1. For readers discovering you for the first time, can you introduce yourself and tell us about your journey into becoming an author?
My name is Shelby! I was the kid who checked out a stacks of books at the library at a time only to be bored a few days later when they were all done, and who convinced my third grade teacher to let me present weekly book reports to my class for fun. As you can imagine, that didn’t always make me popular :)
I am a wife, a mother of two, and the favored chef in my blessedly large group of girlfriends. On top of writing and reading and all the rest, I am also a basketball coach at the middle school I once attended, which is another passion alongside writing that I didn’t discover until my 30s.
I self published my first novel on January 3rd of 2025. I was proud, but I felt like I could be doing more, I just didn’t know what ‘more’ entailed. I didn’t even know how writers became traditionally represented until TikTok started showing me videos about the “querying process”. It made me curious and I started looking more into the process, and then decided to finish my second novel and use it for query material. That manuscript is what landed me my contract with Libro Di Storia Press.
2.You mentioned that in April 2024 you picked up a book again after a long time away from reading. What sparked that moment?
My second daughter didn’t sleep through the night until she was about a year and a half old. During yet another sleepless night, when she was just over two years old, I knew I wasn’t doing myself any favors scrolling while I lay in bed awake, and I thought…why not read? I know that might seem silly, but before that moment reading a book was not something I had thought about for a very, very long time. I downloaded the kindle app on my phone, and just started scrolling. I came across a mafia romance called Dante, by Sadie Kincaid. That book will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the spark that started all of this. Obviously from there, the books that were suggested to me continued in that same vein, and obsession with all things literary romance began.
3.It’s amazing that in about a year and a half you’ve read hundreds of books and written two and a half of your own. What inspired you to start writing?
Funnily enough, somewhere between 80 and 90 books, my husband said “well, I’d say you’ve read enough. How about writing one?” He said it lightheartedly, but he was curious if it was something I had ever considered. I hadn’t. I spent weeks thinking about the plot, the twist, the characters, and then on the first day I sat down to write, I wrote 20,000 words.
4.Your books fall into romantic suspense. What drew you to that genre?
Since I started watching crime dramas with my grandmother at about eight years old, I have been hooked on all things mystery and suspense. We used to watch Diagnosis Murder and CSI Miami together. She also bought me the majority of my Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. As an adult, my favorite show is Law and Order SVU, and I have seen the vast majority of Criminal Minds. Sprinkle in my adoration for spice and romance, and you have the recipe for every book I have written or plan to write.
5.What can readers expect from A Watcher in the Rain?
Although I myself am an avid consumer of what is generally considered dark romance, I wouldn’t put my own books in that category. I think suspense-mystery-crime is it’s own subgenre. You can expect likeable characters - including the two main characters, Kat and Theo - tension of both the suspense and the spice variety, and a satisfying conclusion. This book’s cast continues in my second novel, titled Warm Bodies.
6.What about Warm Bodies—how does that story differ?
So the ways that it’s the same - an overlapped cast, and in my preferred plotline vein of suspense/mystery with a hefty dose of romance. It’s different because the characters, Selena and Cross, are not the same personalities as Kat and Theo. Their dynamic is very different than my AWITR MC’s. A lot more spice, and a lot more banter.
7.What themes are most important to you in your books?
Besides sticking with what I know best, which is romance and suspense, I actually view my books as an opportunity for important ideas. In A Watcher in the Rain, we see how an adult can be impacted by their relationship with their parents - the good and the bad, and sometimes love is a motivation to remake those patterns into something different and new. In Warm Bodies, because of Selena’s career as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, I get the chance to explore familiar dialogue, both internal and external, that survivors of SA might have experienced. There’s a really important part in Warm Bodies where Selena is rightly defensive of the women she serves, and speaks out about their strength and power. In my third book, which is untitled and very much a work in progress, I intend to explore domestic abuse and create some important dialogue around that as well.
It is worth mentioning that in Warm Bodies, there is no sexual assault in the book, including flashbacks. It is merely referenced.
8. Do you have a favorite character from either book?
Although Kat is my flagship FMC, and will always be my cherished first born, Selena is my favorite. She is sassy, funny, and driven. Her compassion for survivors and the fierceness in which she tackles an issue that impacts so many women is inspiring and courageous. It is worth nothing that my bias rests in the fact that Selena is based on my best friend of nearly 20 years, so it makes sense that I would be her biggest fan.
9. What was the most exciting scene or moment for you to write?
Without giving anything away, I’ll name my favorite scene in each. In A Watcher in the Rain, finding out who the serial killer is and what their motivations are was incredibly exciting because when the idea came to me, I literally got up off my couch and whooped with joy. In Warm Bodies, there is a scene where the villain is doing a very villain-like trope and sort of talking on and on about their plans, and the dialogue Selena has with him externally and herself internally was really powerful and emotional for me to write.
10. Romantic suspense often balances tension with emotional connection. How do you approach writing both elements?
I think that the trick to this is pulling elements from a thousand different things and compiling them into one long continuous thought. There are things I know intimately - my characters, crime dramas, and romance novels, and all the little individual strings within those. When I write, I imagine pulling on those strings, one at a time, in a continuous rotation and out of that comes a tapestry of carefully woven ideas.
11. When starting a new story, do you begin with the plot, the mystery, or the romance?
Because I am writing suspense, there always has to be some sort of twist. I like to think of the twist first, or at least the general theme of it, and then I think of how a cast of characters would fit into that world. However, since Warm Bodies is an interconnected standalone with A Watcher in the Rain, the characters already existed before I came up with the specifics of my twist.
12. Are you more of a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between?
Absolutely a panster. There is no other way for me! Haha. I don’t insert ideas or scenes and then come back to them later to flush. I write straight through, and if I am stuck on how to do a scene or an idea, I stay there until I have worked it out. I marvel at people’s ability to plot map and the like - I think it’s an admirable approach as well!
13. What does your writing routine typically look like?
Often after my daughters are asleep. There are two options for background noise - Sleep Token, which is hands down the music that activates my creative brain, or a show that I have seen a thousand times, usually Brooklyn 99 or Parks and Rec. Usually it is music, a dim room, a full water bottle, and me with my laptop!
14. What part of writing do you enjoy the most?
That moment where an idea hits me, and I can see it so clearly in my mind’s eye. It makes me absolutely giddy. When I really hit a groove, I am utterly foaming at the mouth to get the plan out of my head and onto paper. It’s really a physical response for me, sometimes I cheer or cry or do a little dance.
15. What part of the process is the most challenging?
The part that’s the most challenging, especially within this genre, is sometimes when you know where you are now, and sort of where you want to go, but you’re not quite sure how to bridge the two. This will lead to a stalemate with my brain, sometimes for a day or two but more often for a week or so at a time. I find that taking that time apart from my writing and just living my life is what unlocks what I need to do next.
16. You mentioned being open to talking about the query process. What was your experience like navigating that side of publishing?
Well, there’s a reason it’s called the query trenches. I will say for the most part that I remained optimistic for much longer than I anticipated. I think the one that hit me hardest was my (I believe) 43rd ‘no’. This agent had said yes to the partial manuscript and no to the full one. I am a person who feels everything all the way and despite my best efforts, I got my hopes up. After that particular rejection, I had a good cry and some ice cream. The ‘yes’ I was dreaming of came shortly after that. Victoria, the owner of LDS Press, is an incredible human being who has welcomed my ideas and my eccentricities with open arms, and she’s an absolute powerhouse of a publisher.
17. What is something you learned during the query process that surprised you?
That query agents actually don’t answer the majority of the queries sent to them. And I’m not talking like, 60/40 majority. I’m talking about the fact that’s common for agents to respond to less than 10 percent of received material. That to me is so wild. This is not in the slightest a criticism of the profession, because I imagine it has many nuances, but it is simply something I found very surprising.
18. What advice would you give to writers preparing to query their work?
That letter, and your hook, is the most important part. The best thing you can do for yourself is get an outside set of eyes on that because you, as the author, know the story and characters intimately, and because of that, things can seem ‘obvious’ to you. That’s why it’s crucial to get someone who’s not so invested to look over what you’re sending out because ultimately, that’s exactly the way that an agent or publishing house is going to be looking at it as well.
19. Has the online book community influenced your reading or writing journey?
Absolutely. I follow a wide range of bookish creators, because I read romance and all it’s subgenres - contemporary, mafia, fantasy, etc. I will say that within the book community there does seem to be some pretty hard dividing lines between types of readers or types of books, and I do wish that were different. I think at the end of the day we need to remember that we were all once that little kid with their nose in a book and be a bit more gentle and patient with one another. That being said, I do find importance in making sure the authors you’re reading have values you align with. I personally do not consume books written by authors that have shown any behaviors exhibiting racism, sexism, or anything that goes against my instincts as a woman and a mother.
20. What has been the most rewarding moment of your author journey so far?
Victoria told me that a beta reader who had read Warm Bodies for us had said that I am one of her new favorite authors. Me? Someone’s favorite author? Makes me tear up just thinking about it.
21. Are you currently working on any new books or projects?
Yes! As I briefly referenced earlier, I am working on a third book which is currently untitled. It is still set in the same universe as my other two books, but with a fresh cast. Instead of being based in Portland, Oregon, it is based on a more rural, agriculturally inclined town. Again, this is very much in the works, but my MCs are a Private Investigator and an Artist.
22. What authors or books have influenced your writing the most?
I really like to think I carry pieces of every book I’ve read. All have impacted me in some way, good or bad, ideas of what to do or what not to do. I already shouted out Sadie Kincaid, the inception of my book journey. Amber V Nicole is the author of my favorite fantasy series, the first being Book of Azrael. My dream is to meet her, Leigh Rivers, and Lindsay Straube in person. Khardine Gray, Megan Monte, and Rachel Mays wrote some of my favorite fantasy novels this past year. Mila Kane, L.J Shein, and Luna Mason write my favorite palette cleanser, which is going to be a mafia romance every single time. I’ve started to venture more into thrillers lately, enjoying the classic Frida McFadden novel, with special mention to a recent favorite of mine, titled Don’t Believe Her by Nicole Sanders.
23. What do you hope readers feel after finishing one of your books?
I want you to be smiling. Honestly. I will always be an HEA girl. I want you to miss the characters like I miss characters every single time I finish a good book. I want you to be backtracking mentally through the pages thinking about what breadcrumbs you might have missed before the reveal, but even if you guessed it, I hope you enjoy the journey all the same.
24. What are you most excited about in the future of your writing career?
I have a list of authors I would love to meet in person, and maybe, who knows, we’ll be at the same bookish themed event one day! I think it would be incredible to do some sort of book or author con. I want to do book signing events in Portland, a city blessed with a multitude of bookstores, and hear that people resonated with my characters in some way. Nothing would delight me more than hearing another woman felt seen in my writing - I’m a girl’s girl forever!
25. Where can readers connect with you and follow your writing journey?
Follow me on Instagram, Author Shelby Mardock, where I plan to post the most consistently! I love me an Instagram story. You can also find me here, on TikTok.
Rapid Fire Fun 🔥
26. Coffee or tea while writing? Coffee, likely more than the doctor ordered!
27. Morning writer or night writer? Night, all the way. 28. Favorite romance trope? FORCED PROXIMITY 29. Paperback, ebook, or audiobook? Kindle Unlimited all the wayyyyy 30. Favorite place to read? The corner of my sectional 31. One word to describe your books? Tasty 32. Favorite writing snack? Chips 33. Music while writing or silence? Sleep Token forever 34. Favorite comfort book or series? I reread Dante by Sadie Kincaid every year 35. One thing readers might be surprised to learn about you? I am a very knowledge and proficient chef
