Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist, freelance editor, and publisher. She’s the best-selling author of My Mother’s Child (the sequel to Divorcing the Devil), Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. She’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, LLC a small press independent publishing house. She’s currently signed to Urban Christian, an imprint of Urban Books/Kensington. Her sixth novel, the second book in the Married Series, is set to hit national bookshelves in 2011.

Dwan, tell us about yourself.

I’m such a big kid.  I love adventure, and I like to try new things. I get bored with monotony.  I have a feisty six-year-old daughter who keeps me on my toes.

What type of jobs or careers have you worked in the past?

I served in the U.S. Air Force for four years!  I struggled with wearing uniforms.  There weren’t a lot of ways to spruce up fatigues.  After that, I worked briefly at an advertising agency and then in retail sales at a department store.  Ultimately, I ended up at the phone company.

Who are your favorite authors?

I read many different genres of fiction, as well as non-fiction, and I enjoy them all.  There are so many authors that I like to read that it would be hard to start making a list.  However, my absolute faves are Eric Jerome Dickey and Jackie Collins.  I especially appreciate EJD because he’s honed the craft, broke the rules, and created new ones.

What are your favorite books?

The Shack by William P. Young, Fabulosity by Kimora Lee Simmons, Seasons of a Woman’s Life by Lois Evans, Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen, and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

When did you begin to realize you wanted to write?  The early signs were there.  When I was a child, I used to make up words for the dictionary.  As I got older, I kept diaries and journals.  Throughout my academic career, English was my favorite subject and guaranteed “A”.  Then I met a journalist.  That sparked the writing bug for me.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

My journey to publication has been a learning experience.  Not to sound cliché, BUT if I knew then, what I know now, I would’ve made a few different choices.  Regardless, I don’t regret those decisions, because they helped me get where I am today.  My first book was published by a self-publishing company and the second by a POD publisher. My 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th books have been published by Urban Christian, an imprint of Urban Books/Kensington.  My upcoming 2011 book will be released by Urban Christian as well.

Are you a full-time writer? If so, describe your day?

Yes, I’m a full-time writer and my days are crazy.  If all I had to do was write, that would be lovely.  Since I have a life outside of writing, things tend to get chaotic.  I wake up at 6:00 a.m. to get my daughter ready for school.  At 6:30 I crawl back into bed and get some much needed sleep until around 9:30.  I get up and spend some time with the Lord before working out.  Since I’m a freelance editor and the founder of Nevaeh Publishing, a small press independent publishing house, I tend to always have manuscripts in front of me that require my attention.  I usually work on editing assignments and publishing business.  By late afternoon, I pick up my daughter from school.  Then it’s strictly Mommy duty and running errands when necessary.  Writing doesn’t usually take place until eight or nine o’clock at night and lasts until I get tired.

About the Book

Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted.

After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she’s pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home; but they can’t get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day.

Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?

Listen to an excerpt from My Mother’s Child

Visit Dwan online at http://dwanabrams.com.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyMothersChild.