About Shelby Oval:
Shelby Oval is an award winning self-published fantasy writer with a passion for crafting captivating stories. Her debut novel, "Out of Embers and Shadows," is the first book in the thrilling Shadowfire series. Featuring a strong female protagonist, found family dynamics, betrayal, and the power of female friendships, Shelby's work promises to transport readers to a world of magic and adventure.

What inspires you to write?
I have never really been a writer – more like a journaler or someone who just likes to talk a lot – but one day I was hiking a grueling mountain and I began to weave this story to my partner and he stopped me and told me to write it all down. From then on I have drawn a lot of my inspiration from the different places I visit as well as from scores of epic adventures and films.

What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
So my first exposure to fantasy (my genre) was through ACOTAR. Its basically a gateway drug because now I am almost exclusively a fantasy reader. I find Sara J Mass's ability to interweave stories downright impressive while also admiring Victoria J Price's ability to throat punch you with emotions. (I highly recommend her A Legacy of Poison and Lies)

Tell us about your writing process.
Okay so hear me out – STICKY NOTES. I live and die by these suckers. When I first get an idea I do what is known as a 'brain dump' where you just pour everything out of your noggin and onto the notes. The I organize the notes and see where gaps are. From there I rewrite all the notes with as many details as possible and put those back in order. Having them on small, sticky pieces of paper means I can move different quotes or plot points around easily AND check them off when I'm done!

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I wish I could talk to them but they are pretty much the rat in my hat (this is a reference to the strange but enjoyable Disney film Ratatouille). It really is so strange to have a whole outline and plan for the story and then BOOM a new character arrives or worse, dies. You have no control, you're just simply the vessel through which their stories are being told.

What advice would you give other writers?
Keep going! Every story deserves top be told and thusly heard! I tell any new author that I am more than happy to bully them if it means achieving their goals so if you need someone to hold you accountable then message me because I will!

Also, use sticky notes.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
Once I'd written my book and had a couple people read it and boost my ego I felt like I wanted to expose it to the horrors of the world. Being the impatient and rather pertinent person I am I decided to self-publish. (You know that scene in the new Little Women where Jo March is asked if she wants to keep the rights to her book she'd been working on her whole life? Yeah that question scared the heck out of me.) While I know there is a lot of value in trad publishing I also know that it can take forever and a day to get anything published that way and I just couldn't wait – still can't! Maybe one day!

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I hope the trad industry becomes a bit more accessible in the future as there are some incredible indie authors that I feel get brushed aside to make way for mediocre big names. Lets hope that great writers still keep doing their thing so we have great books to read!

What genres do you write?: Fantasy – subgenres of epic/adventure, magical creatures, romance

What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook

Website(s)
Shelby Oval Home Page Link
Link To Shelby Oval Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Instagram

All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.