“Shannon’s fiction debut is an entertaining, provocative bildungsroman that successfully turns an unconventional premise into a thoughtful exploration of freedom and identity.” – Kirkus Reviews

“In this sensitively told story of finding oneself, little is at it seems.” – IndieReader review

“From start to finish, the book captivated me.” – Goodreads review

The Prostitutes of Lake Wiishkoban is my first novel, and it is now available on Kindle and in paperback. It was shortlisted for the 2012 Dundee International Book Prize, and a quarterfinalist for the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

What if a small-town Minnesota library doubled as a clandestine high-class brothel?

Mousy librarian Alexis Tove finds her horizons – among other things – spread wide open when she goes to work at Lake Wiishkoban Library. Desperate for money so she won’t have to move back to her isolated North Dakota hometown, Alexis experiences a way of life she never imagined for herself, from spanking to lesbianism to furries, all while keeping her doting parents back home in the dark about her “after-hours work.” But can she find the sense of belonging that’s eluded her all her life? Is another librarian’s flirty behavior more than it appears to be? And who lurks downstate preparing to expose the library’s secrets to the whole world?

A Book Club Guide for The Prostitutes of Lake Wiishkoban is available for free, including an interview with me about the novel and discussion questions.

Autographed copies are also available, directly from me.

T-shirts and other merchandise with the cover design are also available at the official The Prostitutes of Lake Wiishkoban Shop on CafePress.

Video trailer:

Follow The Prostitutes of Lake Wiishkoban on Facebook for more news on the novel.

Archived news:

2018.05.18 Kirkus Reviews review
2017.03.12 IndieReader review
2017.01.29 University of Toledo English Department Newsletter announcement
2012.05.17 Announcement of 2012 Dundee International Book Prize shortlist