Interview with Robin Waldrop

Please help me welcome Robin Waldrop to Murderby4 today. She is giving away one FREE copy of TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON! Just comment below and a winner will be chosen. Easy as pie, right?

Welcome, Robin!

    APL: Tell us about TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON: what’s it about, and how we can get it? What inspired you to write this book?   

 

      RW: TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON is about a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns that  the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her boyfriend only to find out he's not who she thought he was either. It's available on all of the digital sites. I came up with the idea pretty much the same way I come up with all my ideas for books…in my dreams.

       APL: Robin, what is your earliest memory of writing and what did you write? When did you feel that you wanted to be a writer? When did you make the decision to sit down and start working on BLOOD MOON? 

RW: My earliest memory has to be when I was about four. I wrote a commercial about selling used cars and performed it for my mom and dad. I always loved to write, but never took it seriously until a couple years ago when I started to read a book that was given to me, and it was so bad I couldn't even get through the first chapter. I threw it down and my husband asked me what was wrong. after I told him I could write better than that, he told me to do it. I asked, "Do what?" He said, "Go write a book!" I fought it for a while, but the idea just stuck in the back of my mind, and one day when I could no longer fight it, I sat down at the computer and wrote my first novel.

APL: What type of books did you enjoy reading in elementary and high school? 

RW: Romance novels, and murder mysteries. I really loved Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys (Am I telling my age?)

APL:  I know you are a very fast writer. Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline? Do you imagine the “movie” in your head? Do you just start writing and see what comes out? These are all valid and common processes- how do they compare to yours? 

RW: Aaron, I am what people call a "by the seat of your pants" kind of person. After I come up with a general idea, I just start writing and the characters tell me their story. 

APL: What are some of your favorite books you’ve read this year? Are any of them in the genre you are now writing? 

RW: Yes. I happened across Amanda Hocking's books and fell in love with the genre. Her writing style mimics mine a good bit. I am a down to earth writer, and I write in an easy to read style. I guess that's why I found her work so easy to read.

APL: How much research, if any, do you do for your books? 

RW: I'm ashamed to say I don't put a whole bunch of time into research. I mean, I do what is necessary to make my novels as realistic as possible, but I don't put months of my time into research. if I get stuck in the middle of a scene, I'll jump on the web and look up just what I need to.

APL: Have you always been fascinated by werewolves and vampires? 

RW: Not really. When I was little I loved the show "Dark Shadows" with Barnabas Collins played by Jonathan Frid. As far as werewolf movies, not really until recently. All the new vamp/wolf shows helped to change my perspective on fantasy.

APL: Who is your favorite character from the book? What is the most difficult part of writing for you?  

RW: My protag.,Genevieve is my favorite, but I love all of her friends too. Once you read TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON you will love them, too. The most difficult part of writing for me is the first chapter. When I start a novel I might write the first chapter ten times before I get it just right. But, after that, it's all down hill…lol.

RW: Tell us about your website/blog and where we can learn more about you and your books. 

APL: I really just have a blog. That's where I put everything about both me and my work. I also am very active on facebook, and I tweet some, too.  http://www.robinpwaldrop.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/robinsauthorpage, http://www.twitter.com/robinpwaldrop

TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON is available on all the digital sites and it will be out in print soon. I'm not exactly sure how long that takes, but when it does become available, it will be listed on the sites as well. Book 2 is underway, and I hope to have it ready shortly after Christmas. I also have a short story for sale by a small ePublisher, Books To Go Now. I also write FBI suspense/thriller novels. The Cabin will be out sometime in early 2012 

 Robin Waldrop, author