Intros::
Upon her first book debut, I had the pleasure of interviewing a great New Author, Roberta Goodman, Author of Snow Escape and hopefully many more in to come. With busy schedule, she was able to let me interview and review her book. From the exchange of emails, Roberta Goodman is extremely sweet and very professional. She is a doll and would love to see more of her work. We have much to see of this lovely and talented new Author and her work. Keep it tuned!
- Interview::
What is your name? Do you use a Pen Name? If so what is it and why do you use it?
Roberta Goodman and no, I don’t use a pen name, though I do call myself Ro Goodman on my blog. Ro is my nickname.
At What age did you start writing?
I’ve always been a writer to some extent, but I didn’t start seriously pursuing a writing career until I turned thirty-six. I was busy raising two kids, so I waited until they were both in school to concentrate on writing my first manuscript.
What inspires you to write?
What doesn’t? I could hear a story or read something that clicks in my head. It’s funny because it’s not something I can control. When inspiration hits me, I have to sit down in front of my computer and just go with it.
As a mother and a writer, How do you manage to do both?
It’s not always easy. I’m fortunate that I don’t have a job outside my home, so I’ve been able to do the majority of my writing when my kids are in school. On days where they’re home and I have work to do, I always end up feeling bad because I do have to focus on the work. I just explain to the kids that I’ll spend time with them when I’m finished.
What is the hardest and easiest part of the writing process for you?
The hardest part is writing down what I want to convey in the simplest way possible. I tend to overwrite things. I also have to work on my sentence structuring. I sometimes overuse commas. It’s a bad habit I’m trying to break. The easiest part is the inspiration, because I have a wonderful imagination.
Do you have any plans for your current book and any upcoming books?
I’m hoping to sign a contract for a trade paperback of Snow Escape. Not everyone has an eReader and some people just prefer a traditional book, so I want them to have the opportunity to read the story. Snow Escape is the second manuscript I’ve written. After it was published, I decided to revise my first manuscript. I’m still in the process of doing this. It’s a tragic romance/family saga that’s loosely based on events that happened in my family. Growing up I heard lots of interesting stories and I decided to weave them together. I’ve also thrown in some fictionalized aspects. It’s very different than Snow Escape, which was purely fiction. It’s a tear-jerker. I’m hoping to land an agent with it. I want someone who will be as passionate as I am about the story, so they fight for me to get it published by a big publishing house. If I can’t succeed than I will probably go the independent publishing route again.
What kind of genre do you classify your writing?
I’m primarily a fiction writer. Obviously, Snow Escape is a mystery/thriller, but I enjoy writing all types of fiction. I’ve written a third manuscript and it’s about my husband’s battle with cancer. He was treated earlier this year and is cancer-free, so there is a happy ending. I wrote it as a way of coping with what we were going through, so I have written non-fiction, but it’s not something I would normally do.
Are any of the characters in your books (published or unpublished) based off real people?
None of the characters in Snow Escape are based on real people. Like I already said, I was inspired by members of my family for the manuscript I’m revising right now. My third manuscript is about my husband, me, and my family and how we dealt with a cancer diagnosis.
Are any of the events in your books based on real events? If so, what inspired you to use them in your story?
Writers write what they know, so that’s why I decided to write about things that happened in my family’s past for the first manuscript. Many times fact is stranger than fiction and I thought the things that certain individuals went through should be documented in some way. I feel that if I don’t write about it then these people would have lived in vain. I did choose to omit several things, because it’s too painful to go there. Overall, it’s been a cathartic experience for me. As far as my third manuscript about my husband’s cancer, I wanted to get the word out about the type of cancer he suffered with. I also needed the outlet of writing to help me cope while we were going through it.
Is there a certain person who has either influenced or inspired you in writing?
There isn’t any one person. Overall, I’ve been influenced and inspired by every writer I’ve ever read. The list is way too long to write down here.
Do any of your books have any hidden messages for the reader? And what is it?
Snow Escape does. “For every action there is a consequence.” My main character, Allegra, stalked a previous guy she dated. Maybe it wasn’t to the extent that certain individuals in the book made it out to be, but she still obsessed about this person and did things she shouldn’t have done to him. Knowing this, the reader can begin to understand why she was chosen to be tormented throughout the book. She wasn’t a random victim. I don’t condone what happened to her, but I view it as her karma coming back on her to a certain extent.
Do you have any advice or tips to new writers?
If writing is your passion, don’t ever give up. Even in the face of adversity, push through it and don’t let others tell you that your work isn’t good enough to get published. It’s a tough business to break into. Sometimes you have to take a non-traditional route to get your work out there such as using an independent publisher or self-publishing. If you happen to get published, or you make the decision to self-publish, promote your work everywhere. No one will work harder to get your work the attention it deserves than you.
- You can follow her....
- You can Purchase her new book Snow Escape::
