Author Interview: Skye Lynn Bailey on Forgotten Dawn (Book 2 of the Forgotten Series)

Q: Welcome, Skye! For readers who may be new to your work, can you tell us a little about your latest release, Forgotten Dawn? 

Forgotten Dawn is the second book in the Forgotten Series that follows three siblings who inherited a large cattle ranch from their grandfather. It follows the younger, broodier brother, Chad, who is running away from the nightmares that plague him from his time in the military. He meets Anna, an exotic dancer, who he can’t seem to stay away from.
 

Q: What inspired you to write this story in particular?

Within the first couple chapters of writing Forgotten Night, I introduced Chad’s character and immediately fell in love with him. Then, I wrote Tiffany’s best friend Anna, and knew right away that she was the one for Chad. I wanted their story to be fraught with suspense and tension and spice.

Q: What got you started on your writing journey?

My late best friend and I always shared our Kindle purchases and read copious amounts of romance novels. She kept telling me that I should write a story of my own, since I was a great story teller. I laughed it off for years and played around with writing a few chapters. In the height of Covid, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was going to be laid up in bed for a few weeks, and I am not one to be idle. I picked up the few chapters I had written and rewrote them. Then I just kept writing. My friend was my editor and cheerleader until she too was diagnosed with breast cancer. I saw that life wasn’t a guarantee, since I had gotten cancer before I was even forty, so I put it out there and self-published. I dedicated Forgotten Night to her, and she got the first autographed copy. Sadly, she passed before I was able to complete Forgotten Dawn. 

Q: How has writing helped you through personal challenges?

In the beginning, writing helped me keep my mind busy while I healed from surgery and cancer treatments. Now, I incorporate a little of my personal struggles into each book. This year, I lost my mom, so that experience is working its way into my current work in progress, Forgotten Dusk. I also have a paranormal series Sam’s Weird that I work on in the background that has helped me work through a lot of childhood trauma. My family and childhood stories are woven throughout the first book of the series that is published, Sam’s Weird Homecoming. The second book is coming together slowly but surely and will be titled Sam’s Weird Family. I’ll be able to focus more on it when I finish up Forgotten Dusk.

Q: For readers who love cowboy romance, what makes Forgotten Dawn stand out?

Forgotten Dawn takes the cowboy out of the country and throws him into the city. He finds his morals being tested outside of the Bible belt. I think making the FMC an exotic dancer makes it unique. The FMC in the first book worked in the club, but was a waitress. Adding in a strong woman who knows her body and what she wants definitely makes it stand out in the cowboy romance world.

Q: What’s next for you and the Forgotten Series?

I am over halfway through the first draft of Forgotten Dusk that will be released in 2026. It features the baby sister of the Circle C, Chelsea. She finds herself not being fulfilled by her dream job, so she quits and goes back home. Her love interest is her brother’s best friend. Her and Levi had grown up together like siblings, so the new places in their lives have brought about new feelings. This one is a tear jerker that touches on dealing with loss and grief while finding the bright spots that tell you it will be okay. I’ve written a lot of side characters that I’d love to do little spin offs with in the future.

 

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Fun & Unique Questions

Q: If Chad had a theme song, what would it be?
Luke Comb’s Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma 

Q: If Anna could give Chad one piece of advice at the start of the book, what would it be?

You don’t have to keep everyone at arms’ length all the time.

Q: What’s one scene in Forgotten Dawn that made you laugh while writing it?

There isn’t as much humor in Forgotten Dawn as the others due to its darker vibe. There are these moments here and there where Anna is able to just relax with the other dancers backstage. Their back-and-forth always makes me giggle. There’s also a scene where Chad is taking photos for the ad campaign with Anna in the dom room. They need a male model to set up the scene and the club owner insists nobody is available that has the right look, so he convinces Chad to be the one strapped in a chair while Anna poses around him with whips and floggers, while the club owner takes the pictures. It’s supposed to be a spicy scene, but there is this layer of humor that the reader gets in seeing how they behave when they are forced into an intimate moment.

Q: Which character in the Forgotten Series would be most likely to start a bar fight?

Probably Chelsea. Then Levi would have to rush in to save the day.

Q: If your characters could sneak off the page and live in the real world for a day, where would they go first?

They’d stay right here in Oklahoma doing what they love, working the land and livestock.

Q: If Forgotten Dawn were turned into a movie, who would you cast as Chad and Anna?

Hands down, Scott Eastwood would be Chad. Odette Anable would make a great Anna.

Q: What’s a trope you had the most fun playing with in this book?

The enemies to lovers is very strong in this one. I liked taking their anger and attraction to each other and setting it off like a firework.

Q: If you could trade places with one of your characters for 24 hours, who would it be and why?

Tiffany from Forgotten Night. She got it all. She got the guy, the home, the family, and the supportive husband who helped her start her dream career.

Q: What’s the most “cowboy” thing you’ve ever done in real life?

I used to own goats, so getting kicked in the face and getting a black eye while trying to trim goat hooves was probably the most cowboy thing ever. A close second would be culling a rooster right before I went to work because he was picking on a hen so much she was losing feathers and got eggbound. I have helped herd escaped cattle, rode horses, gathered eggs, and attended a plethora of rodeos. I have lived in various rural areas all across Oklahoma, so I’ve just about done it all.

Q: If your best friend were describing your writing in three words, what do you think they’d say? 

Spicy, captivating, page-turner

 

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Rapid Fire Round

(One-word or short-answer questions—just say the first thing that comes to mind!)

• Coffee or tea? Neither, water or lemonade
  
  

• Early bird or night owl? Night owl
  
  

• Favorite cowboy romance trope? City girl turned country
  
  

• Go-to writing snack? chips
  
  

• Country music or rock? both
  
  

• A book you could read over and over? Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse Novels
  
  

• Dream travel destination? Ireland
  
  

• Favorite writing spot? Bed
  
  

• Most used emoji when chatting with readers? 😂
  
  

• One word to describe Forgotten Dawn? Intense

Q: Last but not least, where can readers connect with you online?

I’m most active on TikTok. There is a link in my bio there that has all my socials, email, and links to my books.