ABOUT ME

A Deeper Look

I've been storytelling my entire life. It's funny how all writers remember it that way. When you have stories inside you, though, that's truly how it goes. You're a little kid who can barely string a sentence together, but you use those broken phrases to tell your family stories. You learn to write and waste no time before you're filling journals. 

That's been me for as long as I can remember. Everything I've done and everything I'm currently doing shares the foundation of storytelling. 

I’ve also always been a reader. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of reading until I fell asleep and my dad coming in at some point to cover me up and take my glasses off my face. I read in the car (no, I don’t get sick) and Kindle is one of my favorite things because now I have books on hand no matter where I am. I’ve always been drawn to romance in stories. I’m the girl overanalyzing subtle romantic moments in all books, shows, and movies even when they aren’t categorized as romance.    

My degrees in journalism and cultural anthropology are rooted in stories. My education is important to me because it shapes the way I write, and my world view wouldn't exist without it.  

I published my first book, Soul Jumper, in 2020. That experience and that book will forever hold a special place in my heart. Writing Soul Jumper and the journey to self-publishing taught me so much about myself and my writing style. I've grown significantly in the years since my first book, and I’m thrilled to be able to continue to do something I’m passionate about. Helping other aspiring authors has become really important to me in in the last year (2023) and I’ve been doing more editing, Beta reading, and answering questions than ever before. I enjoy it tremendously, and hope it continues to be a staple of my business.

I made the choice not to use a pen name and overall that has worked well for me. I know authors who have multiple pen names across genres, but ultimately I decided not to do that. Maybe that will change in the future but for now it’s just my one name. I currently write contemporary romance and with my newest series coming out, that will be the bulk of my published books. I have one paranormal romance and one YA fantasy. When I say, I write romance with a touch of magic, that’s what I mean. I do put a small, green clover on the bottom right of my contemporary books so when that’s missing you know you’re getting yourself into something beyond a contemporary romance.   

When I’m not writing, I’m reading or watching one of my favorite shows for the thousandth time. A few of those favorites are Bones, Criminal Minds, Yellowstone, and Virgin River. I’m always a sucker for a good road trip, love being outdoors - we do a lot of camping, riding our RZR, hiking, and hunting.  

My favorite part of writing is the actual writing part. When I’m inspired and almost can’t type fast enough to keep up with my brain - that’s the best feeling. I never outline. I’m the definition of flying by the seat of my pants, as you’d expect from someone who admittedly runs on chaos. 

My goal as an author is to bring a lot of romance and a little magic to my readers. I want to make you believe in fate, soulmates, and once in a lifetime love. 

I’m excited to keep moving forward. I love helping other writers and that is an equally important part of my journey. I'm a writer, I'll always be a writer. I know that in the depths of my heart, whether I accomplish every goal and sell a truckload of books or if my books only find a few. I hope that my stories find a place in your heart.  

You can email me at shalanabattles@gmail.com 

Thank you for being here.

-Shalana