INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR SHAEN MEHL

​I’m a USA Today Bestselling author who writes inspirational cozy mystery from my home in the Midwest, where I live with my artist husband, Danny, and our two rambunctious, but adorable, little boys. Trained as a literary novelist and with a decade of librarianship under my belt, I love discussing all things bookish with my readers on my website and on social media.  

First of all, tell us about YOU.

Whew! That’s a hefty question to tackle! We all contain multitudes, don’t we? I guess at the top of the list of descriptives would probably be that I try my best to live an authentic Christian life, that I love my family and friends, and that I’m happy as a clam when I have a book in my hand. I also enjoy writing poetry, running, organizing, and cooking (but not baking, strangely enough!). My weakness is dark chocolate or chips and queso 😊
 
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have this line I’ve used in a couple of interviews already, that I “found a home early on in the world of words”. It’s true, though. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t making up stories, and as soon as I was old enough to think about a future career, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I’m so thankful and blessed to be living that dream now, thanks to a lot of support from my amazing (AMAZING!) family.
 

You’ve co-written three books, but now you’re writing on your own. What’s that like?
 
Co-writing with Nancy was an absolute blast and such a wonderful introduction to publishing. Even though we have different creative approaches (she’s a “pantser”, who writes more spontaneously, and I’m a “planner”, with all my plot diagrams and character charts), we were able to collaborate really well.

The day I signed the contract for my first solo book, I had to take a deep breath. Writing a book on your own is so different. It’s a lot more solitary. You don’t necessarily have someone to bounce ideas off of all the time– unless you have a critique group or beta readers hanging out in the wings. You can’t hand off the baton when you get tired and need a break. You’re doing all the heavy lifting yourself, practically and emotionally. It can be such a good, strengthening thing, though... writing alone forces you to rely a lot more on God and trust the creative process, too.
 
You’re at the beginning of your career. What are the positives? The negatives?

There are so many positives! I love getting to spend my day being (virtually) surrounded by other writers and readers. I feel like I’ve really found my tribe of people! I also love building a reader community from the ground up. I’ve been able to get to know a lot of my readers personally, and right now, I have the time to engage with them on social media, which I really enjoy. I also appreciate the relative freedom that I have as a newbie writer. I’ve found a nice niche with cozy mystery (and it’s a genre I truly enjoy writing), but I don’t yet have pressure to commit to any other particular genre. I can try out a bunch of different options to discover which one fits best.

As far as negatives, there really aren’t many, other than I have to work a little harder than an established author to build name recognition 😊
 
Writers are encouraged to promote themselves and their work. How do you do this?

Promotion is so necessary, but it can often feel awkward to hawk your own work. Collaborating with other authors helps it feel more natural to me. Right now, I’m running a “page hop” on my Facebook page, where a few other authors and I take turns reading chapters of Little Women on Facebook Live each weeknight. We’re not directly promoting our books, but we are doing something important: connecting with our readers and providing them with an experience.

I also like to participate in giveaways when I can. I’m taking part in a Celebrate Lit book tour this summer with a bunch of other CF authors, and I’m personally running a big contest this June on my author website, where I’ll be giving away a stuffed-to-the-brim bookish box of reader-centric items, as well as two of my cozy mysteries, to the winner.
 
Where do you want to be in five years? Ten?

If God wills, I’ll still be writing! I’ve learned to hold things loosely in life, though. Corrie Ten Boom was a wise woman and had a quote about that very thing. I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands. God is so good to give us the desires of our hearts, but I want to make sure to always trust Him first and not put my plans above His.

In five or ten years, I also hope to see my boys, who are little now, grow into strong, kind young men, and I’d love to get involved with some kind of worldwide ministry that helps children, like Compassion International.
 
Tell us what you’re working on now.

I’m excited to have a lot of writing projects in the queue right now! Guideposts has been very good to me, and I’m currently working for them on three separate series: The Mysteries of Lancaster County, Savannah Secrets, and their upcoming 2021 series, Mysteries and Miracles of Mercy Hospital, set in the absolutely charming Charleston, South Carolina. I also have a novella that will be included in a holiday suspense collection called Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection, along with a bunch of other fantastic Christian Fiction authors, including Nancy, Mary Alford, Cara Putman, Loree Lough, and more.
 
Anything else you want to share with us?

I’d love to connect with any readers on Facebook in Shaen Layle’s Reader Room! The community is small but growing and includes such wonderful people. You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads, or on my website at www.shaenlayle.com. Thank you so much to the Suspense Sisters for hosting me on your blog today! Y’all are awesome!

Shaen is giving away a copy of her book, A SLOWLY DEVELOPING STORY. Please leave a comment, along with your contact information for a chance to win. 

A Slowly Developing Story

When Lauren Collier sells a vintage camera from her late grandfather’s estate to Secondhand Blessings, Elizabeth opens the back and is surprised to discover an undeveloped roll of film inside. After Elizabeth tells Mary about the film, with Lauren’s permission, Mary offers to get the roll processed, and the prints she had made reveal a mystery involving a local Amish man who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. Can Elizabeth help Lauren discover who this mystery Amish man is and how he is connected to Lauren’s grandfather? Could it be possible that Lauren has family in the Amish community? Meanwhile, Mary gets involved with making baked goods for Lancaster County’s Helping Hands program, which is hosting a fund-raiser to aid foster children. However, Mary’s repeated failed attempts at baking only tempt Martha to take over the project herself—an unwelcomed proposition, to say the least! Can Martha and Mary set aside their differences long enough to help Elizabeth solve a decades-old mystery?

Buy A SLOWLY DEVELOPING STORY here.