Interview: Dawn Husted

Today I'm pleased to welcome Dawn Husted to the blog to talk about her new YA post-apocalyptic novel, SAFE. 

More about SAFE

Penny, a teenage girl, has been genetically mutated along with other inhabitants by a vaccine given to their great-grandparents who settled the Land, an island. This particular serum caused everyone to develop vine like marks all over their bodies, along with enhanced abilities passed down through the generations. Penny finds a shift in her reality that causes her to fight for survival as she searches for the truth, even if it puts her at odds with the only person she can trust.

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1. What was your inspiration for this book?  I loved the idea of a teenager discovering the reality of their world to be faulty; each one of our lives is what we are taught. When these truths are found to be a lie, a person’s reality changes dramatically. I wanted to write a science fiction book and was obsessed with the notion of a post-apocalyptic time period. These concepts sum up SAFE. 

2. Would you classify your writing as plot driven or character driven? Definitely plot driven. When I first started thinking up the world I wanted to write about, the ending was going to be the same no matter what character I used to tell the story. However, the story turned out to be much different than what I started with.  And every scene takes on a life of its own due to each character’s reaction to a situation.

3. Can you tell us a little about your main character? Penny is a seventeen year-old girl, who just turned eighteen. She lives on an island, with other survivors, and also lives at home with her parents in a house located in the Colony.  Penny grew up as an only child and upon graduating high school, started working in a laboratory building. Her boyfriend, James, is a guard who’s training at the Academy.  

4. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book.  Everyone on the island is born with a genetic trait that was passed down from their great-grandparents. These genetic traits created vines, black markings, all over everyone’s body.  Everything on the island is controlled and regulated by their leader, and the rules are enforced by the guards. One day, her dad was caught taking vials of medicine from the lab he works in – an illegal act. Penny’s parents force her to run from guards who are trying to kill her. 

5. What do you hope readers take away from this book? A fun action packed story that

keeps readers on their toes and leaves them putting the pieces together. I did my best to answer all questions, however, nothing is what it seems until you finish the book. 

6. What song best describes your writing style? This is a hard question! If I had to choose from the songs I really like right now, I choose: Serena Ryder, Stompa.  It’s fun, empowering, and the beat keeps you listening until the end. 

7. Night Owl or Early Bird? No doubt, I’m a night owl. I can stay up late, deliriously, writing as much as my eyes will let me. 

8. Skittle or M&Ms? Neither. Reese’s Pieces ;-)

9. Who are your favorite authors? To be honest, I never enjoyed reading when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I like... Patrick Ness, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Nicholas Sparks, and the list goes on. Of these authors, Patrick Ness’s book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was one of my top favorites. His writing style is unique and different. I really like that. And the story was unlike anything I had read before.


10. Can you tell us about any future projects?  I have nothing in the works right now. I find that when I start something new, my mind gets completely encased in the project. And since I’m an independent author, I don’t have anyone marketing SAFE for me. Therefore, I’m putting all my energy into promoting it right now.  I’ll be writing ideas for future plots in my journal, but I don’t plan on starting a new book until 2014.

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About the Author

Dawn Husted started writing in the fall of 2008, but she didn't began publishing her work until 2011; After marrying her husband, Dawn graduated with a Bachelor degree from Texas A&M University and spent the next couple of years trying to figure out what she wanted to do. 

In 2008, she dabbled with writing a book intended for her eldest child and soon published it three years later. Since then, the Windor Series was published (available for free on her website). In 2012, another book became available titled Silently Screaming, a literary fictional work geared towards the young adult genre.


Currently she just released her newest novel, SAFE. A young-adult (post apocalyptic science fiction) book.

SAFE is available now from: 

Amazon

B&N

Author Website

Connect with Dawn Husted online at:

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Website

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