Interview with Ezra Dawn

Published 2016-10-27.
Describe your desk
It's a cheap wooden thing I got at Walmart. It holds my desktop computer, my books and some art supplies.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town in Virginia. It's backwoods country living. I'm what you'd call a redneck. With my writing I try to move away from the small town role, where everybody knows everybody. I wanted my characters to have some anonymity so most of my stories take place in big cities like Los Angeles and New York. I also get inspiration from being outside, just taking a quiet drive out in the middle of nowhere gets my creative juices flowing.
When did you first start writing?
I started when I was around fourteen in my last year of middle school. I always had a passion for it even before then but that was the year I actually started on something other than poems and short stories.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I'm working on three at the moment. It helps keep writer's block from stopping the flow of work. Two of them are Paranormal romances. One follows the four horsemen and the other is the next book in my new series. The third is not paranormal but it is a male/male romance about a SWAT officer and his long-term lawyer boyfriend. I have ideas for other M/M novels and at the moment I've stopped writing M/F novels. For some reason I just can't bring myself to get into those story lines. I'll probably go back to those when I have time to look back on them. Especially, since one of the ones I haven't touched is the manuscript to the sequel of Don't Fear the Reaper the very first book I published. The manuscript is finished but because I'm not exactly satisfied with it I may end up doing a complete rewrite before I finally release that one.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
At first I wanted to go the traditional route but I was offered a contract by a publisher that wanted me to change nearly everything about my book that made it what it was. I decided that I would rather go the indie route and self-publish so that I could write what I wanted how I wanted than work under a publisher and not have creative freedom.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
By extending the reach for my books across major retailers. Which allows me to reach more readers.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I like to give a piece of myself in each book so my greatest joy is when I finish a book then read back over it and I notice all the little quirks my characters have that are actually things I do in real life.
What do your fans mean to you?
Everything. I love hearing from them, and getting feedback. It makes me feel good knowing that people are actually reading my books and enjoying them. By receiving their reviews it helps me make my books better for the future.
What are you working on next?
Right now I'm working on the Four Horsemen paranormal romance. I thought these guys deserved to get their own happy ending. I've set the release date for January but that could change in the future. Right now the book has four parts. Each part focuses on one of the horsemen and it all comes together in one book. Once I've finished this one i'll start working on book three for the Asphalt Bay pack series which I've set for April (that date is also subject to change) and then finally the novel about the Swat team officer and his Lawyer boyfriend.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have many actually some of them are - Jade West, Terri Anne Browning, Wolf Specter, RL Mathewson, Abbi Glines, Tillie Cole, Mercy Celeste, Aimee Nicole Walker, Lisa Oliver, L.A Casey, Nina G Jones, Penelope Ward, Aurora Rose Reynolds, JB Heller, Lani Lynn Vale.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The idea that it would be a waste to spend the entire day in bed when I could be doing so many other things.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I read, a lot. I also like to take walks and play video games. Sometimes I paint, othertimes I draw. I'm the definition of hermit.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Once I finish a book there are suggestions of one's I might like at the bottom of the screen. If a title or cover catches my attention I click on it and read the synopsis. If I like the book I usually get it.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. It was about two high school students who were neighbors. It focused on stereotypes. One was a nerd and one was what you would call emo. The girl wouldn't give the boy the time of day so he decided to reinvent himself for her. The storyline for it was good but the writing itself was terrible. I actually went back and rewrote the entire thing recently so it will probably be published sometime in the future.
What is your writing process?
For me it starts with an idea. Once I have an idea for a plot I try to come up with a title and the two main characters before I sit down at the computer and start writing. Once I get it started I just keep going until I have something. I take the idea as far as I can and then I leave it alone until I have something else to add. I don't like having a set in stone plot ending because it restricts the storyline. I like to just let the story come to me as I go. basically I write on the fly. there's no set plan, no set guidelines or endings, I just sit down and let it flow.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I don't think it was the first but it's the first I can remember. I was still in elementary school, I think it was third grade could've been fifth though. I don't remember ever having a passion for reading before that anyways they had this reading program that judged your reading level and the books you checked out from the library were supposed to match your reading level. I remember going in there and checking out this thick book that was definitely above my reading level but I read it. The title was Redwall by Brian Jaques. It didn't really have an impact on me per se it just got me into the fantasy type which I've stuck to throughout the years.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
1. Out of the Blues by Mercy Celeste because the characters lives and their issues just resonated with me and its a book that pulls on my heart strings each time I read it.
2. The Power of the Bite by Lisa Oliver because I love the idea of fated mates and even though there were some minor editing issues it's one of those books that I love and re-read. I also feel that it's one of her best ones :)
3. It Ain't Me Babe by Tillie Cole because I've always had a thing for motorcycles and MC novels but this book was amazing and in fact I loved the entire series.
4. Dirty Bad Wrong by Jade West because it's kinky and dirty and way better than fifty shades and I love all of her books for that reason.
5. Debt by Nina G Jones because that book described a fantasy that I actually have and I loved the story behind it.
I have a lot more favorites and it was actually kind of hard to pick just five since I read so much but I managed to do it.
What do you read for pleasure?
Anything with a good plot that catches my attention. Usually it's in the romance genre but i'm not super picky.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle. I've had mine for almost four years and it hasn't let me down. In that time I've read over 1000 books and I still have over half of my storage left available.
How do you approach cover design?
I have a cover designer. I picture how I want the cover to look in my head first. I always want the cover to reflect the book itself because why would you have a cover that didn't say anything towards the actual contents. Once I've got some idea I buy the stock images that will best reflect what I want and send them to my designer. Once I've described to her an idea of what I want I let her work her magic. It's worked well so far. Each cover has been more beautiful than the last but sometimes if I just want something simple I'll do it myself.
What made you want to be a writer?
I've always had a passion for it but I didn't fully try to pursue it until after I'd attempted doing something else. Basically, when most people around my age already knew what they wanted to be and were pursuing education to enter those professions. I didn't. I had no idea at all. Sure, I was licensed in Cosmetology because I liked doing hair but in the end it was more of a hobby than something I could do full time. I've entertained so many ideas for career possibilities it isn't even funny. Most of those possibilities would have required college and I couldn't afford that. I also didn't want to be one of those people paying off loans for the rest of my life. I love to write and the one thing that sealed the deal for me is that I can live out every career possibility through my characters. In my books I can be anything I want to be. A doctor, a lawyer, an assassin, a tattoo artist, etc. Anything is possible and that's why I love it so much. Yes, it's hard work but I enjoy it, I make money off of it, and I don't even have to leave my house which is a plus because that means I can wear my pajamas all day. I'm my own boss and that's the best thing for me :)
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

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