Q&A With Shana Galen 

Today’s Q&A is with Shana Galen the bestselling author of historical romance and chicklit. Many of her historical romance novels are part of numerous series she has written. 

 Thank you so much for inviting me!

 Q: What made you want to write historical romance and chicklit? What is your advice to anyone who wants to write in either genre?

A: When I first started writing, back in 2000, the genres I liked to read were historical romance and chick lit. Chick lit was very popular at that time. Think back to Bridget Jones’s Diary and the Shopaholic series. So I basically wrote what I liked to read, and I think that’s a good place for any aspiring author to start. If you don’t read romantic suspense, don’t write it. What you write should match your voice as well. My voice lends itself well to historical romance, and no surprise, that has been more successful for me in terms of sales. You also have to keep an eye on the market. Unfortunately, chick lit was pretty much over when my chick lits came out, which is why I didn’t continue to write them. I know now there’s always the avenue of self-publishing, but most indie authors still have more success with books that are selling in the traditional space (with some notable exceptions, of course!).

Q: What would you tell anyone who struggles with writers block?

A: I’m not the best person to give advice on this subject because I don’t get writer’s block. I don’t know if I believe in it. I think writer’s block is maybe just another name for burn-out or stress. I’ve definitely had times in my life where I did not want to write. It was a chore to drag myself to the chair every single day. Usually there was something else that was draining my energy, and honestly, sometimes I get tired of writing. It’s a job. Everyone gets tired of their job sometimes. I would suggest in those times to finish what you are obligated to finish, and then to give yourself permission to take a break and focus on something else. I took a few years and did volunteer work for an animal rescue group. I just needed to put my energy into something else for a time. And then when I came back to writing fulltime, I felt a renewed drive and excitement to sit down, open my manuscript, and get to work.

Q: Are you writing a new novel now? If so what is it about if you can reveal any small details?

A: I am writing a new novel right now, and I’m about halfway through. It’s not part of my Royal Saboteurs series, which is actually the series I have been publishing the past few months. The work-in-progress is something for a publisher, and it’s a new series that—if we agree on terms in the contract—will be out in 2024. The little blurb about it is—Inspired by Maleficent’s spell and Merryweather’s counter spell in the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, the series follows three sons of nobility, each with nothing and everything to prove, cursed by a witch after a dare gone wrong.

Q: If you were to collaborate with another author who would it be with and why?

A: I’ve collaborated with other authors in the past, like Vanessa Kelly, Anna Campbell, Christie Caldwell, and Grace Burrowes. I enjoyed those collaborations, but I also learned that I kind of like to work alone. I’m not really looking to collaborate with anyone. But…there are authors I really admire and who I think would be a good fit for my voice, including Loretta Chase, Lorraine Heath, Lisa Kleypas (I know, in my dreams), Jennifer Ashley, Sophie Jordan, and Tessa Dare. 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your novels?

A: No. They haven’t asked for them. Hollywood, my DMs are open!

Q: If you were to write in different genres that aren’t chicklit and historical romance, which genres would they be and why?

A: I have always wanted to write a novel set in World War II (but that would probably be historical romance still). I also really like reading the books of Sarah Lyons Flemings, who writes post-apocalyptic zombie books. That would be fun to write, though I wouldn’t do it as well as she does!