Author Interview: Robin Woods’ New Release!

Robin Woods Has a New Release!

So you’re probably wondering where I’ve been for a while…. Let’s just say life got away from me, and familial responsibilities usurped time, and stress robbed me of talent. But I’m back! Long story short, RIP dad, mom’s loving life with us, and, yes, we have five cats now!

Without further adieu, I have an announcement to make, except I just made it a couple of times already. Three times’ a charm, though, right?! My longtime friend and colleague, Robin Woods, has a new release, and it’s a treasure! Do you like retellings? How about a fairy tale gone grown-up? Beauty and the Beast has never been so tumultuous and sultry! This new novel of Robin’s explores a Vikings spin on the classic. Yes, you heard me! Take some romantic heat, blend in some action, paint a landscape of fantastic, craggy shores, and go on this sultry journey with Brandr and Saxa in STORM AND SOLACE. In classic Q & A style, I have interviewed Robin on this new release that hit the ground running on Amazon’s Vella first. Say, what? Read on…

Author Interview

What is Amazon’s Vella, and why start there?

Kindle Vella is Amazon’s newer platform and is a way for authors to release stories in serial form (that’s one chapter at a time). It also allows writers to include commentary and polls at the end of each episode/chapter. Readers get to preview the first few episodes for free.

This platform has been wildly beneficial for some authors and is definitely something to try. I enjoyed the experience with my latest release and managed to be crowned as a top fave for over a month!

Once your novel is complete, you need to wait a month, then you can publish it as a completed work on KDP (and elsewhere). I went ahead and left my story on Kindle Vella. So, you can still check it out and read the first chapters for free.

What is your new novel about?

My new novel is called Storm and Solace: A Beauty & the Beast Retelling. It is a fairy tale retelling mashup. The beast is a woman (a cursed Norse goddess) and the beauty is a man. Everything is set in the Viking age where gods still roam the earth and anything is possible.

Official Book Description:

In this Beauty & The Beast role-swapping mashup, Saxa is stripped of her powers and cursed by her two sisters. She has twelve weeks to change her ways or lose everything—including her life.

Brandr, shipwrecked after a terrible storm, is swept into the world of gods and goddesses. When he trades his life for his brother’s, he sentences himself to a world he knows nothing about.

When their paths collide, nothing is as it seems. Who will survive this game of immortals?

What inspired you to choose Beauty and the Beast for your retelling?

I’ve always loved fairy tales and the thought of a role-reversal intrigued me. I started and stopped the project for many years. When it finally clicked, I wrote it quickly. I began posting on Kindle Vella after I had a complete outline and five completed (and professionally edited) chapters finished.

It was inspiring to have people following me as I wrote. It kept me at a two to three completed chapters per week rate. Next time, I think I will have ten completed chapters first to give me a little more time if something goes sideways.

What does a writerly day in the life of Author Robin Woods look like?

7:00 AM: Up with coffee, saying goodbye to the kids, social media maintenance

8:00 AM: Work on a writing project 

10:00 AM: Do something physical for my body and to clear my head

11:00 AM: Back to writing projects coupled with graphic design

3:00 PM:  Off to pick up the kiddos and be present for the family

8:00 PM: Finish up loose ends and write my to-do list for the next day

What is on the horizon?

I’m working on three projects currently. The first is another book for my Prompt Series.

The new workbook is specifically for kids. There will be lots of animals (as requested by many fans) and prompts that will help grow self-esteem, as well as, their writing skills. 

The second is another fairy tale retelling using the Snow Queen. I have super exciting things planned.

The third is still a secret. Mu ah ah ha. If you would like to be the first to know about new releases, get a free urban fantasy book, AND get access to my Writer’s Tool Kit, you can join my very sporadic newsletter on my website.

And That’s A Wrap!

It’s been a pleasure learning more about your latest release, Robin! Kindle Vella sounds amazing, and what an intriguing way to have access to stories in the making! If you don’t Follow Robin on Amazon, you should do that right now! It’s like being in a secret club! I see on Amazon that you have the novel in eBook, Paperback, and Hard Cover, too! What are you waiting for, peeps? Time to snag this retelling and settle in for a wild ride! Robin, I wish you all the best with this new release! Thank you all for joining me for this author interview! Until next time…