Author Interview: Shazara Brooks
- fridaynightwritesi
- Jun 20
- 8 min read
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Friday Night Writes! As always, our goal is to shine a spotlight on members of the book community and introduce readers to awesome authors, narrators, event hosts, influencers, and more.
This week, we'd like to introduce our featured guest, author Shazara Brooks. Sam will be leading the interview.
Shazara, thank you for joining us! We're excited to have you here. Why don't you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself?
I am just your average human. I have three kids, a dog, and a cat. I go to work. I come home. I enjoy Star Trek and almost all things sci-fi related. I read… a lot. Mostly fantasy romance.
If you would have asked me that question several months ago, I may have had a different answer for you. “I’m a dreamer," “I love hiking,” etc, but the last three months have been challenging. So, the answer for now is much more simple than it used to be.
Oh, I completely understand that sentiment. I'm sorry things have been rough lately. If it helps, you're certainly not alone. I'd wager many are feeling the same way. I'm curious, though. Do you have any interests outside of being an author you'd like to share with us? Those types of things help us get through the tough times.
I also dabble in art and photography.
That's pretty cool. You tend to be creative all around! Would you mind sharing a few of your favorite things with our readers?
I love hiking, reading, and eating cookies and ice cream. My most favorite thing to treat myself with is a venti iced white chocolate mocha with an extra shot from Starbucks.
Yes! Give me all the chocolate and caffeine! I'm personally not a coffee person, but I am hooked on Monster, so I'm right there with you! Okay, switching gears back to author life, did you always know you wanted to be an author?
Yes, ever since I wrote a short story in sixth grade that was heavily inspired by the Redwall series.
I've not personally read those books, but my husband loves them. Have you been consistently writing since sixth grade, then?
I have been writing seriously since 2023 when Stranger in the Pod poured out of me in less than two months. Its original format was only 34,000 words, but I was (and still am) insanely proud of those words.
As you should be! Which genres do you write in?
Sci-fi, fantasy, zombies (which is basically just sci-fi thriller), and apparently, contemporary romance.
That's quite a range. I can't stick to one genre, either. My ADHD compels me to follow the dopamine. Do you independently publish or are you a trad or hybrid author?
I am independently published. I didn’t really choose it so much as I looked at all the requirements and hoops to jump through for traditional publishing and thought, “F*ck that. I’m good.”
Oh, I agree. Traditional publishing is great for the right people, but there's so much gatekeeping and authors have less control over their stories that way. Go, indies! You said you write in many different genres, but how many books do you currently have published?
I just have the one published so far. Stranger in the Pod is a space opera adventure with a side of slow-burn romance. If you love Star Trek, found family, and strangers-to-lovers, this book is for you.
I have it loaded up on my Kindle and can't wait to dive in. :) Where do you get your inspiration for your books?
I most definitely insert myself, and sometimes who I wish I was, into my characters. Nymeera is every bit as fearless as I wish I was. Alex is kind, brave, and decisive. Tinnie is so, so smart --- like rocket scientist smart. Isolde is every bit of a cold-hearted b*tch I wish I could be in certain situations.
I think the most relatable stories have pieces of real people in them, especially ourselves. After all, the characters and their struggles are real in our minds. Are there any authors who have inspired you on your journey?
The first author that comes to mind is Dietrich Stogner. I love his books. I love how organized he is and how thorough he is with his writing process. His videos on TikTok and YouTube are full of wonderfully worded advice regarding writing, the publication process, and other things.
Learning about others' writing processes is truly quite fascinating. Every person approaches writing differently. As for you, do you plan your books from the beginning or are you more of a pantser or plantser?
I like to say I’m a pantser with a goal. I want to discover things along the way; that’s the best part, the things I didn’t plan for. The Wanderer wouldn’t exist without discovery writing. They were just going to arrive at their destination; instead, the Wanderer collided with the Echo and that changed the course of the entire story (Stranger in the Pod).
I do the same thing. Like, I have a general idea of what I'm trying to do and let the characters derail me along the way. LOL Do you focus on one work in progress at a time? If not, how many WIPs do you have going right now?
So, I have about ten to twelve WIPS. The one that seems to have my attention the most is what I have dubbed temporarily as, “Space Vampire Murder Mystery.”
Now, that sounds fascinating! Tell me more!
It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’ll be a two or three-person POV novel that takes place over the course of 150 years. (Space travel takes a long time.) A crew of vampires strives to discover who among them is murdering their human passengers who are in cryosleep.
You've got me hooked.
Listen, it has me in a chokehold. Two of the MCs are grumpy jerks.
And we love grumpy characters! Do you prefer to write standalone books or series?
I prefer short book series. While I adore Throne of Glass, I prefer a three to five book series.
Writing long series can be very difficult, and I personally find it's best not to stretch things out if it's not necessary. Is there anything that helps you write?
Music, I have a specific playlist I enjoy.
I envy that! It's complete silence or a no-go for me, and unfortunately, my home is never quiet with two kids running around! Having three yourself, I'm sure you know what that's like! Which kind of brings us to our next question: what do you do when the words just aren't flowing?
I go for a walk in the woods. Something about being in the mountains surrounded by nature really helps my brain work through the blockage.
Nature can be an incredible source of inspiration. How do you handle the author work/life balance, though? It's always tricky.
I write mostly on the weekends. My life is so busy during the week that I come home and do the things I need before I collapse into my bed to sleep. That’s part of the reason the editing for Captain of the Wanderer has gone so slowly.
There's so much pressure to do things quickly, but I think quality means so much more than speed or quantity. The pressure can be really intense, too. That's why it's so important to remember why we write. I'm curious, what do you enjoy most about being an author?
I enjoy the places my imagination takes me. I love asking a question and then exploring that possibility to the fullest possible extent.
Same here. As for those who might be thinking about starting the author journey, do you have any advice for them? We all need guidance when we're finding our footing.
Just write the book, even if it never sees the light of day. Just. Write. It. It’s for YOU.
Absolutely, I 100% agree. So many times we get in our own way because we're worried about what others will think or if we'll be successful. Everyone starts somewhere.
We've covered the author stuff pretty well now, so how about we switch gears? Let's do some fun questions! Since you love sci-fi, do you believe in ghosts or aliens?
Oh, I absolutely believe in aliens AND ghosts. You won’t catch me whistling at night. No, thank you. I may be white, but I'm not white enough to be going into haunted houses at night.
Listen, my mother and grandmother are from Kentucky. I know all about the spooky things we should never tempt or acknowledge! I'm with you! Okay, so sticking with the creatures theme here, what would you use to survive the zombie apocalypse?
A Sam’s Club. Barricade that b*tch and you'd have a lifetime of everything you need. Protecting it would be hard, but nothing a rowdy band of survivors couldn’t solve.
Can I come with you? Oh! We could climb up on top of the shelves and make our beds there at night for safety! It'd be a lot harder to get to us up there! Next question: what's the best gift you've ever been given?
The best gift I’ve ever been given is a bedazzled hardcover of my book, Stranger in the Pod, after I left my ex-husband. Inside, it says, “Nymeera would be proud of you.”
I love that! It's so hard to make choices like that. I'm sure it means a lot!
That singular statement brought me through a very hard time. I read that line and sobbed because I want to be like my main character so much. I admire her strength and her don’t-give-a-f*ck attitude. She doesn’t let people walk all over her; she stands up for the weak – and for herself.
Those are super important things to do but not easy, either. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you, too. You're a very impression person. We went deep with that one, so let's end the fun questions on a lighter note. :) What's something you're interested in that most people aren't?
Outer space. I’ve always had a weird obsession with it. I wanted to be an astronaut until I realized you had to have a certain body type and have perfect vision, neither of which I have. I write sci-fi so I can explore those places I will never get to go to.
Totally fair! I think that just about wraps up what we have planned for this week, but before you go, can you remind our readers where they can find you online so they can support you beyond this interview?
Shazara, thanks again for joining us. I've loved our chat. It's been great getting to know you better!
To all of our readers, thanks for spending some time with our guest author this week! We hope you've enjoyed this interview! In the meantime, be sure to follow Shazara Brooks on her social media platforms so you can keep up to date with her journey. Building a better, stronger community is what Friday Night Writes is all about!
Check back next week for another interview. Next time, we'll be chatting with the authors Desie Marie and Avanne Michaels, hosts of Sinful Signings, an awesome book event located in Roanoke, Virginia!
See you soon!
The Friday Night Writes Crew
Evie Black & Samantha Moran
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