Shannon Dittemore
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  • June17th

    My First Lie

    Posted in: Childhood

    Blue BalloonsThe first lie I remember telling led straight to death.

    Literally.

    My sixth grade class had been set a reading challenge: For every ten pages we read, we’d be given a balloon to release. Inside each balloon was the student’s name and address.

    I know, right? This would never be done nowadays, but a couple decades ago…

    Anyway, the finder of the balloon was encouraged to write the student telling them a little about themselves and where they were located.

    That way we’d know how far the balloon went. That way we’d know how far reading took us.

    You see it right? The appeal this had to a little girl with a nose for words and big dreams clawing at her gut?

    When it came time to fill out that form, I strolled through the school library and found the biggest, fattest spine there. Which happened to belong to…

    WAIT FOR IT…

    Little Women.

    Okay, so I hadn’t read it, but I would. I was sure I would.

    Now, I must also tell you that as a writer-type person, I’m not really good at math. Mostly, I just don’t have the time or the inclination to give it a try. This has never been more true than in that moment. Had I been intelligent enough to divide Little Women’s 600+ pages by 10, I’d have realized I was in a bit of trouble.

    Needless to say, math was not my first priority. Winning this challenge was. After all, maybe some glittering movie star in the hills of Hollywood would find one of my balloons. Maybe, just maybe, I’d become famous. I was a fuzzy-haired sixth grader with lofty dreams and only the promise of helium and latex to pin them to.

    The day came and the balloons were delivered. And, boy, were they. Kids on either side of me got two and three balloons. I was certain I’d get at least five or six. Stupid math.

    Of course, I’m the last one to receive my reward and that’s probably because my lie had sucked up all the helium in the universe.

    It took several staffers to wrestle my balloons through the door. All 60+ of ‘em.

    Twenty-something years ago now, and I still remember breaking into a cold sweat. It was June but I was shaking and mortified. Having been swallowed by the balloon bouquet from hell, the upside was no one could see my shame. They could only see my big, fat, multi-colored lie.

    And yet… buried beneath the shame was a tiny speck of hope. After all, with sixty balloons heading into the great unknown, I could almost smell the superstardom.

    I’d like to say I was talented enough to carry this dream-filled burden out to the field by myself, but the truth is, I needed help. I passed the balloons around, making my classmates complicit in my lie. When, at last, the whistle blew, my lie was released with all the fanfare a public school can muster.

    And then… well, then I felt compelled to actually read Little Women. Which, I did. And by the time Beth had died and Amy had married Jo’s man and I’d cried all my sixth grade tears, I received a letter.

    One of my balloons had been found!

    Was it a red one or a yellow? Was it a green balloon or blue? Who cares! My dreams had come true.

    I opened the letter with the fury of a soon-to-be seventh grader praying, praying the lie had been worth it.

    Alas…

    Know who found my balloon?

    A grave digger.

    Know where he found it?

    In the cemetery behind the school.

    Oh he was a nice man, I’m sure. And I’m sure the Grim Reaper is only doing his job.

    But, as a preacher’s brat the consequences of my helium-powered lie were all too clear:

    You lie. You die.

    I mean, what could be more obvious!?

    It took a tattered edition of Louisa May Alcott’s masterpiece, sixty balloons, and a gravedigger to drive the point home.

    Balloons still give me the willies.

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  • May29th

    Angel Eyes Broken Wings Dark Halo (spoiler alert!)

    One year ago today, the first book in the Angel Eyes trilogy hit shelves. It’s been a whirlwind of writing and activity since then. Three months ago, book two released and in three more months, the conclusion, Dark Halo, will be out and about.

    So, in honor of all these little milestones, I thought some Show and Tell was in order. No Dark Halo spoilers, I promise, but for those who haven’t read Broken Wings, here’s a snippet. This is our first look at the Prince of Darkness. And, since we’re celebrating, let’s do a giveaway too. Three winners will receive a trade paperback copy of Broken Wings, and one lucky winner will receive an advance reader copy of Dark Halo! I’ll pick my winners on Friday, June 7th. Read the excerpt below and use the Rafflecopter to enter.

    Silence consumes the assembly now, imposed on them by the sight of an icy white figure dropping into the hall from above. His wings, spread wide, are white save the tips, which retain a char he’s never rid of.

    Black-tipped wings for the Prince of Darkness. Healthy wings. Strong wings. His skin shines like polished marble. His hair lies in curls of midnight around his face—still fresh, still bright, still retaining the beauty that seduced a third of the angels. Human eyes would have a hard time distinguishing the Prince from a Warrior like Michael. But the absence of light behind those pale blue eyes hints at the creature’s true nature. And they are pale, so pale the blue seems buried far below, glinting like coins at the bottom of a well.

    He’s exquisite. Majestic.

    And he’s afraid.

    Celestial light has been banned from this place, but even here among the arctic shadows, fear cannot hide. Its blackness swirls in a controlled spin down his right arm, over his well-formed bicep, around his elbow, circling around his forearm and sliding from his palm down his middle finger where it puddles beneath his throne. Tendrils branch out across the stone floor seeking, seeking.

    He cups his hand, allowing the fear to pool there. His fingers close around the sticky substance and he prods it, molds it like a human child playing with a handful of clay. All the while, his eyes rip into the demon before him.

    After a slow descent, the Prince’s feet touch upon the seat of his throne—the graven dragon behind him. His legs and waist are wrapped in cords of white. His torso and arms are bare. Very little separates him from the other archangels. And yet so much.

    Pearla watches the Prince. The Creator gave him beauty—a beauty unrivaled—and he’s taken great pains to preserve it. His time here in Abaddon has kept him from the damage his hordes have suffered in the light of the Celestial. Pearla’s heard stories of the Prince venturing above, but his untarnished appearance alone is proof that his time to heal greatly exceeds that of his minions.

    “Sit.” His celestial lips are still, unable to vocalize anything but animalistic rages—like those assembled, like the demon chained to the floor, like every angel he led astray—but they all hear. They all obey. It’s sad, really. His song, like his face, was far superior to all others. Now his mouth is good for nothing.

    Wings rustle and talons scratch as countless demons crawl and flap toward rough shelves cut into the cliffs surrounding the hall. The demon chained to the floor drops to his knees.

    Humility, even false humility, is appreciated here.

    The Prince doesn’t sit, though. No. He stands on his throne, his legs spread wide, looking down at the demon trembling on the floor.

    “It’s unfortunate, brother, to see you in chains. Again.”

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  • May23rd

    Angel Eyes Broken Wings Seeing Cinderella Plastic Polly

    On Saturday, June 8th, I’ll be signing copies of both Angel Eyes and Broken Wings in El Dorado Hills, California. My good friend and author, Jenny Lundquist, will also be there with her middle grade books, Seeing Cinderella and Plastic Polly.

    Face In A Book is a fabulous little bookstore that provides a unique and intimate setting for chatting with readers. We’ll be taking questions, about our books and about the wild world world of publishing. If you’re a young adult or middle grade reader come on out. And if you’re not, come anyway! Let us convince you.

    Saturday, June 8th

    11am – 1pm

    Face In A Book

    4359 Town Center Blvd, Suite 113, El Dorado Hills, CA

    Books will be available for purchase.

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  • May15th

    You can do it 2I have these moments. They come hard and fast, drops of sunlight peppering my face as I sprint beneath a canopy of leaves.

    There and then gone.

    In these rare moments, I FEEL like a writer. Like a published author. Like someone who has the enviable job of writing stories for a living. They’re wonderful, these moments. They bring with them a simple, pure, always fleeting feeling of confidence.

    I can do this. I can write another story. I can BE this person.

    I work hard to respect these moments. To honor them by sitting down in my office chair and dumping words onto a page. Because the truth of the matter is, these inspirited moments are fragile. They dissolve at the very hint of negativity, at the first wind of frustration, at the stink of words like trending and bestseller. It takes very little to scare my muse away. And without that confidence, without the itch of inspiration compelling me to write, it can be a fight to keep my head in the game.

    I’m not alone in this, I know that. This isn’t even a problem unique to writers, but the truth is, these battles are fought in a place where you are of little help to me and I am of little help to you. Bloody battles are fought daily between my ears. In the noisy, crowded, aching place where my thoughts churn and churn with little relief. And when I’m losing, my very own mind flips those once sunny moments inside out and uses them against me.

    We writers spend so much (too much?) time here. In our own heads. We dissect everything we read, everything we watch, everything we hear. We try to fashion it and shape it and invert it into something usable. Into something we can write about. We pass a man yammering to himself on the sidewalk and, within minutes, we’ve concocted an entire backstory and plot. We know how we’d write this man.

    Or we don’t. And that kills us.

    We sulk away and claim writers block. We doubt we ever had THAT THING. That spark, that gift, that mojo.

    We doubt. We doubt. We doubt.

    We’re afraid to fail. So we stop writing. But that only angers the beast inside us and we’re reminded that just because we may not write in practice, we cannot simply walk away from the lens we view this world through. Whether you sit and write or not, your brain will not let you be. And so you have a choice: to write through the doubt or to let it gnaw on your gut as you wait for another passing moment of enthusiasm.

    Should you take breaks? Yes, absolutely. Weeks? Sometimes. Months? Maybe. But should you ever let doubt be the reason you walk away? I think, no. Doubt is a monster we should never, ever feed.

    I don’t know that there is one answer to the problem of self-doubt. But I think there are things that can help.

    1. Redefine success. This word doesn’t have to mean what you’ve always assumed it meant. Redefine it. What is success to you? To me success is mattering, making a difference to someone. That’s success. I’m a Christian so I want to honor Christ. Success. I want to be of value to my publisher. That’s real, that’s success. Your definition of success might not match mine, but you should take a moment to figure out what it is. And be willing to adjust your definition as you grow.

    2. Write through the doubt. It’s hard to swallow sometimes, but the only way to chase away the I CAN’Ts is to prove that YOU CAN. So prove it to yourself.

    3. Write fearlessly. Being afraid to fail is very real, but if you let it hold you back, fear wins. Want some truth? We’re all afraid. Doing it anyway is what makes us fearless.

    4. Look for inspiration. Those of us who write as a career have to learn something early on. Inspiration will not pay the bills. That said, perhaps you’re missing daily inspiration by assuming it will look as it always has. Try this, go outside. Be with people. Scrounge through bookstores and libraries. Go on grown-up field trips. Investigate the world around you. Inspiration may sporadically attack us, but if we go out looking it’ll have to try awfully hard to hide.

    And finally,

    5. Inspire someone else. Be the wind in someone else’s sails for a while. Put your pride, your competitive nature, your angst, fear, and doubt aside and lift someone up. Give them a sunshine moment. Not because you’re fishing for inspiration from their lips, but because we all need a little encouragement from time to time. And because others need to know just how valuable their contributions to the world are. Tell them.

    These are just a few of the things that help me when I’m lost in the darkness of my own mind. What have I missed? What advice would you give? Today, let’s choose action in the face of paralyzing doubt.

    YOU CAN do this. You absolutely can.

    *And for the record, that picture up there–me with the sign–was taken for a project the lovely Myra McEntire put together. She also has some inspiring words to share on the monsters of doubt and depression. Read them. Be encouraged.

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  • May6th

    I’m all squirmy just doing this, you guys!

    *Puts on a kilt* *Paints face blue* *Gets brave*

    *Clears throat*

    *Yells*

    I have ARCs of DARK HALO!

    Dark Halo ARCs

    For the newbies, Dark Halo is the final book in the Angel Eyes trilogy and is set to hit shelves in August. I cannot wait to share it with you all, but I’ll be honest. The idea of sending the conclusion out into the world is slightly terrifying.

    It’s the end, you know? THE END.

    *Breathes*

    SO! In a Marty McFly effort to prove I’m not chicken (AND I’M NOT!), I’d like to give away my very first advance reader copy. The one right there on top. I’m using the uber easy Rafflecopter for this one, and there are lots of ways to enter. If you’re on Twitter, you can even come back daily to throw another entry into the hat.

    I’ll pick a winner on Monday, May 20th. Spread the word, okay? Help a chicken out.

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  • April16th

    The Champion_group

     

    If you’re here, you know me. At least well enough to know I’m the author of the Angel Eyes trilogy.  Two of the novels have been released and the third, Dark Halo, will be on shelves in August. It’s been a journey I will never, ever forget and throughout it all, there is one question I’m asked time and again.

    Why write about angels and demons?

    It’s a legitimate question, especially since the Christian marketplace is known more for their romantic novels than anything else. But I have to admit, at first I was a little taken aback by the question. You see, angels and demons have always played on the backdrop of my storytelling experience and it was the most natural thing in the world for me to speculate about.

    I grew up in a church where the creative arts were encouraged. As a teenager, I was part of a traveling team that performed mime, puppetry, dance,  dramas and the like. We were called (and I almost hate to tell you this) DMV, the Dynamic Mighty Voices, which I’ve always thought was curious since the one thing we DIDN’T do was sing.

    We started out doing puppets and such for the Sunday school classes at church and that led us to our first competition where we took home little gold medals in both puppetry and mime. After that, our fearless leader, Sherry, led us through every open door that followed. We performed at malls, a Billy Graham crusade, with Psalty. All things, you church brats will appreciate. But mostly, we toured other churches, youth groups, and schools. It was a time that shaped so much of who I am today. And it absolutely fueled my passion for storytelling.

    About a month ago, I did a Twitter chat with Inspire Writers and I promised to post a few pictures of myself during these years. See, when church kids tell stories, there is always a built in bad guy. Satan, right? And somehow, some way, I ended up playing him an awful lot. I couldn’t find as many pictures as I would have liked, but here are a few.

    And yes, I give you permission to laugh. 

    DMV

    This is the oh-so-official publicity shot for DMV.  I’m in the bottom row, far left, and that is my favorite puppet, Penelope. Please note the birds up there in the top row. They’re sitting on the shoulders of Sherry Patterson. She is to blame for much of what I am today.

    Tempest_Sylvan

    This shot was taken a bit earlier. I was in junior high here and this is a school production, The Tempest. Not sure why I’m wearing different colored tights, but here I am as Sycorax.

    Cool Girl_YWAM

    This was taken at summer camp. I’m there on the far right. We were the mean girls before mean girls were cool.

    Sleepwalking_Mall

    Performing at the mall here, a mime called Sleepwalking. I’m the second from the right. So many hilarious make-up faux pas when we were in our face paint.

    Champion_TJ

    Here we are performing Carman’s, The Champion, on the beaches of Tijuana. Now, the truth is, youth groups the world over have done this drama. Certainly not original, but I got to play Satan. Tons of fun, by the way.

    Mary_LWCC

    Of course, I’ve played Mary the mother of Jesus. I mean, who hasn’t? I can’t quite remember when this was taken. After high school some time.

    Eternity

    This was a show I did while in college called Eternity. It’s very similar to Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames. See all those angels behind me?

    And you wondered why I chose to examine the invisible. ;)

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  • April2nd

    Dark HaloGood morning friends!

    I’ve just finished going through the typeset pages for Dark Halo.

    I have to tell you, there is something so satisfying about ending a story just where you wanted to end it, and I’m grateful Thomas Nelson gave me the opportunity to share Brielle’s journey with you all. Not too much longer, you guys. August 20th!

    BUT, before I send these pages off, I thought I’d share a little teaser. That sound fun?

    And since we’re here, all of us, hanging out, we might as well do a giveaway, right?

    How about a signed copy of Broken Wings and a snazzy Broken Wings poster? Let’s keep it simple this time. Leave a comment on this post and I’ll choose one lucky winner on Monday, 4/8.

    Broken Wings and poster

     

    And now for the teaser….

     

    Both Angel Eyes and Broken Wings have three narrators and Dark Halo is the same. Want to see whose eyes you’ll be looking through as the trilogy comes to a close?

     

    Dark Halo teaserWhatcha think? Leave a comment for a chance to win!

     

     

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  • February13th

    Broken WingsBroken Wings hits shelves crazy soon, you guys! If you spot her out there, strike a pose and snap a pic. Tag me in it and I’ll share it with my peeps.

    I really am excited about this one. We pick up Brielle’s journey about 7 months after Angel Eyes ends. There are new angels, a demonic army, swords and scimitars and secrets. (Oh my!) The Prince of Darkness gets a little stage time as well.

    It was a fun story to write and I’d love to celebrate its launch with you. I’ll be doing a few giveaways at the event–books and swag–and I’ll have bookmarks for everyone. Here are the details.

     

    Broken Wings Launch and Book Signing

    Saturday, February 23rd | 1pm – 3pm

    Barnes & Noble, Birdcage

    6111 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA

     

    And since I know you can’t all come to the launch, I’m running a giveaway here as well. One lucky winner will receive a prize pack including signed copies of Angel Eyes and Broken Wings, an Angel Eyes poster, a Broken Wings poster, and bookmarks. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter and I’ll announce the winner the morning of the launch. Thank you all for celebrating with me!

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  • January12th

    49er locker room

    I am a huge 49er fan. Always have been. When I was a kid, the team practiced just up the road and my dad would take the three of us girls out to watch. I even have a war story (and maybe a scar or two) from the time I got Jerry Rice’s autograph.

    Needless to say, this climb back to glory the Niners have undertaken is quite exciting for me. There have been so many moving pieces and parts to track as the franchise fights their way back from nearly a decade of struggles. One of the more recent, and more colorful pieces to watch dance has been head coach, Jim Harbaugh. From his hard hitting handshakes to his vein popping tantrums on the sidelines, he is quite a character. And I like characters.

    When he came to San Francisco, he brought with him a saying from his childhood that has really become the anthem of the team and, in turn, Niner Nation. It goes a little something like this:



    The story of how that saying came to be is here, but the real genius of it is found in how Harbaugh’s used it to build a culture around his players. Early in the season (obviously) I caught an interview Bob Costas did with Vernon Davis and Alex Smith. Bob Costas asks Alex (and I’m paraphrasing here) how, through all the years, through all the criticism, was he able to maintain belief in himself. This is what Alex says:

    For me, I think, I looked around at the league, especially at the quarterback position, and you soon realize that nobody has it easy. No one had the easy way to become a starting quarterback and playing well. Everybody’s gone through things, everybody deals with things. It’s the good ones–the guys who stick around are the guys who focus on what they can control . . . The people that allow the other stuff, the negativity to creep into their head, allow it to affect them, you aren’t going to be around very long. You’ve got to be thick skinned. You can’t let those things change your work ethic, change your approach to the game.

    Wise, right? And because I think sports are a great metaphor for living, that statement has stayed with me. I assume it’s stayed with Alex as well. I hope it has. It’s all part of that culture, isn’t it? It’s a mindset that says, “NOBODY has it better than me. Everyone I am tempted to compare myself to has stuff to fight. They have things they must battle through, mountains to conquer. No one has it easy.”

    I don’t know, maybe I’m just overly excited about tonight’s game. And nervous. I’m nervous. Because we’re playing the Packers. And since every game moving forward is possibly our last I thought I’d take this opportunity to share this lesson I learned from Coach Harbaugh, Alex Smith, and the Niner Nation.

    Who’s got it better than us?

    NOBODY!

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  • November27th

    It’s a YA Christmas everybody! And for 12 days, I’ll be giving away a few of my favorite things.

    BOOKS!

    Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. You can continue to enter throughout the contest, so pop by and get your name in often. I’ll announce one winner each day starting next Monday, December 3rd and running through Friday, December 14th.

    The daily prizes are listed below. Each winner will receive an electronic copy of Broken Wings. It’s an e-galley, an early copy, which means you’re special because Broken Wings won’t be hitting shelves until February. Pretty cool, huh!? One grand prize winner will be announced on the 14th and will receive a copy of all six books.

    A huge thanks to my publisher, Thomas Nelson, for helping me put this giveaway together. They really are amazing. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

    12/3: Broken Wings & Angel Eyes both by me! WINNER: Elisa Calhoun

    12/4: Broken Wings & If We Survive by Andrew Klavan WINNER: Alissa Fendrick

    12/5: Broken Wings & Swipe by Evan Angler WINNER: Chrissy Wolfe

    12/6: Broken Wings & Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee WINNER: Alyssa Washburn

    12/7: Broken Wings & Spirit Fighter by Jerel Law WINNER: Donna Stinson

    12/8: Broken Wings & Angel Eyes both by me! WINNER: Cordelia Fitzgerald

    12/9: Broken Wings & If We Survive by Andrew Klavan WINNER: Carissa Sikes

    12/10: Broken Wings & Swipe by Evan Angler WINNER: Britney Wyatt

    12/11: Broken Wings & Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee WINNER: Dani Mione

    12/12: Broken Wings & Spirit Fighter by Jerel Law WINNER: Cynthia McCord

    Fun little update: Jerel Law is also offering a signed copy of his newest book, Fire Prophet, with the 12/12 giveaway!

    12/13: Broken Wings & Angel Eyes both by me! WINNER: Bethany Baldwin

    12/14: GRAND PRIZE! One copy of each book listed above. WINNER: Alicia Argenti

    Note: Broken Wings will be an electronic book that is emailed to you. All the other books in this giveaway are trade paperback.

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