Interview with Eden Robins for Gold: Heart of a Warrior tour
Eden Robins believes in second chances. She’s been lucky enough to have a few in her life and knows there’s a magic in seizing the moment to try again. As a mentor, her heart’s purpose is to guide people into living as their full, innate, creative potential. As a writer, her heart leads her to inspire readers through her tales. Creating stories about people courageously living, loving, and experiencing life true to themselves, no matter how messy it gets, are the ones Eden wants to write and will keep writing for you…and for her.
Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?
I was lucky enough to have my first novel come to life in a way that felt right to share it with the world. My sci-fi/fantasy romance, Never Until Tomorrow, was first self-published through iUniverse, then later picked up by New Concepts Publishing. I enjoyed writing two more Tomorrow novels for New Concepts Publishing to complete this series.
Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?
Less telling, more showing. Cutting back on the flowery sentences. Deeper character development. Writing what I know and what feels true to me. Keeping the end in mind. Letting the page call to me in whichever way works best that day.
Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?
Currently, I’m grateful to be at a stage in my life where my inspiration and creativity are flowing strong and consistent, but that hasn’t always been the case. Just like one book can take four months for me to write, and another four years, I’ve had ideas appear full blown in my mind and I jump right in, while others slowly blossom over time. It really just depends on the idea and what’s going on in my life. I went through a “creative dry spell” for about a decade. Not much in the way of writing for that long is kind of scary. Frankly, I thought I had lost my ability to create stories, and at times wondered if I would ever get it back. Having creativity as my companion since I was little and then feeling like I’d completely lost in in my late thirties and most of my forties was incredibly disheartening and frightening. It was during a time of intense transition (I was going through a divorce). Looking back on that time, I realize now that I needed to focus more on creating the life I wanted to live in my next evolution rather than creating stories for my books. Once the dust settled and I felt more centered in my life, my writing came back to me, and I got a second chance. I pitched Gold: Heart of a Warrior to an editor at Champagne Book Group and was offered a contract for not only that book, but all the books in my Gold series. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share my stories once more with others.
What kind of research do you conduct while writing your books? How does it influence your writing and shape the story?
I’ve used a combination of online sources, books, interviews, and onsite research. Though I don’t have the opportunity to do it very often, I love onsite research best. Going to a location to research the people, events, or places I’m interested in is the most fun. Research can expand and deepen a story. Not long ago, I was lucky enough to go to Greece. Learning more about their myths while actually visiting the ancient ruins enriched my latest release, Gold: Heart of a Warrior. In addition, I loved diving into the characters in Greek mythology. They’re so fun to play with! As I researched different myths like Medusa, Pandora, The Nereids, etc., I not only learned their stories, but it also gave me fodder for recreating their myths in my own way. That’s the beauty of research. Not only can it help give a story more validity, clarity, and authenticity, but it also helps me create more depth in my plot and characters.
I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?
I write most often on my laptop in my home office, but I can also write in places like a café, public park, or in a hotel room and on a plane. I wouldn’t say that I can write anywhere, but if the conditions are right, I can get into flow pretty easily in most places. Conditions like not much noise or too many people, a sense of private space (not someone looking over my shoulder), a comfortable chair, a warm and welcoming atmosphere matter more to me than the actual location.
Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?
I’ve recruited beta-readers from different sources, friends, book club members and even through creativity and writing presentations I’ve given. Luckily, there are lots of avid readers out there willing to help. I do look for beta readers who aren’t afraid to give me constructive criticism and solid suggestions. That’s so important! I’m lucky to have my son beta read for me as well. He’s also a writer and doesn’t hold back. He always offers me very solid feedback.
I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?
I love the convenience of ebooks, especially when traveling or when I’m out somewhere and don’t have a print book with me but feel the need to read. Having said that, I also crave the feel, smell, and sight of a print book. My favorite bookstore is Changing Hands (a local, independent bookseller in my state), but I also sometimes shop at Barnes and Noble and online booksellers like Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com. I also enjoy finding my next great read at secondhand stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Additionally, audio books have opened up a whole new world to me. I find listening to my favorite nonfiction through Audible a great way to learn. I listen to books quite often when I’m exercising.
I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?
My taste in books has become more eclectic over time. My favorite genre is still romance, in particular midlife romantic fantasy fiction by authors like Robyn Peterman, K.F. Breene, Heloise Hull, and Shannon Mayer, but I also enjoy reading more mainstream fiction by authors like Ann Patchett, Sue Monk Kidd, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Hoffman and Isabelle Allende. Additionally, I read suspense, women’s fiction, historical fiction, as well as self-help, historical, political, health and wellness, and mindfulness nonfiction. I’m a strong believer that books find me when I need to find them.
About the Book
It’s just gonna be one of those days…
Empathic healer and business owner, Dora Alexander decided to celebrate her 25th birthday by exploring the stalagmites and stalactites in Kartchner Caverns. Kinda nerdy? Maybe, but you do you, right? Things take a nasty turn when an earthquake rocks the cave, leaving her alone in complete darkness. Searching for a way out, she accidently awakens an immortal warrior who’s kind of cranky after his 100-year nap. Wouldn’t you be?
Philoctetes, one of Demeter’s immortal Gold warriors wakes up to the disturbing sound of a female sobbing. Thinking she’s one of the Silver demons he’s sworn to hunt down and destroy, he almost kills her before realizing she’s human. Correction. Turns out she’s not just human. She’s also the woman responsible for sending his kind to hell and causing woe and misery for the entire human race.
Dora never asked to be Pandora reborn. And she certainly didn’t ask to be paired up with an insanely hot immortal demon hunter on a mission to save the world and redeem them both. But The Fates seem to have their own quirky ideas. One of them being if she and said hot demon hunter consummate the inferno like attraction blazing between them, they’ll simply cease to exist, with any memory of their time on earth erased forever.
Oh goody, the day just got worse.
Connect with Eden at https://linktr.ee/edenrobins and check out her blog https://awholeheartedme.com/blog
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