Shannon Baker is the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2014 Writer of the
Year and the author of the Nora Abbott Mystery Series, which includes Tainted Mountain, a 2013 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award
finalist, Broken Trust, and Tattered Legacy, slated for a March 2105 release. Learn more about Shannon and her
books at her website.
Fact
versus Fiction
I am not the kind of
writer who can make up whole worlds from my imagination. My plots always come
from real stuff, the cool facts I read about. For instance, when I moved to
Flagstaff and found out about the controversy to pump manmade snow on the San
Francisco Peaks—land sacred to 12 tribes—I had to write a story about it
I needed a
protagonist in the center of the storm who had everything at stake. That turned
out to be Nora Abbott, owner of the ski resort. Driven, insecure, timid and
ferocious in equal measure, Nora sprang onto the pages.
In my research about
the tribes involved, I stumbled across the Hopi. Suddenly, my book took off in
a whole new direction that lent itself to a mystery series. My Hopi research
turned up so many intriguing aspects of their history, culture, and beliefs I
couldn’t address even a fraction in one book. So I was excited when I was
offered a three-book deal. Tainted
Mountain delves into the Hopi prophesies and explains a little bit about
their ceremonies. It introduces kachinas and their role in Hopi lives.
For Broken Trust, I wanted to focus on a
different aspect of Hopi’s connection with the world. Hopi are concerned about
end times. According to Hopi beliefs, we now live in the fourth world and we’ve
just about messed it up so badly we’re approaching the end of this world and
emergence to the fifth world. Sad news for most of us, since not very many will
survive to start the fifth world.
In Broken Trust, Nora returns to her
favorite place, Boulder, and lands a job at an environmental trust.
(Coincidently, I also moved back to Boulder while I was working on this book.)
But all is not as it seems. The trust is a hotbed of conflict and corruption.
Nearly a half million dollars is missing and Nora’s predecessor is murdered.
Nora’s mother pops
onto the scene with her own drama. She is determined to hook Nora up with
handsome Cole Huntsman. Cole has been waiting for a year to let Nora get over
the death of her husband and the traumatic events in Flagstaff, but he’s ready
to start a relationship with her. In the meantime, with the help of quirky
staffers at the Trust and an Ecuadorian hunk, Nora uncovers a plot that could
destroy one of the most pristine locations on the planet.
And how, you might or
might not be asking, is such monumental destruction possible? That was the
really fun part for me. I got to research conspiracy theories surrounding HAARP
(High-frequency Active Auroral
Research) and using weather as a weapon of mass destruction. This stuff is
scary/interesting. I spent hours watching Jessie Ventura and others present the
case that the shadowy Powers That Be are planning to control our minds/kill us
all/wreak havoc on the environment. I dabbled in learning a little (very
little) about Tesla towers and the potential for sustainable energy.
When I sold Tainted Mountain I was happy and proud
of my new baby. We all know the analogies of writing and publishing books to
having babies. I don’t know if anyone else felt this way, but when I was
expecting my second baby, I worried I’d never be able to love it as much as I
loved my first one. And even though I’d planned and wanted the baby with all my
heart, part of me was jealous it would come between me and my firstborn. Weird,
I know. But I kind of had the same misgivings about creating a series and
wondering if I’d love the second book as much as the first.
The book is here and,
just as it was with my kids, I do love book two as much! I learned a lot
between book one and two and even more between two and three. It turns out I
like writing a series and I’m glad Nora got to live on.
What about you? What
is the most interesting or fun fact you learned while reading fiction?
Broken
Trust
Nora
moves to Boulder and lands a job as an accountant at an environmental
non-profit. But the trust is rife with deceit and corruption. Nearly half
a million dollars is missing and one person has already been killed for knowing
too much. Complicating matters are Nora's uninvited visitors: her mother, Cole
Huntsman, and a Hopi kachina that technically doesn't exist. As the body count
climbs, Nora races to stop a deadly plot to decimate one of the planet's
greatest natural resources.
Buy
Links
6 comments:
Thanks for having me today, Lois. I don't know what the weather is like where you live but here in Nebraska, it's drizzly and gray. A great day to snuggle with a book.
Sold! I cannot wait to read, Shannon. Congratulations on Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year! And love the background of how this novel came to be. Waving hi to Lois for bringing this author to the forefront! Happy Friday.
Shannon, it's a gorgeous autumn day here in NJ. The sun is out, and there's a cool breeze with a high expected of 75. My favorite kind of weather! I'll definitely need to step away from the computer later and take a long walk.
Waving back at ya, Donnell!
HI Donnell, I hear you got snow last night.
Congratulations, Shannon, on the Rocky Mountain accolades!
Thanks, Angela. It is really an honor.
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