I don’t know why I picked up Enchanted, Inc. At the time, the only ebooks I bought were from e-publishers, even though it had already been on my wish list.

But I did and I loved it, to the point that both Enchanted, Inc. and it’s sequel, Once Upon Stilettoes, are on my rereads list. So it’s a great thing that I bought them as ebooks, as it’s always nice to have an old favorite with me everywhere I go.

And on that note, I present to you, the super-sweet Shanna Swendson (I do love to alliterate, don’t I?). Even though I think she ought to lose some sweetness points for having the Title Gene.

1. On a scale of one to ten, rank your current level of insanity­ where ten is belongs-in-lunatic-asylum insane ­and tell us why.

I’m probably around a 7 or 8. With a new book out, I have a lot I need to do, and I’ll be traveling a lot. Meanwhile, I really should be writing.

2. Were you named after Shanna, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s romance classic? Has anybody asked you this question before?

I was not. I’m actually older than the book. I think it came out when I was 8 or 9. My parents knew some people with a daughter named Shanna, and they liked it, so that was my name.

I do get asked that question, though, most notably by Kathleen Woodiwiss herself! I was at a small writing conference where she was the keynote speaker, and at the opening reception, she saw my nametag and her eyes went wide. She then came over to me and said, “Do you mind if I ask how old you are?” I told her I was older than the book, so, no, I wasn’t named for it. I do now have a copy autographed to “the real Shanna.”

3. In your first blog entry, you say “I suck at keeping diaries or journals of any sort.” That doesn’t appear to be the case now. Blogging’s addictive, eh?

I think it helps to have the accountability of knowing that there are people out there reading it. When I’m just journaling for myself, I already know all that stuff that I’m writing even if I don’t write it down, so what’s the point? But having an audience means there are people who haven’t heard all these stories before. Meanwhile, it does sort of serve as a personal record for myself. I can always go back and see what was going on or going through my head at a particular point in time, which is one of the reasons for keeping a journal. Mine just happens to be very public! Though I do leave
out the really, really personal stuff that might go in a diary.

4. You’ve written several articles for pop culture anthologies such as Flirting with Pride and Prejudice and the upcoming Everything I Needed To Know About Being A Girl, I Learnt From Judy Blume. Do you think writing those articles has helped you gain a better understanding of the culture your books are written for?

I don’t know that the two are really connected, actually! I write the essays on things I’m already in tune with, and quite often, things I’m already discussing in excruciating detail online. Having these books just means I get paid to do it! Where it seems to help me is in training myself to be more analytical and to sense patterns. I also think of these books as advertising for my novels. If someone who’s a fan of one of these topics reads my essay, they might look for my books.

5. Do you think you’ll be going back to write romance novels with the traditional HEAs?

I doubt I’ll ever write a truly traditional romance novel. I feel a bit stifled by some of the conventions. I like the slow-build relationships (which you can probably tell from my series), and I like there to be at least a little suspense as to which guy the heroine will choose and if they’ll get together. One of the key concepts behind a romance novel is the assurance that there will be a Happily Ever After and that the guy we meet early in the book really will be the hero. Readers can get very, very angry if those expectations aren’t met in a book published as Romance. But I’m kind of bored with that type of story. I prefer mixing things up a bit, and that will likely keep me off the romance shelves. I also really hate writing sex scenes, and the romance genre is moving toward hotter and hotter, which also leaves me out. I have more freedom to write things my way in general fiction.

6. How much do you love Harry Potter?

LOVE!!!!! I just think those books are so clever. I love the whimsy of mixing the magical world with the modern world. The use of magic to satirize many aspects of the modern world is also brilliant. The characters are so vivid and relatable. And the plots just keep twisting. I’ve been surprised every time, so I’ve quit trying to guess what will happen. I’m looking forward to a good reading marathon this summer to prepare myself for the next (and final! Sob!) book. I pretty much was Hermione when I was that age, bushy hair, big front teeth and all, so I really identify with that character and it’s been fun to watch her grow up.

Shanna Swendson has a LiveJournal and a MySpace page. Damsel Under Stress should be available in a bookstore near you.