Welcome backDawn Eastman

Meow,  my guest today is author Dawn Eastman!

Dawn Eastman lived in Michigan for many years, in a house full of animals, unusual people, and laughter. After attending medical school in New York City, she returned to Michigan to complete her training in Family Medicine. Much of that time was spent in a small town practice. She now lives in Iowa with her family and one extremely bossy small dog. She is the national bestselling author of The Family Fortune Mystery Series, which features psychics, quirky characters and murders. This is her first Dr. Katie LeClair mystery.

R:  Welcome back Dawn! For those not familiar with your work, tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

The short version of the story is this: I always wanted to write, but I took a bit of a career detour and became a doctor. My husband is also a doctor and once children came along it was too hard for us to juggle both schedules. I took some time off to be home with my son and daughter. After they were a little older, I went back to my first love, writing.

R: Tell us about your new series for Crooked Lane, the Dr. Katie LeClair Mysteries” !  Where did that idea come from?

See above as to where the idea came from! I worked in a small town clinic during residency and for a few years after. My favorite part of being a doctor was hearing the stories of the patients and getting to know them. The idea for this book actually began many years ago when I was a resident and it patiently waited in the back of my mind until now.

R:  What about your “Family Fortune” series.  Will we ever hear from Clyde and company again?

Yes! More books are planned, but Katie has taken center stage recently. I love Clyde and the gang and miss them very much.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

Tea. And also, tea. My small, bossy dog thinks he is necessary to the creative process. He thinks leaning against my arm while I type is particularly helpful.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

That’s a tough one. I love historical fiction and there are so many time periods I like to read about. Elizabethan England is one, but they didn’t have the greatest plumbing. I might skip ahead to the late nineteenth century. It was such an amazing time with new inventions and discoveries (notably, indoor plumbing).

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

There are scenes from all of the Family Fortune books that I would love to see on film. If Unnatural Causes was made into a movie, Emma Stone and Matthew Goode are similar to the way I imagine Katie and Matt.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

Zip-lining with monkeys is on my bucket list.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

I’m hoping it will be zip-lining with monkeys.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

I hope they will be entertained. I love hearing from readers who have adopted the Fortune family and consider them friends. I have read many books that made me care about the characters as if they are real people and it’s a great feeling to discover a new set of friends you can visit whenever you want.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

I am finishing the second Katie LeClair book and will work on the next Family Fortune in the new year.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Plotter, but I’m not strict about it. It’s more of a framework.

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Write as much as you can and read as much as you can. Find a writer’s group and get feedback.

R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

If I didn’t go back to medicine, I might open up a yarn store and knit all day. I’m sure there’s plenty of time to knit while running a small business…

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

Louise Penny’s Glass Houses.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  both

Beach or Pool?   both

Favorite Book?  My new favorite series is Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series.

Favorite TV Series?  Outlander

Favorite Movie?  A Christmas Story

Favorite Actor: There are so many, it’s too stressful to pick!

Favorite Actress: See above.

You can find Dawn at:

www.dawneastman.com

www.facebook.com/DawnEastmanAuthor/

Dawn will give away a signed ARC of her Katie LeClair mystery to one lucky commenter!  To enter, leave your name and email address in our comments section. For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

 Winner will be chosen at random.  Contest closes midnight, December 8!  US entries only please.