Dwan Abrams was born in Florida. She has lived in Europe and throughout the United States.
After graduating from high school with honors, she served four honorable years in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force she was recognized as Airman of the Month twice and Personnel Specialist of the Quarter. Due to her outstanding leadership skills, she was promoted early to the rank of Senior Airman.
Dwan is a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Dwan worked as a manager for a Fortune 100 company. She has experience in sales, customer service, and marketing.
A true leader in the community, Dwan was a mentor at Shamrock Middle School. She has participated in Career Day and Job Shadowing Day at local Atlanta middle and high schools. As a supporter of Johnnie's House "Feed the Hungry" campaign, she appeared in a Public Service Announcement that aired on WATC TV 57 in Atlanta. Dwan has volunteered for United Way campaigns, Adopt-a-Family, and Santa's Helping Hands.
As a freelance editor, Dwan has edited numerous manuscripts for aspiring and established authors. Her services include: copy editing, substantive editing, ghostwriting, and manuscript critiques and evaluations.
Dwan has been featured in Booking Matters and Awareness magazines. She's been interviewed on Atlanta Live, which aired on WATC TV 57. Due to her hard work and determination, Dwan has been inducted into the 2006 and 2010 "Who's Who" in Black Atlanta. She's the former President of Faith Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta.
She's the best-selling author of When the Fairytale Ends (Book #2 in the Married Series), My Mother's Child (the anticipated sequel to Divorcing the Devil), Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil (nominated for the 2008 African American Literary Awards Show), Only True Love Waits (winner of the 2007 Pen of the Writer POWER Award for Best Fiction), The Scream Within, and Favor (a short story appearing in The Midnight Clear: Stories of Love, Hope and Inspiration anthology).
Her seventh novel, For the Sake of Love, was released by Kensington in June 2014. She currently resides in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia with her family.
BPM: Introduce us to your current work. What genre do you consider your book? Is this book available in digital forms like Nook and Kindle?
My latest book, For the Sake of Love, is a love triangle. Bria finds herself having to choose between the man she loves and the man trying to woo her with his money. I consider For the Sake of Love to be an inspirational romance, and yes, it is available in both Nook and Kindle.
BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
I had first written For the Sake of Love as a novella. For years I wanted to turn it into a full length novel but didn't know what direction I wanted to take it. Finally, I found the motivation and inspiration to craft the story.
BPM: Does your life experiences inspire your writing?
Sometimes. It really depends on the character. I have the most fun with characters inspired by people I know.
BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot driven or character driven? Why?
My book ideas come from all over the place. There's no one set thing. In the past, I have spoken to people with interesting professions and made mental notes to give my characters those professions. Something as simple as that can spark the idea for a new book.
I would definitely say that my books are character driven. My characters determine the situation and direction of the story. I don't start out with an entire premise and place the characters in the scenes.
BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters. What makes each one so special?
Bria is special because she's growing as a person. She's discovering new things about herself. Bria's best friend, Nya, is a wild card. She's a ride or die chick.
Nya's husband, Chance, is somewhat of a jokester. What makes him so special is that I had a reader once tell me that she loved Chance for Bria. I had never even considered that.
Spade wants so badly to be Bria's hero that he sometimes comes off as a zero. Readers will have to figure out whether Kerryngton is glitter or gold.
BPM: What topics are primarily discussed? Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
The different love languages are primarily discussed in For the Sake of Love. I did learn that I probably would not have made the same choice as Bria.
BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I didn't have to conduct an extensive amount of research for this book. Everyone involved I already knew. Nonetheless, the feedback on the men and who Bria should end up with was priceless.
BPM: What defines success for you, as a published author? What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Success for me means doing what God has purposed for me to do. As long as I walk in my calling, I'm a success. I don't measure success in monetary standards. Every time my publisher agrees to publish one of my books, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Whenever I receive an email from a reader telling me he or she enjoyed my book, I feel honored.
As for my ambitions, I have quite a few. I believe that as long as I keep my character intact, my gifts will make room for me. I don't put myself into a box.
BPM: What are your expectations for this book? What would you like for readers to do after reading this book?
I don't believe in putting expectations on my work. I simply write the stories I feel compelled to write to the best of my abilities. As long as I feel good about my work once I'm done, I'm happy. I pray about it and release it.
I would like for my readers to post their favorable reviews on Amazon or bn.com. I also like to hear from my readers. Those emails make my day. And of course, I want my readers to tell ten more readers to go out and buy the book.
BPM: Did you ever ask yourself, "Why am I doing this? Should I change course and maybe try to get some of the things on that list?"
No, I have never wondered if writing was the right thing for me. When I was in corporate America, that was a different story. I often thought that. I actually wrote my first two books while working in corporate America. My dream was to leave my job and write full-time. Eight years ago I was blessed to do just that. I've been doing what I love ever since. Currently, I teach business classes at a college twice a week. I enjoy doing that because it doesn't require a lot of my time and doesn't interfere with my writing.
BPM: Do you feel as if you are a role model for other authors?
I don't look at myself that way. I strive to be the best person that I can be, and if that inspires other people, then I'm thankful.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
I'm always working on projects. LOL! I'll reveal them as they start coming to pass.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Readers can visit my web site www.dwanabrams.com. They can also connect with me on social networking sites.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwanabrams
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dwan-Abrams/102602141758
Purchase For the Sake of Love by Dwan Abrams
http://www.amazon.com/Sake-Love-Urban-Books/dp/1601627440
