About Dawn Rodger
Dawn Rodger grew up in Scarborough in the 1980s during Paul Bernardo’s rampage. She is also a trauma survivor of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse. She has a BMUS from the University of Western Ontario, and a BEd from the University of Toronto. She is a clarinetist and has played in community bands her entire adult life. She taught elementary school music for twenty-five years and is now enjoying a career in retail. Dawn has published a previous book, a memoir called I Could Almost Touch the Devil. She lives in Newmarket with her loving husband, five beautiful children and their beloved dog, Cupcake.
A Conversation with Dawn Rodger
We sat down with Dawn to discuss her writing journey, creative process, and what inspires her stories. Get an inside look at her experiences and learn valuable insights from a fellow writer in our community.
Which writers inspire you and why?
The first writer to inspire me was Lucy Maud Montgomery. She was the first author to capture my imagination, and in doing so she taught me what it meant to be lost inside the pages of a book. Agatha Christie took my breath away with the excitement of mystery, teaching me what it meant to have a page-turner that you can’t put down. I have a degree in music, but a minor in history; Kate Morton showed me how to connect the past to the present and inspired me to write historical fiction. I love it when a story is rooted in truth, it makes it more believable.
What is your favourite genre in which to write and why?
I love three genres: historical fiction, psychological thrillers and memoir writing.
Do you have a current work in progress? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I just released my latest book called Scattered Garbage in October 2024. It is “a bold, no-nonsense story about young women dealing with and overcoming sexual assault. This narrative is loosely based on aspects of the Scarborough Rapist case, one of the most disturbing in Canadian history, pitting a collection of young women against a perpetrator whose criminal acts threaten to destroy their futures” (Kirkus Reviews). The characters of this story were inspired by the lives of seven women I know who have overcome abuse, including myself; therefore it is based on true events. It is an exciting read, that will keep you turning the pages and is a true testament to survivors.
To learn more about Dawn Rodger, her books, and her writing process, please visit Loni on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
Dawn’s books are available for purchase at Amazon, her website, and Friesen Press.