Indie Author Spotlight – Donna Hawk and “Of Stone and Mist”

I’ve got a fantastic indie author for you to meet today: Donna Hawk, author of “Of Stone and Mist”

Here’s what Donna says about herself:

My name is Donna Hawk. I’ve been a middle school teacher for 33 years. I taught Reading, mostly, but also I’ve taught a variety of things: yearbook, photography, creative writing, social studies… the list seems endless. I truly enjoy that age kids. I retired two years ago because I wanted to devote time to writing. I live in a small town, on a farm with my husband, a dog, and a whole bunch of cows. I know everyone in town, so writing is a good way to escape! I am also an avid photographer.

You can find Donna at her blog, on Twitter and also on Facebook.

And we have a brief interview with her:

Q: Do you use a pen name?

A: Yes, kinda. I write with my maiden name so I can separate my married self from my author self and people still recognize me. I’m afraid if I used a totally different name, I may not recognize myself!

Q: Do you listen to music while you write?

A: Actually, I don’t. I want to. But my brain sometimes goes on a tangent and I’ll find myself staring off into space singing and bopping around and NOT WRITING. Trust me, everyone is better off if I don’t sing. 🙂

Q: Beatles or Monkees?

A: Duh, Monkees. Fifth grade, I was a total spaz for them and my cousin got to see them in concert. I still haven’t forgiven her. That was over 45 years ago. I know…sad.

Q: If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

A: I had a penpal from Sweden. I got a chance to go to Sweden to see her in 2007. I knew she had cancer. Unfortunately, six weeks after I returned home, she passed away. I never told her how much I loved her. I definitely owe her an apology for that.

Q: Are the names of the characters in your novels important?

A: Yes. Sometimes I change them several times before I get them right. When I have the right name, I almost always know it. Sometimes I struggle.

Q: What is the hardest part about writing your books?
A: Consistency. Sometimes I’m afraid my “voice” will change from day to day or mood to mood. Generally, from those who have read my work as I went along, I’ve discovered my voice isn’t as troublesome as my facts. I find myself making tons of scribbles and notes on paper beside my computer to keep my facts straight. I still get tripped up once in a while. I’m getting better, though.

And now to the book, “Of Stone and Mist”,  which you can buy at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.

It’s all photographer Jessa Bennett can do to understand the bizarre, unnatural world of speaking to dead ancestors that Maria believed in, but Maria has been missing for three years, and everyone assumes Mitch Conner has gotten away with murder.

Hired by Maria’s parents to find out why, Jessa clandestinely snoops in Mitch’s historic home, Bristol House. She finds more questions than answers: what is the medallion key to the dead world; why does she keep feeling like her mornings are repeating; and why does the postcard of Bristol House keep changing? But mostly, why does Maria’s ghost show up first in Jessa’s camera, then in her dreams? What does Maria want?

The ghosts of Bristol House come alive to draw Jessa into a world she didn’t think existed outside of nightmares, and she uncovers a hundred and fifty year old secret in order to solve the mystery of the missing young woman.

And we’ve also got a brief excerpt:

Though sealed tight, she became aware of a bright light penetrating her eyelids. She blinked and squinted, but the pain stabbed through her optic nerve like a scalpel. She wanted to shut her eyes and bow her back and writhe away from the light, but she was still immobile, drenched in sweat.

After a time, though, she became used to the light. It was less harsh and even inviting. It called to her; wanted something from her. Its power consumed her. Putting her elbows on the table in front of her, she leaned into the light, peering closely as if it was telling her secrets. Surprised, she sat back suddenly. The tiny room where she was sitting was stark and bare, dark except for the light shining down on the plain square table.

She shivered in her thin, white hospital gown, and wondered for a terrified moment if it was open at the back. Then her mind wandered again, and she became consumed once more by the bright light shining down on her and the table.

Besides the light, she realized she wasn’t alone, and that the room wasn’t completely empty. Across from her sat a young woman, beautiful, staring at her and waiting to be noticed. Jessa squinted, though it was hard to see much through the bright beam of light.

When she did finally recognize the woman, she realized it was someone she’d never seen before, but she knew the face. Intimately. She also knew, with certainty, that this woman, here with her now, was dead.

I’ll be posting a review myself in the next few days, but in the meantime, you should definitely check it out for yourself, and give Donna’s website a visit, too – you won’t regret it!

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