Bio: Dawn Kinzer
is a freelance editor, and her own work has been published in various
devotionals and magazines. She co-hosts and writes for the Seriously Write
blog. Sarah’s Smile is the
first book in her historical romance series, The Daughters of Riverton. Hope’s Design is the second,
and Rebecca’s Song completes
the trilogy. Her first contemporary romance, By All Appearances, is set in the
A mother and grandmother, Dawn lives with her husband in the beautiful
Welcome back, Dawn. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon? Ideas for several new projects have been competing for my attention. One project is a contemporary romance and the other is a historical romance. Both are set in the
Tell us a little about your family. I’ve been happily married to Sonny for over eighteen years (second marriage for both of us). Due to COVID, he retired last June, six months earlier than originally planned, but that’s been a blessing for many reasons.
I’m a mom to two grown daughters, a stepmom to another, and a grandmother to four little ones. The children have taken over my heart, and I love being Nana. The oldest will be seven in March, his sister will turn four in December, and they live in the area. We enjoy opportunities to spend time together and grow our relationship with them. The other two grandchildren live in another state, and it’s difficult to not see them as often as we’d like, but technology helps with staying emotionally close, if not physically. That granddaughter will be five in March, and my grandson will turn two on our shared birthday in December.
I so love living near all our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They are such blessings. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? Before focusing on my writing career, I used to be an avid reader in a variety of genres—romance, comedy, mysteries, suspense, fantasy, science fiction, general fiction, etc. Now with so much time focused on writing and also editing for other authors, I don’t read nearly as much as I did in the past. Not because I don’t enjoy it, but after spending many hours with words every day, my eyes can’t take reading for additional hours at night and into the early morning like they used to when I was younger. Because of limited time, I tend to read more contemporary and historical romances than other genres because I want to be aware of what my fellow authors are currently writing, and I learn a lot from them.
What are you working on right now? There seems to be a growing interest in audiobooks, but it’s expensive to hire someone to narrate and edit them. So as an indie author, I’m learning how to record my own. It’s challenging to learn all the ins and outs, and I don’t know how this new adventure will end, but I won’t know unless I try. Right?
Right. I’ve had
several books done through ACX with shared royalties. What outside interests do
you have? I enjoy watching movies, seeing live theater, planting flowers in
my yard, and hiking. We have fantastic, beautiful trails in the
How do you choose
your settings for each book? So far, my settings have all been familiar. My
three-book historical romance series, The Daughters of Riverton, takes place in
a fictional town. The location and characters were inspired by my rural hometown
in
If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why? I would love to spend an evening with Louisa May Alcott and talk about her life and writing. I discovered Little Women as a young girl, and each character in the book impacted me in different ways. The story has remained a favorite, and it’s one of the few books in my life that I’ve read multiple times.
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? Although a few gifted writers experience overnight success, the journey is long and hard for most.
It is, but when we hear how one of our books helped change someone’s life drastically, it’s worth every minute. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? I’m learning to be content in all things and to relax. It’s good to have a strong work ethic, but it’s also important to slow down and enjoy the life God has given us.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful? Continue studying the craft of writing. There are always ways to improve—challenge yourself to be better.
Despite disappointments, don’t give up. Instead of focusing on publication only, enjoy the journey. Some of the best and rewarding moments will come along the way, and the friendships that are made can be lifelong and priceless.
Tell us about the featured book. A Night Divine is the sequel to my contemporary romance, By All Appearances, but it can be easily read as a stand-alone. Readers wanted more of the Tates, and I felt this Christmas novella was the perfect way to give another member of that family her own story.
One chilly December night, a tragedy connects successful model Camryn Tate and outreach minister Trace
Gardner. As they share a common mission serving the homeless
on the streets of
Currently, A Night Divine is found exclusively in the Melodies of Christmas Love boxed set for Kindle. The set contains 7 new contemporary romances by 7 authors. Each story was inspired by a different Christmas carol.
Please give us the first
page of the book.
Friday nights were made for putting the week’s grind to rest, and Camryn Tate was eager to leave her schedule-driven day behind. The intimate gathering at the nearby wine bar would provide escape from the latest conflict with her mother. Eva Tate was not only the founder of the successful Tate Modeling Agency, she was also Camryn’s boss.
With Thanksgiving checked off the calendar less than
twenty-four hours ago, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” played softly in the
elevator as it descended from the fifty-fourth floor, which housed the agency,
to the first, soothing Camryn’s nerves. She and her mother had disagreed on a
last-minute job offer—a photo shoot in
Her mother was welcome to party with colleagues, but Camryn wanted to enjoy the holiday with her dad, sister, and brother-in-law, especially now that her relationship with Liana felt sisterly again after years of friction between them. She’d missed the close friendship they’d shared as little girls, and recognizing her part in their rift, Camryn now welcomed opportunities that helped rebuild what had once been demolished.
The doors slid open, and Camryn stepped into the open-spaced lobby, where three twelve-foot artificial trees stood adorned in white, silver, and crystal ornaments. The clear lights, draped perfectly on the branches, twinkled like a star-studded sky on a cloudless night.
Camryn still appreciated her father’s tradition of cutting
down a Douglas fir on the family’s estate outside of
Ignoring the curious stares, Camryn strolled past several people waiting in line at the lobby’s coffee stand. Funny. She used to soak in the attention her camera-ready appearance drew, but now she swallowed hard at the envy in their eyes. She’d learned so much about herself this past year and the shallow life she’d once led. For years Camryn had been self-absorbed, and that revelation had created inner shame and emptiness.
Determined to shift from that unhealthy mindset, she’d spent considerable time contemplating mental, emotional, and yes, even spiritual changes that needed to take place. Her dad was facilitating the God piece, and she’d even started attending church with him several times a month.
George, the building’s night security guard, stopped Camryn before she ventured farther. “Ms. Tate, I wanted to warn you. There’s…someone waiting for you outside.”
Why would anyone choose standing in the cold over finding a comfortable chair or grabbing a latte at the Starbucks inside?
How can readers find you on the Internet? They’re invited to connect with me by visiting these online sites: Author Website, Faithfully Write Editing, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Amazon Author Page, BookBub, and Goodreads.
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