Q&A with Robin Tidwell
author of Reduced
author of Reduced
Today we have a very special guest author talking about her
debut novel Reduced, it’s
my pleasure to introduce my stepsister Robin Tidwell.
my pleasure to introduce my stepsister Robin Tidwell.
Robin welcome to the B&N.com General Fiction forum.
Debbie - Tell us
a little about the novel
Robin - REDUCED is a
story about what-ifs. What if the government continues on its present course?
And what if that were amplified to the extreme? And what if one young woman was
caught up in that turmoil and what if she refused to give up?
That’s it, in a
nutshell. The human side of destruction and disease, relationships, and
survival along with, of course, good versus evil.
Why apocalyptic fiction
I’m not entirely
sure! I had this dream, of one of the scenes near the beginning of REDUCED, and
I thought, sure, this could be a book. How to develop it was the question but,
when Abby began to develop and evolve, the story just wrote itself. I certainly
never sat down and said, “Okay, today I’m going to write…dystopian fiction!
Yeah, that’s it!” Nope, it just happened.
This is your first novel but it’s not your first effort as a
professional writer, could you tell us what got you started writing and what
made you consider writing a novel.
When I was little, as
in 3-4 years old, I was always scribbling “stories.” Then, about four decades
ago if anyone’s counting, my grandmother told me she’d take me to see to Gone
with the Wind – AFTER I read the book! I was eight years old. I read it, and I
was hooked. I wanted to be Margaret Mitchell – well, and Scarlett!
So, in spite of
dabbling in non-fiction – I’m published online and in print – I finally got
around to the first book. And it totally is NOT the “great American novel” I
had envisioned! Although that one has been started too.
Are you a reader, which genres and authors do you like
Oh yes! I read
everything, and more than once. I like mysteries, and spy stories. And horror –
and apocalyptic fiction, of course. I suppose all those King, Koontz, and Saul
books I’ve read over the years have had more influence than I realized!
Do you belong to a writer’s group
why or why not
why or why not
Yes, I do. Our
bookstore, All on the Same Page, has a monthly writers’ seminar. There are
usually 4-5 of us, talking, reading, giving advice and encouragement. We have a
lot of fun. It actually started out early this year as a seminar for new
writers, but evolved into more of a casual thing. We meet on the second
Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m., and anyone is welcome.
What are you working on now
Right now, mostly
promotion and marketing for REDUCED, plus events and things for the bookstore.
But, yes, there is a sequel: REUSED. I’m hoping to have it finished and ready
for publication by the end of the year.
Let’s leave writing behind for a while and tell us what
would your dream vacation be
I really don’t care for
traveling, that is, the actual travel part, so my dream vacation would start
with being teleported – to Aruba. And of course, arriving with all my parts
intact and attached in the right places!
Are you planning any more events or signings for your novel.
Oh yes! I’ll be
signing in December at our store, and we’re having an authors’ party on October
6 there as well. I’ve been in touch with several local indie stores and of
course, am hoping to appear at some local B&Ns. I’ve a number of interviews
scheduled over the coming weeks as well.
Robin thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to
answer some questions and good luck with your novel.
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