Where Do the Ideas Come From?

“Where do you get ideas for your books?”

I am asked that question often – at book clubs and book signings, and in just talking with people about writing. For me, the answer is an easy one. I live in a place that is brimming with story lines. It’s the location on a barrier island, it’s the area’s rich and deep history, and it’s the myriad number of people who live and/or visit here.

It all started, of course, with “Storm Season.” The genesis of that book is probably pretty unique. In October of 2022, I was preparing for my first knee replacement surgery and was having difficulty sleeping. I would find myself awake in the middle of the night, wondering how painful it would be, how I would be able to climb the steps to get in and out of our home, and how my poor husband would survive without my cooking. (Turns out he managed just fine!)

But I knew I had to get sleep to prepare for the surgery. I wanted to be in the best shape possible for a good outcome. So, one night, I decided to make up a story in my head. I tried to think of what really shapes life on Hatteras Island, and the first thing that came to mind was a hurricane. I thought of fishing boats, and storm preparation, and the name SeaAnna. So many boats have double names, and this one just popped into my head. It was amazing to me that the story just flowed. I had never thought of writing a novel, and I certainly don’t read romance on a regular basis. I usually read police procedurals based in the UK!

But this story took root in my brain and started to grow. After a few nights, I shared with my husband Dave that I was “writing” a story in my head each night. Each morning, I would share a bit more, until finally I had the essence of the entire plot rolling around between my ears. By the time the surgery had come and gone, and the holidays had passed, he convinced me to sit down at the computer and get the story on paper.

My original idea was to take the completed manuscript up to Staples in Nags Head and make a few copies to share with friends and say, “Aha! Look what I wrote.”

As it turned out, a friend of a friend who writes for a living, was able to help me actually format the book, find an editor, and design a cover so that I could self-publish. “Storm Season” was born.

Other book ideas soon followed. Fishing tournaments play a big role on the island each year. And what could be crazier than fishing in a tournament with no fishing experience? So “Hooked on You” came along. I thought of it as a totally separate book, but soon my old characters snuck their way into the background, and I realized perhaps I was writing a series. My readers agreed, encouraging me to tie up the loose ends with JoBell and Dare. So, “Tangled Lines” brought their story to a conclusion.

The inclusion of jellyfish in the story came to me one day on a beach walk. And the secondary location of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, was included because my dad had spent time there many, many years ago, and his stories of the institute stuck with me. It seemed the perfect place for JoBell to try to spread her wings. Another coastal community, with its own personality. Similar to Hatteras in some ways, but miles, literally and figuratively, apart.

When I typed the last line of “Tangled Lines,” those characters became quiet in my head and I knew that the trilogy was complete. But there was still another story line in my head. I wanted to explore the dynamic that exists between and among all the stakeholders on the island, and “Building a Little Love” began to take shape. Having has plenty of knee issues in my life, I had real-life experience to draw from with orthopedic surgery resulting from an accident. I’ve also lived here as a tourist, a visitor to the home my parents built for retirement, and now, for the past eleven years, as a permanent resident. Working at the Cape Hatteras Motel with Dave for the last eight years of his more than fifty years at its helm as owner, gave me a lot of insight into all the relationships that happily, and sometimes not-so-happily, co-exist.

There are likely more story ideas waiting to be uncovered, and I am already considering at least one of them seriously. What could it be? I’ll keep you guessing for a little while longer. But there’s no doubt, ideas for Hatteras-based romance novels are as plentiful as shells on the beach. And as you probably know, that’s a lot of ideas!

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Book Club Love

There are plenty of reasons to love book clubs. At most book clubs you’ll find friendship, a shared sense of camaraderie, snacks and wine, and, most importantly, a passion for reading. Book clubs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are based around a particular genre of book, others are centered around best-sellers, and some are member-selected so the books read can run the gamut.

I can’t, and don’t, speak for all authors, but I love being invited to book clubs. For me it’s a chance to meet new people, and to talk to them about my characters, my plots, and my themes. It’s also a great time to answer questions. Often, I’m asked to sign copies of my books which is truly gratifying. But it’s also an important opportunity for feedback. That’s something that you really can’t get in any great detail from a regular book signing, where people are generally in a hurry, and you don’t have the time for an in-depth discussion. Plus, at a signing, the customers typically haven’t read the book yet!

I recall an event where a reader talked to me about her feelings about “voice” in a novel, because I was thinking of changing things up a bit for “Tangled Lines.” She reminded me that just because you switch voices in each chapter, you don’t need to retell a previous chapter. That really stuck with me, and I kept it in mind as I wrote that book. When I next saw her, she said she was pleasantly surprised at how I had managed to move from Dare to Jo and back again without plot repetition. Her input proved to be extremely helpful.

So, this week I was honored to be the guest at the Evening Book Club of the Outer Banks Woman’s Club. I entered the home of the hostess not knowing a soul. We were all strangers. I walked out feeling as though I had gained a wonderful group of new friends who enjoy their shared love of reading, and who welcome the opportunity for dialogue with a local author.

I was truly surprised to see that the food at the event was patterned after some of the scenes in my first book – there were cards with quotes and page numbers page numbers referencing where the food was mentioned! As we were discussing “Storm Season,” some of the members brought photos of themselves from 1975. Of course, that’s the year when that story begins. It was really a trip back through memory lane to read a list of what was happening back fifty-one years ago! Those shared stories, and accompanying laughter, only enriched the evening.

I mention this special evening just to reinforce that books clubs are a wonderful opportunity for excellent conversation. It’s important for broadening the author’s understanding of what readers want, and for the understanding of how authors approach their craft.

I welcome invitations to book clubs, and happily will travel anywhere to join in on the fun. If you are a book club member, and think your club would like to have me drop by, just contact me through this website, or through my Facebook page. I look forward to seeing you soon!

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In Celebration of Beach Moms

There is no doubt in our minds that there is something very special about a Beach Mom. Beach Moms magically appear during family vacation time. They morph out of the moms we all know at home, but they have a special glow about them when they get to the Outer Banks. The transition here seems to begin somewhere between Whalebone Junction and Pea Island – just after crossing the bridge!

The stress of everyday life seems to melt away with those first views of sand, sun, and sea; and mom is more than up to the task for the family vacation.  Perhaps we are reminiscing about our generation of moms and our own beach memories, but every generation of Beach Moms has its own unique characteristics. Back in the day, coming off from the beach at Noon meant a great lunch of white bread, baloney, perhaps some fruit or homemade cookies and a big glass of milk. Then it was back to the beach for the kids while Mom cleaned up behind.

Today perhaps it is fruit bars or veggie wraps on the beach – but a mom’s insistence on a good lunch is still the same.  Beach Moms are also great at taking care of all of the little dramas a family vacation can bring – a sunburn, a jellyfish sting, the wrong flavor in the ice cream cone – minor catastrophes which would be unnerving at home seem to shrink with Beach Mom’s love and care.  Beach Mom seems more flexible with bedtimes, more flexible with picky eaters, and well, just more flexible in general. She’s the one who makes sure bathing suits are always rinsed, beach towels are hung to dry overnight, and she’s the one who suddenly says buying beach souvenirs is perfectly alright!

Some of our best Beach Mom memories are recalling that after a day of looking after the family, there was time for her to relax with a favorite book, favorite beverage, and of course, time to regale the events of the day with Beach Dad. But Beach Dad is for another time.

Family vacations make amazing memories and no matter how your beach holidays come back to you (though black and white photos, movies, faded color snaps, polaroids, slides, videos or digital albums), Beach Mom is no doubt the star of the show.

Here’s our wish for a wonderful Mother’s Day to all moms (and to all the women who take on that role in someone’s life) – Beach Moms, Lake Moms, City Moms, Suburban Moms, Country Moms – we love you all!

Enjoy your special day!

This article first appeared in the Island Free Press in 2021 as part of my series “From Behind the Innkeeper’s Desk,” which I wrote when my husband and I owned the Cape Hatteras Motel. I think it still resonates today, don’t you?

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One Fish, Two Fish

It’s drum season here on Hatteras Island. It’s probably one of the most exciting times of the year for anglers, who come from all over to brave the ever-changing April weather for a chance to land one of these big – and tasty – fish.

It’s also tournament time again. There are usually two times of the year that we see the tournaments at the beach. The fall – think October and November – and then again in the spring. As those of you who read “Hooked on You” learned, tournaments are big business. Not only are the anglers renting motel rooms or cottages, but also, they are shopping in the grocery stores, eating out at the newly-opened-for-the season restaurants, and buying lots of gear at tackle shops.

Every angler (and notice that I don’t say fishermen or women as there are plenty of both so angler is the all-encompassing term) has a specific idea about which rods, what reels, and the type of bait to use. If the water happens to be clear, there are plenty of lures to choose from. If the water is cloudy, or “drummy” as they say, then usually there will be a switch to bait like mullet or menhaden.

I saw a photo just a few days ago of the Point, that famous cape on Hatteras where the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current collide. The waves were crashing and the white water and foam were flying. But so were the lines of literally hundreds of anglers out there. From what I read, their efforts were rewarded, and plenty of drum were caught. No doubt the fish stories were flying that night. It’s all part of the camaraderie that makes up a fishing trip to the Outer Banks.

This weekend there will be a big tournament, the 4 Plus 4WD. There are categories and prizes – it’s one of the tournaments I used as inspiration when I was writing about Jenni’s escapades. No doubt that for some individuals, fishing in a tournament is a bit of fun, but for most folks it’s serious business. There’s the travel time involved, the entry fees, and then the challenge of setting up on the sand and casting for hours on end. If there’s a big run, it can be frantic and rewarding. But many times, it’s hours of nothing. That’s when a real love of just being in the moment can be an angler’s best friend.

I have to admit I am not a big angler. But I have fished. And when you feel that rod bend, and you realize you have something on the line it is truly exhilarating. For the most part my catches from the surf have been blow toads or sand sharks or rays, all of which go back in the ocean. I have caught a few mullet and some other small fish, but never a big one from the surf.

The reality is that you’ll never catch a fish staying at home thinking about it. But some of the largest fish are taken when the weather is the absolute worst, which is not my idea of fun. But I do enjoy seeing when someone does hook into a big one. For visitors it becomes the story of their vacation, or tournament. Those memories last a lifetime, and it’s why people return again and again to Hatteras Island to fish.

And for some folks, it really isn’t about whether or not they catch a fish. It’s about being out in the salt air, in a beautiful place, watching and listening as the waves rolls onto the shoreline and the birds soar above them. It can be therapeutic, mesmerizing, calming, and exhilarating all at the same time. It’s why fishing is so popular, and why Hatteras, with its perfect combination of sun, sea, sand and surf, attracts of thousands of anglers each year.

The next time you’re here, give it a try. It might not end up being a passion, but at least you can say you’ve done something that’s on plenty of bucket lists – casting into the surf on the Outer Banks.

Photo Courtesy of Kim Mosher and Kim Mosher Designs. For more information on her shirts and colorful designs, visit her Facebook page.

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The Rules of Beachcombing

How can I find a whelk?

Where can I find beach glass?

What’s the best time to go shelling?

I was asked those questions, or questions very similar to those, over and over again when Dave and I owned the Cape Hatteras Motel. And for good reason. Shells and pieces of glass are beautiful, colorful, exotic, and, best of all, free! It just takes time, patience, and a good eye. But there are no real rules of beachcombing. Most of the time, great finds are pure luck, being in the right place at the right time.

That being said, there are a few things to keep in mind to improve your odds of finding that perfect beach souvenir to take back home.

  1. If you are on the island during a storm, try to get out on the beach once it is safe to do so. The ocean gets pretty churned up very easily. It doesn’t need to be a hurricane or even a nor’easter. A passing low-pressure system that creates swells will bring things up from the bottom and deposit them along the shoreline. Yes, many things might be broken, but shells are pretty hardy and the larger ones will appear intact.
  2. It is often said that the “best” time to find shells is at low tide. In my experience, I have found wonderful treasures at high tide, low tide, and at all times in between. Just after a high tide, you can find items deposited higher along the shoreline. And at low tide, don’t forget to check that high tide line as well, as many people don’t even look there. Low tide doesn’t always occur right at sunrise. I believe it is more important just to be there, one of the first people on the beach in the morning, to have the best chances of finding something special. This is especially true during the summer when more people are out walking every day.
  3. The more you go out looking for shells, the more likely you are to find something. Hatteras is not Sanibel Island where shells are everywhere, all the time. To find a unique, intact shell here is really something special. Persistence pays off. Yes, there are some wild days when you can go out and see whelks, or starfish, or moon shells in abundance. But most days aren’t like that, so just being present every day increases your chances of finding the perfect shell.
  4. And speaking of perfection, don’t be afraid to pick up a shell that is “almost” perfect. Nearly all shells have some sort of crack or hole or flaw in them, but I see those “imperfections” as part of a shell’s history, and makes them even more special.
  5. If you’re looking for glass, you must train your eye. It is challenging to look for big whelks and tiny pieces of glass at the same time. Glass likes to reside in gravel beds, but that’s not to say you can’t find pieces of glass washed in all on their own. On Hatteras brown is the most common color, followed by clear and green. Blue is a bit tougher, and if you should find red, yellow or lavender, go buy a lottery ticket!
  6. Be a respectful beachcomber and take an extra bag for trash or those pieces of glass which really aren’t smooth enough to be beach glass, but could be sharp enough to cut someone’s foot.
  7. And if you find a shell of any kind where an animal is “home,” please throw it back into the ocean.

In my books, my characters are often found taking walks along the beach. The combined experience of the sea, salt, sand, and sun can wash away anxiety, bring clarity of thought, enhance an enjoyment of nature, and create a real sense of inner peace. Not to mention it’s great exercise. And if you find a shell or two or a piece of glass, that’s really a bonus. Don’t let shelling or glass hunting stress you out. You’ll find the ocean will surely reward you in its own time!

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A Little Romance… A Little Love

I am sometimes asked why I have written romance novels. What led me down that path?

That’s a very good question, and one I am not sure I can answer with any certainty.

You see, I love to read, but romance is not one of the genres I read a lot of. I have, in the past, read some great rom-coms (think Bridget Jones and the like), but more often than not you’ll find me with a British or Scottish police procedural. Hand me a Colin Dexter, Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson, or Ruth Rendell, and I’ll read it cover to cover, usually without stopping!

But, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, there is an adage “write what you know.” I know nothing about how a police investigation works, or how a murder case is solved. And I may not be an authority on romance either, but I do live at the beach on Hatteras Island. After coming here for over half a century, and living here for more than a decade, I think I have a finger on its pulse. And to be fair, I am married to a cute guy I met on the beach in 1971 and had a huge crush on at the time, so I suspect I do have some romantic bones in my body!

Beaches, and for me, especially Hatteras beaches, lend themselves to romance. When I worked the front desk at the Cape Hatteras Motel for eight years, I talked to many guests who got married on the beach, honeymooned here, celebrated anniversaries here, and yes, even started their families here! Cape Hatteras, and all seven of our little villages here on the island, can be absolutely magical.

Take a beautiful stretch of isolated sand, a brilliant blue-green ocean, gentle waves (and they can be gentle at times), and a perfectly cerulean sky, and the days are made for hearts skipping a beat. Or, take the nighttime. There are cloudless skies with the Milky Way and a zillion stars all around. Then there are the storms that rumble through, over the ocean, watched at a safe distance. The lightening flashes and claps of thunder require a warm, safe hug.

When people vacation here, it’s often to get away from the crazy routines of life at home. When people are here, they can embrace the wildness that is our island, and appreciate both its energy and its stillness. It’s often a place to reflect, and find where the heart leads.

I like to write romance because I think it’s something this island helps create. All of my books have what is known as the “HEA” or Happily Ever After. With everything we experience these days in real life, I want my words to give the reader a chance to reflect. But more importantly, I want my stories, my characters, and their attempts at love, to be heart-warming and to bring smiles to faces.

Beach reads are an attempt to calm the ups and downs of daily living, to remind readers of a very special place, and to give hope. If I accomplish any of those, I know I will have succeeded. Thank you for letting me know when I have made one, or all, of those things happen for you!

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A Little Bit About “Storm Season”

I am often asked just how much of “Storm Season” – my first novel – is based on real life. It’s an interesting question because I believe most writers include something of their own reality in their books. There’s an old adage, “write what you know” which is why my books are about life on Hatteras Island. It is what I know.

To answer that first question, yes, there is a bit of my own personal experience in the book. Friends and family know that my husband, Dave, and I met as teenagers when we were both vacationing in Buxton. I came from the Pittsburgh area and he came from northern Virginia. Our families happened to choose the same spot over the same timeframe for a number of years. We got to know each other during the summers of 1971 and 1972, and then we went our separate ways.

For me, that was going back home, finishing high school, graduating from college, and getting on with a new life, family, and varied careers that took me to South Carolina, Illinois, Colorado, and around the globe. Dave’s family bought a motel in Hatteras and so he settled in on the island, running the Cape Hatteras Motel for more than 50 years. We reconnected when I came back to take care of my mom in 2015. She and my dad, who passed in 2011, had retired to the island in the early 90s. So, getting back together with a beach boyfriend after forty-some years is similar to what occurred with Susan and Chris in “Storm Season.” But the similarities end there, as the circumstances in their lives after they parted as young people are purely fiction, and not anything that Dave and I experienced.

What is very real are the experiences of preparing for hurricanes, living through a hurricane, and then cleaning up afterwards. In the book I mention Susan and Jo hearing the wind whistle. If anyone asks me to describe a hurricane, that’s the first thing I think of. That sound is ominous and unsettling. During a storm it is relentless.

There are the nerve-wracking days in the run-up to a storm. Today we listen to forecasts from any number of media – tradition and social. But back in the 70s hurricane forecasting was in its infancy, and so Dave shared a lot of his experiences about storm prep in those days to inform what Susan experienced.

I must admit the first time I saw “overwash” at our motel (when the ocean and/or the sound come over Highway 12) I cried. I had no idea how we would ever clean up the mess. Sand gets everywhere and, unlike snow in the north, sand doesn’t melt. But going through storms, as I did the eight years I worked with Dave, I learned a tremendous amount about the resilience of the people on this island. Almost as soon as the winds die down everyone is out and about, surveying damage, and working together to begin the clean-up. It can seem impossible at first, and sometimes damage can mean long-term issues. But, most of the time, it’s simply manual labor with the help of some big trucks that can pick up debris, haul sand, and get it off the highway.

It’s also important to mention that while named hurricanes garner most of the attention, fall and winter nor’easters can do as much, if not more, damage. One only has to witness what occurred in Buxton this past fall, and in Rodanthe in the recent past, to understand how vulnerable our coastline is.

And finally, there is one aspect of the book that is fiction but I wish it would come to pass. We don’t have a winter boat parade on the island. It could be that the weather is way too iffy, maybe many boats are in storage, or just not used during the winter months. We do have a traditional Christmas parade that is well-attended and a highlight of every December. But somehow, I wish we could see the boats all decked out in lights just cruising around the docks for the holidays.

We often turn facts into fiction. Maybe this time, fiction could become fact! We’ll have to wait and see.

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I’ll have the shrimp basket, please!

There’s nothing like a tasty, golden, fried shrimp basket to begin your Hatteras Island vacation. Fresh and local, it is like summer in your mouth! That’s one of the reasons that the shrimp basket at “Marcie’s” has become a feature in all four of my books.

I’ve actually had readers ask me where they can find “Marcie’s” as it doesn’t show up on Google searches or their GPS. There’s a very good reason for that. For while shrimp baskets are very real, “Marcie’s” is not. It’s an amalgam of many of the restaurants we have here on the island. I can see it in my mind’s eye, and maybe that’s why it seems so believable to readers. Make no mistake, you can find a good shrimp basket everywhere here. You just won’t find that restaurant.

One of the unique aspects of writing a novel – writing fiction versus non-fiction – is that you get to name your characters, and sometimes places. There are plenty of descriptions of island life in my books that are absolutely true, but the character names come from my imagination. That can be fun.

When I wrote “Storm Season,” I had come to the point of introducing a local eatery. I wanted a place where my characters could enjoy a meal, share news, and even bring about a major plot point. But I needed a name.

My memory took me back to the 1960s and early 1970s, when my family and my aunt and uncle’s family and cousins vacationed with us. We did this several years running, and we still talk about, and laugh about, our shared experiences during those crazy, sun-soaked weeks together. My Aunt Marcia took on the nickname of “Miss North Carolina” for her fashion statement hats, bathing suits, and her overall embrace of a beach vacation loaded with family adventures, and oftentimes, misadventures. I hit on the name “Marcie’s” as a way to honor those memories and to give her a little nod in my work.

As the Hatteras Island Trilogy took shape over three years, it just seemed natural to keep “Marcie’s” in the books. Restaurants play a huge role in the summer scene, and any book about this area without somehow talking about food, drink, and the accompanying social scene would be missing something.

“Marcie’s” even makes an appearance in “Building a little Love,” as the only piece of my imagination that carried over from the first three books. It has not only become a talking point for readers, but it’s become special to me, just as all my characters hold a special place in my heart.

My real Aunt Marcie will be 89 in a few weeks. Happily, she’s never lost her enthusiasm for life, and she still enjoys it to the fullest. And yes, I still call her “Miss North Carolina!”

So, the next time you are visiting our wonderful island, make sure you allow enough time to enjoy a leisurely meal at a local restaurant. And if the mood strikes you, order a yummy shrimp basket. You won’t regret it!

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It’s Wake Up Time on the Island

When the calendar turns to March 1, it means several things. Personally, it means my birthday month is over! But that’s of no consequence to anyone but me, really. More importantly, it’s the beginning of meteorological spring, and that’s a wake-up call for Hatteras Island. For those of you who visit just during the summer or during the shoulder seasons, you might not think too much about what happens when you’re not here!

It’s amazing to watch the island rouse from its off-season slumber. It occurs gradually, but it definitely happens. It’s in the little things. It’s the extra minutes of daylight, and more days in the 60s rather than the 40s and 50s.

Driving past the high school, the young women are out on the field for softball practice. The marquee at the school suddenly announces baseball, softball and soccer schedules.

There are signs at nearly every place of business announcing help wanted – for servers, for housekeepers, for just about any island seasonal position you can name. And the restaurants are returning – slowly but surely. Some will re-open at the beginning of the month, some around St. Patrick’s Day, and some closer to the end of the month. But with Easter being in early April this year, most want to be open at least a few weeks ahead of time, just to “get the rust off.”

There’s sometimes the sad realization that a few places won’t re-open. The long off-season from the end of October to March brings about changes that aren’t fully understood until it’s time for the new season to begin. Tempus fugit.

Many of the clean-up efforts and projects undertaken during the fall and winter are wrapping up. Storms took out more houses in north Buxton over the past months, and the debris clean-up is on-going. There are still piles to be carted off the island, but they are becoming smaller and fewer. The major project of the electric cooperative is wrapping up as well, and the staging area is now almost completely devoid of pallets, trucks, and pilings. By summer, most, if not all of this, will be gone. Many visitors will be unaware of what occurred just a few months earlier.

Daffodils are beginning to bloom, bringing some welcome color. Azaleas won’t be far behind. And for anyone who has spring allergies, an onset of sneezing, more than anything else, is a harbinger of the change of seasons.

There might be – actually probably will be – a few more unseasonably cool or even cold days. But there is no doubt that the temperature trend is upward. Folks can walk on the beach without cumbersome winter apparel. A few brave folks are already barefooted in the sand. On a very warm day, one might even see a few bathing suits out and about, especially if there’s no wind. And the anglers are reappearing on the hunt for drum, or maybe even big blues.

You can almost feel the island stretching and yawning as it moves out of its slumber.

One important note for this year. Our lighthouse won’t be wearing her stripes again this summer, as repair and renovation work continues. But she’s still standing tall, scaffolding and all, ready to welcome visitors back to their piece of paradise.

For those of us who live here year ‘round, we know there’s two more months until the speed limits change. That’s the real indicator things are about to be in full swing. Until then, we’ll enjoy this gentle wake-up time as we ease into a new season here on Hatteras Island.

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Author Jan Dawson Returns to Hatteras Island with New Romance Novel “Building a Little Love”

HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. – March 2, 2026 – Acclaimed contemporary fiction author Jan Dawson has announced the release of her highly anticipated novel, Building a Little Love, available today. Set against the picturesque and rugged backdrop of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, this new addition to Dawson’s body of work introduces a fresh cast of characters and a brand-new love story that captures the unique charm and challenges of seaside living.

Building a Little Love continues Dawson’s signature style of blending romantic plotlines with vivid descriptions of coastal environments. Readers can expect a clean, character-driven narrative that explores themes of personal growth, identity, and the tight-knit community ties found in small-town settings. The novel invites readers back to the shores of Hatteras Island, offering a heartwarming narrative designed for those who enjoy feel-good stories with a distinct coastal flair.

In addition to the love story, “Building a Little Love” takes a deeper look at the confluence, and sometimes the collision, of attitudes and feelings about island living, based on the points of view of natives, locals, second home-owners, and visitors. Dawson has built a loyal following through her previous titles, such as Storm Season, Hooked on You, and Tangled Lines. Her work is celebrated for its authenticity and ability to transport readers directly to the Carolina coast.

Critics and local personalities have long praised Dawson’s ability to evoke the true spirit of the Outer Banks in her previous series. The late Gee Gee Rossell, Founder of Buxton Village Books noted regarding Dawson’s work, “Is there anything more satisfying than a string of books by a favorite author? Drop into the stories at any point and you will instantly know you are among Hatteras Island locals. Author Jan Dawson’s stories always offer plenty of local color and a great plot.”

The emotional resonance of Dawson’s storytelling has also been a highlight for reviewers. Speaking on her previous novel Tangled Lines, Dr. Emily Walker of the Sam and Em Podcast stated, “Tangled Lines is a charming, page-turning escape. It swept me back to my twenties – that exhilarating, uncertain stage of life when you’re building a career, discovering who you are, and stumbling into love when you least expect it.”

Jeremy Spearman, a producer at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, described her writing as, “The perfect page-turner for any bookworm with a passion for love stories and the Carolina coast!”

Building a Little Love is available for purchase starting today online via Amazon and at select independent bookstores.

About Jan Dawson
Jan Dawson is an author best known for writing contemporary women’s fiction and sweet romance novels set against the backdrop of coastal life on Hatteras Island and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her books blend romantic plotlines with vivid descriptions of seaside living, exploring themes like personal growth, relationships, and community. Her style tends toward clean, relatable, character-driven storytelling that evokes place strongly. For more information, visit jandawsonauthor.com.

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