Autumn Dawn

 

 

Spotlight on Autumn Dawn

Website: www.autumndawnbooks.com

Recent Book Titles:

Dorchester Publishing: No Words Alone

Coming Soon

Dorchester Publishing: When Sparks Fly: Book 2 in the Spark Series

 

Others: The Darklands series

 

RBS: Tell us a little about yourself.

 

Autumn: I'm 34, have three kids, and have been married to my high school sweetheart for 15 years. We're also in the process of moving out of Alaska. Although there are many great things about this state, the 7 months of winter isn't one of them.

 

RBS: How old were you when you first decided to sit down and write your first book?

 

Autumn: Somewhere in grade school, after I was first introduced to creative writing. I loved it! After that, I was always writing stories.

 

RBS: What was your first novel ever published, be it e-book or print?

 

Autumn: Teasing Danger, with New Concepts Publishing. That first book doubled their sales, though now, of course, they have many popular authors. It was the introduction of the genre that did it. They just hadn't marketed much paranormal or futuristic romance until then.

 

RBS: It can be difficult to get a book published. Who or what was the greatest encouragement you had during the non-published times?

 

Autumn: Well, it wasn't my family J My husband is mildly dyslexic, and allergic to anything other than hunting or motorhead mags. My parents don't read much. I'd really have to say my faith and an innate stubbornness. I knew I could do it, given enough time. I believed I had talent. Besides, what else was I supposed to do with the stories I had running through my head? I enjoy writing...which I remind myself of as I'm going over page proofs. Living the dream, living the dream...I mutter as I force myself past page 200. I do not enjoy reading the same story over and over. The first draft is definitely the most fun.

 

RBS: What is your favorite genre to write? Why?

 

Autumn: I like fantasy/paranormal or futuristic, depending on my mood. That's just the way my mind works. My books are just my daydreams, refined. This is what I think about when I'm falling asleep.

 

RBS: Tell us about your current release?

 

Autumn: No Words Alone is my first book with Dorchester. It's about a woman who crash lands on a hostile alien planet with an all male crew and the aliens they've just been exchanging fire with. Turns out, the enemy makes better allies than her treacherous captain and her erstwhile comrades.

 

I got the call about 1 month after I sent the book in. Since I was expecting yet another rejection (Keesler had the honor of rejecting my work several times), I was not prepared. His assistant editor, unaware of the time zone difference, called me as I was getting the kids ready for school. I had to go in the bathroom and shut the door so I could hear her over the early morning racket. I tried to sound professional, but as soon as I hung up, I did the monkey stomp and shouted, "YES!". The kids ran upstairs to see if I was dying or something. That was fun J

 

RBS: Who or what were your influences when you began to write your newest release?

 

Autumn: Like most books, it began with a particularly gripping daydream. The daydream was inspired by watching Alien vs. Predator. I think I watched the DVD three times in a weekend, which is a record for me. I was captivated by the Alien Hunter teaming up with the "fragile" human woman. I mean, he'd just been slaughtering her people, had helped set loose these monsters on the humans, and now they're working together to survive. I thought, "What a wonderful conflict for a romance." So I had Ryven shoot down the only crewman she actually respected. If they could overcome that, they could overcome anything.

 

RBS: What is a typical writing day look like for you?

 

Autumn: Typical? Is there such a thing?

 

Last spring I had bronchitis, and several bouts of flu, so writing was an hour or so here and there, when I could both remain upright and breathe at the same time.

 

In Alaska, the summers are waaay too short, so writing is done when I'm not outside in the 24 hour daylight, desperately absorbing vitamin D. Fortunately—or not—it rained most of last summer. When it wasn't freezing cold, that is. I did more work than usual last summer, except, of course, when my daughter was bit in the face by a dog. 36 stitches, several doctor visits, stress...not much got done for several weeks, at least. I don't write well under those circumstances.

 

 On an ideal day, I get my rowdy children off to school with all their lunches, backpacks, boots, etc. I might go home and clean the house, or I might ignore it for a while. I make some tea and turn on the computer. Around one or twoish I take a nap, which also allows me to daydream. I might read some before the kids come home in the afternoon.

 

RSB: Do you have a favorite hero from one of your books? What is it about him that makes him stand out?

 

Autumn: Keg from Bad Moon Rising. He's got a great sense of humor, but he can be ruthless when needed.

 

RSB: Do you have a favorite heroine from one of your books? What is it about her that makes her stand out?

 

Autumn: Jasmine from Teasing Danger. I love the way she uplifts her friends. She also refused to misuse her power to control men. I loved her integrity.

 

RSB: Who is your favorite author? Did they give you any kind of inspiration in your own writing?

 

Autumn: One favorite? Is that possible? I read far too much for that. As a kid, it was C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingles Wilder and whoever wrote the Black Stallion books. As a teen, it involved Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffery...um, and a bunch of Mom's romance books, which I wasn't supposed to read.

 

These days, the list is even longer. I liked Dara Joy and S. Kenyon's vintage books. Patricia Briggs has me hooked with her Mercy Thompson series, and I'm into M. Lui's shapeshifters. Christopher Paolini has thrilled me with his dragons and I've delved into Stephanie Meyer's Twilight world (the constant rain in Forks rather depressed me, but loved the vamps and wolves).

 

I also dig Dee Henderson, Shana Abe's dragons, Mary Balough, J. Quinn and Lisa Kleypas, and those are just the authors who spring readily to mind. I read a lot of magazines, too. Home and garden (inspires alien plants), cookbooks (alien food and eating habits), crafts, Angels on Earth, Pop Sci and Pop Mechanics (alien tech). I also read the Bible and Guideposts daily. Art books, comic books like Calvin and Hobbs...I'd better stop. I could be here a while.

 

RSB: What's coming up on your book schedule in the next year?

 

Autumn: The sequel to No Words Alone, When Sparks Fly, will be out this spring. Works in progress are also posted on my website, autumndawnbooks.com.

 

 

Book Reviews:

 

Teasing Danger

Author: Autumn Dawn

Series Connection: Darklands

ISBN: 978-1586080815

 

A while back I happened upon Teasing Danger by Autumn Dawn and wound up liking the book so much I wanted to continue on and read the entire series. I was sure I missed the first book to the series because Teasing starts kicks off the series after Jasmine's friend Wiley goes missing and Jasmine, with the help of Wiley's search and rescue dog, Lemming, is tracking Wiley in the Alaskan wilds. After finding Wiley's camp, Jasmine becomes worried that something terrible has happened to her friend. This is actually the first book to the series. Wiley's story comes later.

 

While searching for her friend, out of the darkness Jasmine meets a stranger who takes her to where Wiley is being held, unfortunately she comes to find out that her friend is no longer being held on earth, but on another planet. By simply walking across a unseen border Jasmine is taken to "Darklands". A place where men are no longer human, but the Haunt, a cross between human and wolf. When Jasmine is taken to her friend, she finds that Wiley, a girl she has known most of her life, isn't human, but a Haunt. She is to be the princess of this part of the Darklands.

 

All of this is as much of a surprise to Wiley as it is to Jasmine and Jasmine vows to help free Wiley from her captors. At first the Haunt were going to just let Jasmine see that her friend was unharmed and then send her on her way back to earth, but when they realize that Jasmine's intentions are to rescue Wiley, that changes and they decide to keep her.

 

The Master of the Hunt, it is Keilor's job to protect his people. When he meets Jasmine he realizes quickly that she could be a danger to the Haunt, not only because she wants to rescue her friend but because she is a Sylph. Before the Haunt left earth and moved to the Darklands the humans used Sylph to tempt the Haunt and kill them. There is something in the genetic makeup of a Sylph that drives unmated Haunt men to extreme desire.

 

Keilor is determined that he will not get caught in Jasmine's net, but can he resist her.

 

Teasing Danger is an interesting change on the paranormal werewolf/shapeshifter theme. The Darkland's takes the characters from modern day Alaska to a sort of Medieval world with kings, queens, arranged marriages and castles. Of course there are some modern conveniences in Darklands like electricity and a bath and shutters that work on command. All and all sci-fi fans will enjoy the entire Darklands series.