Author Interview with Shannon Reber

I’m always interested in authors who write book series. I’ve contemplated writing sequels to my books and turning one or more into series, but when I try to think about how the events would continue, I’m stumped. My characters and plot only seem to live in that one moment in time.

Fantasy authors tend to build entire worlds and situations around their characters. Instead of stuffing as many details into the confines of one story as possible, they trust the reader to allow the story unfold from book to book.

Shannon Reber is a YA Author with her own series of five fantasy books. Below are her answers to my 10 questions. Be sure to visit her Facebook and Twitter pages, and check out her books on Amazon!

1. How many books have you written and where can you buy them?

I have written a complete series of five novellas, The Uniters Code, a short story The Seer (The Seal of Solomon Prequel), and a novel The Puppeteer (The Seal of Solomon: Book 1). Book 2 should be out very soon! They’re available on Amazon, my favorite site ever.

2. What famous books can you compare to your own?

The Puppeteer is kind of a mix between Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and The Sword of Shannara . . . kind of. The Uniters Code series is a little like X-Men (comic books still count as books IMO), mixed with a modern version of Throne of Glass.

3. Why do you write for this particular age group?

I write YA fantasy because I LOVE YA fantasy. It’s about all I read. It puts past difficulties into perspective. When you can see a teenage version of you or someone you knew going through difficult circumstances and prevailing, that’s therapy for all the years of teenage angst. And I also love when the female MC gets to kick a little butt. Always wanted to do that when I was a teenager!

4. How autobiographical are your books?

Well, I’d love to say mine are autobiographical, that I have paranormal abilities and like to save the day, but that would be a tiny bit of a lie. There’s always some part of myself or my best friend stuck in every story for good measure, but mostly, the characters are their own beings with their own issues. They tell me their story and I write it. (The people in my head, I mean.)

5. What’s the best compliment that you’ve ever received about your writing?

The best compliment I ever got was actually in a review of my first novella. The reviewer wrote, “I have been captivated by this series. I find myself wanting to go in and help Layna.”

I LOVE that! My book took someone out of their own life enough that they forgot it wasn’t reality. That’s what a book is supposed to do, take you away. I did it!

6. What has been your greatest moment as a writer so far?

My greatest moment was in finishing the Uniters Code series. I have been writing for years, puttering around with so many stories, but have never once concluded something to a degree that, I hope, all the questions were answered and the happily ever after is set in stone. It was amazing. I’m still giddy about it!

7. Where do you get your covers?

One of my best friends is a graphic designer. She has designed every cover for my books and so far as I’m concerned, she will design one for every book I write. She does amazing work. The pictures are a mix of stock images and some of her sketches and computer genius. I’m serious. She’s awesome!

8. Who is your biggest fan?

That’s a tossup. My dad, my best friend and a very sweet elderly woman who bought one of my novels last summer might have to have a stone circle death match to find out which one is the biggest.

9. What is next for you?

At this point, I’m working on Book 3 in my Seal of Solomon series, as well as Book 1 in a new series. Still YA and still fantasy, of course. I switch back and forth between the two while also tinkering with other books on the side.

10. End with a quote from your book.

This is a quote from the book which will be out in a month or two. This is something which I think can be applied to emotional and physical scars alike.

“Dad told me I’d won my first badge of honor. He said we all have scars and that we wear them with pride, to remind us of the lessons we’ve learned.”

I hope you’ll let that small comment by Shaila inspire you, as it inspired me when the voices in my head spoke them to me.

I’m Shannon Reber. If you want to check me out on