Dover resident Dawn Land has been a closet writer since the 1990’s but with the book “Anna” she makes her debut as a published author.
“I was always an avid reader as a child, there were six girls and one boy in my family and my mom taught us to read at an early age,” said Land. “It got to a point where I knew what was going to happen at the end of the book before I got to the final chapters.”
That’s when reading became a little boring for Land and she began jotting ideas for stories down in a notebook. Those ideas became stories. “I probably have 19 or 20 hand-written books in my closet,” she said. “Every book is named after women and how each came out of bad situations and worked through adversity, they’re all heroines.”
Those stories collected dust as time passed and Land lived her life. She married and became a mother and later a grandmother. She worked as a nurse for a decade. She built and operated two daycare centers. She and her husband built a thriving trucking business.
Then, about a year ago, her sister pulled out one of those dusty stories and encouraged her to send it to a publisher. She complied and sent the manuscript to Dorrance Publishing. She heard back from them within four days that they were willing to publish her story.
“Anna” takes readers on a journey of healing after Joshua finds Anna in the middle of the road on a stormy night, badly beaten and suffering from amnesia. As years go by, the pair piece together her traumatic past and look for the men that hurt her. As they get closer to the truth, danger surrounds them and the ones they love.
Her family is very supportive of the budding author. “My daughters were both English majors and they’re so proud of me,” she said.
“Anna,” which retails for $19.99 (eBook $14), can be purchased online at barnesandnoble.com and several ebook retailers. Land is making plans to offer book signings at Barnes and Noble locations in Brandon and Wesley Chapel in January.
Plans for a second book, “Elizabeth,” are already in the works with an estimated release date of January 2024.