FEATURED AUTHOR: Keshia Dawn

EDITOR NOTE: It is always a pleasure to introduce you to new writers, even better when they are a loyal SORMAG member. Keshia was our 2003 I Want the Next Page Winner. We are proud of her.


Keshia Dawn currently resides in Texas with her her young daughter, Chayse. Completing her studies in mass communications, Keshia Dawn's sequel, His Grace, His Mercy will release September 2009.

By the Grace of God


By the Grace of God is a powerful story about betrayal, pain, and the power of God. When Gracie’s fiancé, Dillian, leaves her one day without even so much as a warning, she is devastated and confused. All she wants is a reason for his abrupt departure. But when Gracie finally learns the answer to her question, it is not at all what she was expecting, and it causes her world to flip upside down. Even as friends and family try to console her, Gracie is a wreck, falling into despair when she discovers more secrets and lies about Dillian. Gracie starts to wonder about the man she has loved and lived for all of these years. As Gracie looks to God for strength, can she find her faith through the thick, dark clouds of pain and tribulation?

What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

I would love for readers to take away the truth that with God, forgiveness is possible on every level. Even within the harsh world that we live in.

What did you learn while writing this book?

I learned that I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I had been wanting to write a book but didn't know the first thing about it. You never know what you can accomplish until you try. I also found out that if you want to write something with substance...there is an audience!

What inspired this book?

Life is inspiration enough to pick up the pen and start on the journey of writing. I believe to be a great storyteller has to first dwell within. It's a craft and can be learned but you have to have the want inside enough to push it forward.

What is the hardest part about the writing business?

I could say the hardest part is the becoming published part, but because there is a self-publish route, things have become, if not, equal. On the other level, to become a household name, I would say, make sure you are up for marketing!

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

Even though the stories are vivid in our ever wandering minds, there is still a point when the information has to be put on paper. Some writers are fast paced writers while others struggle. I claim myself to be somewhere in the middle. But all in all, we want to get the best story on paper and that possibly may not be two weeks after one book has just hit shelves.

What marketing have you found that particularly works well for you?

Promoting is a must! You have to be willing to spend on bookmarks, postcards, and making sure they hit the spots that need to. I'm a frequent visitor at the public libraries and I make sure to leave behind bookmarks there. You also have to be willing to branch out and do things that you normally don't. I don't consider myself a speaker or even good at public speaking, but radio spots are great avenues! Making friends in the industry actually help open doors, helping to market yourself, while helping out a friend, all in the same breath.

What are three things you wish you'd known before you reached where you are now?

I wish I would have known that Christian fiction really was going to evolve into what it has, therefore I would have pushed harder.

I wish that I would have known that the devil would try to sidetrack anything that God saw promising (Thus, me losing my job the same month my self-published version was released).

I wish I would have known that I wanted to become a writer a long, long, long time ago.

This month our theme is Mainstream Fiction. Can you give us five mainstream authors you read?

I'm a avid romance reader so right off the top of my head:

Francis Ray, Brenda Jackson, Linda Hudson-Smith, as well as Kimberly Lawson-Roby and Victoria Christopher Murray.

Do you have any advice for the aspiring writer?

My advice for any aspiring writers would be to simply write what is true to your heart. Don't write just to be the next big name (even though that would be a plus), but write because good writing is an extention of yourself.

How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)

To visit the website, they will need to go to http://www.keshiadawnwrites.com/
Readers can reach me via e-mail at Keshia@KeshiaDawnWrites.com