Shenda Paul
Shenda Paul
Shenda Paul
Shenda Paul
ABOUT ME
I've always had a vivid imagination and, as a young child, almost every bedtime story or book I'd read, inspired a new flight of fancy. Growing up, books became my friends, an escape from the many misfortunes my family faced.
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By my teenage years, I’d become a voracious reader. Austen, Du Maurier, the Brontës, and Hardy fed my romantic soul, and books like To Kill a Mocking Bird and I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings sharpened my sense of justice. Those brilliant authors also ignited my interest in human nature.
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By then, I'd been writing for years. From my childish tales about my cat, Timmy’s, secret powers and talking ability, to adolescent depictions of princesses, villains and heroes, and happily-ever-afters, to later imaginings about historical characters, I continued. Ironically, my own romantic relationships stymied my flow, and later, a demanding career sent my muse into exile. Still, deep-down,the desire to write books remained.
Lacking confidence,in all that time, I avoided mentioning or sharing my work. Enrolling in creative writing courses. and having to read my writing to an entire class soon changed that. Eventually, gaining courage, I penned, and then posted weekly installments of my first novel for an online audience for aspiring writers. In writing Counsel, I wanted to develop a story of substance; I hoped to disprove the misconception that romance novels are ‘fluff.’ Primarily, I wanted to write an absorbing tale with characters readers care about— hopefully, long after finishing the last chapter.
Publishing The Counsel Series was a literal dream come true. I’m eternally thankful for that supportive community of online readers, who, week after week, boosted my self-belief. Your encouragement and professed love for my characters inspired the follow-up books in the series. Without you, I may never have taken that leap into the precarious world of self-publishing . To each and every one; thank you' from the bottom of my heart.