Behind The Words // Dawn Kirby

My guest today is author Dawn Kirby, prolific author of the upcoming paranormal romance, SECRETS, which comes out on July 29th. Dawn and I hang out in the same circles on the web and we recently connected despite our tragically busy schedules. Just like me, Dawn likes writing in the dark. But let's let Dawn do the talking!

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My name is Dawn Kirby. I'm the author of the Paranormal Romance, SECRETS, due out July 29th, 2012 from Dark Dragon Publishing Company. It's the first book in my Serenity series. Some may know me as the author of LUST in the recent SEVEN DEADLY SINS collaboration, published by Ring of Fire in March of this year. I have another short, Date Night in Firefly and Wisp's 13 TALES OF THE PARANORMAL.

Peeking in on Dawn's writing space...

My writing space for the most part is one corner of the wrap-around couch in my living room. It's quite comfortable. Not to mention I can keep my eyes on my kids at all times. They do try to challenge my laptop for a spot closest to me, but being when I'm in the mood to write they have to settle with being next to me instead.

I don't really have a favorite snack handy while I write. Actually I have a habit of forgetting to eat all together. A cold can of Coke is a definite must. Lots of late nights make caffeine kicks an almost hourly occurrence. Music is a given. I love to listen to just about anything while I write. Some songs inspire me while others help me frame out scenes or characters. Without it I'd be lost. That and a dark sky. Whether it be because of a thunder storm or night...dark is my biggest inspiration.

What's next for Dawn...

Besides preparing for the release of SECRETS this month, I'm working on (writing) three different projects. The first is another fabulous 7DS project from the brilliant mind of Michelle Anderson-Picarella. The details of that project will be released soon. The second is a collaboration involving six other wonderful writers involving murder and a specific article of clothing. So far both have been a blast. The third is APEX, a Paranormal Romance. I'm lucky enough to be able to say I'm writing this with a both a friend and an author I look up to greatly, A.T. Russell. We're just getting started on this one, but I have to say so far it's been an amazing experience. There's no set deadline as of yet as we are writing this between other projects, day jobs and releases, but we do hope to give a sneak peek sometime soon. 

Aside from those, I'm also editing my second book, DECEIT. I've learned so much working with my editor I'm determined to use the knowledge to strengthen the following three books in the series.

Dawn's Style...
I don't know that I have any approaches that might set me apart as far as writing goes. I use a Mac, though I do like to write my stories on paper before I open up Word. Notes are good, but for me they turn out to be things/places/directions I want to avoid taking the story. Research is probably more fun for me than writing is. There's so much to learn out there I relish the time I get to spend looking up one thing or another. I have to admit I'm a little nutty when it comes to researching names though. I want each name to fit the personalities of the characters I've created so much so I spend hours writing out detailed descriptions of them and lists of names that might work. If my character doesn't look, act and feel like a Daniel, the search continues until I find one that suits him. 

 

Knowing Dawn's family...

For the most part they think it's pretty cool. They get tired of it sometimes, but they understand how much I love what I do so I don't hear much complaining. I think keeping a healthy balance between family and writing is the trick. As long as I can keep everybody happy, it's easy to find the time to do what I love.

Understanding the process is a whole other story. Trying to explain it usually leads to a lot of blank stares and their sudden interest in something else. They know I write, they know I spend a lot of time with a laptop in my lap, they know I get rejections and they know I've been published. As far as they are concerned, that's all they need to know.

Luckily they are pretty good at giving me the time I need to write. We live outside city limits so they have plenty to keep them busy. Going out to ride dirt bikes and four wheelers with friends or to walk the pasture behind our house looking for critters or some interesting little something is lots more fun than listening to my nails click away at the keyboard.

Finding Dawn...

If you're interested in finding out what I'm up to, you can visit my website at www.dawnmkirby.com

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Thank you, Dawn! Like so many writers, you are a balancing act. Work, family, home life and writing all share space in your world. So glad you could share some of your time with us so we can learn about how you write and what you have coming up!