Shannon Armour

After a long stint as the office manager/administrative assistant/contract supervisor/maintenance coordinator/bar manager for the Marquee Theater in Tempe, I briefly moved to the Pacific Northwest to fulfill my long time dream of living in a city with cooler temperatures, green tree, old houses, and a really good food scene. The short lived endeavor lasted roughly two months. It was crushing but also made me realize how much home is where your friends are even if that place is surrounded by dust, cactus, and 116 degree days.

Shortly after moving back to Phoenix, I was offered a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to work for the Phoenix New Times as their editorial assistant. At the time I had ZERO (and I really mean zero) writing experience. In fact, I could barely write an email that was more than two sentences.

That all changed when I found out that blog writing was part of my job. I had to learn how to write and with the help of my ever so patient boss/editor, I found my voice and learned the difference between its and it's, when to spell out numbers and when not to, and the difference between palette and palate. I also got over my debilitating fear of letting other people read stuff that I had written and realized that, hey, sometimes it's going to suck but no one is going to remember because they are going to be focused on whatever happens five minutes from now.

I have gone on to write numerous blogs for Chow Bella that focus on food, craft beer, and food news. I had my very first restaurant review published in the paper in April 2012 and I am responsible for writing a good chunk of the 2011 and 2012 Best of Phoenix Content.

I currently reside in Tempe in a 1950's home with my art teacher boyfriend and my three lovely dogs. I work as a freelancer writer for Chow Bella and the Phoenix New Times and occasional bartender at the Marquee Theater. I am always looking for new and challenging freelance projects -- especially assignments that involve craft beer, puppies, and/or historical houses.