>Home
by Dawn Kimberly Johnson
Paperback & eBook, Dreamspinner Press, September 13, 2010
The basics first: what’s your new book about, and how can readers get their hands on it?
Home is the sequel to my first novel, Broken, and it’s about what happens after Eli and Alec get together, after they take that step or leap to give it a try. They had a lot to get through in the first book, but there’s always more trouble ahead, plenty of doubt, fear, and secrets to go around. Luckily, there’s also plenty of love. You can find both books at Dreamspinner Press [link to author page] primarily, but [my books are] also available at Amazon, All Romance eBooks, and Rainbow eBooks.
Where did the inspiration for your story come from?
Home really came out of not wanting to let these characters go, once Broken was finished. I began toying with the idea for Home right after Broken was published. I would find myself wondering what they were up to, as if I could somehow drop by their house and hang out with them. It was strange. I really missed them. Also, I had several readers tell me that one complaint they had with Broken was that it wasn’t longer, and I wanted to try to improve on the first novel. Taking those things into account and me realizing that, with Eli’s history, it was unlikely that it would be smooth sailing after he hooked up with Alec, I wrote Home.
How did you get started writing fiction?
I have no idea. I studied journalism in college and worked as a copy editor for a daily newspaper for eight years. I wrote columns about things like meeting kd lang, buying my first car, and watching Ellen’s coming-out episode with other lesbian friends. I remember having a ridiculously active imagination. I used to make up stories for my best friend about a band we both liked in high school—sort of verbal fanfic, if you will. She seemed to really enjoy them, but I never wrote anything down. But after becoming an avid reader of m/m fiction, Eli and his story came to me.
How much time do you spend writing—by the day, week, month, however you define it?
Not nearly enough. Because of poor health, I’m living with my parents and younger brother, so there’s always something going on around me. I couldn’t begin to give you an estimate because I write when the mood strikes. I’ve never set deadlines for myself, and if I’m not “feeling” a story, I won’t work on it until I do “feel” it. The bulk of my time is spent on the Internet (it’s how I connect with the outside world) and freelance editing other people’s work.
Do you write just one story at time, or do you usually have several works in progress?
I used to think I could only write one at a time, but I now have two m/m romance pieces in the works and a sci-fi thriller that needs to be rewritten. That’s the one my mom wants me to get published so she can “properly” brag about me.
Other than simply finding the time, what’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Research. Most of the time it’s fun and helps the world in the story come alive for me, but when I’ve missed something, it’s like a kick in the gut, and no matter how much praise I may get for my work, it’s the mistakes that linger in the back of my mind. But that’s a problem within me.
What are your long-term goals as a writer?
The dream would be to make a living with my writing, but the satisfaction of writing comes in hearing from readers who have enjoyed my work. I’ve had that recently, and it’s the most wonderful experience. It’s almost surreal when someone tells me how affected they were by my characters, how touched they were by the story. That’s priceless.
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