Interview with Robin P Waldrop

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to write in this particular genre?

My name is Robin P. Waldrop and I was born in Miami, but have lived in central Alabama for the last thirty years. I’m co-owner with my husband of a painting company where I still work part time. I’m a mother of five, grandmother of seven, and own a variety of animals.

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?

I never thought I would write vampire novels, not to mention YA novels. I only wrote in the suspense/thriller genre until one day I picked up a vampire novel, started reading, and was immediately hooked. Not long after that, I decided to try my hand at writing one. Needless to say, the rest is history.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had read several vamp novels previously and in every single one the protagonist was a wimpy girl who depended on her big strong vampire man to protect her. I decided I would write one with a tough girl who could take care of herself, but at the same time she had to still be likable, which was a bit of a challenge.

Please tell us about your latest release.

Ties To The Blood Moon, is about a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the accidental 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.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?

I think when I sat down to write my first novel I did do a ton of research and ended up not using one name that I found. So now after I decide each characters personality their names just come to me.

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

Yes! Genevieve, the protagonist in this book. She is a typical teenage girl complete with mood swings and all. Her character is just so real to me that I almost fins myself wanting to call her sometimes.

Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

I’m definitely the type of writer that allows each character to form their own personality. All I do is come up with the general description and as I write I allow each one to develop their own characteristics.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

One of my favorite scenes is where Genevieve and her friends are on an airplane, and Genevieve is pretty down in the dumps about something(I can’t say what) and Joseph( a friend) grabs his sister’s hairbrush and starts dancing and singing to Genevieve. Of course he gets a laugh out of her and sort of starts to melt the ice around her heart.

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?

Well, I am currently writing the second of a three or four book series. My goal is to write each book in such a way that they would stand alone, but of course I suggest the readers start with book one, because they won’t want to miss a thing.

Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

I think every writer has at least one character that they either mimicked from themselves or someone close to them. In my first novel, the heroine, Grace Giovanni, has some qualities similar to mine. She’s Italian, long hair, bad temper, and zero patience—that’s me!

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

What writer doesn’t? When I get writer’s block, I close my computer, freshen up my coffee, and curl up on the couch with a movie. I usually only get a half hour into the movie before the particular scene I was trying to write just pops into my head.

Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?

I don’t know if you call it a quirk or ritual, but I never stop writing in the middle of a chapter—ever! Whenever I’ve done that in the past and then came back to finish, I ended up having to delete most, if not all, of the chapter.

Do you write in different genres?

Yes. Like I said I started out writing what I loved to read which was FBI-suspense/thrillers and mysteries. But now that I’ve started writing YA, I may never go back. Also, I always wrote in third person, but I found that in writing YA, it needed to be told in first person.

Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?

No. But, I cannot work on more than project at a time. I guess I’m not god at multi-tasking.

When did you consider yourself a writer?

When I was four and wrote my first piece, which was a commercial. I performed it my living room for my mom and dad, and they got the biggest kick out of it.

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

Coffee and Dove chocolate. I swear, I’m so addicted. I don’t eat too much chocolate, but I drink Duncan Donuts coffee 24/7, and I’m not even exaggerating.

Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?

My son gave me a metal detector for mother’s day, and I love to go treasure hunting. No, I haven’t found anything of great value yet, I’m still learning how to use it.

What was the last amazing book you read?

Healey’s Cave written by my dear friend and author, Aaron P. Lazar. He is more of an adventure writer. I know his books are classified as mysteries, but they are really much more of an adventure. He is the type of writer that when you finish one of his books it leaves you with such a good feeling. I just love books like that.

Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?

No, I like to pile up a bunch of pillows on my bed and stretch out where it’s quiet—something that there isn’t much of in my house.

What can readers expect next from you?

Book 2 of the Ties series, and I’m also getting ready to release an FBI suspense/thriller novel titled The Cabin in spring 2012.

Where can readers find you on the web?

I’m all over the place:

http://www.robinpwaldrop.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/robinsauthorpage

http://www.twitter.com/robinpwaldrop

And I’m also on Gather, Goodreads, Smashwords, and Textnovel. My book, Ties To The Blood Moon, is currently available on Amazon and smashwords, and soon will be available on all eBook sites.

Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

Prologue

Aunt Bev kept telling me it wasn’t my fault. But, if I had waited one more day before leaving to spend spring break with her in Alaska, I would have been home to pull my mother from the burning house. I knew my aunt meant well, but it hadn’t helped with my dreams for the past two weeks. Or should I say nightmares?

As soon as I lay down and closed my eyes, the same scene filled my mind over and over again. Almost like a memory. I was in the woods just outside my house and helplessly watched a huge ferocious dog-like creature circling my house while it burned. At first glance the animal appeared to be red, but as I continued to stare, the color of his fur shifted like that of dancing flames.

My childhood home was on fire and I looked helplessly on, listening to my mother’s screams coming from somewhere inside. I knew I had to save her, but I was afraid.

“Mom,” I screamed, and started to rush for the house when the beast noticed me and snarled. I froze, unable to move. His yellow eyes glowed as if they reflected the fire behind him and I saw his blood stained fangs.

I quickly ran away from the house. Away from saving my mother from the hungry flames that consumed her. I glanced to either side as I ran and saw the faint reddish glow of several other dogs through the trees. They had joined the first dog in the pursuit of his prey.

My lungs burned as the woods ignited behind the dogs, forcing me to run faster or be consumed by the same fire that claimed my mother’s life. I skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff and spun around to face the pack of wild beasts as one-by-one they emerged from the burning trees and approached me. They appeared to be almost smiling.

I had two choices. Each of them a death sentence. I chose the latter and leaped from the cliff. The dogs peered over the edge as I fell away from them. They seemed disappointed with my choice. As they moved away out of sight I looked below and saw the ground rushing up at me.

Right before impact I woke up and realized I was still falling. I hit the hardwood floor beside my bed and cried out.