by Shannon Redmon @shannon_redmon

As a little girl, my mother always encouraged me to read books. From The Little Engine That Could to the Berenstain Bears’ latest adventure, I would get lost in the stories woven by authors who crafted each one. We made trips to the public library and passed books between friends, but my favorite place to visit was the local Bookmobile.  

In the summer, this rolling library visited every week and brought new stories to our neck of the woods. The large bus parked in one of the neighborhood church lots. Parents and children would meander around waiting for their turn to enter. 

Mother would motion me inside when our time came. My fingers stuck to the metal handrail from leftover Pushup residue bought from the neighborhood convenience store, but nothing stopped me from climbing those metal, ridged stairs into the confines of a fan-cooled book repository stacked to the ceiling with amazing stories calling my name. Mixed scents of aged paper, inked stamps, and a bit of sweat, welcomed me into my happy place. 

I’d take my seat on the floor next to the children’s book section and searched each spine for something new. Sometimes I found a beloved classic filled with pictures to trigger my imagination or a short chapter book which made me feel grown up to read. Once my mother made her selection, we headed to the small counter and handed our choices to the same librarian perched high on her stool every week. The woman pulled out the library cards from the back of our books, stamped the date of return and sent us on our way. 

This week Shannon Redmon lets us know what she's reading! #Reading #Readingcommunity #BRRC Share on X

As I got older, my taste in literature matured. I discovered Nancy Drew, Judy Blume, and my all-time favorite Victoria Holt. This woman painted descriptions in her stories of large estates and intertwined threads of mystery through dreamy romances. I can still picture those grand ballrooms with finely dressed couples dancing across marbled floors or taking secret strolls in the manicured gardens. 

Today, my reading life looks a little different. Although I love books, I find the convenience or reading on my phone at night before bed seems to be my mode of choice. My husband appreciates the darker atmosphere so he can sleep, especially when I can’t put the latest thriller down in the wee hours of the morning. The other reason I like reading on my phone is because this little device is much lighter than the satchel of books I used to cart around. Plus, there’s no limit to the number of wonderful stories at my fingertips whenever an opportune time arises. 

My reading life wouldn’t be complete without recognizing God through every book and story I’ve read or written. He is the one who provides each opportunity. All those wonderful life moments were ordained by Him and I’ve read some amazing books who have fashioned not only my character but also my daily walk with Him. I hope, one day, someone might be browsing through Goodreads, Amazon, or maybe even a local bookmobile and come across another romance suspense author by the name of Shannon Redmon. I pray they fall in love with my God through the stories He gives me to write—for there is no greater adventure in life than Jesus. 

 

Shannon Redmon remembers the first grown-up book she checked out from the neighborhood bookmobile. A Victoria Holt novel with romance, intrigue, dashing gentlemen and ballroom parties captivated her attention. For her mother, the silence must have been a pleasant break from non-stop teenage chatter, but for Shannon, those stories whipped up a desire and passion for writing.

Shannon hopes her stories immerse readers into a world of joy and escape while encouraging faith, hope, and love for those around us.

Her debut novel Cave of Secrets was released by Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line in October 2020 and her other published works have appeared in Spark magazine, Splickety magazine, The Horse of My Dreams compilation book, Romantic Moments compilation book, the Lightning Blog and the Seriously Write blog. She won first place in the Foundation Awards and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency