The reader meets Shannon in book one. She is mortal, and Kate’s best friend. They went to college together, and both secured jobs at the same advertising agency in Washington, D.C. Shannon’s importance in the story grows through the six book series.
When Kate first meets Shade, she is overwhelmed by him on many fronts. She bumbles through their first encounter and is reluctant to try to make contact with him again. Kate is coming off of a bad relationship, and doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence. Shannon serves as the catalyst for pushing Kate out of her comfort zone.
In the early books, Shannon is a much bolder personality than Kate. She is more confident in herself, and more comfortable around men. Shannon’s attitudes around sex are less rigid. She would see nothing wrong with sex on a first date if she was attracted to the man, whereas Kate has to feel the relationship has some staying power.
Shannon also has a snarky sense of humor, and offers some comic relief when the story gets tense. She was originally only in the outline to appear in book one, but she was such a fun character to write, I felt a need to keep her around. Her role turned out to be a vital one that will last to the final page.
Everyone needs a friend like Shannon who can help them get in a little trouble, and laugh about it later.