is asked to leave her prayer group just when she needs it the most, and her marriage bears the strain of the crisis. Laurie’s only ally is Janice, the mayor’s wife, whose own son could implicate Anna—or exonerate her. Laurie must face her fears: What if Anna really was involved in Randi Peizer’s murder? And what kind of person is Laurie if she can doubt her own child’s innocence?
“A riveting story.” Lauraine Snelling
“As tragedy unravels a community and a church, a good woman is forced to face the stark truth of her own faith. Once more, Shelley Bates has created a compelling story of crisis and spirit.” Mary Jo Putney
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About the Author:
Nikki Arana is an award-winning author living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She is the recipient of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for Women’s Fiction, The Beacon Award, nd the Jessie Cameron Alison Writer of the Year Award. |