Dr. Cassandra Shenigo – Author Spotlight
I am so excited to bring you another Author Spotlight and interview. This author has an amazing book that will be so helpful to so many people, “Call Me Phoenix: A case for the normalization of name changes among child abuse survivors, domestic violence victims and other trauma sufferers,” and it is my absolute pleasure to tell you more.
Dr. Cassandra Shenigo is an accomplished sociologist and ethnographer with a deep-seated passion for understanding diverse cultures. Her expertise lies in conducting ethnographic studies within the gypsy/Roma/traveler (GRT), Appalachian, and Cajun/Acadian communities.
To date, Dr. Shenigo has authored three books and anticipates the release of four additional works by 2025. Her research contributions have provided valuable insights into the complexities and richness of these distinct communities that Dr. Shenigo both studies and is a part of.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Shenigo is a dedicated family woman. She is a devoted wife and a proud mother of seven children. She actively engages in many philanthropic endeavors such as providing body armor to police K9 officers, monetary contributions and providing furniture, clothing and housewares to refugee families in the Harrisburg area.
Dr. Shenigo’s diverse background extends to her previous experiences as a child star and musician. She has also ventured into screenwriting, movie production and has recently started working on a series of toddler through kindergarten aged books about Catholic Saints. Notably, she served honorably in the United States Army, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to her country and community.
Dr. Shenigo’s unique blend of academic expertise, cultural understanding, and personal experiences make her an exceptional voice in the fields of sociology and ethnography. Her unwavering dedication to research and social impact continues to inspire and empower others.
I was very happy to be able to ask Dr. Shenigo some questions about her writing and her life to share with you.
What do you love most about writing?
I love being able to show people things they may otherwise not have thought of. Since a lot of my research centers around really niche and obscure topics and communities, I am a lot of people’s first introduction to GRT communities or issues facing female veterans. Anything that helps spread awareness is awesome to me so me being able to be a part of that is just an amazing feeling.
What do you think readers will love about your books?
I hope that they love the realness of them. So much is often glossed over in a lot of other books, I feel like it is important to show the ugly and the factual to really make people think. I hope that the subjects of my books make people in those communities feel seen and heard, and that people not in those communities, feel like they learned something.
Are you currently working on any new books or writing projects?
I actually have a lot going on right now. I have 7 works in progress for my ethnographic collection, am working on a children’s series and am tweaking a few fiction stories! I am dabbling with the idea of Kindle Vella for the Nephalim series.
Where can people follow you online to learn more?
CassShenigoBooks.com, Dr. Cassandra Shenigo, Author | Books | Series | Interview | Deals | Newsletter | Contact | Site | AllAuthor or X.
Do you have a favorite book or author?
I think I have a favorite for just about every mood. Older Kristen Ashley, Anne Rice, Karin Slaughter, Kylie Scott, Kym Grosso, Anne Allison, Michael Taussig, the list is honestly endless and ebbs and flows with my mood or what I am working on