Interview with Dawn Crandall & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted Word————————————————————————-

Dawn Crandall writes long inspirational historical romantic suspense from first person point of view. She has a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University and lives in northeast Indiana with her ever-supportive husband, her three cats [Lilly, Pumpkin and Clover] and their newest addition, a little baby boy.

Find out more information about her debut novel, upcoming books, and more at http://www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com/.

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Savanna:  Welcome back to The Engrafted Word, Dawn! I’m so thrilled to have you stop by again and talk about your latest release! I’ve been counting down the days with you, my friend. 😉 Congratulations!

Out of your three heroines you’ve written so far, which of these ladies remind you the most of yourself? Who do you most relate to and why?

Interview with Dawn Crandall & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordDawn:  Amaryllis Brigham from The Hesitant Heiress (book 1) is very much just like me! I’ve always told everyone that if they want to know what I’m like inside, reading her POV will tell them everything they could want to know. When I began writing the book, it was just for the sheer joy of it, so naturally, it was easiest for me to put someone just like myself in the situations and know exactly how she would behave. It’s easy for me to think the worst of situations and to not believe the good… and I think this comes out very strongly in Amaryllis’s personality.

Savanna:  I just want to hug you! I wanted to hug Amaryllis too! 😉

If readers could only take away one lesson from this series, what do you hope it would be?

Dawn:  I want them to realize that just because things might not seem perfect at the moment—or they might actually seem like nothing will work out the way you want at all—stay strong and just keep going. Your story isn’t finished yet. We all have chapters in our lives that don’t seem pleasant—those are the ones that make the happy ending coming that much sweeter.

Savanna:  I love seeing the pictures you post on Facebook of your adorable little boy, Rhett. Do you read to him? What’s one of his favorite stories? 🙂

Interview with Dawn Crandall & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordDawn:  Every night before bed, he plays in front of a shelf in his room half filled with toys and half filled with books. He likes to pull his favorite ones out and go through them. One is a large board books with nursery rhymes and another is a counting book with Thumper (from Bambi).

Savanna:  Can you share with us a piece of writing advice that has made a difference in your career?

Dawn:  Write what you love. My books aren’t written like most historical romances in the Christian book market—they are from first person POV of only the heroine. They unfold like a mystery to be solved, one step at a time. These are the kinds of books I’m always looking for and never finding… deeply personal suspenseful books that remind me of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Savanna:  You’ve received some wonderful review for your books so far. Can you share with us one of your favorites? 🙂 It’s okay, don’t be shy!

Dawn:  I really LOVED your reviews, Savanna! But then again, yours are linked right here. 🙂 Okay, this does feel weird, but this is definitely one of my very favorites—a review for The Bound Heart that I can’t help but feel explains everything this reader feels so perfectly:

(NorthernBookLover on Amazon) “I was bit worried if I would love this second book in The Everstone Chronicles as much as I liked the first. How silly of me! I liked it even more! The Bound Heart grabbed my heart from the first page and kept me emotionally involved for the entire book. Ms. Crandall weaves a tale to grip your emotions and make you FEEL.

I absolutely loved Meredyth! She is someone who I was imagining I was her best friend, living out the pages of this book with her as she told me everything in first person POV. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and wondering, yet it mostly focused on Meredyth’s emotions. I love living through a character and Ms. Crandall was able to transport my mind where I felt like I was feeling and experiencing Meredyth’s emotions, so I had so much fun while reading The Bound Heart!

It’s been a really long time since I have really fallen in love with a male lead in a book. While I liked Lawry from the very beginning, I completely, totally, head-over-heals, heart-knocking and sighing out loud; fell in love with Lawry at the end of chapter 8! I am sure it will happen in different spots for other readers, but that was mine. I’ve had this experience two other times this year while reading this year, while both of the other books are quite different and that was more the overall experience than falling in love with the main male character. I believe Dawn Crandall is in good company with Becky Wade and Katherine Reay. The other two books that made me FEEL were Meant to be Mine by Becky Wade and Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay.

Of course there are other characters, especially one little gem in this book that play important roles and show off the author’s character development, but I think you should read the book to find out rather than have me keep going on.”

Interview with Dawn Crandall & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordSavanna:  Wow! I LOVE that review! Thanks for sharing it with us. I loved that book as well. Your series has been so much fun to review too!

Now that you are wrapping up your Everstone Chronicles series, what are you working on next? Your readers (me included) are excited for what’s ahead! 😉

Dawn:  I’m actually planning to continue on with three more books about characters readers will have met in these first three books. I can’t name names right now for those who haven’t read the series, but they are coming eventually. It will probably take a while since I don’t have anything beyond these first three books written so far. I have book four planned out, but still, I have no idea about the time-frame. There will be more books though, don’t you worry. 🙂

Savanna:  That sounds great, Dawn. I’m so glad you were able to stop in for a visit. You’re welcome here any time! Thanks for sharing your books with us.

GIVEAWAY!!

Dawn has graciously offered to give away an e-book copy of the reader’s choice of her books. Enter below and it could be YOU! 😉

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering! Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends April 7, 2015.  The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody! 😉