My name is Sheyanne Warren and I am a crime fiction author. I am a middle school teacher, working with students who need specialized behavior support. I have my master’s degree in forensic psychology specialized in juvenile trauma based behaviors. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina but was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. I started my writing journey as a child. My grandparents took my tv and pushed me to read. At three years old I turned into a bibliophile. Writing has always come easy to me. I have written short stories and half finished books for as long as I can remember. I started writing with the intent to publish about 2 years ago.
I wrote my first novel Serial Killer, Con Artist and Jelena: A Jelena Cohert Novel in about 9 months. I am a self-published author and am learning as I go along but I love writing and putting my work out there and enjoy when people tell me they enjoyed my books.
As I mentioned, I write crime fiction. My books will have a woman of color as the main character. This is important to me to highlight these women and girls doing normal things. To see them as FBI agents, or a teenager finding her way in a new school. When women, especially women of color are looked at in recent times it is always portrayed as struggle. It’s important to me to portray all women of color in a positive and normal light. My books that I have published now feature a Hispanic woman. I do not focus on her race. Her culture is evident at times however, the main focus is she is a kick ass FBI agent. She has real problems she faces and needs to overcome. My WIP (work in progress) features a gang of African American teenagers, with a African American girl and her twin brother as the main characters. They are just teenagers going to school (with a twist!) who have normal teenage problems and get excited about things that teenagers do.
My mind is always bubbling with ideas, coming at a way quicker pace than I can write, and, and I am not going to tell all my secrets because I am the type of writer who gets excited about all the ideas and stories in my head. In writing my stories to be published I put myself in the unique position to think as an avid reader and a writer. Thinking, what do I like and don’t like as a reader that authors do? Finding the readers who enjoy the genre that I write and not falling into things that I as a reader do not like.
Taking the self-publishing route has really opened my eyes and taught me a lot about being an author, as a profession and not just a hobby. I saw on social media the other day, publishing is easy, you need to put in work after you publish. When I first published I was eager, excited and went too fast. There were a lot of things I needed to learn and I didn’t. I played catch up and gave myself crash courses. As time progressed and I created more material I learned a lot about writing as a profession. I got books, followed groups on social media and went to free masters classes that were offered. The internet is an algorithm these days. Once you start searching ‘ how to publish a book’ or ‘how to build an author’s platform’ you will be flooded with information. As an Indie author it is opportunities like this one, given to me by the author’s lounge to promote myself that I am truly grateful for. Getting my name out there without a company or an agent behind me can get very expensive and makes me truly understand the gravity and value each opportunity I am given.
I can be reached here. The landing page has all my links available!
I got everything you wrote and I’m very pleased with it very smart young lady I will be following your work and your successful career for a long time.