Welcome Our Guest K Dawn Byrd

Making It Real by Pushing Boundaries: Writing for Teens

Thanks so much for having me back on Seekerville, Mary. You guys are all so much fun! Since we're talking about teens today, let's have a slice of pepperoni pizza, some cheese sticks, and a soft drink. I'm sure there's someone out there like my strange self who would rather have "real" food than eggs, toast, and bacon for breakfast. Ha!

Let's talk about writing for teens. Teenagers today are smart. Very smart. They want to read about realistic situations that apply to their lives in our modern world. Times have changed. Just take a look at TV commercials. What would have been taboo just a decade ago is the norm today. Today's young adults are so much more mature in many aspects than in comparison and are exposed to much more controversial subjects

Teens won't read sugar coated books that don't ring true to life. If I wrote a book about a nineteen year old who refused to kiss her boyfriend, they wouldn't read it. I'd have insulted the reader's intelligence. Teens want to read novels that recognize their struggles through characters who are real. That said, how far is too far when an author pushes boundaries?

In my latest release, Shattered Identity, I tell the story of nineteen-year old, Lexi, who is living the life of an unsaved young woman. With a character that age, real life changes. A nineteen year old has different choices to make than someone years younger. That said, without being graphic and going into great detail, the reader learns that Lexi has been spending the night with her older boyfriend. In addition, Lexi becomes pregnant. I show the consequences of Lexi's actions in what I hope is a thought provoking scenario. My goal is to make teens stop and think about the consequences of their actions.
Lexi enters into her relationship with Zack too quickly. She comes from a broken home and he makes her feel special, like a princess. At first, he's the man of her dreams, but soon she learns that he can be abusive and he has secrets. My sweet, elderly father-in-law tells my step-daughter often, "For every action, there's a reaction." In this book, I show clearly the consequences of unwise choices and hope young women will pause and take the time to get to know someone before entering into a relationship.
How do we teach teenagers to do the right thing if we don't acknowledge the struggles they face? How do we teach them about love if we don't write about it? If touchy subjects aren't addressed by Christian authors, how will teens learn to make the right choices?

I'm giving away two downloads of Shattered Identity. Please answer the following question for your chance to win. "Just how far is too far in pushing the boundaries when writing for young adults?"


Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Please Welcome Guest K. Dawn Bird

Why I'm loving writing for the young adult market...

It's October 21, which means I'm visiting Seekerville! Grab a cup of hot tea or a cup of coffee and enjoy some of the sweet treats prepared especially for you. No coffee for me, please. The smell turns a headache into a migraine. I'll have a cinnamon roll, a big one with lots of goo in between the layers. I can smell them from here. Ahhhhh!

Now, where was I? Back to my post. I've been asked several times recently why I moved from writing for adults into the young adult market. It all started with a book I wrote five years ago...before I even knew how to write. Last year, just before going to the ACFW Conference, I found that manuscript. It was called Swarm of the Butterflies and I'd logged fifty thousand words. Not too shabby for someone who'd never written anything. I had no doubt that I could revise it into something saleable and contacted the CEO of Desert Breeze and asked if she'd be interested (Desert Breeze had just opened up a young adult line.) She was.

After returning from conference, I dusted it off and started revisions. Talk about telling instead of showing! It was a mess. Mind you, I absolutely hate editing. I ripped it to shreds and the finished product has little to do with the original manuscript. The name even changed to Mistaken Identity. However, the love triangle, two BFFs who fall for the same guy, remained intact.

That said, because of this book, I fell in love with young adult fiction. I'd been writing suspense, which is heavier and darker. Young adult romance was a breath of fresh air. I was worried at first that I couldn’t get the voice right. After all, how can a 43-year-old woman get inside the head of a 16-year-old girl. I read a few young adult books in first person, hoping to get the voice right. It must have worked. Several teens have emailed me or mentioned in reviews how characters in Mistaken Identity reminded them of someone they knew.

Young adults are smart and writing for them can be even more difficult at times than writing for the adult market. I have to ask myself constantly if a young adult would think or say a certain thing. My editor is good at catching certain words and marking through them and sending me a note such as, "Would a young adult really say that word?" I've learned not to use certain words or phrases.

So, the next time you're feeling a little bogged down with your writing. You know the feeling. You feel like everything's the same old same old and you'd like to try something different. Give young adult a try. I've enjoyed it so much that I've signed a contract for a new mystery series. The Zoe Mack Mystery series, a college-age romance/mystery series will debut in January. When I get a break in deadlines, I'd like to work on the young adult paranormal that's rolling around in my head, but that's a topic for another day.
I'm not saying, I've given up on writing adult fiction. No Siree. My October 15 release is called This Time for Keeps and is a novel about second chances. On the night India McGuire becomes engaged to another man, the love of her life rides back into town after leaving a decade ago without so much as a goodbye. Should she keep the ring and the stability that comes with it or risk everything and follow her heart?

Leave a comment for your chance to win a gift card for a download of any one of my books.
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http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/KDawnByrd/Page.bok
BLOG: http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/;
WEBSITE: http://www.kdawnbyrd.com/

To Brand or Not to Brand

Okay, I admit it, I'm not a conformist. I like to be in charge of my own destiny, to plot my own path, to make my own decisions even if it does go against the crowd. For example, I've been told to "brand" myself by sticking to one genre, but I digress. Let me explain. Writing for me isn't a day job and doesn't come close to paying the bills. It's a therapeutic gig, one that I enjoy and one where I write what I want when I want.

I've written a little bit of everything. My debut novel, Queen of Hearts, was a WWII romantic suspense. My second, Killing Time, was a contemporary romantic suspense. Mistaken Identity, this month's release, is a young adult romance. In October, a contemporary romance, This Time for Keeps, will release. When I sit down at the keyboard, I write whatever I'm in the mood to write. There's a certain sense of freedom in that and in knowing that I don't need to produce a certain number of novels to pay the bills.

If I'm feeling carefree, I write young adult. If I want something dark, I go heavy on the suspense. If I want heartwarming, I go for the romance. The only genre I've not written that I'd like to tackle is mystery. That's in the works. I just signed a contract for a young adult mystery series. Zoe Mack, my heroine, will debut in January with her first mystery, the Secret of the Love Letters. There will be two more next year, one in June and another in December.

Someone once asked me if I'd want to write full-time and my reply was that I wouldn’t. I'm lucky enough to have a day job that I love that pays the bills. Why would I want to worry about where the next plot is coming from or even the next royalty check? And sales numbers? I do everything I can to promote and then I don't worry about it anymore. I write for the sheer joy of placing words on the page, which is why I like to write what I want when I want. If I have to write something, that takes all the fun out of it. I'm loving writing as a hobby and wouldn't change a thing. It's the most fun I've ever had. After all, isn't that what a hobby should be?

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K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance and romantic suspense. She's also an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com, most of which are signed by the authors. She's also the moderator of the popular facebook Christian Fiction Gathering group HERE
When not reading or writing, K. Dawn Byrd enjoys spending time with her husband of 16 years while walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home and plotting the next story waiting to be told.
Find Dawn Online HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geWeGQ6Ueu4
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok
http://www.kdawnbyrd.com/
http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/

Finding the Joy in the Race toward Publication

by
K. Dawn Bird

Thank you, Seekers, for hosting me! Today's topic is...."Finding the Joy in the Race toward Publication." Those of you who write know that it's not all peaches and cream. Sometimes, it's more like torture!

The journey to publication is often not an easy race. Some days, it's like walking ten miles uphill both ways, dodging chug holes while sloshing through dingy mud puddles as a rainstorm swirls around you. Anyone out there get my drift?

Why do I continue on? I love a challenge and it's been that and so much more. I've learned a lot about God and about myself on this journey.


God is teaching me things that I couldn't learn anywhere else. The big P word...Patience. They say it's a virtue, for me it's a handicap because I have so little of it. It's such a waiting game. Authors send their work out to an agent or a publisher. They then receive a form response that they'll hear from them within 90 days if they're interested and they ask that the author not submit elsewhere while they consider their submission. Patience. It's a virtue. I missed out, but I'm learning. I thought I was ready for publication two years ago. Not so.

I had no idea that the real work begins when the book is released. The marketing is endless and takes time away from new work. God knows when you're ready and He knows the future. He knows when you'll have time for all the promotion and interviews. His timing is perfect. Ever felt like quitting? Everyone has at some point and I'm no exception. I did quit about a year ago. I decided I was throwing in the towel, taking down the old shingle. I learned an important lesson. I can't not write. I tried. It lasted about six weeks and I was the most miserable person on the planet. Even if I never get another contract, I'll write just for the sheer joy of putting words on a page. It's more than a hobby, it's a passion.


The greatest joy in the journey has been that I've made so many wonderful friends along the way. The relationships are priceless. It's nice to talk to someone who understands point of view, writer's block, and plotting. It's wonderful to have someone pick me up, dust me off and put me back in the race when I feel like I can't take another step. You know who you are, my friends, and I thank you! My advice to myself and everyone else on this crazy journey. Continue to learn the craft. Study the market. Build an internet presence. Set goals. Write something every day...never surrender!

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Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing.

Dawn is giving away two books to two lucky commentors.

You'll get your choice of her books Killing Time and Queen of Hearts.Find Dawn online at:

Desert Breeze Publishing
Dawn's Blog

Killing Time Trailer
To find the trailer for Queen of Hearts click HERE

K. Dawn Byrd and Epublishing

Ruthy here... Sorry, guys, we spelled K. Dawn's name wrong earlier.

Byrd is with a "Y" not an "I". Whereas if she were a robin or a goldfinch, we'd use an "I".
But she's not. I'm just sayin'... ;) Here's her lovely post with her correctly spelled name. Same great picture. ;)

Okay. I'll admit it. I don't much like change. To be more accurate, I loathe change. When I heard snippets that ebooks were the wave of the future, I fought it with everything in me. I've been a book collector for over 15 years and have well over 1,000 books in my home. For some reason, the very existence of ebooks threatened my beloved print books. I vowed that I would never buy an ebook, that enemy that might eventually extinguish the print books that I so love to hold in my hands.

When a book came out that was available only in eformat, I wanted it so badly that I gave it a try. After I figured out how to download the first one, I was hooked and have purchased dozens of ebooks since then. I absolutely love ebooks. I'm not killing trees, using expensive ink or lugging around heavy objects. And best of all, I can read when I want on my cell phone, anywhere, any time. And, I can read in bed with hubby right beside me and don't have to worry about disturbing him with a bedside light. The font is adjustable and right now my font is larger and darker than the print in a paperback. It's backlit and easy on the eyes. I can purchase ebooks in seconds and never leave the house. I have literally thousands of titles at my fingertips. Also, ebooks are inexpensive and many of them, especially those in the public domain, are free. Since I store ebooks on my computer (or a flash drive), they're not taking up room in my home and I can read them again if I choose.

Many publishers, including mine, Desert Breeze Publishing , have started book clubs and customers can get free books after so many purchases. Want to give it a try? Desert Breeze Publishing has four free downloads including a cookbook. This freebie will allow you to make sure your software is working before you spend money on an ebook. If you can't figure it out, e-mail Desert Breeze. Their customer service is wonderful.

If you don't have a smart phone, you can download Mobipocket on your laptop or netbook and read from there. I've decided not to fight it. After all, how many people fought purchasing a microwave oven? DVD player? Cell phone? And, now an ebook? Progress will continue no matter how hard we try to fight it. I, for one, hope that ebooks are here to stay.

Thanks for allowing me to share my experience. I found it so positive that I have a new release with Desert Breeze on April 1. You can check it out at HERE or on my Blog

Today I'm giving away a free download of Queen of Hearts. To get your name in the drawing, leave a comment.

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Queen of HeartsDaphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.
Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.
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K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance. She has two books coming out in 2010 with Desert Breeze Publishing. The first, Queen of Hearts, will release on April 1, 2010.