Ever since I read Dawn Eastman's first Family Fortune mystery, Pall in the Family, I knew I would be contacting her for an interview. I just enjoy the cast of characters she's created so much-- and who wouldn't love a main character named Clytemnestra? (Oops. Don't tell "Clyde" I let that cat out of the bag!) When I enjoy characters like this, it means that I'll be sending an email to their creator, and I'm so happy that Dawn said yes!
Dawn Eastman |
I've gathered together a few links so you can learn even more about this talented writer and connect with her:
I know you're all looking forward to learning more about Dawn, so let's get to the interview!
What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?
Charlotte's Web, first edition |
I discovered Charlotte’s Web when I was six or seven and can’t remember how many times I re-read it. It was the first book that transported me to a different world and I began to realize the power of fiction.
Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?
My family keeps me pretty busy. And I am the primary support staff for the Bichon-Shih Tzu despot who lives with me. When I can, I love to knit, read, and watch British crime shows.
If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)
Des Moines' East Village |
I feel like I don’t have a true hometown because I moved a lot growing up. Michigan feels most like home to me. However, I have lived in Des Moines, Iowa for the past fifteen years and have watched the downtown area become a vibrant and fun place to be. The East Village has lots of quirky shops and restaurants. I’d recommend a stroll through the streets there.
You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
Sigourney Weaver |
Sigourney Weaver from the Ghostbuster years. We had the same hair.
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
There are so many! I love Stephanie Plum and Agatha Raisin for the humor. I’ve just started reading the Agatha Raisin books and love her jaded, yet hopeful view of the world. Mary Russell and Lady Georgiana Rannoch are my favorites for historical mysteries.
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I have an eighteen-year-old son and much of his childhood was enriched by the Harry Potter books. It was an amazing literary phenomenon to live through – the waiting between books to find out what would happen next. The discussions of how it would end and whether Snape was really as bad as he seemed were fun and engaging. My thirteen-year old missed out on that aspect as the whole series was completed by the time she was old enough to read them. Book 6 was my favorite.
How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?
After I calmed down enough to think straight, I’m pretty sure champagne was involved. I did go to visit the book in the wild at a local bookstore the week it was released. I took pictures of it sitting on the shelf with all of its friends. It was a pretty surreal moment to see my book among a bunch of my own favorites.
Name one thing on your Bucket List.
Live in London for a year. I love the history, the museums, the parks, the accents. And you can visit the rest of Europe from there.
You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?
Beaverdale Books. It’s a small, independent bookstore near me. I did my first author signing there and the owner is very supportive of local writers.
An extremely reliable source tells you that a thinly disguised you is a character in a book that's currently high up on the New York Times Bestseller List. What kind of character do you think you are?
The quiet one that you sort of suspect is up to no good…
Available Now! |
Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Dawn! It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better.
May your book sales do nothing but increase!
Thanks for the interview with Dawn Eastman. I have enjoyed all 3 books in the Family Fortune series. I like the humor and the zany characters.. I especially like Clyde's relationship with her nephew Seth and the two dogs Tuffy and Baxter.
ReplyDeleteYou just named some of the exact same reasons why I love these books, Lynn. It's a fun series!
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