Q. How long have you been writing?
A. I’m pretty sure I started writing about the same time everyone else did…kindergarten. I was no writing phenom. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was the opposite. I had a wild imagination that was strictly for my personal use, and I rarely shared it with others. Oh, um…wait, that’s too far back, huh? Okay, I’ve been writing on and off my whole adult life. I was an English major in College. I started writing for publication about ten years ago. It’s been a strange journey, one that at times has frustrated me as much as it’s inspired me.
Q. Do you have a family?
A. Yes, and they’re weird. Really weird, and I don’t mean that in a genius sort of way. They all live life to the beat of their own drum. I tell people, there aren’t a lot of limbs on my family tree, so I guess weirdness is an expected outcome.
Q. Are you related to anyone famous?
A. Batman. I’m not kidding about this.
Here’s the lore around Batman. His real name is Bruce Wayne. He was named Bruce after Robert the Bruce, a famous Scottish king who opposed British rule. He was pretty awesome, and he wore a kilt while he fought, so that’s really awesome. Batman’s creators gave him the last name of Wayne in honor of General Anthony Wayne, a revolutionary war hero. People called him Mad Anthony Wayne, (he had a fiery temperament and risked his life by leading his men from the front lines) and no surprises, he is the one I’m related to in real life. So the creators of Batman used one of my relatives to base their character off of, and that makes me related to Batman.
So for reals I’m related to Mad Anthony Wayne.
Q. I heard you have dyslexia. What is that?
A. Dyslexia is a neurological disorder that causes the brain to process and interpret information differently. (yep, I’m seriously special) It can hinder reading, writing, spelling and sometimes even speaking. It’s a bear of a disorder that I struggle with every day of my life because I’m a writer with dyslexia. That’s what people call irony. The degree of impairment varies widely. Mine made it difficult to read for a very long time. In fact, I rarely opened a textbook in high school if I could get away from it, and I learned mainly from listening to lectures. (shockingly, I was an A/B student) I stubbornly refused to read anything I didn’t have to read until I was about sixteen. That’s when my mother tossed a book at me (she missed hitting me because I’m good at dodge ball) and said I might enjoy it (reading the book, not her hitting me with it). Another surprise, I did. I took me forever to read it. I’m still a slow reader, but not nearly as slow as I used to be.
Q. Do you live by me?
A. At one time or another, I probably did. (not really, but sometimes it feels that way) I’m from a military family, and I married a military man which means I’ve moved around a lot. Here is a list of places I’ve lived in alphabetical order, because I can do that now.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Fargo, North Dakota
- Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Hollesley, Suffolk, United Kingdom
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Longthorpe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Orlando, Florida
- Sacramento, California
- San Antonio, Texas
- Schertz, Texas
- Tacoma, Washington
Shea Berkley 