Pen Name: Dawn and Minty

Board Name: Dawn

Location: Solihull, England

Time Zone: BST

What's your Occupation? Secretariat Support Officer (posh eh?)

When did you start reading the Hardy Boys? From about the age of 12 onwards.

Who started you reading the Hardy Boys? I worked my way through all of the Famous Five series and was looking for something a little older with more meaty stories. I noticed Nancy Drew and started reading those. Then one day I saw a section of books with very similar artwork and they turned out to be the Hardy Boys. I started reading them, developed a bit of a crush on Frank, and stuck with them. I’m afraid I lost interest in Nancy pretty quickly after that.

When did you start writing Fan fiction? I began reading fanfiction on the internet first and thought “I fancy a go at that!” and sat down to write my first story ‘Stranger and Stranger’. It took me about two weeks at most which is fast for me and I lost 10 pounds because I kept forgetting to eat LOL.

Who is your favorite character? It’s Frank. But, to tell you the truth, when I write I give both brothers the same courtesy, they’ve got their own pros and cons. I think only writing with one brother in mind is a bit short sighted.

What attracts you to the Hardy Boys? No really sure. Always been fascinated with the relationship between families and friends – especially friends. I also like to read character driven story-lines and some fan fiction authors are brilliant at this. Unlike some of the real authors who are pretty much trapped when it comes to developing the boys beyond being two dimensional.

What is your favorite Hardy Boys Series? The Casefiles, without a hesitation. Much more exciting.

What is your favorite Hardy Boys Book? No sure, I like quite a few of them.

What is your favorite Hardy Boys moment? It was one of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew novels actually. The scene where Joe ends up in a chocolate vat.

What is your favorite Hardy Boys moment in your own stories? I’ve got several. The Frank drunk scene in Stranger & Stranger. It makes me laugh and other people have said it’s the funniest situation they’ve read Frank and Joe being in. The scene I wrote in Timeframe in collaboration with JD and Leonie where Joe is trapped in the locker and the whole perspective of the chapter is from just within that small space and what he can see through a letterbox size opening. And in Ring of Destiny, my favourite is Kiwi and Frank going to Sarehole Mill Park to beat the heck out of a van with a longbow and morning-star-flail in order to save Joe’s neck.  

Who is your favorite original character in your own stories? Kiwi Dave. He ‘s loosely based on a real guy that I was once very fond of. He’s now back in New Zealand and I haven’t seen him for some 10 years or more. I also enjoy Mark and Rob Randall as they are almost the entirely opposite of Frank and Joe. They just don’t get on!

How would you describe your fan fic? Action detective thrillers with humour and bizarre characters.

Which of the Hardy Boys books do you own? Too many to list.

Anything else you would like to add? Nah, just go and read them if you’re interested.

  Dawn's Stories

RING OF DESTINY		Joe and Frank are on a “strictly detection-free vacation” on a tour of historical England…that’s what THEY think!
STRANGER AND STRANGER		Children are going missing in Bayport, and the police are completely at a loss - sounds like a job for the Hardy Boys!
PANDORA		Joe is mysteriously kidnapped and wounded, and all he was doing was sitting in his car surveying a suspect on a simple fraud case! If Frank hadn’t left him alone for over an hour, would it even have happened?

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.