Interview & Giveaway: Dawn Crandall ~ Author of The Hesitant Heiress

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Dawn!! Will you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a (very behind) brand new mommy to a four month old little boy—which is something I’ve always wanted. I actually had to wait longer to get pregnant than to get my first book published. I went to Taylor University and majored in Christian Education, mainly for my own benefit since I’d never been to church much as a kid and had just become a Christian during my junior year of high school. I didn’t marry my husband right out of college… I didn’t meet him until I was twenty-five. I actually had to wait for him to finish high school, move from the East Coast to the Mid-West, and then finish college before I met him the day he walked into my church’s young adult ministry. It was pretty obvious from the beginning of our acquaintance that we were perfect for each other. And yes, he was twenty-one at the time… hence all the waiting around on my end.


What is your novel, The Hesitant Heiress, about?

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I always loved to write in school. I didn’t like to read though! I couldn’t find any books I liked until I was in high school and read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier! I also have ADD and wasn’t paying too much attention to anything until I was diagnosed at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Because my life was changing so much at that time in my life, my dreams of writing a book sort of got swept under the rug. I played around with it for fun in college, but the ADD medication which helped me get better grades in college also cut off my creativity quite drastically. I didn’t realize this until I was in my early thirties and stopped taking the medication because I wanted to get pregnant. That was when the ideas just flooded in, and because I wasn’t getting pregnant very quickly, I decided that I would write my book in order to keep my mind off not having a family of my own.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?



I need full days (8-10 hours) of writing to get much done. Because I have ADD but don’t take anything to help with my awful scatterbrained tendencies, I just need to be there focusing entirely on the characters and the world I am creating for very long periods of time.

Where do you like to write?

I move around a lot. Each of my books was written somewhere different, in a completely different way from the other two.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to read… but I also love to stare at and play with my newborn son. Loving on him quickly became my new favorite thing besides writing and reading.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

My favorite genre is inspirational historical romance, although I do like to read a few certain authors who write inspirational cotemporary romance.

What is your least favorite genre to read?

There are a lot… Thrillers, strictly mystery, women’s fiction…. I just love a good love story, and that’s what I want to read!

Is there a place you'd like to visit, but haven’t yet?

I would love to explore the West Coast.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

Ephesians 3:20 ~ “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us...”

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie?

I have a lot of favorite movies… anything to do with Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

What is your favorite season and why is it your fav?

I love every season… especially as the latest one is moving on. I don’t know why. It’s strange. I guess you could say I like the “in-between seasons” the best.

Some this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms? Thunderstorms 
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Tea or Coffee? Both with cream and sugar
Call or Text? Text
Cats or Dogs? Cat(s)
Early-bird or Night-owl? Early-bird
Introvert or Extrovert? A mix of both, actually. I am shy in bigger group, but I also have ADD which sort of takes over sometimes when I am with smaller groups of people.
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Mystery or Romance? Romance
Sneakers or Sandals? Sandals

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint?

I’m working on finishing up the third book in The Everstone Chronicles series right now. I’d started it before I got pregnant last summer, and I’d mostly finished revising the rough draft (which I don’t usually write in the first place) at that time… but being pregnant and having a baby definitely created some challenges which I’m still working through!

Thank you so much for being here! Where can we find you on the web?

- www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com
- Twitter - @dawnwritesfirst
- Facebook – www.facebook.com/dawncrandallwritesfirst
- Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst
- My Blog – www.apassionforpages.blogspot.com
- GoodReads – www.goodreads.com/dawn_crandall

Amazon, Goodreads

Enter for a chance to win an e-copy of The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall! Giveaway is open to the US and ends 8/21.

How to enter: Sign into the Giveaway Tools form below (it might take a moment to load) and submit each entry you complete. Commenting alone will not get you entered – you must click enter on the form. Happy entering!

Entry-Form

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Giveaway Tools and announced here as well as emailed and will have up to one week to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Giveaway Tools or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. I am not responsible for any packages lost or damaged in the mail. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.