ALL THINGS ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

 SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR:   D A W N   B R O W N

Before we get started talking about your books, tell us a little about yourself.  Where are you from?  What is your occupation outside of writing? 

My name is Dawn Brown, and I live in Ontario, Canada with my husband and son. When I’m not writing, I’m being a mom.

 Would you describe yourself as an introvert or an extrovert?

Definitely an introvert. I’m shy by nature, anyway, but spending so much of my day inside my head has made me even more socially awkward. ;-)

Do you have any pets? 

I have a golden retriever, Blue, a very old cat that I’ve had since before I was married, Sammy, my mother’s Shih Tzu, Sparky, her bird, Delilah, and my son’s hamster, Hank. Actually, the animals out number the people in our house.

What are your favorite books to read?

 I’ll read from pretty much any genre. My go to writers are Minette Walters, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, J.R. Ward and Barbara Michaels

Where is the most unique place you have traveled?

I’m not very well traveled, so the most unique place I’ve ever been was Scotland. It was absolutely beautiful. I only went for a week, though, so didn’t get to see everything I would have liked. I’d still like to go back.

Aside from your successes in the writing industry, what in your life has given you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

 My son. He’s my whole world.

How many books have you written and how many of those are published? 

I’ve written five. I’m almost done my sixth. Two are published, Living Lies and The Curse of Culcraig, and one is with my agent, Blood and Bone. And two just weren’t good enough to do anything with.

Do you have one particular genre that all your books fall under (i.e. suspense, romance, etc.)  or do you write in many different genres?

I write romantic suspense, sometimes with a paranormal twist, but all my books contain an underlying mystery and romance.

How much character and plot detailing do you plan out before you begin writing a novel, or are you a “pantser” (fly by the seat of your pants) ?

I’m a pantser, I don’t like to plot. Knowing too much of my story before I begin only serves to help me lose interest in it. I do, however, like to have a fairly strong grasp of my characters, their backgrounds and their goals, motivations and conflicts, before I sit down to write.

Prior to becoming a published author, how many rejections did you receive?  How did you handle the rejections?

Too many to count. Rejections suck, but they’re a part of writing. I just file them away and keep working.

How and when do you write? Do you keep yourself on a schedule or do you work while the muse is with you?

I try to schedule my time, but that’s becoming more and more difficult. I try to work during the hours my son is in school, and if I don’t meet my word count goals during that time, then I try to go back and finish at night once he’s in bed. But some days are better than others.

If you have a new release coming out, tell us about it. 

My most recent release is The Curse of Culcraig available from The Wild Rose Press.

After a devastating personal tragedy, history professor Hillary Bennett seeks refuge in the quaint Scottish village of Culcraig, hoping to research a legend and salvage her career. Instead, she finds her hostess dead, and her hopes for the future pinned to the woman’s black sheep heir. 

The last thing Caid Douglas needs is a decrepit manor house to remind him of his estranged family, but he does need the money selling the house would bring to pay off his debts.  In desperation he offers to honor his great aunt’s arrangement with Hillary—if she pays him to stay at Glendon House and view his ancestor’s journals, he’ll have the money to fix up the family mausoleum and sell it.

But an ancient curse hovers over the village, and the secret to lifting it lies in the journals.  Will Caid and Hillary realize what they have and uncover the truth before a twisted killer silences them forever?

If you could give one piece of advice to writers trying to get published, what would that advice be?

Read a lot, write a lot and don’t give up. It sounds trite, but it’s the only way I know.

What's up next for you and your writing?

I’m working on a romantic mystery called The Devil’s Eye. It’s about a woman who travels to Wales to meet the family that she never knew she had, and finds herself embroiled in a series of strange disappearances. Her only ally his her family’s groundskeeper, but he too has secrets of his own.

Where can we read more about you and your work?

You can learn more about me and my books on my http://dawnbrown.org or my http://dawnbrown.org/blog/.

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