Q&A With Shanora Williams 

Recently I was able to read an early copy of Beautiful Broken Love & I enjoyed it very much! It was my first time reading anything by Shanora! Shanora writes Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance & Thrillers that are all on the USA Today & New York Times Bestsellers Lists! Many of her novels are parts of series, duologies and trilogies & some are standalone novels! 

Q: Shanora, would you please give a brief description of your series, duologies, trilogies and standalone novels beginning with your new release Beautiful Broken Love?

A: Oh, man. I write in so many genres that it’s hard to sum them up, but one thing I can say all of them have is angst and drama. That’s my favorite thing to write no matter the genre, and those elements are in Beautiful Broken Love as well.

Beautiful Broken Love is a novel about a grieving woman who meets an NBA star seven months after losing her husband and has an automatic connection with him. It’s a story about loss, healing, grief, and most importantly, love.

Q: Shanora, I enjoy reading romance & mystery/thrillers! I know you obviously enjoy writing them! What is it that you enjoy the most about writing thrillers and romance?

A: When it comes to thrillers, I love drama, tension, and high stakes. I love the darkness (fictionally, of course) and being able to tap into that wicked side of my mind and see what it can crank out.

When it comes to romance, I simply love to see my characters who normally have gone through a lot, end up with the beautiful happily ever after they deserve.

Q: How does an idea for a story come to you and how long does it take for you to write a book?

A: My ideas usually strike me randomly. I could be getting a manicure or pedicure and suddenly a big “what if” question pops into my brain. Things like: What if that woman hasn’t heard from her husband in three days? What if she murdered him and is pretending, she knows nothing? (This is my thriller mind at work. lol).

If the idea pesters me, I jot it in my notes and let it rest. Most times I know a story is worth writing when it circles back in my mind multiple times, and I literally can’t stop thinking about it. It’s almost like my head is crammed with words and ideas and if I don’t get them out somehow, I might go crazy. Being a writer truly tests your sanity sometimes. Ha.

Q: I admit I really enjoyed Beautiful Broken Love because the themes of grieving, moving on, forgiveness and second chance romance are all intertwined to make this beautiful mosaic of a story. I admit that I teared up a little here and there! What lessons and emotions do you hope readers learn & feel after reading Beautiful Broken Love & any of your books really?

A: With Beautiful Broken Love, I simply hope readers feel hopeful. There are so many of us grieving different things in our lives, not just the loss of family and friends. We beat ourselves up, feel down, feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but I’m living proof that there is light. I wrote Beautiful Broken Love to deal with the grief of losing my brother. I needed to cling to hope so that I wouldn’t lose myself entirely to depression, and writing this book healed me in a way. Hopefully those who read it feel slightly more healed too.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to any of your books? For Beautiful Broken Love I picture either Michael Ealy or Trai Byers would be my dream cast to play Deke Bishop!

A: So far, no. But that would be lovely. Those are good male leads! I can see that happening.

Q: Do you have any upcoming releases and are currently writing new stories right now? If so, can you reveal any details?

A: I am currently writing a new romance connected to Beautiful Broken Love. I’m not sure how much I can spill just yet, but if you’ve read the book, you’ll probably have a good guess of who the next story is about. 😉

Q: Since you’ve written thrillers, contemporary romance and fantasy romance, if you had to write other genres, which ones would you explore next?

A: I think I’d dip my toe in women’s fiction. It doesn’t stray too far from contemporary romances, and I bet it would be just as fun to write about female leads living their best (or worst) lives and seeking happiness.