I was never a reader. In fact, if a teacher told me I had to read, it was almost painful. It wasn’t that I couldn’t read. I just didn’t like it.

Then one day when I was twenty-five years old, a friend of mine brought me a stack of historical romance novels and said, “Here. Read. You’ll like these.”

With a roll of my eyes, I reluctantly picked one up, flipped a few pages, flipped a few more, and before I knew it, I had read my very first novel, and I had enjoyed it! It was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

After that, I was hooked. I read every historical romance my friend had brought me, and then I headed over to the library. At twenty-five, I had my very first library card. And boy did I use it! I made my way through every historical romance I could find, and then moved onto contemporary romance and then landed in romantic suspense. Which is where I fell completely in love. To this day The Troubleshooter series by Suzanne Brockmann is still my favorite.

Six months after that reading binge I picked up a pencil and starting scribbling a novel. It was crap, but I was writing. I was writing! I joined Romance Writers of America, started going to meetings, met tons of other authors, and really began to understand the genre from a writing perspective.

Now years later, I have written romance, adventure, thrillers, adult, young adult, and middle grade novels. But when it’s time for me to have some “me” time, I always pick up a romance to read. I love being lost in the story and the emotion and the ups and downs. And boy oh boy do I love my book boyfriends. I change often, though. As soon as I put a book down and pick another one up, I’ve just found my new crush. 🙂

When I decided to write a new novel, it did not surprise me in the least that I chose a romance. I had just gotten done writing a couple of adrenaline packed thrillers and needed a switch. And just like when I read, I always seem to return to my romance roots.

I’ve heard people talk about the “book of their heart” and always thought that was such hokey thing to say until I wrote Shadow of a Girl. This book gutted me (and I mean that in a good way). It took a lot out of me to write it, and I have such a personal connection to the story and to my main character, Eve. If I could reach inside the book and give her a hug, I would.

But more importantly, my hero, West. Talk about book boyfriend. I don’t think I’m going to be giving up on him for quite a while. He is beyond swoon worthy.

I hope you fall in love with Eve and West and their emotional journey. What I love most about them is that they are each other’s compliment. Eve is very quiet and contained and West is very light-hearted and out there. But there is a reason why they are the way they are…. If you get a chance, let me know what you think after you read the story. I’d love to hear from you!

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Shadow of a Girl Blurb:

“Gritty and intense, the tension sizzles off the pages!” –Kimberly Derting, author of The Taking

Use cash and keep moving.

After I ran away from home, these were the two rules that dictated my life. Scoring a job as a roadie fit perfectly for what I needed. Traveling, cash, and life out of the spotlight. But when my path collides with West, the lead singer of Bus Stop, I can’t seem to stay out of his spotlight—especially since we’ll be touring together for an entire year.

West is determined to break down my walls. He won’t give up. And little by little they come crumbling. But if he knew what lurked behind them, he wouldn’t be so eager to get rid of them.

The more time we spend together, the more the lines of our friendship become blurred. He makes me dream of things I never thought possible. But while our friendship has been evolving into a romance, my secrets have been closing in. And just when I’ve decided to reveal my past to West, I’m confronted by it. The cost of my freedom could ruin the life of the guy I love…

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Shannon Greenland is the award winning author of several novels including the teen spy series, The Specialists, and the YA romance, The Summer My Life Began. Her latest teen novel, Shadow of a Girl, is due out 9.19.16. She also writes thrillers under S. E. Green and lives off the coast of Florida with her very grouchy dog. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and at ShannonGreenland.com.