Girl Boss: Author Shannon Fersner
Happy Mother’s Day! A special Happy Mother's Day to my rock, MY Mom!
I waited for this interview as it was one I knew I wanted to do before I even drafted my blog website. Author Shannon Fersner is someone who lights up the room the moment she enters. We practically grew up together, as we both share the same cousin. Little does she know, she introduced me to the world of makeup and all things beauty, when she bought me my very first MAC product-clear lip glass. J It is still a beauty must have for me, lol. Lips gotta be poppin! Ok, now back to Shannon. There are many things I appreciate about her. First and foremost, I admire her spirit after having to deal with a few of life’s hardest lessons: losing a parent and sibling and becoming the guardian to her niece at a young age. Through all of this, she has been a comfort and a positive spirit to many. I have never known her to be anything but happy and always willing to help others. It is only fitting to dedicate my Mother’s Day post to her. Shannon is a true SHERO.
So tell us a little about yourself. I am from Orangeburg, S.C., I graduated from South Carolina State University. I currently am a first grade Assistant Teacher/Writer. My future aspiration is to create feel good television shows for African Americans that will inspire us to bring back building genuine authentic relationships which will elevate us. My friends would say I am encouraging and comical. Encouraging because I'm always giving them advice about something they are going through. Comical because I'm always saying something savage. Lol
What are you favorite Bible verses? I have 3 favorite bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope for a future. Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps. Habakkuk 2:2 write the vision make it plain.
What is your view on life? My view on life is no matter what, finish the journey. Where I am today is a place of assurance and confidence that I am everything God says I am and I'm now walking boldly in that. What inspires me now is seeing someone set a goal and actually accomplish it. Dream Chasers inspires me. Knowing that the best is yet to come gets me through the day. A golden lesson that I have learned and that I apply to my life is that it is okay to take care of me first. The way I deal with obstacles is to do just that DEAL WITH IT and move forward.
What inspired you to write? It’s crazy because nothing inspired me to start writing. It honestly was a hobby. I'm a dreamer, so I'm always playing different scenarios in my head and I just decided in college to put these scenarios on paper and it took on a life of its on. My writing style is story telling. I love taking my readers on the journey with the characters. I like my readers to get a personal bond with them as if they knew them personally.
What advice would you give aspiring writers? My advice for an aspiring write is to simply write. There is no right or wrong way. My advice for someone contemplating their dreams is to make like NIKE and JUST DO IT! LOL
Who would you send your book to? If I could send an autographed copy of my book to one celebrity, it would be Issa Rae because she gets it. She knows our stories need to be told and she has worked very hard to get hers told. She started her own production company to help other African American women tell their stories. She has brought REALity back to television.
So what’s up next for you? Currently I am writing short stories. I am not writing any books right now. I am in the beginning stages of putting together a web series. *fingers crossed* In 3 to 5 years, I want to be able to say that I am living my dream of being a successful creator/writer/producer of a hit television show. Also, my second book, Love Them All will be a hit mini series on Netflix.
How can people get in touch with you? People can get in contact with me via social media @shannonfersner on instagram and twitter. Books can be purchase on Amazon, Kindle and Createspace.