Shelley
has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University
of California at Santa Cruz and an M.A. in
Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University
in Pennsylvania. She sold her master’s
thesis to a major commercial publisher after
she graduated in 2002, and it subsequently
became a double finalist in the 2004 National
Readers Choice Awards. Grounds to Believe,
her debut novel from Steeple Hill Books and
the first book in her Elect Trilogy, won the
2005 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Novel
of the Year from the Romance Writers of America.
The second book in the trilogy, Pocketful
of Pearls, became a RITA Award finalist the
following year. Between books, Shelley enjoys
playing the piano and Celtic harp, making
historical costumes, and spoiling her flock
of rescue chickens rotten.
Nikki: When did you first
feel “called” to write and how
did that evolve into the writing life?
Shelley: I don’t
think I was ever called . . . I’ve
just always written. I got my first review
when I was eight on a school composition
about a ghost in a graveyard, and decided
then and there that I was going to be a
writer. We never played “house”
when I was a kid. With me scripting the
adventures, our neighborhood gang played
“Escape the Orphanage” and “Survive
in the Wilderness” and “Adrift
at Sea on a Raft.” Since we actually
had a sea to be adrift upon (on Canada’s
west coast) this one was a lot of fun.
As an adult, I trained my imagination with
education and classes on the craft of getting
the story down on paper. I work three days
a week at a marketing communications agency,
but the rest of the time, I’m out
in the garden with my chickens. They debug
the yard and I write from 11 until 4.
Nikki: How has writing
deepened your spiritual journey?
Shelley: This industry
demands a lot of trust—in yourself
and in God. He has made it very plain to
me that this is where He wants me, so I’ve
learned to pay attention when I feel a sudden
breeze and realize that He’s opened
a window behind me while I was staring at
the door.
Nikki: Tell us something
most people don’t know about you and
would be surprised to learn.
Shelley: I’m a historical
costumer. My mom taught me to sew when I
was five, and the first thing I made was
a costume. I live and work in Silicon Valley,
in the midst of cutting-edge technology
and a fast pace, so it’s a mental
respite to work with fabric and lace and
the straight of grain, putting together
something beautiful with your own hands
(and your Elna). I’ve made a Regency
day dress with bonnet and spencer, a Regency
ballgown, an 1892 late Victorian ballgown
(for which I had to buy a corset), and a
couple of Renaissance things. If you’re
on Facebook, you can see the Victorian one
here.
Next up is an Edwardian ballgown to go with
some of the Art Nouveau jewelry I collect.
And maybe one of Elizabeth Swann’s
dresses from Pirates of the Caribbean. I’ve
had a hankering for a robe à la Francaise,
or saque-back dress, for a while now despite
the necessity for pocket hoops (examples).
Nikki: What is it about
your writing style that readers tell you
draws them to your books?
Shelley: The emotion,
and maybe the darkness. The theme I work
out most often in my books is that of a
woman trapped in a structure that she hasn’t
chosen and doesn’t know how to get
out of. Her emotional journey as she learns
who God really is frees her from these structures,
whether they’re community expectations,
a toxic church, or simply a life she’s
accepted but hasn’t chosen. I think
many women unconsciously identify with these
themes, and like to see a woman’s
struggle at the center of the story.
Nikki: Tell us one of
the high points of your career and what
it meant to you?
Shelley: Folks might think
that winning the RITA was the high point—and
it sure was. But even better than that was
having my parents read Grounds to Believe
and begin their own journey out of the toxic
underground church in which four generations
of my family had lived. I left that church
in 1998, and they came out in 2006. It’s
a miracle I still thank God for today.
Nikki: If people want
to follow your writing journey, where are
you on the Internet and what appearances
do you have scheduled this year?
Shelley: I live in a couple
of places on the web. For my women’s
fiction, you can find me at http://www.shelleybates.com.
In May of 2008, FaithWords will be launching
a new line of novels for Christian teens,
beginning with two of my books written as
Shelley Adina. Find out about them at http://www.shelleyadina.com.
I’ll be doing six books total in the
All About Us series, and am having way too
much fun with them! “God, girlfriends,
and a great handbag--what else do you need
to survive high school?”
I’m done with traveling for this
year, but next year I’ll be speaking
at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
in Pittsburgh, PA (April 16–20), teaching
at Seton Hill University (June 24–29),
teaching at the RWA National Conference
up the street in San Francisco (July 30–August
2), and hopefully attending Mount Hermon
and the ICRS trade show as well. Good thing
I bought new luggage!
Shelley’s latest release:
Over Her Head (FaithWords May 2007).
Sneak Peek -
What kind of mother suspects her own
daughter of murder? Laurie Hale has the
perfect life—and the perfect family
to go with it. She imagines fun, love, and
academic success for her daughter, Anna.
But when one of Anna’s classmates
is murdered and the police start asking
questions, fear and suspicion threaten everything
Laurie values. Anna isn’t the only
suspect—a whole group of teenagers
seems to be involved, but none of them is
talking, and the community is in an uproar.
Laurie is asked to leave her prayer group
just when she needs it the most, and her
marriage bears the strain of the crisis.
Laurie’s only ally is Janice, the
mayor’s wife, whose own son could
implicate Anna—or exonerate her. Laurie
must face her fears: What if Anna really
was involved in Randi Peizer’s murder?
And what kind of person is Laurie if she
can doubt her own child’s innocence?
“A riveting story.” Lauraine
Snelling
“As tragedy unravels a community
and a church, a good woman is forced to
face the stark truth of her own faith. Once
more, Shelley Bates has created a compelling
story of crisis and spirit.” Mary
Jo Putney
