An Interview with Author K. Dawn Byrd

My apologies to Dawn, who sent me this interview several weeks ago. A trip out of town was unexpectedly extended this summer prevented me from posting it before now. 

Hello, Dawn. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Patti’s Porch.


When did you begin your writing journey?

I started writing about three years ago and have found that I couldn't stop if I wanted to. It's more than a hobby, it's a passion!

Has it taken you where you thought it would?


I really had no high expectations when I started writing. I know the statistics...less than 1 % of writers making a living at it. I'm fortunate enough to have a day job that pays the bills, which leaves me free to write for the sheer joy of putting words on the page. Some people play golf...my hobby just happens to be writing and I'll guarantee I spend a lot less money on it than my husband does on the golf course.

Tell us about your latest book, Mistaken Identity.


Here's the blurb from my cover.

Eden Morgan makes a list of six goals to accomplish in order to have the best summer ever. Getting a boyfriend, which is perhaps the most important goal, becomes complicated when she and her best friend, Lexi, fall for the same guy. Since Lexi is popular, gorgeous, and always gets her guy, Eden thinks she doesn't have a chance.

Channing Johnson is everything Eden's ever dreamed of and she can't believe he just moved in next door. When he starts showing interest in her, she's overjoyed...until she sees him out on a date with Lexi. He says Lexi talked him into it to repay her for tutoring him. Lexi says they're in love.

Eden doesn't know who to believe and is forced to choose between her best friend and the guy of her dreams. Nothing is as it seems and no matter who she chooses, someone will get hurt.

What kind of takeaway does this story have for teen girls?

The takeaway is that God is always faithful. I wrote this book for the young woman who is struggling to live for God and wondering if all worth it when the worldly girls seem to have all the fun and get all the guys.

What is the main conflict in Mistaken Identity?


The main conflict happens when my heroine and her best friend fall in love with the same guy. My heroine is the Christian and the other girl is a drop dead gorgeous party girl. Hmmm...who will he choose?

You are also the author of two suspense novels, Queen of Hearts and Killing Time. Tell us about them.

Queen of Hearts cover blurb: 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.

Killing time: Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

Mistaken Identity seems to be quite a genre switch from your first two novels. Did this create a problem as far as contracting and now promoting Mistaken Identity?

Not at all! As I said before, I write for the joy of writing. My publishing company has been kind enough to buy whatever I've pitched to them because they like my stories.

You just started a blog for young adults. What kind of topics do you hope to cover?


The blog was designed to give teens a voice. I want to hear from them about life today in their world. If you're a young adult, age 12-20+, please contact me if you'd like a spot at kdawnbyrd@yahoo.com . You  can check out the blog at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com

What is your favorite part of the writing process?


My favorite part is the first draft. I love the freedom of putting words on the page. It doesn't matter that they're not perfect. A favorite saying is, "First drafts don't have to be perfect, they just have to be written."

Least favorite?

I don't like editing. Once I've finished a book and edited it a couple of times, I'm ready to move on to something else. The final edit just before copy is something I want no part of, so I hired it done on my last book and I have to say he did a wonderful job!

What has benefitted you most as a writer?

I've made some wonderful friends in the publishing world. It was really nice to meet so many of them at the ACFW Conference last year.

What advice would you give to new writers seeking publication?

Write the best story you can and then rewrite and rewrite some more.

Where can readers learn more about you?

www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com

www.kdawnbyrd.com

Where can your books be purchased?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.cbd.com and other ebook outlets. CBD is great for those readers who are interested in reading ebooks, but don’t have an ereader. There's no software to download and you can read right on your computer screen. Also, if you don't mind downloading software, you can download the Kindle app on Amazon's home page and read Kindle books on your computer.

Thank you for visiting with us today, Dawn!

Memories of 9/11

Ten years ago today, having worked the night shift, I had just drifted into sleep when my two kids came running into my bedroom shouting for me to get up. A feeling of foreboding enveloped me as I forced myself back to a state of wakefulness. The last time they had done that was the morning they woke me to tell me my son's best friend had died in a car accident the night before.

It was a little before 7:00 here in Colorado on that fateful morning. The kids, my husband and I watched the television in shock as the horror unfolded. Despite being at work all night the night before, I, like most Americans, followed the news for the better part of the day.

I remember that night at work, as my staff and I watched the news coverage, they showed several scenes of people from other countries celebrating the victory of the savage attack. Remember the woman who shouted with glee and laughed, her face filled with joy? One of my co-workers pointed to her and said, "I'd love to get my hands on her!" We explained to him that she had probably been taught from the time she was a small child to hate Americans and all we stand for.

I think what frightened me the most about that day was the amount of hate that it must take to engineer such a vicious act of violence against another person, group, or country

I visited New York City last year. Our son and daughter-in-law lived there then and took us on quite a tour. Even though I grew up only 50 miles from NYC, my visits were few. I had never spent a few days walking the streets, felt the pulse of the traffic, mixed with the throng of people on the subways, and admired the many sights like I did during that visit.

We went to the ground zero site, and observed the commemorative wall there. As I read the words "May We Never Forget" inscribed there,  my heart went out to the thousands of families who were directly affected by such tragic loss on that fateful day.

I have never suffered the loss of a loved one through such a devastating occurrence. It must rip the heart right out of a person to have a loved one's life end through such a senseless act.

All this week, I have watched the news and heard the stories of those who were directly affected by September 11th.  The stories are gut wrenching and heart breaking, yet in each there shines the light of hope and healing.

We as a nation will always bear the scars left by the attack on the twin towers, the pentagon, and the loss of flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Our view of our own country, our relationships to each other, and our place int he world, was forever changed that day.

Yet, I feel secure in the future, because no matter what happened on September 11, 2001, God still reigned supreme. His presence was felt by some who had never felt Him before and others who had forgotten about Him drew closer to Him.

Malice dominates this world, but I rest secure in the knowledge that no matter what kind of threat our enemies pose in the coming days or years ahead, our God stands beside us through every trial. His love will eventually conquer every shred of hatred that exists in the hearts of man and only His pure love will remain.

May God bless America!