Author Interview: K. Dawn Byrd

Today I have the pleasure of introducing debut author, K. Dawn Byrd. Her first book, Queen of Hearts, was just released on April 1st by Desert Breeze Publishing. K.Dawn is here to tell us more about her book, her writing journey, and herself.

SW: Welcome K. Dawn. I'm going to start with the question my guests have seemed to hate the most. Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

KDB: I'm an author of inspirational romantic suspense and have two books coming out this year through Desert Breeze Publishing. I have been married for fifteen years and share my house with my husband and two spoiled rotten hairless Chinese Crested dogs.

SW: When did you first become interested in writing?

KDB: I've been an avid reader forever, but never really considered writing for publication until a little over two years ago. That's when I started studying everything I could find about the craft. With each edit, I learned how to write a tighter copy and a better story.

SW: What genre do you prefer writing/reading? And why does this genre appeal to you?

KDB: I enjoy reading and writing inspirational romantic suspense because the suspense adds tension. I recently finished my fifth book, which is a romance (no suspense.) Even though I had a lot of fun writing it, I'm still a suspense fan at heart.

SW: Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?

KDB: My journey to publication was rather short compared to some authors. I have been writing for a little over two years. I believe that I became published within a year and a half of writing my first novel because I've read and studied every book I could find on the craft and have edited my manuscripts many times.

SW: How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?

KDB: I plot, but normally veer off course as my characters develop a life of their own and take me down roads that I never intended to travel. For this reason, I've learned to start with a very loose plot and then explore the "what ifs" with my characters.

SW: Tell us about Queen of Hearts?

KDB: Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.

SW: What inspired you to write this?

KDB: Queen of Hearts was my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project for 2009. I had a historical rolling around in my head and contacted the editor at Desert Breeze to ask if she had need of one. That was in October and I was told that she had a spot in April. She said that if I wanted to write it, she'd hold that April slot. Talk about pressure! What if she didn't like it? I wrote almost 60,000 words in 30 days to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge. I then edited the book a couple of times before sending it to her Jan 1. Lucky for me, she liked it.

SW: That's amazing! And Desert Breeze had already accepted another of your books so Gail knew that you were good. I'm going to give some serious thought to participating in NaNoWriMo in Nov.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them, and what endears them to you?

KDB: My characters are normal people who feel what we feel. They're people who've loved and lost, but weren't afraid to try again. My heroine is smart, brave and independent, but she also has a soft side as most women do. My hero is tall, dark and handsome, but he has a family background that he must overcome in order to live a happy life. I develop my characters by filling out character worksheets so that I'll come to know them and what makes them tick.

SW: What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?

KDB: I approach writing realistically. I've read that less than 1% of all authors make a living from writing. That said, I have no plans to quit my day job. Writing is a therapeutic hobby for me that I enjoy immensely. I hope to continue to create stories that encourage and entertain others.

SW: Any ideas for future projects?

KDB: I am currently working on a romance about a woman whose life is changed forever when she finds a wallet on the beach and locates the owner.

SW: What about hobbies? Any interests you'd like to share?

KDB: I rode a Harley Davidson for a few years, but there's not enough time in the day for everything. I sold my Harley to have more time to write. I love to read. I also enjoy judging writing contests and usually judge a half a dozen different ones every year.

SW: Other than your book, which I'm currently reading and enjoying very much, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along?

KDB: My recommendation to unpublished authors is to study everything you can get your hands on pertaining to craft. If you can't afford to purchase books, there's a list of excellent websites on my blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Thank you K. Dawn. Best of luck with your current and future books, and God bless!

K. Dawn Byrd's book, Queen of Hearts, can be purchased here. She's also giving away an Amazon gift certificate for a free download. If you'd like a chance to win, leave a comment and I'll enter you in the drawing. I'll announce the winner Thursday morning.:)
If you want to know more about K. Dawn and her books, check out her website.

God bless! And happy reading!