Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Shawn C. Butler
Book Title: Ascendance
Released: 12/2/25
Genre: Sci-Fi/Murder Mystery
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Ascendance”?
Butler: I wanted to write a science fiction murder mystery with lots of red hearings and a morally ambiguous outcome, which seems to reflect where we are in society at the moment. And I wanted something that while real and reflective our our current dystopia, had a nominally happy ending and some hope...
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Butler: I usually just look for common names for the ethnicity / background that don't distract the reader. In this case, I also used some family names for fun.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Butler: This book was a challenge. I took far longer than I wanted and wrote far more words than I needed. Editing was a slaughter. But I think the result is a better, deeper book with more interesting characters than it would have been otherwise.
If "Ascendance" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Butler: Hmm. I try not to think about this because I want readers to imagine characters from their own perspectives. On the other hand, I have a whole file of celebrity pictures I used to help me stay true to a character's description in the book. In there, I describe one of the main characters as an "Asian Paul Bettany" which is at least amusing. one of the characters looks a lot like Terry Crews. I guess it's more important that the actor have the right feel than the right face. I'll let Christopher Nolan figure it out ;).
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Butler: A don't usually get writer's block. I write too much. I could use some blockage.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Butler: Don't use friggin' AI. Not for your writing, not for your covers, not for your audiobooks. It's such a betrayal of the craft. Also, have fun.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Butler: I love science fiction, horror and murder mysteries. I don't really have favorite authors. Used to be, I'd read anything Stephen King, Dennis Lehane, John Scalzi and others. Now I prefer one-hit wonders, just like music; that one book that represents everything the author had to say in one creative explosion -- even if they never write another good book.
What are you working on next?
Butler: A book about a genetic stirring of the pot that results in utter chaos.
Learn More About the Author and Ascendance here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shawn-C.-Butler/author/B09C7NCC5Y?
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