Dawn Barclay is writing as D.M. Barr

 How old you when you wrote your first story?

I wrote poetry when I was 10 and wrote parodies starting when I was around 11. But I’m not one of those writers who has a desk drawer full of unpublished stories. I haven’t written a lot of fiction but every piece of fiction I’ve written, I’ve published.

Do you think that or do you have another series in mind?  Where would it be located?

I might turn “Expired Listings” into the first of the “Rock Canyon Chronicles.” I have another series in mind but it’s YA and the location would likely still be the Hudson Valley.

Do you quilt?

No but I’ve knitted, crocheted and done rug hooking and needlepoint.

Where do write from? 

This doesn’t apply to my current book but my best songs and poems were always written when I was sad and/or devastated.

Place in your house? From your organizations? if so what organizations?

I usually write on the family room couch or at Starbucks in New City, NY,  in a big comfy chair in the corner.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer?

I’m doing it now, I’m a Realtor.

How much support do you receive in relation to your writing and eventual publication? From where and whom?

I think the greatest support I’ve received from my husband was an open checkbook as far as editing and promotion was concerned and a pass on house work so I could write. I also get support from my RWA Critique Group and some beta reader friends.

If you could do only one form of writing, would you write stories or keep a blog? Why?

I’d write fiction. I try to blog and since I used to write exclusively nonfiction, it should come easily to me but I always feel it’s a chore and an afterthought.

 How did you find your niche?

That psychological thriller/kink/satire niche? I fell into it and there’s lots of room since most writers focus and therefore more easily sell what they write. I guess I just hate being formulaic.

How much research do you do for your books?

I studied the BDSM scene for a few years, thanks to some friends who brought me to parties and clubs and also were very open with me. The real estate part, I’ve lived for the past 17 years. Anything else is thanks to Google, my bestest best friend.

What surprised you most about the publishing process?

The glacial speed of publishing. You can wait months to hear back from an agent, and then months more before you hear back from publications. And then you could wait another two years to see the thing in print. Also how diligently both agents and publishers are about staying “within the lines” when it comes to genre—they look at cross-genre as if it’s a person with two heads. In a world where most books are sold online and not on bookstore shelves, why is singular categorization so important?

 What do you want your obituary to say? What do you want engraved on your headstone?

I’m a control freak so no doubt I’ll write my own obituary (and it will say something about never believing anything is impossible) and maybe have a headstone with one of those solar powered video thingies so I can pre-record the story of my life and bore all future generations. Or, if I’m buried next to my husband, I will have an arrow with an engraving that says, “I’m with Stupid,” and I’m sure he’ll have an arrow pointing back at me with the same engraving. But it’s all moot, I want to be cryogenically frozen and then defrosted when it’s easier to get readers to review your books on Amazon.

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