Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in an old house that my husband and I restored in Gainesville, Florida, the city where all my fiction is set.
I have a three-book detective series based around a strong female detective, Cory Marin, who has a complicated love life and a diverse group of friends. (Romancing the Crime, Marshland, Second Self), with a 4th book on the way (Consequences).
I have a book of short stories, Trust Me: Voices from the South (available as a free download on my website, jwrobitaille.com).
I also have a novel about a young working mother and aspiring artist who struggles with the conflict between her crazy busy schedule and her desire to paint.
I have two literary novels, The Dreamtime and Dooms of Love, that focus on a group of twenty-somethings trying to figure out love, identity and career.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book in my Cory Marin series is Second Self. It was inspired by an awareness of the complexity of modern digital life, where we may have a variety of personas (on Facebook, in the media, as avatars in games). Cory has to contend with media images not under her control as she struggles to solve the baffling murder of an international student. The murder and the idea of our various digital personas came together to make a book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I try to write every day, but that’s not always possible. One of my best time-hacks is to voice record scenes as I walk, which is often several times a day. I write intensively when I retreat to a tiny Nova Scotia fishing village for the summer. There I write most of the day, with breaks for long walks, and wonderful seafood.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I got into female crime-fighters with Patricia Cornwell, but I love Sue Grafton, Kate Atkinson, Laura Lippman, Lisa Unger, Louise Penny, Donna Leon, Tana French, Donna Tartt and a host of others. I particularly like mysteries set in unfamiliar locals. I admire lots of male writers who deliver thoughtful, character-based fiction: Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Jonathan Kellerman, John Le Carre and Daniel Silva to name a few.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the fourth Cory Marin novel, Consequences, in which Cory teams up with two other female detectives, Janelle Ramos and Makena Neal, to investigate a high school sexting scandal that results in the attempted suicide of a fourteen-year-old. The women can’t turn their backs on girls who desperately need a vision of how to resist victimization.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
KDROI is an inexpensive program that automatically submits books to a number of free or discounted book promotion sites at one time, so it saves time.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make writing a daily habit.
Write because you have a story to tell, not to make money.
Don’t give up your dream.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work.” Albert Einstein
“Nil carborundum illegitimi.” (Don’t let the bastards grind you down.)
What are you reading now?
I just finished Daniel Silva’s latest. Fantastic as always.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on an unusual dystopian series that revolves around young people taking action to try to save the planet. It’s environmental, political, feminist, and hopeful. Think Parkland kids getting involved in politics in order to save the earth. You can get a preview on my website (jwrobitaille.com) and you can email me if you’d like to be an early reader of the series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a tough one because I love so many books. I would probably take Thich Nhat Hanh’s Happiness (to remind me to stay focused on gratitude and the present). I might also take May Sarton’s Journal of a Solitude for much the same reason. Then I would probably take several blank journals to record my experiences so I could write a book about it later.
Author Websites and Profiles
JW Robitaille Website
JW Robitaille Amazon Profile
JW Robitaille’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile