Shana Galen Bestselling Author of Captivating Historical Romances

Bestselling author Shana Galen masterfully blends intrigue, humour, and heartfelt emotion in over fifty spellbinding historical romances.

Award-winning author Shana Galen weaves suspense, humour, and romance into gripping historical tales that captivate readers with adventure, passion, and unforgettable characters.

Shana Galen is a true luminary in the world of historical romance, captivating readers with her masterful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and the perfect blend of adventure, wit, and passion. With over fifty novels to her name, she has not only established herself as a bestselling author but also garnered acclaim from critics and devoted fans alike. Kirkus praises her books as “intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun,” while RT Bookreviews celebrates her ability to weave tales that are both “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching.”

Mosaic Digest magazine is thrilled to feature an exclusive interview with this award-winning author, delving into her journey, inspirations, and the magic behind her writing. Beyond her literary success, Shana’s commitment to animal rescue and her years as an educator add further depth to her remarkable career. Join us as we explore the world of historical romance through the eyes of one of the genre’s most beloved voices.

Shana Galen’s storytelling brilliance delivers intense, humorous, and deeply moving romances that keep readers enthralled from beginning to end.

Your novels beautifully blend adventure, romance, and historical authenticity. How do you balance historical accuracy with the need to craft a compelling, fast-paced story?

As a writer, the story is paramount. No one wants to read a description of a Sèvres vase in the middle of a fight scene. I’ve written so many books set in the Regency period that by now I’m steeped in that time, and it’s second nature to get lost in a world populated with Beau Brummel, Almacks, and Manton pistols. But when I do write outside of the Regency period—I have series set during the French Revolution and the Victoria era—I find the best way to give the books an historically authentic feel is to read a lot of primary source material before beginning the book. Then hopefully the setting weaves itself into the book naturally as I write the story. If not, I can always go back and layer in the fun historical tidbits.

Many of your books feature strong-willed heroines who challenge societal norms. What inspires you to create such dynamic female leads, and do you have a favourite among them?

Even though I write historical romance, my readers live in the modern era. As a reader myself, I want to read about women who are brave and strong and stand up for themselves. Plenty of these women existed historically, and many of my heroines are based on real women I’ve read about, like Grace Dalyrmple Elliot, a courtesan who was a spy during the French Revolution, or Anne Bonny and Mary Read, pirates during the 18th century. My favorite female lead is probably Raeven Russell from The Rogue Pirate’s Bride. She’s the daughter of an admiral who has a vendetta against a privateer who she blames for the death of her fiancé. She ends up kidnapped by that pirate—I mean, privateer—and shows herself to be every bit the sailor and the warrior he is.

From the glittering ballrooms of the Regency era to the perilous world of spies and pirates, your settings are vividly immersive. What draws you to these backdrops, and how do you research them?

Again, I come back to story. I love books by authors like Jane Austen, who set her novels mainly in drawing rooms and featured characters facing relatively low stakes. Austen is able to make the conflict gripping to the reader in such a way that we are really invested in whether or not two characters marry or someone’s reputation is ruined. I learned early on that I don’t have that skill. Low stakes don’t work for me as a writer, so I need to craft books where spies or saboteurs or ancient curses threaten my characters. I need higher stakes to keep me, and the reader, interested. As far as research, I’ve read any number of books on the role of the Foreign Office and spymasters during the American and French Revolutions as well as the Napoleonic Wars. I also researched sailing and pirates and worked hard to get all the nautical terminology correct. But at the end of the day, my books are set in a world I create from my imagination. The historical context is just the backdrop, and I’m not afraid to take some creative license.

Your bibliography includes both traditional and independently published works. How has your experience with different publishing routes influenced your approach to storytelling and audience engagement?

I enjoy publishing traditionally and independently. When I first began publishing, in 2005, the traditional route was the only avenue open to authors, and there were times I found the publishing industry a bit stifling. Only certain settings were allowed. Characters couldn’t do certain things—for example, heroes were not really supposed to fall in love with the heroine first. So when indie publishing became more ubiquitous, there was a sense of freedom that I could write anything I wanted. I didn’t have to adhere to what a publishing house considered marketable. With the rise of indie publishing, the romance genre was really able to open up and authors could take risks. I think the readers have benefitted from a breadth of novels with characters and settings traditional publishers might not have embraced on their own. But now traditional publishers are more open to publishing diverse stories and authors, and I think we are really seeing a renaissance of the romance genre in both the indie and traditional spaces.

Romance readers love a good hero! Whether it’s a rogue, a spy, or a nobleman, what qualities do you believe make for an unforgettable romantic hero in historical fiction?

The best heroes love and respect the heroine for who she is. They see her in ways others, be it her family or society, don’t. In almost every one of my books, there is a scene where the hero confides his love to the heroine, and he will tell her in that scene what it is he loves about her. It’s never that she’s the most beautiful woman in London. It’s always something special and unique about her—something he sees that others haven’t. That’s the kind of person we all want in our lives.

Shana Galen is the author of over 50 novels. She’s a former English teacher and a passionate advocate for animals. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, daughter, four cats, and a dog.