After more than two decades in the South, Shannon McNear now makes her home on the windy northern plains with her husband, two of their eight children, two German Shepherds, a bunny, two cats, several chickens, and a noisy flock of guinea fowl. She serves in worship and youth ministry, and has been writing novel-length fiction since age 15. Her first novella, Defending Truth, from A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® nominee, and her most recent novella, The Wise Guy and the Star in Love’s Pure Light is a 2021 SELAH winner.

When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the Dakota prairie.