Interview with Shannon Greenland (The Summer My Life Began)

What would your ideal summer vacation be like?
I spent 10 days in Hawaii once. I’d love to go back, redo some of my hikes, and explore more. Yes, definitely my ideal summer.

Em has an extraordinary talent for cooking. What’s your favorite dish to make?
Funny, but I make my own spin on Chex Mix that everyone seems to request I bring to parties and get-togethers. It takes all afternoon to slowly bake it, but boy is it worth it!

THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN focuses partly on Em trying to figure out who she really wants to be. Did you go through something similar as a teen? At what point in your life did you decide that you wanted to be a writer?
When I was younger I wanted to be everything from a doctor to an accountant to a mechanic to a (insert anything here). It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I started ‘tinkering’ with writing and realized how much I love it.

If you could offer Em one piece of advice, what would it be?
People say “follow your heart”, and while that’s cliche, there’s definitely truth to it. I think it’s important to follow your heart, but do it through your head.

What’s one thing readers would be surprised to find out about THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN?
That it’s not one of my Specialists series. I have received tons of emails from Specialists fans wanting to know if it’s the next book in my spy series. No, it isn’t. (Sorry, Specialists fans!)

Learn more about Shannon Greenland
You name it, Shannon Greenland’s done it. Hiking, rafting, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, mountain biking, spelunking, canoeing, power lifting, running, camping, para sailing . . . well, you get the drift. She’s traveled the world extensively and is thrilled to be living in northern Virginia, looking for her new adventure. Believe it or not, Shannon dreaded reading and writing when she was a kid. How ironic that she’s now an award winning author.
Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads page