Shannon Hale: Hello, my name is Shannon Hale. Hale, H-A-L-E actually means something. It means healthy, robust, vigorous, and I always liked that. Hale is actually my married name, and I liked it so much when I got married, I decided to use it for my writing name as well. It is mispronounced surprisingly often for such a simple name. Very often, people pronounce it as though it means the place with fire and devils leaping about. But, my name is not Shannon Hell. It's Shannon Hale. My first name is also the name of a river in Ireland. I always liked my first name, mostly because when I was in elementary school, all the other kids started to say that they hated their name. I think it's very sad when people don't like their own names. You have a beautiful name. In fact, I think you should say it right now. Go ahead, shout out your own name right now. Declare it to the world. Shannon Hale! Doesn't it feel good just to say it? You have a wonderful name, and I really like your hair, too. That's not Shannon Hell. That's Shannon Hale.