| DeAnna Julie Dodson |
I was born in Dallas, Texas, and have lived in the Dallas area all my life. I got my degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Texas at Dallas and, the next year, I got my CPA certificate. Although my degree is in business, my real interest has always been in literature, music and the fine arts. Medieval English history and Shakespeare are particular favorites of mine and, along with my Christian faith, have most influenced the three novels I have written: In Honor Bound, By Love Redeemed and To Grace Surrendered. My latest book is set during and after the American Civil War and I have been fascinated by what I have read about this defining portion of our history. I also love cross stitch, quilting, Dallas Stars hockey, and my cats: Emily, Eloise and Elliot. I never dreamed that I would someday be a writer. I was always an avid reader, even when I was a very little girl, but it wasn’t until I was in college (and extremely bored in a Business Law class) that I decided to try writing. It was just one scene, just something to amuse myself with when I was bored, but, over time, I wrote more scenes, usually with the same characters. Finally I decided that there had to be something interesting going on between these random scenes. I asked myself, “What could have happened here at Point B that would logically move my characters from the already-written Point A to the already-written Point C?” And then I would go about writing the missing Point B. Once I started that, I realized I couldn’t stop. I just had to write! When I decided to make these scenes into a book, of course I had to make some modifications to some scenes I already had, eliminate others and write still more. It was a nightmare of a way to write. (I actually had nightmares about frantically trying to solve puzzles!) It was also an incredibly valuable learning experience for me, one that was not wasted when I wrote my next two books. The most amazing thing I learned from the experience, though, was that our talents are truly gifts from God. Many, many times I would write a scene just to link two other scenes together or add a little excitement, and it wouldn’t be until much later in the story that I would realize why that scene was there, that it was crucial to the theme of the story. Often my characters would do and say things that really surprised me, as if they truly had minds of their own. Over and over again I was reminded that the ability to write, to tell stories that speak to real people, is something that did not come from me. God is the greatest and most liberal Giver of gifts, and I believe it pleases Him very much when we use those gifts to the best of our ability. Coming Up: I have just completed a new novel set during and after the American Civil War. A Dinner of Herbs (from Proverbs 15:17) is a story about realizing that, when we let go of what we think we must have, we often find what we really want. When I have release information on this book, I will post it here! Rules of Murder is my newest book, a romantic murder mystery set in the 1930s. It's a mixture of Tommy and Tuppence and Nick and Nora in fast and fun thriller set in the English countryside. Right now it is very much a work in progress. I'll be posting more updates soon. |
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