Ask the Author: Robin E. Mason
Answered Questions (12)
Robin E. Mason
This is such a great question—and akin to asking my favorite (fill in the blank.) So so many great stories, so many wonderful story worlds.
C. Hope Clark’s books are set on Edisto Island. I haven’t been to the beach in ages; I’d love to walk at the edge of the water. Barefoot, of course!
I just finished When Mountains Sing by Stacy Monson. I lived I Colorado for sixteen years, and would LOVE to (be able to) hike the trails again!
The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron so I could explore the castle.
You asked specifically book worlds, but thinking eras, I’d love to travel to Regency or Victorian eras for the dances!
C. Hope Clark’s books are set on Edisto Island. I haven’t been to the beach in ages; I’d love to walk at the edge of the water. Barefoot, of course!
I just finished When Mountains Sing by Stacy Monson. I lived I Colorado for sixteen years, and would LOVE to (be able to) hike the trails again!
The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron so I could explore the castle.
You asked specifically book worlds, but thinking eras, I’d love to travel to Regency or Victorian eras for the dances!
Robin E. Mason
I opened the cabinet. There was no coffee!!!
The lights flickered then extinguished, and all went silent. I was thrust in utter darkness until blazing floodlights from outside shown in, placing me under scrutiny as though i were under a microscope.
The lights flickered then extinguished, and all went silent. I was thrust in utter darkness until blazing floodlights from outside shown in, placing me under scrutiny as though i were under a microscope.
Robin E. Mason
So glad you asked! I love spotlighting other authors and especially love showcasing new releases. Today on my blog, I've got Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette. Am reading and will post next week, The Memory of You by Catherine West. Following those lovelies are:
Promise of Peppermint by Valerie Comer
Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar
Stronger than Mountains by Lynn Dean
Looking Glass Lies by Varina Denman (week long blog feature)
Summer of Deception by Elva Martin
With no Reservations by Laurie Tomlinson
then i embark on a collection -
Second Impressions by Pepper Basham
A (nearly) Normal Nanny by Krista Phillips
Mowed Over by Christina Coryell
An Informal Affair by Heather Gray
A Heart Restored by Elizabeth Maddrey
Unleashing Love by Jessica Patch
A Time to Laugh by Marian Uekermann
and that takes me through August...
Promise of Peppermint by Valerie Comer
Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar
Stronger than Mountains by Lynn Dean
Looking Glass Lies by Varina Denman (week long blog feature)
Summer of Deception by Elva Martin
With no Reservations by Laurie Tomlinson
then i embark on a collection -
Second Impressions by Pepper Basham
A (nearly) Normal Nanny by Krista Phillips
Mowed Over by Christina Coryell
An Informal Affair by Heather Gray
A Heart Restored by Elizabeth Maddrey
Unleashing Love by Jessica Patch
A Time to Laugh by Marian Uekermann
and that takes me through August...
Robin E. Mason
Can't think of a mystery so much, but there is the burning question, "Why did I hate myself so badly that I wanted to be somebody - ANYbody else??"
I don't write mysteries per se, but this question does bleed through into my stories in some form or another.
I don't write mysteries per se, but this question does bleed through into my stories in some form or another.
Robin E. Mason
I'm so bad at picking favorites - as soon as I think of one, another comes to mind! LOL Tessa Afshar's Pearl in the Sand comes to mind, the story of Rahab - and Salmone. How unlikely a couple were they! "A member of highest esteem in the nation of Israel, a leader of the Tribe of Judah. Marries a Canaanite woman. A Canaanite woman who is – or was – a harlot." What a bold and clear evidence of the redemptive hand of God.
They were, of course, real people portrayed in a fictional (hypothetical) setting.
My own characters, Tessa and Howie, though are fully fictional. Tessa's life was marred by poor self image and bad choices. And yet Howie loved her. Even when he discovered what she had covered up for twelve years. His love for her, like Father's love for us, never wavered, never faltered.
They were, of course, real people portrayed in a fictional (hypothetical) setting.
My own characters, Tessa and Howie, though are fully fictional. Tessa's life was marred by poor self image and bad choices. And yet Howie loved her. Even when he discovered what she had covered up for twelve years. His love for her, like Father's love for us, never wavered, never faltered.
Robin E. Mason
Great question, Michael! It's gotta be the moment I pulled my first print copy of Tessa from the box when it was delivered! nothing like it in the world! and there will never be a FIRST copy of my FIRST novel again! [not terribly unlike first holding my child when they were born!]
after that is the amazing network of writer friends! the support and camaraderie has more than encouraged me. I've learned from others, garnered support and constructive criticism, and given the same in return.
and last but certainly not least is finding my identity as a writer. nothing I've ever done has been so wholly me, encompassing who I am. of all the [many and varied] jobs I've done, writing is the most satisfying and fulfilling for me.
Thanks so much for asking, Michael!
after that is the amazing network of writer friends! the support and camaraderie has more than encouraged me. I've learned from others, garnered support and constructive criticism, and given the same in return.
and last but certainly not least is finding my identity as a writer. nothing I've ever done has been so wholly me, encompassing who I am. of all the [many and varied] jobs I've done, writing is the most satisfying and fulfilling for me.
Thanks so much for asking, Michael!
Robin E. Mason
I mentioned in one of the other questions, being outdoors is my muse. I will never forget where I was walking, one afternoon in July 2008, when the first paragraph of the prologue of Tessa, "came to me." I got home and immediately wrote it down. I made some progress over the next few weeks before I lost a significant portion of work when my computer ate it - and I couldn't bring myself to write for a long while. I then began 4 1/2 years of college, and after graduation last year and no job in that field, I began to pursue my writing in earnest.
There is an element of myself in Tessa, in her feeling of being invisible and of no significance. She is not me, but I do know how she feels, and not only because she is a creature of my imagination.
I'm an actress also, and as I write, I can close my eyes and be in the scene; I write what I see and hear and experience.
There is an element of myself in Tessa, in her feeling of being invisible and of no significance. She is not me, but I do know how she feels, and not only because she is a creature of my imagination.
I'm an actress also, and as I write, I can close my eyes and be in the scene; I write what I see and hear and experience.
Robin E. Mason
Anything can trigger a story for me! Literally ANYthing! A friend asked me a random question a while back, and BAM! New story idea! Sometimes I "get" names that i know will be characters, sometimes I get a titles [as the case with my friend's comment] and sometimes I get the story line. I write organically, do not go by an outline, but have only the knowledge of where the story needs to go in the end.
Robin E. Mason
The sequel to Tessa! I had no clue of writing a sequel when I started writing, I just knew I had a story in me that had to come out! I had two people ask me directly about a sequel, and as I began to mention it to friends, I found there was more interest in reading more of the story.
So that's the long answer to what I'm currently working on. I have not settled on a title, but it will likely be Clara Bess.
Note: I have only just begun to work this story, and plan to have it complete in the spring.
So that's the long answer to what I'm currently working on. I have not settled on a title, but it will likely be Clara Bess.
Note: I have only just begun to work this story, and plan to have it complete in the spring.
Robin E. Mason
Network! Network! Network! My first blog post, in April, is called, "Drowning." Marketing [something no writer truly loves] blogging, twittering, promoting, etc, etc, etc. What I found, though, is that as I began to be more involved in author groups, both online and in person, my confidence (for one thing) and my visibility grew. I have enjoyed getting to know other authors via interviews, and posting book reviews for them, which I posted on my blog.
Maybe the biggest turn off, is to see continual posts that scream only, "Buy my book! Buy my book!" and nothing to balance it, nothing personal, is a turn off, and potential readers will tune it out.
I have started to build on my platform of mental illness, and have written some pretty heavy blog posts dealing with aspects of that. I also have made it fun, writing character interviews and vignettes that are not in the final product.
Maybe the biggest turn off, is to see continual posts that scream only, "Buy my book! Buy my book!" and nothing to balance it, nothing personal, is a turn off, and potential readers will tune it out.
I have started to build on my platform of mental illness, and have written some pretty heavy blog posts dealing with aspects of that. I also have made it fun, writing character interviews and vignettes that are not in the final product.
Robin E. Mason
Doing what I love! I've always had stories in my head [see my bio - LOL] and now I'm truly living my dream! Of course, that dream includes NYT best seller lists and big-time book deals! But to write my stories and see them in print, I can't describe the exhilaration I felt when I opened that first shipment of Tessa, and pulled out my VERY FIRST COPY, and held it in my hands!
Bonus: I never figured on the vast author friends I'd meet, online yet, and the camaraderie I've come to know and feel a part of. The support as an Indie in different groups has been invaluable. I know some will be lifelong friends, and I cherish that!
Bonus: I never figured on the vast author friends I'd meet, online yet, and the camaraderie I've come to know and feel a part of. The support as an Indie in different groups has been invaluable. I know some will be lifelong friends, and I cherish that!
Robin E. Mason
I haven't had "writer's block" per se, but I have gotten stuck a number of times. If it's a word choice or something to research, I make a note within the text of my manuscript and come back to it. My mind is all over the place [all the time!] and sometimes I have to get up and physically move around, do the dishes, you know, something mundane. Best of all, I love going for walks - being outdoors is rather my muse, and in allowing my mind to ramble, sometimes the "stuck" or blocked portion becomes clear.
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