Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Karin Shah describing her journey from the Paddy Hill Library to publication.

Here’s Karin!

The Second Act. In a play it’s when we finally know all the characters, understand the plot, and complications ensue, i.e. “the fun part.”

In life, it’s when you take a large detour, but detours can also be fun. When I started to think about my second act, I realized, I’ve had any number of detours, but the largest was when I quit my job as a school librarian and jumped into writing.

I had read my whole life, but at age eleven when I’d read everything that appealed to me in the children’s section at the Paddy Hill library (a former church having a second act, that is now, sadly, closed) I discovered Harlequin Presents. From that moment on, I was hooked on Romance, but I had no real thought of writing as a career.

I went to college intending to become a zoo keeper, but the siren song of books had me changing my major to English as a Writing Art. Despite the switch, I didn’t believe writing was something I could do as a career.

I went to grad school to become a school librarian. I loved the kids and the books, but writing had begun to call to me. My husband saw my discontent and suggested I give writing a chance.

(Here is where you might expect a story of sudden triumph, but while there was eventually triumph, it was far from sudden.)

It took me about ten years to get “the email” from Samhain that they wanted to publish my novel, STARJACKED. Almost seven years, two kids and four dogs later, I have four published novels out. My latest ENTITY MINE (THE CHIMERA CHRONICLES 2) is a cross between Ghost and a heist movie.

Blurb

Never fall in love with a man in a photo. Especially, if he’s dead…

Balanced on the knife-edge edge of going feral, chimera Ethan Wade has no idea what he is. All the former Navy SEAL turned maritime treasure hunter knows is his explosive temper has destroyed his life, driving him to an isolated rental house in Western, NY to lick his wounds. When a molotov cocktail of rage and alcohol triggers an uncontrolled shift, he is caught between shapes.

Disembodied, he can only come to one conclusion, he’s died and become a ghost.

Blowing the whistle lost lawyer Devon Daughtry her boyfriend, (not too much of a loss), her job, (a bit worse) and with the rents in Manhattan, a primo apartment (the straw that broke the camel’s back).

Now she’s run home to Cassadaga determined to re-build her life by hanging out her shingle as a psychic medium.

When she discovers a photograph of Ethan while moving in, she’s crushed to discover the man whose lonely eyes strike a chord deep within her soul is missing and presumed dead. Soon, she begins having passionate dreams about him. Dreams that Ethan shares.

But Ethan isn’t the only being in the house, a demonic presence has followed her home and it has diabolical plans for both of them.

Where to find Karin…

Website | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook

Joanne here!

Karin, thank you for the delightful post! I am impressed by your perseverance and final triumph. Best of luck with Entity Mine.