JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Dawn L. Jackson, author of Break These Chains
(Self Published)
Break These Chains is the inspirational true story of the journey of Dawn L. Jackson. Despite growing up economically disadvantaged, she served honorably in the United States Army. She went on to graduate from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and subsequently from Villanova University School of Law.
Ms. Jackson describes in detail her experience with battling the untreated severe depression associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Her PTSD caused her to lose her license to practice law, and she became homeless.
She let her creator use her as a voice for those whose voices would otherwise go unheard. Dawn’s story will make you laugh, cry, stand up and cheer, and above all else, be inspired.
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Break These Chains?
Dawn L. Jackson: I was inspired to write Break These Chains by my maternal grandmother. Because she lived in the South growing up, she did not attend school. Instead, she stayed home to help her mother sharecrop while her brothers and sisters went to school. As a result, she could neither read nor write.
JP: What sets Break These Chains apart from other books in the same genre?
DLJ: Break These Chains is my autobiography. What sets it apart from other books is the many subjects that I cover. I dealt with many things in my life.
I talk about having a drug addicted parent, serving in the military and now suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), earning and then subsequently losing my law license due to untreated severe depression and a host of other issues, including my personal experience with brutality by Law Enforcement.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Break These Chains getting out to the public?
DLJ: I set a very regimented schedule while I was writing Break These Chains, I treated it like a full-time job. No matter what, I just kept writing. As a result, I finished my manuscript in 6 months.
I sent the manuscript to the editor and researched all kinds of marketing strategies and self publishing avenues. The real work actually started, after I finished the manuscript.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take you to start and finish Break These Chains?
DLJ: I wrote Break These Chains in six months and set a very rigid schedule and treated it like a full-time job. I wrote everyday, even if it was no more than a paragraph, I put something on paper and kept at it until I was done. No matter what, no matter who, I just kept writing.
JP: What’s next for Dawn L. Jackson?
DLJ: I am going to write more non-fiction, novels and short stories. I am also going to go on a speaking tour and talk about the sensitive issues I address in Break These Chains. Additionally, I would like to help create a curriculum and teach at a college or university.
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