KC: Tell us a bit about YOU that our readers might not know.
Ashley: I am a working mother of two who absolutely loves what I do. Writing is my passion but my children are my world. I take them to work with me every day, and since I work with my husband, it is a big family event every day. Some days, I get absolutely nothing done at work because I’m too busy playing cars or rocking a baby, but it is well worth it to me.
KC: Tell us about your latest release.
Ashley: My newest book, Shadows of Pain, is the third in my Shadows Series and focuses on Kami Reynolds and Daniel Jenkins. Kami and Daniel have been in both of the previous books in the series and now are being targeted by a killer. The more they fight it, the closer he gets but also the closer they get. Theirs is a sweet love that is born at a dangerous time. We also keep up with the other Shadows characters along the way!
KC: What made you want to become a writer?
Ashley: I have always enjoyed reading and telling stories. It just seemed natural to put pen to paper and tell the stories in my mind. My first book was the result of a series of events, one of which was reading a predictable mystery book that made me wonder how I would make a book less predictable. I used my imagination and started my first book. My mother and a lot of my family encouraged me to finish and eventually publish my book.
KC: Do you write under a pen name?
Ashley: Yes I do. I write under the pen name Ashley Dawn. That is my first and middle name, I decided in the beginning to write under the name Ashley Dawn, because knew my last name would change at some point but I would always be Ashley Dawn. I absolutely love my middle name so it seemed like the perfect name to use.
KC: Authors love all of their characters. Is there a certain type of character that is easier to write than another?
Ashley: The stubborn women are the easiest to write! I mostly base my characters off my family and I have lots of stubborn women in my family who have those traits. Aurora from my first book was a snap to write. She has an attitude very much like my own and I loved writing her sassy dialogue. It seems that most of the women in my stories, from mothers to girlfriends to police, they all have the tough exterior and try to show the world they can handle anything on their own. It is a great joy to write those ladies!
KC: Do you read in the same genre that you write in?
Ashley: Absolutely. To me that is the best genre there is! I love to read Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Lynette Eason and a whole long list. The mystery, suspense and romance mixed with the message of Christianity is a wonderful thing. I aspire to be more like these amazing authors as I write.
KC: Do you have any strange quirks or unusual habits when you are writing.
Ashley: Haha! I absolutely do. The biggest one is that I have to hand write every word of my book before I type a word. Each book has a specific color of legal pads and I have special pens to write the story. I still do editing and rewording after the book is typed up but in the beginning the whole thing is written on those pads with particular pens.
KC: Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.
Ashley: My typical day as a writer has to be a Saturday since I work a 9-5 job through the week but when I get the chance I get my pad and pen, corral my children and try to lose myself in the story. Most days it starts with getting the children to either sleep in or play contentedly as I write, I drink water and eat marshmallow crème and pretzels. I know its strange but it is good brain food! I get interrupted multiple times, do dishes, laundry and any other housework I can get to. The whirlwind day is the day I write the best!
KC: Where do your story ideas come from?
Ashley: A lot of my ideas come from dreams. Apparently my vivid imagination doesn’t shut off when I sleep and I get a lot of my best ideas in the middle of the night. Actually ‘seeing’ my book in my dreams makes it so much easier to write it down. It is a thrill to write about the people I ‘meet’ in my dreams! When I wake up, I can still see them and sometimes just daydream and write what happens
KC: What made you decide to write a series?
Ashley: As I wrote my first book, I fell in love with the support characters almost as much as I did with Aurora and Jordan. Jordan’s family dynamic interested me so much that I had to explore it in depth and that lead to further interest in the characters. I decided each of them needed their own story. Not just Jordan’s family but also Aurora’s. Her family may not be what is thought of as a conventional family but they are definitely closer than a lot of families I know. It is just wonderful to explore all the characters in depth and to let them develop on their own through the whole series.
KC: What is your next project about?
Ashley: I am currently working on a couple different projects. I’m trying to finish a new book, not related to my series, and currently titled ‘Right to Remain?’. It is about a serial killer, attorney, nurse and a race to save a young girl’s life. The other project I’m trying to focus on is the 4th book in my Shadows Series, Shadows of Deception. This installment focuses on Tiffany Reiley and a new character to the series, Colorado Wiley. Tiffany is hired to discover exactly what is going on at Colorado’s ranch and maybe she will discover love along the way.
Thank you so much Kim for having me today!
KC: I'm very glad to have you today! Sounds like there are some interesting things brewing!!
Go and check out her new book...and the others, as well!
Pen Name: Ashley Dawn
Website: AuthorAshleyDawn
My Blog: Ashley's Bookshelf
Author of 'Shadows From The Past'
Author of 'Shadows of Suspicion'
Author of 'Shadows of Pain'
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