Interview with romantic suspense author Dawn Brown

Today's guest is romantic suspense author Dawn Brown. She's touring her new book through Goddess Fish Promotions and today is her last stop.

Also, Dawn is giving away a $20 gift card to one randomly drawn commentor during the tour. Details below.

Bio:
Dawn Brown’s first sojourn into storytelling began when she was nine. She would gather neighborhood kids into her garage and regale them with ghost stories, believing even then that atmosphere played an important role in a good story.

Dawn has a diploma in journalism, but found herself pursuing a career in computer leasing. After the birth of her son, she gave up the corporate world to be a mom and write full time, trading in her dreary cubicle for a dreary room in the attic.

Now Dawn spends her days creating dark, romantic mysteries with edgy heroes, clever heroines and villains she hopes will keep her readers sleeping with the light on.

Dawn lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son.


Please tell us about your current release, Blood and Bone.
Crime writer Shayne Reynolds is looking for the next book that’ll get her out of her parents’ basement and on track to rebuilding her life. She’s found it in Robert Anderson, a confessed murderer who’s out on parole. Something’s never added up about that case.

From the moment she sets foot in Dark Water, nothing goes as planned. Anderson’s family wants her to drop the story—especially surviving son Des. A man who ignites sizzling heat even as he stands firmly in her way.

Laboring under his father’s crushing legacy and his grandmother’s iron resolve to get rid of the nosy writer at any cost, Des struggles to save the self-destructive sister who once saved him. There’s something honest and forthright about Shayne, though, that tempts him to help her get to the truth. Even if it means double-crossing his powerful grandmother.

Despite their resolve to keep it strictly business, sexual sparks quickly set fire to tangled emotions. And threads of a fragile bond that someone with a vendetta could use to weave their death shroud…

What inspired you to write this book?
I was really intrigued by the common elements in family murders and thought it would make an interesting backdrop for a story. I was right. There were so many different directions I could have taken this story that it created a real whodunit.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently writing a romantic mystery series (Is two books a series?) set in Wales with a strong paranormal element. Having a connected mystery carry through two books has been challenging, but a lot of fun too.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably when I completed my first book. I had been writing for years, but never managed to finish anything besides short stories. Shortly after my son was born, I decided to get serious about writing and finished my first novel. It was a terrible sci-fi/horror/romance, and I really can’t emphasize enough just how bad it was. But I had finished it, and I knew I could finish another. After that, I wrote Living Lies, which was eventually published with Samhain Publishing.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I use to. I’ve recently started working part time, so I’m finding it much trickier to balance my writing time. Getting up early and writing before work seems to work best for me as far as being the most productive. Some mornings are better than others though. I’m also lucky that when things are slow at the day job, I can work on writing there too.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have to have a drink—usually coffee or tea—next to me while I write. I’m pretty sure this particular quirk is a result of quitting smoking twelve years ago. Whatever I’m drinking his positioned in the same place I used to have the ashtray.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
There was a short period where I wanted to be a vet, but once it occurred to me that there would be more involved than just playing with animals—surgeries and that sort of thing—I quickly realized that wasn’t for me. After that, I wanted to be a writer. I have since I was about ten. It was really the only thing I did well in at school.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Readers can find me on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.


Readers, don't forget! Dawn is going to give away a $20 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. You can comment on this post and check out Dawn's other tour dates and comment at her other stops. The more you comment, the better chance you have of winning. And remember, today is the last day of the tour!