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Generally I need 8 and a half hours of sleep or I get grumpy. If I go more than a couple days with less than that, I may want to claw someone’s eyes out. Beware of a tired Angie!
Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
My book, Shadows of Truth, is my debut novel. It was written essentially as a therapeutic exercise to put a fictionalized voice to my experience of being sexually assaulted and keeping it a secret until it festered out of control. When I finally let someone read my story, they encouraged me to keep writing until it became a novel. The story is about a woman, Drea, who struggles as painful memories flood her mind and interfere with normal life. She is driven to find the truth and to set things right, but every step she takes causes her to slip further from her goal of forgiveness and reconciliation. It’s a story of self-discovery and self-acceptance with an edge of suspense as each layer of Drea’s past is uncovered.
Are you a city slicker or a country lover?
I love being out in the countryside. My grandparents were farmers, and spending time on the farm is my favorite childhood memory. I live in a suburb about an hour away from New York City, so the stress and traffic of city living is not too far from me. Fortunately a few minutes the other direction lie fields, pastures, big barns, and old farm houses.
How important are friends in your life?
Friends are crucial to living a joyous life. They are there to lift you when you’re down and celebrate when you succeed. I’m a very quiet person who likes to spend a lot of time alone, yet I can’t imagine having no friends with which to laugh or cry.
Have you always enjoyed writing?
I laugh when I think about this, but I despised my writing class in high school. It felt like torture to force words onto paper under strict deadlines and heavy teacher oversight, so generally my grades suffered. Interestingly when my pen flowed naturally, the stories were creative and richly told. I remember my teacher gushing over my writing, going so far as telling me I could be a writer someday. I laughed and told myself I would never write again after that horrible class. That’s probably why it took so long for me to realize the dream of completing my first novel. I convinced myself I didn’t enjoy writing, but really it was the class setting I didn’t enjoy.
Do you plan to publish more books?
Yes, I plan to publish more books. I have so many ideas of books in my mind, but I haven’t yet decided which one to write and publish next.
How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
I almost always write at my kitchen table on my laptop, because I love looking out the oversized window when I need to look away from my work. Occasionally I’ll work at my desk, but it’s not nearly as bright in the office as it is in the kitchen.
Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?
I grew up in Indiana, so it was easy to cobble together memories of various Indiana towns to create an imaginary town in Indiana as the backdrop for Shadows of Truth. I currently live in New Jersey, but I don’t have that emotional connection like I have with my youthful memories, so there’s no drive to use New Jersey as a setting. I may use it as a setting for historical fiction set in the pre-Revolution era.
What are you most proud of in your personal life?
I am proud of my family. I have a healthy marriage, and we’ve raised three incredible children (ages 16, 18, & 20). They all enjoy spending time as a family unit, and that is priceless.
What color represents your personality the most?
Although I really like the autumn palette, I think the color that represents my personality would be purple. It’s a color that can shift with my mood from soft and quiet (lilac, orchid) to somber (mauve) to exciting (plum) to brooding and deep (eggplant).
Who designed the cover?
Natasha Brown designed my cover seven months after I initially released the book with a standard cover from Create Space. I finally came to believe that having a cover that suggested the story and target audience was the best thing I could do for my book. It was great working with her, and I think the end result is fabulous. I’m so happy I handed the reigns to Natasha.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I currently don’t travel much, but I am open to accepting speaking engagements or author signings in other towns and even other sates.
When you wish to end your career, stop writing, and look back on your life, what thoughts would you like to have?
It sounds self-centered to admit, but I want to believe that I changed someone’s life for the better. I hope that someone has taken action to improve their own life, reached out for help when needed, or helped someone else because of being inspired by my words or actions.
How did you come up with the title?
I started with one title, changed to a second title, and then after sitting with some quotes I wanted to include before each section, I decided to finalize the title as Shadows of Truth. The concept of events being recollected with different shading by different people was so integral to the story that it was a perfect fit. Absolute truth is not visible to any one person. Each person sees the outlines slightly differently. I loved the visual, so I kept the title.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author and the book
Website http://www.angierobinson.com
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