Friday, August 8, 2014

Interview with Robin Covington

Please start by telling us a little about yourself (education, jobs, significant other, children, pets, etc.) 


I’m from a small southern town in Virginia and I’m an attorney for the Navy by day. I’m married and have two kids who are smarter than I am and the cutest Welsh Corgi puppy in the world. I have an obsession with Dean Winchester and the TV show Supernatural (I have a life-sized cutout of him in my office!), I’m a long-standing comic book geek and I think flip-flops are the most perfect shoe.

Tell us about your latest New Adult book and what inspired you to write it.


At sixteen, Kit ditched her crappy life and moved to Nashville with only $200, her guitar, and a notebook full of songs. She hit it big, but five years of living like a rock star plus a stint in rehab has killed any good will she had with her label. The suits have ordered Kit to shape up or ship out of the limelight. The last thing she needs is a hot, sexy distraction with a sinful smile.

He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Max Butler is as far from a celebrity as you can get and he likes it that way. A Nashville firefighter, he’s living the single life with a revolving door of parties, friends, and a different woman in his bed every night. When his normal life suddenly collides with the girl on his favorite Rolling Stone cover, he sees the perfect chance to fulfill his ultimate fantasy and see just how bad Kit can be. 

Sometimes bad is so very good.

With three weeks until Kit leaves for her big tour, Max promises to give her a break from being the good girl--no strings attached. But when hot days lead to sultry nights, the lines get blurred and suddenly three weeks of bad might not be good enough.

I grew up singing country music in a band with my family and I still sing with a local band. The idea of young musicians hitting it big and having to negotiate the responsibilities of a growing success and trying to have some sort of a normal life really intrigues me. So, I decided to explore the story of a young woman who had no idea of what a normal life was and a guy who wants nothing to do with celebrity and to explore how they navigate working in demanding careers and trying to figure out what they want for themselves in the future.

The New Adult genre is fairly new. What's your definition of it? How does it differ from Young Adult or just regular Adult books?

I think NA is the exploration of that time when you are still young and inexperienced but are expected to not only know who you are but to make choices that can impact the rest of your life. YA has its own pitfalls and risks but you are expected by society (I think) to make rookie mistakes – unlike the expectations of “getting it right” placed on a NA character. Adult is what I think of as “walking a tightrope without any net" – you’re supposed to be beyond those mistakes.

Do you belong to any critique groups and/or do you have other people read your work as you're writing it? Who's brutally honest and who's a cheerleader? Which do you prefer?

I have two amazing critique partners who are brutally honest with me. They pull no punches and call me on it when I get lazy. I want that – I need that – because my only goal is to deliver the best story to the reader so I need them to beat me up when necessary. It also helps that we are best friends and I trust them implicitly.

What are your all-time favorite authors/books? 


I absolutely adore all books from Shannon McKenna – her alpha males make my toes curl. I also have Lynn Raye Harris, Cora Carmack, Jennifer Armentrout, Laura Kaye and Kyle Scott on my auto-buy list. I am always looking for that next great read . . .

Do you outline before you write or just dive head-first into a manuscript? Do you maintain a schedule for writing, or is it more haphazard?

I have a loose outline of the plot when I start writing but nothing too in depth – otherwise I feel like I’m writing the book twice! I have a wordcount – 2000 words per day – that I plan to write.  And if I get behind one day, I have to make it up during that week, so that I have 10K written per week.

Where do you do your best writing? (Ex: desk in your office, public library, under a tree in the park, in front of a Real Housewives TV marathon, etc.) Do you like music or some other background noise, or do you need quiet?

I write in my closet (it’s 8 feet by 22 feet) and the last 11 feet is my office and that is where do most of my writing. It’s cozy, I’m surrounded by my favorite books and watched over by Jensen Ackles . .  not a bad gig at all. I always have to listen to music when I write and I have a playlist for each book that I write and I post them on my website for readers to enjoy. If I don’t have the music then my mind wanders and I get nothing done!

What are the best and worst parts of writing a book?

The best part is the last chapter (almost done!) and the worst part is Chapter 5. I think I stumble at Chapter 5 because that is where I feel like I need to make changes or I’m committed for the whole book – the point of no return.

When you're driving and you have a sudden, brilliant idea for the new manuscript you're working on, what do you do? (Ex: pull over and fire up the laptop, keep driving while scribbling on a McDonald's bag, tell Siri, etc.)

I use the digital voice recorder on my cellphone! I love my iPhone . . . it has saved my sanity on more than one occasion.

Imagine you have a whole day free for shopping. Where do you go? (Mall, unique boutiques, flea market, antique shops, bookstore, home improvement store, etc.)

The closest mall to me is an hour away so when I go shopping it is an all-day affair. I love to go to a large mall and hit all my favorite stores – Talbot’s, White House/Black Market, Sephora, any bookstore, Nordstrom (the best shoe department) – and I end it with a meal at The Cheesecake Factory!

What are the top 5 titles in your Netflix queue? (Be honest.) Or if you don't have a Netflix queue, which books are on your bedside table? (Again, be honest.)

Supernatural (Seasons 1-7), Love and Other Drugs, Sons of Anarchy, North and South (the mini series with Richard Armitage), and Veronica Mars series.

Do you prefer to read ebooks or print?

I don’t know if I have a preference but I usually read e-books because I can take my iPad mini with me everywhere. But I hoard paper copies . . .it is crazy how many books I have.

Where is your favorite place in the world? 
                                          
A beach in Mexico where I go with my hubby every March – just the two of us.

Do you have any advice for people who want to write a book?

Yes! Do it. Start with Chapter One and keep going. Write and write and write more. And read books from the top authors and then apply what you’ve learned to your writing. A book will never get written if you don’t start.

Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her bestselling books. When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy pics, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and obsessing over Dean Winchester. Don't send chocolate . . . send eye candy!

Social Media Links:
Facebook Profile: http://on.fb.me/YSW9n3
Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/1fCyWuQ
Twitter: @RobinCovington
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/qjFcz

"Meet your new book boyfriend. Protective, strong and multi-layered, Max Butler delivers. This book will sweep you off your feet. Right into the arms of a sexy fireman." Tessa Bailey, NYT and USAToday Bestselling Author. 

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