Interview with D.S. McKnight, Author of Of Dreams and Shadow

 

D.S. McKnight has enjoyed a varied career—from working as a radio DJ on a small AM station to serving as president and co-owner of a marina, until Hurricane Ophelia took aim at the Carolina coast.  Currently, she works at an insurance agency as well as hosting her blog – Novel Notions.  

 

It is her love of the North Carolina coast that fueled her desire to write.  Of Dreams and Shadow: Forget Me Not (book 1) is her first novel.  

 

You can visit the author’s website at: http://www.dsmcknight.com. 

 

When did you begin writing?

I have been writing since I was a teenager – poems, lyrics to songs, and short stories –  words that were only seen by me.  When I reached my forties, I realized I had neglected myself.  My days were spent working, getting my children to and from practices and games, helping with homework, etc.  I found that I needed something for me.  I started taking a writing class and never looked back.

What is the book about?

Of Dreams and Shadow is a story about choices – not only the choices we make but those that are made by others and the consequences that follow.  The main character is Jenna Barton.  She’s had to deal with moving to a new town, transferring to a new school, leaving old friends and trying to make new ones.   It doesn’t help that her new neighbor, Chase Williams, is particularly unwelcoming.   Unfortunately, for Jenna these are the least of her problems.  She has unwittingly stepped into the middle of a mystery involving a missing child.  The predator is still on the loose and Jenna has become his new obsession.  Sarah Jones was just four years old when she disappeared and Chase was the only witness.  No one believed the ramblings of a scared little boy — especially when resides in her backyard — but how can he tell her?  She wouldn’t believe him anyway.

What inspired you to write it?

My writing instructor gave us an assignment.  We had to write a “what if” scenario.  I chose to write about an incident from my childhood.  When I was three years old, my mother found me crying – afraid of my shadow.  I asked myself What if my shadow had been trying to get me… And the story was born.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

I don’t know that I have a favorite character but I absolutely loved writing Silas.  He had no moral code so I was free to explore his dark side.  Who would have thought that writing a murder scene could have been so much fun? 

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Of Dreams and Shadow: Forget Me Not is available on Amazon.

What is up next for you?

I am finishing my first New Adult Novella.  The Reasons Why will be available by summer 2014.  I am also working on the sequel to Of Dreams and Shadow.

Title: Of Dreams and Shadow
Author: D.S. McKnight
Publisher: Stone Bay Press
Pages: 286
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Purchase at AMAZON