Happy Wednesday!
Today I’m welcoming author Dawn Klinge! She’s currently writing historical fiction series, “Historic Hotels” series, from her home in Seattle, and I can’t wait to let her tell you all about it!
Stick with us to the end for a chance to win an autographed paperback of Sorrento Girl, book one in the series!
Welcome, Dawn! What inspired you to write, initially, and what encouraged you to continue?
I had my first story published in a magazine when I was eight. It was about a bear named “Growly.” That experience made me want to be an author. I’ve always loved writing, but I gave up the idea of being a writer somewhere along the line. Then, more than twenty years later, in 2017, I started blogging. It hooked me! At first, I wrote about what I was doing with my kids, but later, I began writing more about my Christian faith–and that’s when I started to think of myself as an actual writer. In 2016 I published my first book, Look to Jesus: How to Let Go of Worry and Trust God. In the fall of 2017, I told my husband, Derek, that I wanted to begin writing historical fiction. I saw it as a way to continue sharing my faith–but more creatively. Derek has been super supportive, and he gave me the push I needed to begin. Sorrento Girl, my first novel, came out in March of 2020, and Palmer Girl, will be released on September 29th, 2020. I’m currently working on the Biltmore Girl, the final book in my Historic Hotels Series. There’s a family connection between the books, and they’re all set in beautiful hotels, but they each stand alone.
I am excited about this series – especially the one centered around Biltmore! I love that place and the history surrounding it!
Do you look on writing as a “calling?”
I do look at writing as a “calling.” The desire to write is a part of me, and I believe it was placed there by God. It’s not something I can ignore, and it’s the work I’m most passionate about.
That’s what it’s all about – the passion that GOD gives us!
What is your favorite Bible verse, and why?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I love the simple truth of these words. I’m someone who can overthink and worry too much, but I keep this verse close to my heart because it reminds me of where to place my trust.
Overthinking is at a worldwide high these days! I’m like you – I write about the issues that I have the hardest time with!
A lot of interviewers ask for your favorite book. That’s just not fair! What has been the most recent book you’ve read that excited you or moved you in some way? Why?
One reason I love historical fiction is that I get a deeper understanding of the hardships people in the past have faced, and I find often find similarities between then and now. I find hope in that recognition because I can see that life will go on, and there’s always joy to be found, even in the most challenging circumstances. I recently read a book set during the Great Depression called Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin, and it moved me for this very reason.
I’ll have to look for that one! I remember in one of my children’s lit classes reading “Out of the Dust,” and it really affected me. Historical fiction often affects me in the same way, and while I don’t write it (way too much research for this contemporary romance gal!), I absolutely love reading it – and look forward to reading YOURS!
Is there someone, alive or dead, who had a major influence on your writing life, or on your life in general?
C.S. Lewis is someone who has influenced me, both as a writer and in my faith. I love both his fiction and non-fiction work. He’s someone who showed me the power of story to communicate significant spiritual truths.
I need to read more C.S. Lewis. I was such a “Little House” fan that I mainly gravitated toward prairie and gothic romances as a young teen! LOL!
Thank you so much for the interview, Dawn. I know my readers have enjoyed getting to know you!
Dawn’s Next Release
Palmer Girl
When insurance tycoon, Cornelius Nordeman, is recruited to work for the Exposition Corporation, the New Yorker brings his family to live at the Palmer House Hotel, far away from any reminders of a recent tragedy. He’s hopeful this move will offer respite from his family’s grief.
Elizabeth Nordeman, his daughter, has something to prove, which leads her to seek work as a florist at Marshall Field’s, Chicago’s finest department store.
John Lewis knows something is different and intriguing about the new florist he hired. When his boss, Marshall Field, informs him that Elizabeth is the Nordeman heiress, his job suddenly becomes more complicated–especially when he finds himself falling for her.
On the eve of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago prepares to prove that it’s a first-class city, and the brightest minds from around the country will plan the most spectacular fair the world has seen.
The World’s Fair will bring change and innovation into a society bound tightly by class and tradition. Elizabeth’s heart longs to push against those boundaries, so what’s holding her back?
About Dawn Klinge
Dawn Klinge is a Pacific Northwest native who loves a rainy day, a hot cup of coffee, and a good book to get lost in. This wife and mom to two young adults is often inspired by true personal and historical accounts. Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Sorrento Girl is her debut novel, the first in the Historic Hotels Collection.
Dawn’s books can all be purchased HERE
Connect with Dawn!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.klinge/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnklinge/
website: www.dawnklinge.com
Thanks, Dawn! I’m looking forward to following your website (and the free download for subscribing!)!
For an opportunity to win a signed copy of Dawn’s book, Sorrento Girl, simply answer this question in the comments: What historic landmark would you want to read a book about?
Have a great week!
A whole year of MOSAIC!!
Thank you, Regina! I enjoyed doing this interview with you!
Thank you for the interview Dawn and Regina!
I’ve never thought about it…historic landmark…hm…we have an underground tour in Old Sacramento I’ve visited once. It would be an intriguing setting 😉
I’m a Chicagoan, born and bred, though I love our little corner of Kentucky today. Yet I still feel nostalgia for the Windy City. So Dawn’s book that features both the Palmer House and Marshall Field’s is just perfect for me. I remember both landmarks from when I was a little girl. The Christmas windows at Field’s were the best holiday thing in the entire city: a whole block of show-windows with moving, life-sized characters, lots of fairy lights and an all-new story every year. The Palmer House was red plush carpets; rich, red velvet drapes 20 feet tall; grand, sweeping staircases; tuxedoed waiters in all the dining rooms; and a black-uniformed maid with a frilly white organdy cap and apron in every ladies’ room. I can only imagine — or read a historical novel like Dawn’s — to see how much more elegant they were in the 1890s.