Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Shirley McLain author of Princess Adele’s Dragon.

Shirley McLain is a retired RN, wife, mother, and grandmother of six and Great Grandmother to four, three boys and one girl.

She is currently living in Sapulpa, Oklahoma where she is enjoying her retirement to the fullest. She was born in California but lived her growing years in Oklahoma. She has done extensive travel within the United States and learned to appreciate each state for its own beauty. Her dream trip is to see Spain and Italy at a slow pace.

Shirley has published a young adult mystery called “Crimes and Retribution”, a book of short stories called, “Shirley’s Shorts and Flashes” and a Christian poetry book called, “Verses For My King.” “Dobyns Chronicles” is a historical fiction in which you follow a family through troubling times. She has published her educational fiction about Bullying.

It is for ages 10 to adults to help them deal withbullying in school. She is now working on a book of short stories called “Shirley’s Compilation of Short Stories,” which is stories of different genres. This book hit Amazon on January 8, 2023.

Shirley’s love of travel, adventure, and writing has created works that will hold your attention and leave you wanting more.

Bee: Good day Shirley and thanks for taking part in our interview. Please tell us something about Princess Adele’s Dragon that is not in the book description.

Shirley: I would say the biggest thing about the book is that you find love wins. Evil comes when you least expect it.

Bee: Describe the room you are sitting in as though it was a scene in one of your fantasy books.

Shirley: The dark grey furniture matches the fluffy grey carpet on the floor accented by the light grey color walls. A small cream-colored desk lamp hovers over my computer screen illuminating my words as I type. 

Bee: Where do you get the names of your characters?

Shirley: The names for my characters came from my muse. I use names that I’ve heard, like, or belong to my friends or family

Bee: Which character do you love to hate?

Shirley: In this first book, I would like to say it’s Lord Ashmore. He is the protagonist. He is easy to dislike, especially after you see his real self. He’s a vile man who will do anything to get what he wants.

Bee: How has being a mother impacted your writing?

Shirley: Motherhood taught me a lot, and it gave me many stories to draw from for my writing. There is a story in my new book I just published this past weekend about a trip my daughter and I took to California to bring my son back from Marine Corps Boot Camp. It was a trip from hell, but I won’t ruin it. You might want to read it.

Bee: What writers have you drawn inspiration from?

Shirley: I think my two favorites are Diane Gabaldon (The Outlander Series) and JC Roland (The Harry Potter Series). I read many different authors, and I glean inspiration from each of the books. Most of the time, it is something I see differently than what I do.

Bee: Where did you get the inspiration for your cover?

Shirley: My great cover was created by a Fiver contributor; it is just as I visualized the cover. She put in the size of the dragon in caparison to the small size of Princess Adele.

Bee: What do you do when you are not writing?

Shirley: I play with my dogs, watch old movies on TV, and knit or crochet. My biggest activity when I’m not writing is reading. I like to read multiple genes. My favorite genre is historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and science fiction, and my least favorites are adult exotic and nonfiction.

Bee: What are you currently working on? 

Shirley: I am taking a break from writing at the moment. I just published this past weekend an Amazon Kindle book called Shirley’s compilation of Short Stories. I planned on it being published last month, but it didn't get done. It has twenty-seven stories that take in multiple genres, from love to horror. I’ve never been able to stick to one genre. Whatever my muse dictates, I write.

Shirley: Thank you so much for inviting me to your site. I appreciate you and your readers for taking the time to read this interview. Wishing you only the best.

Thanks once again, and good luck with all of your future endeavors. Bee

Follow Here To Read Bee's Review of Princess Adele's Dragon