K Dawn Byrd's newest book - Hotline Girl

K Dawn Byrd, that marvelously prolific author, sends us another intriguing novel!

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Abby is surprised to find out that the guy she's been counseling through the hotline at school is her forever crush. Can she give good advice when she really wants to tell him to dump his girlfriend?

Hotline Girl


When the school counselor asks Abby to work a counseling chat line, she begs her to choose someone else. When Race, Abby's three-year crush, begins using the chat line to talk about his girlfriend problems, can Abby be impartial when she really wants to tell him to dump her?

Race notices Abby after she has a complete make-over. He begins to spend more time with her and feels like a cheater because he likes the hotline girl too. How can he like two girls at once?

Abby is thrilled when Race begins spending time with her, but she's crushed when he tells the hotline girl that he likes her and wants to take her out. Is he a player? Will he even want to be with her when he finds out that she is the hotline girl and knows all his deepest secrets?

KDawn talks about the book

What would you like readers to take away from your book?

 It's important that when Christian teens choose a boyfriend or girlfriend, they choose someone who shares their Christian faith. 

Why did you choose to write this book?
I thought it would be fun to explore how a couple could fall in love on-line. When my heroine's high school begins a counseling hotline, she's chosen to work it anonymously. She finds herself giving advice to a guy she's had a crush on forever. Once she knows all the hero's secret, will love blossom or fail? When he divulges the problems he's having with his girlfriend, she's tempted to give him advice that will break them up. Will she do the right thing? 

What did you learn while writing this book?
I really love writing for the young adult market. Bouncing back to YA after writing suspense is a refreshing break.

 

About the Author:
K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, sports cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

When painting with words...expect the unexpected!
Blog: http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/  

Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/www.kdawnbyrd.com  

 

Something Beautiful, with K Dawn Byrd

Welcome back to K Dawn Byrd, who talks about her new book, SomethingBeautiful

 

About the author:

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

 

About the book:

Lauren Milton discovers SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL in the arms of Antony Marcos, a Hispanic bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who saves her from a gang that accosts her on campus. She can't help herself even though no one approves of their relationship and Antony is rumored to have gang connections.

Lauren Milton has always followed the rules, but when she meets Antony Marcos, she discovers just how much fun it is to do her own thing. When Antony, the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, professes his love for her, her life is complete. He's her soul mate, but when she finds that he's harboring secrets, can she forgive him?

Antony is terrified that his secrets will destroy their relationship when Lauren finds out the truth. Does he tell the truth and face losing her or continue his activities, possibly placing her in danger? Can they make things work even though her family and friends are against him?

Lauren has PTSD from the car accident that killed her boyfriend and her mother. Can she face her greatest fears while risking everything for the guy she loves? Can they overcome the obstacles facing them to find their happily ever after?

 

Tell us a little more about yourself , with three things not many people know about you.

a)     I have a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University.

b)     I'm an animal lover. I have two hairless Chinese Crested dogs, an African Gray parrot, three ferrets, and several aquariums in my home, and somehow recently my niece ended up with a tiny fancy mouse who has found a home at my house.

c)      I love sour foods. I'd rather have olives, pickles, or dilly beans than something sweet sometimes.

 

Why did you choose to write this book?
I thought it would be fun to explore what it would be like to have a guy and gal fall in love who are from very different backgrounds. She's a wealthy young woman who has always had everything she's ever wanted. He's a Hispanic bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Her friends and family don't approve, which adds tension to the story.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned that I really do love writing romance, especially romance that contains suspense passages.

 

What would you like readers to take away from your book?

God is with us and we need to learn to trust our hearts.

 

What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
Finding time to write. I work a full-time job and also a lot of weekends, which means that I have to be really devoted to my writing time. I set aside at least an hour every night, six days a week if possible. The fact that I start with a well-developed plot makes things move faster.

 

What kind of planning do you do before writing a novel?

I fill out character sketches in order to get to know my characters better. I ask myself what their goals are, what motivates them, and what's keeping them from reaching their goals. Sometimes, I start by writing a synopsis. This gives me information about the plot as it develops. I usually have a pretty strong plot before I actually begin the story.

 

What are you working on right now?
I'm working on a thriller about a serial killer. It's a difficult story because there are several twists and turns and I have to be careful how I write it for everything to fall into place correctly.

What's next for you?

The Hot Line Girl in June. Luck of the Draw in November. 

How can readers get in contact with you?

Email: kdawnbyrd-at-yahoo.com

Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Twitter: kdawnbyrd

Pinterist: kdawnbyrd

Facebook: kdawnbyrd

  

Enjoy a brief excerpt from Something Beautiful:

He placed his hand in the small of my back, steering me around a puddle of saltwater, and I shivered even though the night air was warm. I closed my eyes. I must be dreaming. I couldn't possibly be walking down the beach with Antony Marcos.

I didn't want the moment to end, the night to end. Something deep inside of him communicated with something deep inside of me, leaving me with a feeling of safety and love that I hadn't felt in a long time. I savored the moment, taking in the moon, the stars, and the cool feel of the wet sand beneath my feet.

A woman in a dark sweat suit jogged by, her German shepherd close at her side. A toddler squealed in delight somewhere close by, but as far as I was concerned, we were the only two people in the universe.

I turned my attention back to the hunk beside me. I loved everything about Antony. I was falling fast and terrified of the damage he could do to my heart.

He paused and looked out over the water. "I love it here. I'm just so at peace near the ocean."

He pulled me into his arms, and a shiver of delight surged through me. Our eyes locked, and I wondered if he'd read my mind and somehow knew I'd give everything I owned for just one kiss. He paused as if uncertain.

I was lost in the moment. I wasn't sure how to encourage him to kiss me without seeming easy. He didn't move, merely stood there, his body rigid against mine.

When he finally moved, it wasn't as I'd planned. Antony's lips kissed my forehead and my cheeks, still denying me what I longed for, which was a kiss passionate enough to take my breath away.

I threw caution to the wind. Reaching up, I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled his head down. Once our lips met, Antony quickly took the lead. I melted into him, our heartbeats blending as his lips whispered across mine in a dance as old as eternity.

He pulled away first, leaving me breathless, but longing for more.

 

 

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Something-Beautiful-ebook/dp/B00B3KYZAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358790993&sr=8-1&keywords=Something+Beautiful+by+K+Dawn+Byrd

K Dawn Byrd and Amazing Love, her newest book

K Dawn Byrd's New Release! Amazing Love

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including, historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

 

 

About the book:

Amazing Love, the modern-day story of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible, speaks of God's unconditional love, mercy, and grace and how much loving someone that much can cost.

Gabe Knight, a pastor in a small coastal town, finds his life is turned upside down when Dee Dillow arrives and hires him to remodel an estate she's inherited from her aunt. Dee dashes his plans for wedded bless when on a drunken binge, she divulges that she's the highest paid call girl in Nevada and part-owner of the ritziest brothel in the state.

 

Gabe falls in love with her, but can't believe he's hearing the voice of God when a still, small voice tells him to marry her. After much questioning, they marry and he is deliriously happy. Until, Dee betrays him.

 

Gabe soon discovers just how hard it is to have the unconditional love God calls him to have for his wife, the kind of love God has for his children. When faced with losing her, Gabe realizes what true love is, how much it hurts, and just how much God loves and is willing to sacrifice for his children.

 

 

Excerpt from the prologue:

Prologue

Dee signed the letter with a flourish and then read it aloud.

Maggie:

 

For the longest time, I blamed myself. There must be something terribly wrong with me, something so bad that even a mother couldn't love me. After years of therapy, I've learned that it's not me, it's you, Maggie. You're not capable of loving anyone. That's a terrible thing to say about a mother, but it's true.

Even here at Carpe Diem, I've continued therapy via technology. Today was a hard day because it's my birthday. As was expected, I never heard from you. Like my therapist said, it's not my fault you didn't call. It's a choice you made, Maggie, like so many other bad choices.

 

I used to dwell often on the things you allowed to happen to me. You had to have known that John was visiting my room almost nightly. You chose to ignore it even though he was your husband. And then, he sold me to his wealthy friends and you stood back and allowed it to happen. Whoever had the most money. That wasn't the life I would have chosen if given a choice. Even now, I long for a life of normalcy. A husband, a couple of children, and a picket fence is just a dream.

 

There are times I hate you, but I realize you have demons of your own. Something has happened to you to cause you to be so selfish and full of anger. That's why I try to overlook your hostility and lack of love toward me. You need a good therapist.

My therapist recommends that I write letters to you when I'm angry. It helps. This is letter 642. I've kept them all. You'll probably never read them, but they're not really for you. They're for me.

 

Your daughter, Dee

 An Interview with the Author

Why did you choose to write this book?
A couple of years ago, I was the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible and the thought came to mind that it would be fun to retell the story in a modern setting.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned that even though the Bible gives us stories about individuals who lived in Bible times, it's vague at times about specifics. This give a fiction writer a lot of leeway to let their imaginations run wild.

 

Tell us what you think readers will enjoy about it.

 

Amazing Love is the modern story of Hosea and Gomer. It was a tough story to write because my heroine suffers severe consequences for her sins, but it was necessary to portray how low we can go and how much God still loves us through it all. I hope readers will take away the fact that no matter what we do, God loves us with an unconditional love and is ready to accept us back into His loving arms.
 

 

Tell us a little more about yourself , with three things not many people know about you.

I have a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University.

I'm an animal lover. I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs, an African Gray parrot, three ferrets, and several aquariums in my home.

I love sour foods. I'd rather have olives, pickles, or dilly beans than something sweet sometimes.
 

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a thriller about a serial killer. It's a difficult story because there are several twists and turns and I have to be careful how I write it for everything to fall into place correctly.
 

What's next for you?

I have three releases in 2012, all young adult. Something Beautiful in January. The Hot Line Girl in June. Luck of the Draw in November.

K Dawn Byrd, Ten Things I Learned on my Publication Journey

"A few things I've learned along the way"

during my publishing journey.

by K Dawn Byrd

1)      If you don't have patience, you'll get it during the publishing process. I'm not a very patient person. I want what I want now! I've learned to apply the old Army slogan, "Hurry up and wait." Everything moves at a snail's pace and you might as well accept it.

2)      You never know what you can do until you give it a try. I'm 43 years old and wondered if I could get inside the head of a young adult well enough to write a young adult novel. Judging from the emails I've received from young adults, somehow I pulled it off. I've had several ask me to tell the story of a secondary character. Shattered Identity, the sequel to Mistaken Identity, will tell Lexi's story and will be out in April.

3)      My cover artist normally knows what's best. Never have they given me exactly what I've asked for on a cover, but that's fine because I'm not a cover expert. Only once have I had a cover that I truly hated and my cover artist was nice enough to work with me to come up with something I liked.

4)      Not everyone will love what you write. The lowest ranking I've ever received was three stars and I can live with that. It's important to develop a thick skin early on because not everyone will love what you write. Even NYT bestsellers get bad reviews.

5)      Never underestimate the power of networking. I've attended two conferences in the last two years and loved both of them for various reasons. It's so important to invest in conferences where agents and editors you're interested in will be on faculty.

6)      NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) was one of the best challenges I ever took. It changed the way I write forever. It's a yearly Internet event where authors come together and take the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Give it a try. It's always during the month of November.

7)      My editor knows best. I'm lucky enough to have an editor who I truly respect and trust. Sometimes, I question what she says, but when I think it over for a little bit, I know she's absolutely right.

8)      Writing is a lonely hobby. You'd better enjoy being alone because you'll shut yourself away for hours during the writing and editing process.

9)      I need my writing friends. There are times we all feel down and wonder why we write. It's great to have encouraging friends who will lift you up. In my case, I can't NOT write. I've tried. I once went for a month without writing and was one of the most miserable people on the face of the earth.

10)   Don't write for money or fame because they may never come. Write because you love it. I write for the simple joy of placing words on the page.

K.Dawn Byrd, Author of:
Queen of Hearts (April 2010) & Killing Time (August 2010)
Mistaken Identity (June 2011) & This Time for Keeps (October 2011)
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      BLOG: http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com; WEBSITE: www.kdawnbyrd.com