Review & Author Interview + Giveaway!!

Publisher: Published on smashwords
Received: eGalley given by author in exchange for honest review

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Purchase from: Smashwords/Amazon 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Genevieve is a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns 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 new boyfriend, William, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.



Interview With Robin!

A: Firstly, welcome and thank you for doing this interview! It’s great to have you here. I love the Alaskan setting of the story, did you have to do any research for this novel for the ideas of what kind of things they believe in?

R:Thanks Andrea for the opportunity to be a guest on your awesome site.  As an author, I’m sure I am supposed to say I do extensive research, but I do not. I am a “write by the seat of your pants” type of writer, therefore I only research on an as needed basis.

A: All the characters have their own quirks to them, which one was your favourite to write?

R: Genevieve, of course. She is everything I would have loved to have been at her age. But I also must say I enjoyed writing Joseph’s character as well. Even though William is technically her boyfriend, Joseph is funny, sensitive, caring, compassionate, and gorgeous—all the things any girl would hope for in a boyfriend.

A: How many more books are you planning for this series? And do you already have an idea of how everything is going to end?

R: At least two, possibly three. I have no idea where it will end. In my mind these characters are very real, and I’m just not ready to even think about saying good-bye.

A: With all the vampire/werewolves stories out there already, what made you decide to write this story?

R: A while back I had a crazy dream, and for a long time I have envisioned these characters in my head, but never put them to paper. I’ve watched the different shows and movies, but none of them shared my ideas, so I finally decided to write them out. Even if nobody bought the books, I had at least immortalized these characters I fell in love with.

A:What inspired you to become a writer?

R: I was always a great storyteller. If my mom was still alive she could tell you how some of my more colorful stories got me into trouble more than once. I also wrote several short stories while in college, but never took it any farther. What really inspired me to take the plunge was when I picked up a terrible book about a year ago. It was so bad in fact, I couldn’t even get through the first chapter. I decided then that if someone could write that bad and get published…i had nothing to lose.

A: What do you find the most difficult thing about being a self-published author?

R: Door continually being slammed in our faces. Many people think that because we choose to self publish that somehow we are not worthy writers. I’m here to say there are good and bad everywhere—traditionally published as well as self published.

A: What is your favourite book of all time, and why?

R: The Bible. It’s only because of my strong beliefs that I have been able to accomplish all the things I have.

See details for giveaway below.


My Review:

I was surprisingly impressed by this novel, what with all the vampire novels already out there. I think this is a great YA novel and I can't wait to read more from Robin. The Alaskan setting was what really caught my attention throughout the story because it is so different, I don't think I've actually read something set in Alaska.

The one thing I really loved about this book was the whole mythological aspect of a story being told for years and everyone waiting for their princess to come and save them. It added in a different theme from many of the vampire books that are already out there. I loved the added fact that she is not just a normal teenager either, and that she has a stake in the paranormal activity that is happening around her.

Robin does a great job of blowing your mind with things that just weren't expected throughout the novel (most of these secrets come out in the second half). But I love a novel that just keeps you guessing throughout! I also enjoyed that Genevieve slowly went through changes and nothing magically came to her. I really enjoy the characters progress throughout the novel and that as a reader I get to understand why Gen decides some of the things she does (at times it does not make sense, but most everything is answered in the end).

The only thing that got me with this book was the instant attraction and love that Gen had for William. I find that in a lot of books and just don't find it believable. Luckily it was only a small thing and didn't take away from the rest of the story.

Can't wait to see what comes next Robin!

GIVEAWAY!

Robin has generously offered to give away a copy of the ebook Ties to The Blood Moon.