Shannon: biographies
  Need Shannon info? Squeetus gives you a choice of bios. Enjoy.

Brief bio

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six award-winning young adult novels, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, and two books for adults, Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife. She co-wrote two graphic novels, Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, with husband Dean Hale. They live with their two small children near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Slightly wordier bio

New York Times best selling author Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and never stopped, eventually earning an MFA in Creative Writing. After nineteen years of writing and dozens of rejections, she published The Goose Girl, the first book in her award winning Books of Bayern series, followed by Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born. She has two standalone books for young readers--Book of a Thousand Days, a Cybils award winner, and Princess Academy, a Newbery Honor Book. With Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife she crossed over into books for adults. With her husband Dean, Shannon wrote two graphic novels: Rapunzel's Revenge, an Al's Book Club for Kids selection featured on NBC's Today, and its sequel, Calamity Jack. They reside near Salt Lake City with their young son and daughter, and their pet, a small, plastic pig.

Even meatier bio

Shannon's mother says she was a storyteller from birth, jabbering endlessly in nonsensical baby-talk. Once she could speak, she made up stories and bribed younger siblings to perform them in mini-plays until, thankfully, an elementary school teacher introduced her to the wonder of written fiction. At age 10, she began to write books, mostly fantasy stories where she was the heroine.

She continued to write secretly for years while pursuing acting in television, stage, and improv comedy. After detours studying in Mexico, the UK, and a year and a half as a volunteer missionary in Paraguay, Shannon earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah. She was finally forced out of the writers' closet when she received her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.

the goose girl, her critically acclaimed first book, is an ALA Teens' Top Ten and Josette Frank Award winner. enna burning, river secrets, and forest born continue the Books of Bayern series. princess academy is a Newbery Honor winner and a New York Times best seller. book of a thousand days received a Cybils award and is featured on several best of the year lists. austenland, a romantic comedy, was her first book for adults, followed by the actor and the housewife. She and her husband Dean co-wrote the graphic novels rapunzel's revenge, which was selected by Today's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids, and calamity jack.

Shannon makes her home near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, with her super-human husband, their young son and daughter, and their pet, a small plastic pig.

Ridiculously long bio

Bio as written by her husband
Bio as written by her toddler son

Author headshot (large file for marketing purposes)

Interviews

Bloomsbury USA
Embracing the Child
Deseret News
Authorlink.com
Salt Lake Tribune
childrenslit.com