Name, Age, City and State: Shannon Primicerio, 28, Orange County, CA

Job-title: Author/Speaker/Creative Writing Teacher

Web/blog site URL: www.beingagirlbooks.com

Give us your job description in 25 words or less. I write books that teach teenage girls how to apply the Bible to the drama of real life. I also speak at youth events and teach creative writing.

Describe a typical workday. A writing day typically means eight hours at my computer in my home office (or at a local Starbucks) writing or editing. A teaching day means back to back classes with students of all ages (6-13). A speaking day usually involves travel to the location, speaking to the group and signing books afterwards.

What led you to realize that you wanted to do this type of work? I always enjoyed writing. My second grade teacher once pulled my mom aside and told her I would grow up to be an author. At the age of 13 I won my first writing contest. Little things like that fueled my desire to write because I felt like it was something I was actually good at. In high school I joined the yearbook staff and experimented with journalism. When I got to college I wrote for the university paper and actually got my first book contract.

Did you have any heroes or mentors in your industry that you admired? Robin Jones Gunn was my favorite author growing up. I loved her books. Without knowing that my editor asked Robin to write the forward for my first book, The Divine Dance, and she said yes. We’ve gone on to become friends since so that has been really fun.

What type of education or training was required to land your job? I have a degree in journalism (although I hadn’t yet completed it when I signed my first book contract). Each year I also attend a few conferences for writers and speakers so I can learn how to hone my skills, do a better job with marketing and keep up with changing industry trends and technology.

What do you love most about your job? I love that what I do impacts and changes lives. Interacting with my readers via email, Facebook and Twitter is a lot of fun. Watching true life change unfold is a powerful thing.

What one part of your job do you wish you could hire someone else to do? Marketing. I never realized publishers consider the author’s job to sell the book. I always thought all I had to do was write.

What advice would you give to teenagers wanting to get into your field of work? Write as much as you can. Start a blog even if your mom is the only one who reads it at first. Test your ideas out with a live audience and keep at it. You can get published—discipline and persistence are key so develop those skills now.

How does your job allow you to use your God-given gifts? My spiritual gifts are teaching and encouragement—both of which I get to do on paper with non-fiction writing. That’s not the only way I use those gifts, but it is one of the most fun ways I get to use them.

Do you have any hobbies or off-hours pursuits that teenagers would find of interest? I am an avid New York Yankees fan, I could live at the beach and I have a slight addiction to chai lattes and my Blackberry.