What’s your pen name? I don’t have a pen name.
I write my psychological thrillers as Sharon A. Mitchell and my autism series of novels and nonfiction books as Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell
Tell me about your most recent story you’re writing and the title.
My latest book came out less than a month ago – Reasons Why. It’s the fifth book in a psychological Thriller series. I’m currently working on book six in the series.
Who is your biggest cheerleader and why?
Probably my husband, who has great faith in me, often more than I do myself.
Do you like cliffhangers? Why or why not?
That depends. I enjoy them in the middle of a book, especially at the end of chapters. I can’t wait to get to the part where I learn what happens on that cliff. But I don’t enjoy books that don’t have a satisfying ending.
If your antagonist had to pick only one weapon, what would it be and why?
Her mind – matching wits against opponents and figuring them out.
What is the most helpful information from beta readers?
I like to hear from them if I’ve left any dangling ends, something I really dislike and try to avoid.
How did you decide to become a writer?
I was a consultant with a school district. Some teachers wanted to try NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) with their students. The district said that a consultant needed to be involved. I happened to be out of the office that day and got “volunteered”. Seeing these students put themselves on the line, proclaiming their writing goal and striving to meet it, I could hardly do less, although writing 50,000 words in 30 days seemed daunting. But I started in and loved it!
What personality trait is common in your heroes?
Inner strength, although they might not know they possess it initially. They also learn the value of friendship and community.
Is your main character type A or type B personality and why?
That’s a tough one if you’re asking me to generalize. I’m working on my twelfth novel, plus have three short stories. All feature female protagonists, but each is so different. I’d say that they’re evenly represented by Type A and B personalities, although by the end of each book, the woman has stepped up and might be closer to an A.
Which was your favorite book you read this year?
Nonfiction – Steven King’s On Writing
Fiction – James Scott Bell’s Your Son is Alive
Do you have any professional writing training?
I’ve taken umpteen courses in writing to improve my craft and on the business side of writing. Academically, I have a doctorate degree, so lots of research and writing was necessary along the way.
What is a writing resource you’d recommend for other authors?
- Elana Johnson’s Indie Inspirations Facebook Group
- 20Booksto50K Facebook Group
- Self-Publishing Formula Podcast
- Anything on TheCreativePenn.Com
How many books have you written?
- 15
What’s your writing goals for 2022?
- In January 2022 my sixth psychological thriller will be published
- I’m unsure if I will continue with more books in that series or start a new series. I had five books published in 2021, so will do at least a few in 2022.
Tell me about a book you’d like to advertise here and why?
- GONE: A Psychological Thriller
- Although the books in this series do not need to be read in order, GONE is the first one and I think that the subsequent books are more enjoyable if you’ve started with GONE.
- GONE was such fun to write!
Cassie Swindon 