It's been a very busy year for author Sharon Skinner. Earlier in 2022, Brick Cave released Lostuns Found, a new middle grade steampunk adventure. Now, just in time for Halloween, Sharon has released a new collection of dark, short fiction and poetry, Blood From a Rose. Both of those projects on top of a seriousl;y full event schedule and a growing Book Coaching business.
Sharon gave us the time to share some thoughts in this interview. Enjoy this part 1. You can view part 2 here.
Q. This (Blood From a Rose) is a much different work in some ways from what readers have come to know from you. Share with us how this collection came about.
The work included in blood from a Rose developed over a long period of time. My roots are in poetry and short story, but I discovered a long time ago how much I enjoyed writing novels/longer fiction. However, I sometimes find the work in progress needs to simmer in my subconscious churn a while before I’m ready to write the next scene. When that happens, I often go back to my roots and write short fiction going. Also, a number of years ago, I started toying with flash fiction and found that all of my really short work has a tendency to go dark rather quickly. Rather than fight that, I roll with it. Which means that I started to build up a stockpile of darker work with no home. That is where the idea of Blood From a Rose came from.
Q. One of the things people gravitate to in your writing is it’s layers, and this collection is no different. The structure of the book has purpose to it even. Talk about how you craft this path to create an intentional journey instead of just a haphazard collection of poems and stories.
Putting together a collection of short work is always challenging. You’re not only trying to write enough material that is similar in tone, feel, or scope to fit together, but you also have to decide how it fits together. How do you structure it so that it offers the reader a journey that is meaningful beyond the written work? So, when I was trying to figure out how to pull together all of the material in Blood From a Rose, it took me a while to discern what pieces fit where and why. And when I finally hit on the structure of the book, it was really exciting. Leading the reader through the work as a journey night that gets darker and darker before we come back out into the light of day suits the work and offers a journey similar to that of a longer work. 
Q. Brick Cave is using DARK a lot in describing this book, talk about some of the shining places that people should look for.
Well not to get too philosophical, but light and shadow go hand-in-hand. You can’t really have one without the other, and a little levity goes along way, especially when things are gloomy. So, yes, there is a certain amount of humor and some humorous twists in the work. I wanted to go some places that maybe haven’t been well traveled and offer some fun surprises for readers.
Q. This book has your first published poetry pieces since 2010’s In Case You Didn’t Hear me the First Time. What was it like coming back to poetry for this collection.
I have never completely stopped writing poetry. It’s just not my primary focus these days. That said, for me poetry serves to encapsulate intimate thoughts, ideas, and emotions in a way that longer fiction can’t. Some things are best expressed in poetic form.
Q, You had indicated you wanted to perform some of these pieces yourself in audio?
Yes. I plan to start recording the audio of this collection with the aim of being able to have it offered as an audio book. Stay tuned!
Learn More . . .
Blood From a Rose is available now from Brick Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Bookstores nationwide. It is available in paperback format. Sharon can be found online at her author website or her website for book coaching.
