Turning The Pages: *[Blog Tour Interview/INT Giveaway] Dawn Kirby Q&A

I'm pleased to host author Dawn Kirby on Turning The Pages today, and I would like to thank her for allowing me the pleasure of interviewing her.

Author Bio:

By day, Dawn is a typical mom running around after her children, catering to her husband’s needs, acting as a taxi driver, and gourmet chef living in Odessa, Texas, with her husband, and three children. Then by night she falls into a world filled with shirtless werewolves, lethal vampires, and dangerous adventures. Her short stories have been published in Seven Deadly Sins and 13 Tales of Paranormal

Turning the Pages: What made you decide to start writing?

Dawn Kirby: The need to get Leah’s voice out of my head is what originally drove me to write. She kept me up nights, whispered to me as I went about my daily life. Finally I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I sat down one day after I’d dropped of the kids at school determined to get her out of my head. Eight hours later, I had a full two chapters and a page and a half of character descriptions.

Turning the Pages: Where did the idea for Secrets come from?

Dawn Kirby: I wish I knew. I assume working around candles as long as I did when I was younger contributed to Leah’s scent sensitivity. Other than that, there’s not one thing I can think of that helped shape SECRETS.

Turning the Pages: Which character in Secrets was your favourite to write?

Dawn Kirby: Kale and Drew were a blast to write. Kale is so happy and confident, yet he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Drew, well, she’s just Drew. Don’t ask her a question unless you want an honest answer.

But out of all of them, I enjoyed writing Raine the most. He’s such a mystery. Even I haven’t got him all figured out yet.

Turning the Pages: Which authors inspire you?

Dawn Kirby: That’s a tough question. There are so many out there it’s impossible to list them all.

Turning the Pages: What are your top 5 favourite books?

Dawn Kirby: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

The Night Watch – (Actually I’m in love with his entire series) – Sergei Lukyanenko

The Black Lyon – Jude Deveraux

Happy Potter – JK Rowling – (All seven…surprise, surprise)

The Tell-Tale Heart – Edgar Allan Poe – I know it’s a short, but it has always been on of those works that take hold and never let go.

Turning the Pages: What was the hardest part about the writing process?

Dawn Kirby: The hardest part is finding the time. When you have a job, family and a passion, it can be very hard to balance it all out.

Turning the Pages: If you could give aspiring writers any 2 pieces of advice, what would you tell them?

Dawn Kirby: 1) Don’t give up. Nothing worth having comes easy. The road to publication is hard and full of potholes, but once you navigate them the payoff will be more than worth it.

2) Listen. There are a lot of writers, editors, agents, and publishers out there ready and willing to help. All you have to do is listen.

Turning the Pages: Do you have another book in the works? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?

Dawn Kirby: The edits to the second book in the Serenity Series, DECEIT are underway as we speak. I don’t have a contract for it yet, but I’ve learned so much, it’s hard not to try to improve on the story that much more.

Even as Leah and Raine take their relationship to the next level she is still looking over her shoulder. The closer they get to finding out who the vampire hunting her is, the more they find out about her parents’ pasts. Old “friends” offer their help while new enemies plot to destroy not only Leah, but those helping her as well. Will they be able to keep the wolves from her door or will the vampire hiding in the shadows finally get what he wants?

Turning the Pages: How do you deal with writers block?

Dawn Kirby: I usually have to take a step a step back. I stop writing altogether and absorb myself in something else. It may take a day, a week or even a month, but something will trigger that spark and I’m back at it again.