Are you curious to know more about the author of "Wild Heart"? Well, then, you have come to the right place!

My name is Ima Reader and today I have finally caught up with Shannon Wells. She has promised me an interview. First, let me tell you about her office. It's a small room, which used to be her back porch, before her husband built it in. Now, it's an office packed full of computers, laptops, printers, a sterio and a lot of other stuff that Shannon has asked me not to mention. Shannon herself, sits at a desk that she says she has had ever since she was a young girl. In fact, Wells has even hinted that she started writing "Wild Heart" while sitting at this very desk. On the desk in front of her, sits her laptop. To the left of the laptop is a small section of empty desk where she likes to set her water bottle or mug of hot tea to sip on as she writes. And, sorry to say, but that is all I am aloud to describe. /So, let's get on with the interview. Shall we?

Ima Reader: So, Shannon, when I first came in I heard something talking. Was it your computer?
Shannon: Yes, it was. I have software on my computer called a screen reader that reads the screen to me.
Ima Reader: And, you need this because you are blind?
Shannon: Yes, I do. I was born with glocoma, catteracts and scar tissue. I had some vision all through my growing up years, but went completely blind in the summer of 2000.

Ima Reader: And, that was the year you were married. Correct?

Shannon: Yes, it was. My husband, terry and I were married on March 18.

Ima Reader: All right, so back to the screen reading software on your laptop. Does it make it possible for you to do e-mail and search the web?

Shannon: Oh, yes! I can search the internet, check e-mail, and in fact, I use my laptop to write my books.

Ima Reader: About your books. How many have you written?

Shannon: I have actually written  four books, "Wild Heart", "To Tame A Heart", "Gold! A Tall Tale", and "A Quackin' Adventure", however, these last two are not in publication at this time.
Ima Reader: Wow! You are one, busy lady! First, let's talk about "Wild Heart" and "To Tame A Heart". Both are Westerns, you say?
Shannon: Yes. In fact, I like to call them Christian Western Romances. :)
Ima REader: I like that! Now, what about the other two books? From their titles, I take it they are for a younger audience?
Shannon: Actually, they are. "Gold! A Tall Tale" is about a hillbilly family who travel West to "pan fer gold in Californy". :) I would say it is about the age level of an eight or ten year old. "A Quackin' Adventure" is about a family of ducks who travel down the wide river and learn valuable life lessons from the other creatures they meet. I first told this story to my two, little girls who were two and four at the time, but I'm sure older audiences will enjoy both books.

Ima Reader: That's sounds interesting! Do you know when your children's books will be published?
Shannon: I'm not certain, at this point, but stay tuned, and I'll post the info as soon as it is available.
Ima Reader: Sounds great. Now, let's talk about "Wild Heart" and it's sequel. What are they about?

Shannon: Well, the best place to read about these two books is right here at wildheartbook.com. On the menu bar, I've posted links, so y'all can check them out. Also, for those of you who like spoilers, there are even links to read the first chapters of each. Suffice it to say, Ima, they are filled with an ex-gun fighter, an Indian woman bent on revenge, bad guys with nothing but killing on their minds, a female physician, a rancher whose world is turn upside down in the blink of an eye, secrets, high-noon duals, and a host of things I can't even remember right now. lol Also, somewhere in there, I put ten, needy orphans , who will creep in to your heart like they did mine. :)
Ima Reader: Wow! So, since "Wild Heart" started all this, tell us, please, what inspired you to write it?

Shannon: Well, when I was fifteen, I had been reading Western romance books. One Sunday evening, I sat down at my desk, put a clean sheet of braille paper in my braille writer and started writing. I wanted to see if I could write the kind of books I love to read. It took many rewrites and many years of work, but finally,"Wild Heart" came to be what it is today.
Ima Reader: A braille writer? Now, what is that?
Shannon: Well, it's a machine that writes braille. You simply slide in a sheet of thick paper called braille paper, kind of like you used to load paper in to those old manual type writers. You press a series of buttons and instead of print, it creates a series of dots called braille. You can learn more about braille at
http://www.brailleauthority.org
Ima Reader: So, do you use your braille writer when creating stories, anymore?
Shannon: No, not anymore. :) I find the MacBook much easier.
Ima Reader: About creating stories, you said a moment ago that you wanted to create stories similar to the ones you like to read. Tell us, what kind of books do you like?
Shannon: Oh, my! :) I like all sorts of stories! My favorites are Western romance, but I also like contemporary romance, mysteries, Christian fiction and inspirational stories.
Ima Reader: Can you tell us who your favorite authors are?
Shannon: I've read several books by several different authors, and in their own way, each author has been my favorite at different times in my life. Below is a list of all the authors I can remember reading. Keep in mind, this isn't a list of my favorites down to the least favorite; it's just a list. Some of the authors I have read, are: Karen Kingsbury, Susan May Warren, Sue Grafton, Dee Henderson, DeeAnne Gist, Terri Blackstock, Ray Blackston, John Sanford, Jeffrey Deaver, Patricia Cornwell, Joni Eareckson Tada, Tess Gerretson, Johanna Lindsey, Jude Deveraux, Juli Garwood, Dorothy Garlock, Willa Cather, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Diana Gabaldon, Mary Higgins Clark, Kay L. McDonald, Gilbert Moris, Lynn Morris, J. B. Hoff, Katie McCurdy, Marsha Coles, Linda Sallee, Barbie Sallee, Bram Stoker, Janet Evanovich, Linda Lael Miller, Louis L'amour, Larry Mcmurtry, Nicholas Evans, Nicholas Sparks, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Joy Hakim, Stephen King, Catherine Marshall, Beverley Lewis, Christina Skye, Christina Dodd, Christine Fehan, Jane Orcott, Diana Palmer, Sherryl Woods, Janet Dailey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ruth a. Billops, Tamera Alexander, Hannah Alexander, Christopher Reeve, Lori Wick, Janet Oake, Pamela Britton, Sharon Sala, James Patterson, Grace Livingston Hill, Catherine Anderson, Maggie Osborne, Karen Robards, Nora Roberts, Max Lucado, Lynn Austin, Robert Ludlum, Rosanne Bittner, Robin Lee Hatcher, Robin Jones Gunn, Lorraine Heath, Lorraine Snelling, Traci Peterson, Karen Hawkins, Barbara Park, Dana Fuller Ross, Harper Lee, Harriet Beacher Stoe, Mark Twain, Kathy Marie Hake, Jodi Thomas, Jodi Picoult, Peggy Hoy, Sheridan Elaine Claude, Diane Mott Davidson, Joanne Fluke, and many many more that when I think of them I'll add to the list.
Ima Reader: Wow! You've done some reading! Do you keep up with them all?
Shannon: No, but there are a few I still read: Karen Kingsbury, Susan May Warren, DeeAnne Gist, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, to name a few. I will say, though, that my all time favorite classics are the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and one of my favorite characters of classic fiction, is Huck Finn. I laughed so hard when I read that book that I cried. Bram Stoker's Dracula scared me good :), and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" made me cry. "The Bourne Identity" kept my mind so busy, I couldn't get anything done around the house for keeping up with it, and who wouldn't want to be swept away from certain death by a huge, black-haired, gray-eyed giant named Tarzan? I guess if you read my books, you might find just about all of these in them. I love to read as much as I love to write! :D
Ima Reader: And, speaking of writing :) can you give us a sneak peak of what you're working on right now?
Shannon: Well, maybe. :) I'm working on two different contemporary Christian romances, and a  devotional for women. And, there just might possibly be a third book in the Wild Heart series, but that's still up in the air.
Ima Reader: Well, Shannon, I just noticed that it's about time for you to go back to being a busy mom, so I'll end this quickly. But, before I go, tell us briefly about your family.
Shannon: Yes, I do need to go shortly, but I can tell you about my husband and daughters. My husband is a minister, and I play the piano and sing. We attend Elk Valley Advent Christian Church in Elk View, WV. Terry is a wonderful man who puts up with a lot; we are a house full of females, after all. lol My girls, Faith Christiana born on August 22, 2005and Kierstin Grace born on December 4, 2007 are sweeties that keep me mighty busy. We live in a rural town in WV that isn't too far from our families. We do ask for your prayers, though that we always, no matter what, put God first in our lives.
Ima Reader: We will certainly keep you and your family in our prayers. And, I do want to thank you Shannon for giving us a few minutes of your time. May I give the folks out there your other website information?
Shannon: Yes, please do. And, thank you for this interview. Have a nice day.

Well, there you have it, folks, an interview with the author of "Wild Heart", Shannon Nicole Wells! To learn more about Shannon, go read her blog at
http://oldtimechristian.blogspot.com
She is on FaceBook and Twitter as well.
Thank you very much! This is Ima Reader, signing off.