Dawn Wightman Perrault

Dawn Wightman Perrault is an indie author and founder of Emerson Road Press, based in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York. Semi-retired from a 30-year civil-service career at her alma mater, she later earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, Management, and Economics.

Drawing inspiration from her family, community, and the quiet magic of everyday life, Dawn is the author of four children’s picture books — Liam’s Not So Horrible Monday, Liam’s Christmas Conundrum, Liam and the Shadow Crow, and Liam and the Story Beneath His Feet — each rooted in local history and the landscapes of upstate New York. Her newest title, Liam and the Story Beneath His Feet, reached #1 in Children’s American History – 2000s on Amazon.

Her debut title, Liam’s Not So Horrible Monday, was nominated for a 2024 CNY Book Award (Top 3 Finalist), a Feathered Quill Award, and “Best Local Author” through The Citizen / AuburnPub (Third Place).

When Dawn’s not writing children’s books, she can be found developing other creative projects — including Unsinkable Dreams: Reg’s Story, a four-act historical drama based on the true life and legacy of a local man who perished aboard the Titanic — canning anything that grows in her garden, and dreaming about what’s next. She’s currently at work on her first science-fiction novel, The Opening.

In addition to her writing, Dawn is a marketing enthusiast, guest contributor to her local newspaper, a commissioned Notary Public, an ordained minister, and a marketing consultant.