Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Maine native who was raised on Disney movies and Harry Potter books, what more can I say? My mind likes creative things. Writing, reading, painting, and cooking are some things I am passionate about. Putting bits of myself or people I love into the characters I create gives me a sense of thrill. I also greatly enjoy steaming hot herbal tea poured into mugs with encouraging sayings on them, or mermaid tales.
I have one novel that has been published, which took me over three years to finish. I took a couple of long breaks in between writing, which I regretted in the long haul. Oh, and I am a mom! My children are fourteen and ten and neither of them cares that I write books. A dream of mine is that one day I’ll be considered a “cool mom.” I’m not there yet. My dogs, however, all three of them, think I am pretty awesome, so that is almost as good.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel is named Deception in the Shadows – Gerica’s Tale, and the inspiration behind it is an interesting story. I blame my fiancé for it. In May of 2015 at about 3 am, his obnoxiously loud snoring made it impossible for me to fall back to sleep. So what do you do when you can’t sleep in the middle of the night? You come up with great ideas that you probably won’t remember in the morning.
Only this one I could not forget. I sat in my class that day, and then worked my normal shift as a hostess and brainstormed all day long. I thought about heroes and girls with brown curly hair like me! I knew there had to be a way to make this idea into something special. When I got home there was nothing that could come between me and my laptop.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Is anything really unusual when it comes to writing? The only thing I can think of is the purple three-ring binder that I carry everywhere with me. When my daughter is in girl scouts or I’m waiting to pick up my son from an away basketball game, I sit in my car and handwrite everything. Then when I get home, I put Netflix on in the background while I type it all.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Brothers Grimm and J.K Rowling are huge influences for me, but can I be honest? Television shows like Once Upon A Time, and comics like iZombie are HUGE in my life, too. I like to keep a wide variety of all things slightly geeky to keep my ideas coming. I love it all. These visuals give me mental pictures to play with while I write.
What are you working on now?
I have the second installment of my Deception in the Shadows series in the works. It’s going to have more of a back story about one pivotal character from the first one, as well as answer some burning questions readers will have once they have finished Gerica’s Tale. I also have a four part series about fairies that I hope to have the rough draft of done up this year. The fairies in my four part book are nothing like Tinkerbell, they will be far more sinister than she is! I’m super excited about both pieces!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have relied heavily on Facebook and Instagram. I don’t have any other platforms as of right now. My Instagram name is S.Robichaudwrites_ and that so far has had the best influence.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice would be to do it. You are going to doubt yourself; there are times you will think you are in over your head or that it was a bad idea to put a book out there. You will worry about people hating it and what the critics might say. None of that matters. You put what you feel passionate about out there and trust that it will find the right audience. If your first, second, or third don’t have the success that you want, there is good news. You can write another! There is no limit on what you put out there. Follow your heart and trust the process. There have been a lot of people who have loved my book. Others have told me I shouldn’t write, but do you know what I’m going to do when I’m done this interview? You guessed it, write some more! They can’t stop passion.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I have ever gotten came my tea bags. Yogi tea is phenomenal at giving me that extra push I need. Each bag of tea comes with an inspirational quote. I cut them off and tape them to my computer. My favorites are “What belongs to you shall come to you,” “If you allow yourself to be successful, you will be successful,” and lastly, “Let it come to you.”
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading, “And the Mountains Echoed,” by Khaled Hosseini, and can I just say that I adore his writing. I go through pain, anger and relief while reading any of his books. The way he tells his stories with such detail, it makes you wish that you could be there. I think it is inspiring and enlightening.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My next step in my journey as an author is marketing myself and my work as I continue working on my storytelling skills. I am enthusiastic about where everything will take me! I am learning every day that this journey is trying but beautiful.
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?
Well, since the question asked what books I would bring and not what items I would bring I would have to say, The original Brothers Grimm tales, A Thousand Splendid Suns, She’s come undone, and all the Harry Potter books bound together to make it one massive book. Ah, but that’s not all I would bring. I would, of course, need pens, paper and my laptop, because imagine the stories I could come up with on an island. I just hope it’s tropical…
Author Websites and Profiles
Samantha Robichaud Amazon Profile