5 COMPELLING QUESTIONS WITH SHAWN PODCAST
Join award-winning author, editor, and publisher Shawn Reilly Simmons as she chats with bestselling, well-established, and up and coming writers about their work, the author life, and the process behind creating compelling fiction.
ABOUT SHAWN...
Shawn Reilly Simmons has been involved in the mystery writing community for over twenty years. She was one of the main organizers of Malice Domestic for twenty years, and now serves on the Bouchercon board of directors, and will co-chair that event in 2027. Shawn is the author of seven novels and counting in The Red Carpet Catering mystery series and is a prolific short story writer, with her work appearing in a variety of well-regarded anthologies. Shawn has won the Agatha Award twice for her short fiction and the Anthony Award for best anthology (editor).
In addition to her own writing, Shawn is President and Managing Editor at Level Best Books, a crime fiction press with a roster of roughly two hundred authors. She is also a co-host of the YouTube series We Are What We Read, which features authors highlighting books that have inspired and influenced them and their careers.
Shawn is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Crime Writers’ Association in the UK, and a founding member of The Dames of Detection. She is a regular attendee, panelist, and moderator at mystery events like Bouchercon, New England Crime Bake, Writers' Police Academy, and the Suffolk Mystery Festival. Shawn was invited by the Scottish Association of Writers to adjudicate the 2021 Short Story Competition and teach a workshop on novel vs. short story writing. She has also read to consider books for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award.
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
5 Compelling Questions With Shawn is a fun and informative conversation with authors and industry professionals about the writing life. Shawn will pose five Compelling Questions about the creative process, the craft of writing, finding inspiration, and navigating the world with a creative career. The answers always end up being more compelling than the questions!
Tech things: We record via zoom, but only use the audio. Interviews typically last from 20-40 minutes. Be sure to have a good internet connection, mic on your computer, or an external mic/headset setup. If you are coming through clear there is no need for special equipment.