But I wasn’t exactly sure how many books the story would need. I knew that the problems Sophie was facing-and the villains she was up against-were much bigger than anything I could address in a single book. Q: Did you always intend for Sophie’s story to become a multi-book series? How have the characters or plots surprised you along the way? Now that I have to travel so much for work, I would love to teleport and never have to deal with airports again! So KEEPER is the series I wish I’d had when I was younger, and so many elements of the story are based on the things I loved back then: alicorns! superpowers! sparkles! (oh, who am I kidding? I still love those things!) And the idea for Sophie’s ability did come from me asking myself, 'if I could have any superpower, what would it be?'-though my answer has changed over the last few years. Strangely enough, I wasn’t-but that was mostly because I grew up right before Harry Potter came along, and most of the fantasy books I was steered toward were older books that didn’t really grab me for some reason (Narnia being the big exception).

Were you a fantasy reader as a kid? Did you ever wish for a telepathic power like Sophie’s? Q: The Keeper of the Lost Cities series is full of action-packed adventures, magical creatures, and shadowy organizations. I write her by sitting back and thinking about everything she’s been through and everything going on at that moment in the story and asking myself, 'okay, what is Sophie going to do now?' And she never ceases to amaze me with her strength and confidence and courage. She was always a brave, powerful little girl, but as the series has progressed she’s gotten so much more fearless and comfortable in her own skin, which is such a joy to see. :) There’s something so special about getting to watch a character grow and change on the page-especially Sophie. Which makes them almost feel like they’re my children-despite all the near-death experiences I put them through. I actually came up with the idea for Keeper of the Lost Cities way back in 2008, so Sophie and her friends have been living in my head for a decade, if you can believe it. Do they feel like a part of your family? What’s the best part about being able to spend so much time with a character like Sophie? Q: Flashback is book seven in the series, which means you’ve been with Sophie and her friends for over five years now. Introduce Shannon Messenger to your readers with this special Q&A that focuses on the Keeper of the Lost Cities series

Skyfall shannon messenger