Author Spotlight - K Dawn Byrd talks about her passion for Young Adult Writing

You ask why I like to write young adult? Because it's so much fun! I started out a few years ago writing adult romantic suspense, which is what I love reading. I'd heard people say you should write what you love. Then, I started reading some young adult romance and really enjoyed it. Soon, I had the idea for Mistaken Identity. Once I started writing young adult, I couldn't stop. It's much more carefree and light than what I usually write and I love writing innocent romance.

Adult characters tend to be more complex with more baggage because of life experience, be it good or bad. Young adult characters come with a whole different category of challenges and I enjoy writing about situations that teens may face today.

I enjoyed writing young adult so much that I've signed a contract for a young adult mystery/romance series. The first book in the Zoe Mack mystery series will debut in January with another to follow in June and then one in December. Zoe is a lot like Nancy Drew, but she'll be more modern and there will be more romance in her stories.

LINK:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with K. Dawn Byrd

STEPH: I don't know much about Mistaken Identity. Can you tell me a little more about it?

K DAWN: It's a Christian fiction young adult romance about two best friends who both fall in love with the same guy, only they don't know it. Lexi knows him as C.J. and Eden knows him as Channing, which is what his mother calls him. Lexi is drop dead gorgeous, a little wild, and not a Christian. Eden is not as pretty and a Christian who the girls like to make fun of because of her faith and "goody-goody-two-shoes" ways. So, who will get the guy? The girl who's up for anything or the girl who's out to do the right thing?

STEPH: How long did it take to write?

K DAWN: After I conquered NaNoWriMo, I have my own personal NaNo several times a year where I write books in 30 day spurts. I'll write it in 30 days, put it away, and then go back and edit later. For me, it's the only way to write and it keeps the plot and characters fresh in my mind.

STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for the novel?

K DAWN: Not really. I did ask my step-daughter some questions about high school, but that was about it other than some research on car surfing.

STEPH: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

K DAWN: Strange ideas pop in my head sometimes. I just wondered what would happen if a gorgeous non-Christian and a not as pretty Christian fell in love with the same guy. Would he choose the wild party girl who would do whatever he wanted or the Christian who had good morals and values?

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

K DAWN: The theme is that even though you may be ridiculed for your beliefs, it's worth it to do the right thing.

STEPH: What do you want readers to take away from the novel when they finish it?

K DAWN: I hope Christian teens will be encouraged in their walk with the Lord.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

K DAWN: I don't have a ebook reader, but I have the Kindle app on several devices. I have it on an Eken (it's like an ipad, but a different brand) , my netbook, my laptop, and my personal favorite, my BlackBerry.

STEPH: How important is setting to the story?

K DAWN: Setting is important, but I don't like reading books where authors are too in depth on setting. It draws me out of the story. Too much description bores me.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

K DAWN: We live in a 1920s Cape Cod with the sloping roofs upstairs. My husband totally remodeled the upstairs a few years ago and placed bookcases around all walls to make a library for me. Unfortunately for him, I don't use it much for its intended use as a place to write. Instead, I carry my netbook all over the house and write wherever I want, most often on the couch in the den.

BUY LINK @ PUBLISHER'S SITE:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok

Desert Breeze author K Dawn Byrd pops in to talk about her upcoming release, Queen of Hearts

Today we welcome K Dawn Byrd with us, who has a release in April, "Queen of Hearts."

STEPH: Can you tell us a little about "Queen of Hearts"

K DAWN: 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.


STEPH - The story is set in the United States during World War II. What kind of research did you have to do?

K DAWN: Actually, I didn't have to do much research at all. I've been a WWII buff for years and have read many WWII books. I like stories about what happened to real people back in the day. I found it very interesting to see how the war changed our country and the people who lived here.

STEPH - Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

K DAWN: Like I said, I'm a WWII buff and I thought it would be fun to write a WWII story. At the time I was plotting (October 2009), I e-mailed Gail Delaney, who is the CEO of Desert Breeze Publishing, and asked her if she had a need for a historical. I had already sold a contemporary romantic suspense to them with an August 2010 release date. She held an April release date for Queen of Hearts. All I had to do was write it and hold my breath until I heard back from her to find out if she liked it. Lucky for me, she did.

STEPH - Do you cast your characters? If so who plays Daphne? (I'm thinking actress Jennifer Ferrin) Vito? Kenneth?

K DAWN: I consider my husband to be a very handsome man. I normally start a novel picturing my hubby as the hero. This makes it much easier for me to keep up with what my hero looks like as I write. Okay, I admit it...I'm a sucker for black-haired, green eyed men! I then search through magazines until I find photos of the other characters and keep them close by while I write.


STEPH - Will Daphne get the OSS training she needs?

K DAWN: Daphne never receives the OSS training and believes herself to be the most inept spy ever. She's understandably frustrated when thrown into the midst of delivering messages to other spies with no knowledge of what she's doing. For example, she meets Scarlet (British secret intelligence) at an officer's club and when Scarlet holds out her hand, Daphne shakes it. Scarlet then rakes her over the coals, informing her that she was supposed to have passed the message at the point.

STEPH - Was this the story that came out of NaNoWriMo 2009? How was that experience?

K DAWN: Queen of Hearts was my NaNoWriMo project. It was a challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but I did it. I had no choice if I wanted to meet the Desert Breeze deadline. It was due on my editors desk January 1. That gave me the moth of November to write and December to edit. The NaNoWriMo experience was wonderful. It's changed the way I write forever. I now give myself permission to write a terrible first draft. Before NaNo, I was very particular about the first draft and it took me forever to write it. I believe that the way I write now allows me to write the story much quicker.

Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grqPjGvfRa0
Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

THanks so much for being with us here, K Dawn!
Smiles
Steph

Desert Breeze Authors tackle NaNoWriMo!

Each November is known in the writing community as "National Novel Writing Month" or "NaNoWriMo." It's a month of flurry and increased activity. The goal of NaNoWriMo? To write a 50,000 word novel in a month. It's a daunting challenge, trust me. This month, 3 Desert Breeze Authors tackled it - K Dawn Bird, Me (Hehe, Stephanie Burkhart) and Chrystal Kincaid. Chrystal, can you weigh in and let us know how it went?

K Dawn Bird worked on her novel, "Queen of Hearts."

Queen of Hearts will be my first historical. There's a lot at stake with this novel because Desert Breeze Publishing is holding an April 2010 release date for it. That said, even though NaNoWrimo's final word count goal is 50,000, mine is 65,000. The heroine in Queen of Hearts is a newspaper reporter who becomes a member of the O.S.S. (spies).

K Dawn came in as a winner at 51,766 words. Congrats to you!!
Here's her NaNoWriMo page if you want to visit:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/525296



Stephanie Burkhart worked on her novel, "The Count's Lair."

Can a man haunted by an ancient curse fall in love? That’s what Count Anton Varga dares to explore when he meets beautiful and talented Lady Amelia Andrássy. Anton rediscovers Amelia in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, giving a concert and he hungers to pursue her, only he has a secret which he fears she will not accept. With the help and support of his friend and servant, Georg, Anton decides to win Amelia’s heart. Will the journey bring him the love he’s hungered for, or will it tear his heart apart?

The Count's Lair is second in "The Hungarian Moon" series and will be published by Desert Breeze in a future date.

Stephanie came in as a winner at 50,291. Congrats!
Here's her NaNoWriMo page if you want to visit:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/526402


Congrats to everyone who tackled NaNoWriMo. If you'd like to sign in and tell us about your experience this year, we'd love to hear it. I can tell you, I was prepared. I'd done a lot of preliminary work before I began. I did my character bios, maps, and outlines before I started. I tried to do a steady 2K words a day and most of the time, I managed it. That proved the challenge especially with a 7 and a 3 year old in the house. I still had to work 8 hours a day, do the dishes and wash the laundry. Not an easy feat!

Smiles
Steph