Sharon Shinn Explained

Sharon Shinn
Birth Place:	Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Occupation:	Novelist, journalist
Nationality:	American
Education:	Northwestern University
Genre:	Science fiction, fantasy

Sharon Shinn (born 1957) is an American novelist who writes combining aspects of fantasy, science fiction and romance. She has published more than a dozen novels for adult and young adult readers. Her works include the Shifting Circles Series, the Samaria Series, the Twelve Houses Series, and a rewriting of Jane Eyre, Jenna Starborn. She works as a journalist in St. Louis, Missouri and is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Shinn is a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Rams fan and is also a big fan of the TV Show Lost.^[1] She is a frequent attender of science-fiction/fantasy conventions. Her first Guest of Honor stint at a convention was ArmadilloCon 26. She was also the Guest of Honor at the convention Capricon 29.

In 2009, she donated her archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.^[2]

In Laurell K Hamilton's novel Obsidian Butterfly of her series, Anita Blake mentions that she reads Sharon Shinn's novels to help her deal with her phobia of flying.

Awards

• William L. Crawford Award (awarded by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts for best first fantasy novel) (1996)^[3]
• Twice nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (1995, 1996)
• Summers at Castle Auburn named to the ALA list of Best Books (2002).^[4]

Works

Safe-Keepers series

1. The Safe-Keeper's Secret (Puffin Books, 2004)
2. The Truth-Teller's Tale (Puffin Books, 2005)
3. The Dream-Maker's Magic (Viking Press, 2006)

Samaria series

1. Archangel (Ace Books, 1996)
2. Jovah's Angel (Ace Books, 1997)
3. The Alleluia Files (Ace Books, 1997)
4. Angelica (Ace Books, 2003) Although this is the fourth novel in the Samaria series, it is set before the first book Archangel.
5. Angel-Seeker (Ace Books, 2004) This novel is set immediately after the first book Archangel.

Twelve Houses series

• Flame (Ace Books, 2009) in Quatrain

1. Mystic and Rider (Ace Books, 2005)
2. The Thirteenth House (Ace Books, 2006)
3. Dark Moon Defender (Ace Books, 2006)
4. Reader and Raelynx (Ace Books, 2007)
5. Fortune and Fate (Ace Books, 2008)

Elemental Blessings series

1. Troubled Waters (Ace Books, 2010)
2. Royal Airs (Ace Books, 2013)
3. Jeweled Fire (Ace Books, 2015)
4. Unquiet Land (Ace Books, 2016)
5. Whispering Wood (Fairwood Press, 2024)

Shifting Circle series

1. The Shape of Desire (Ace Books, 2012)
2. Still Life With Shape Shifter (Ace Books, 2012)
3. The Turning Season (Ace Books, 2014)

Uncommon Echoes series

1. Echo in Onyx (audiobook, Audible, March 2019; trade paperback and ebook, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency, August 2019)
2. Echo in Emerald (audiobook, Audible, March 2019; trade paperback and ebook, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency, 2019)
3. Echo in Amethyst (audiobook, Audible, March 2019; trade paperback and ebook, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency, 2019)

Other novels

• The Shape-Changer's Wife (Ace Books, 1995)
• Heart of Gold (Ace Books, 2000)
• Wrapt in Crystal (Ace Books, 2000)
• Summers at Castle Auburn (Ace Books, 2002)
• Jenna Starborn (Ace Books, 2003)
• General Winston's Daughter (Viking Press, 2007)
• Gateway (Viking Press, 2009)
• Shattered Warrior (First Second Books, 2017), a graphic novel illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag
• The Shuddering City (Fairwood Press, 2022)

Anthologies and collections

Anthology and Collection	Contents	Publication Date	Publisher	Comments
To Weave a Web of Magic	Fallen Angel	2004	Berkley Books	novella This story is set in Samaria.
The Queen in Winter	When Winter Comes	2006	Berkley Books	novella
Powers of Detection: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy	The Sorcerer's Assassin	2006	Ace Books	edited by Dana Stabenow
Firebirds Rising	Wintermoon Wish	2006	Firebird Books
Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology	The Double-Edged Sword	2006	Tor Books
Elemental Magic	Bargain With the Wind	2007	Berkley Books
Unusual Suspects	The House of Seven Spirits	2008	Ace Books
Quatrain	FlightBlood Gold Flame	2009	Ace Books	is set in Samariais set in the world of Heart of Gold is an addition to Summers at Castle Auburn is a prequel to The Twelve Houses Series
Angels of Darkness	Nocturne	2011	Berkley BooksPenguin Group	is set in Samaria.

External links

• • On the Plain of Sharon fan site
• Sharon Shinn at Fantastic Fiction
• Sharon Shinn at Fantasy Literature
  • Crawford Award Winners

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sharon Shinn . 2011-12-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111006093817/http://www.sharonshinn.net/HTML/biography.html . 2011-10-06 .
2. http://www.ulib.niu.edu/rarebooks/sciencefiction.cfm Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Collection
3. http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/CrawfordWinsByYear.html The Locus Index to SF Awards: William L. Crawford - IAFA Fantasy Award Winners By Year
4. Web site: 2002 Best Books for Young Adults. Young Adult Library Services Association. 15 March 2013.