Meet and Greet: Ann Shorey

Book Giveaway Drawing!
Read the details later in this post.


Ann Shorey has been a story collector for most of her life and a full-time writer for over 20 years. Her writing appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul and the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut the The Edge of Light. Book one in the At Home in Beldon Grove series released in January 2009. The third book in the series, The Dawn of a Dream, will release in April of 2011. 


Ann says she's tempted to thank Peet's coffee and Dove chocolates when she writes the acknowledgements for her books. 


When she's not writing, Ann teaches historical research, story arc, and other fiction fundamentals at regional conferences. Ann lives with her husband in southern Oregon.



Hi! I’m Ann Shorey. It’s a pleasure to visit here on Book Readers Central! Let me have a sip of my coffee, and I’ll tell you about my latest release. 


The Dawn of a Dream is the story of a young woman who battles huge roadblocks to reach a goal that has long been a dream. The tagline on my website is “Yesterday’s women—today’s issues.” My books are historical fiction, but when I plot a story, the issues facing my protagonist have to be situations to which women today can relate.


Luellen McGarvie is the main character in The Dawn of a Dream. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so I won’t tell you her specific circumstances. Needless to say, they’re daunting. Her goal is to get an education so she can obtain a teaching certificate. 


Sounds basic, but The Dawn of a Dream is set in 1857, when education was considered wasted on women. Married women couldn’t be teachers, and it was assumed that all women would get married, so why waste the schooling?


I chose this plot theme because I see so many young women in my community today who give up too soon when it comes to reaching their goals. Personally, I didn’t attend college immediately after graduating from high school because I was afraid. Plain and simple. I didn’t think I could do it.


At this point in my life it’s easy to look back and condemn my decision, and that’s the point I hope to make in The Dawn of a Dream. Don’t be afraid—reach for your goals, no matter what you see as barriers.


I’ll get off my soapbox and sip some more coffee now—better make it decaf! 


The Dawn of a Dream is a fun read, not a lecture.  I had fun writing about Luellen! Those of you who’ve read The Edge of Light and The Promise of Morning will recognize Luellen McGarvie as Molly McGarvie’s daughter. In this book, she’s all grown up and has become a spunky young woman. And the man she meets . . .


Well, I’ll let you read the book for yourself.

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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Book Giveaway Drawing: 


Ann Shorey will give away a free copy of The Dawn of a Dream. To enter, leave a comment to this post. If you are a follower of Book Readers Central and tell me so in a separate comment, I'll give you an extra chance to win. 

Please include a valid email address in an anti-spam format (example: youremailhandle[at]gmail[dot]com]) or your entry will become invalid. Entries will be accepted until this coming Sunday at midnight (Pacific Time/US).

I'll announce the winner on Book Readers Central next Monday. The winner must respond within two weeks of notification. Detailed rules of giveaways on Book Reader's Central are located in the footer of this blog.


Note: Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when products are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.