Shannon A. Thompson

I'm sharing my favorite books of 2025 on the blog today! What were your favorite books this year??
          
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/12/01/my-favorite-books-of-2025/

I commissioned an artist for one of my romantasy novels! Let's talk about it. 
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/10/20/how-i-commissioned-my-first-romantasy-artwork-why-im-obsessed/

A morally gray character isn’t fully “good” or “evil.” So how do you write an effective one?
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/10/06/morally-gray-characters-explained/

The LitUP Festival hosted so many talented young adult authors this past weekend...and I took down ALL the notes. 
          
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/09/22/writing-lessons-from-litup/

From Reylo to Dramione, what started on AO3 is now on bookstore shelves. But what does that mean for authors, readers, and the heart of fandom culture?
           I’m breaking it all down—the hype, the controversy, and the future—in my latest blog post: https://shannonathompson.com/2025/09/08/the-rise-of-fanfiction-in-traditional-publishing/

Finally had time to get all my thoughts together about Romance GenreCon ❤️ I'm sharing tips about author street teams, navigating AI, and more. 
          
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/08/18/what-i-learned-at-romance-genrecon-3-essential-tips-for-authors/ #writingcommunity

So what’s the difference between the Chosen One and the Secret Heir? Spoiler alert: they are not the same.
          
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/08/04/the-chosen-one-or-secret-heir-why-it-matters-more-than-you-think/

Is he toxic or just morally gray and devastatingly hot? Maybe both.  
          Dark love interests work when their danger reveals something about us.
          I’m talking about how to write one in my latest blog post!
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/07/21/what-makes-a-dark-love-interest-work/

Why are storms everywhere in gothic fantasy? Weather is more than background noise. 
          ​​In my latest blog post, I dive into 3 powerful ways storms shape gothic fantasy stories:
           as atmosphere
          ️ as emotion
          ⚡ as magical force
          Learn more: https://shannonathompson.com/2025/07/07/the-power-of-storm-symbolism-in-gothic-fantasy/

Writers of romantic space operas, sci-fi/fantasy blends, & genre-bending weirdness—you are NOT too strange. ✨ If you’ve ever been told your stories are “too weird,” this one's for you. #writingtips
          
          https://shannonathompson.com/2025/06/16/be-weirder-5-unexpected-truths-i-learned-at-the-nebula-conference/