AUTHOR GINA ROBINSON SITS IN MY HOTSEAT!

MEOW!  Today’s hotseat guest is author Gina Robinson. Gina writes romantic suspense.

Gina was born in Baltimore, Maryland to two kids from Idaho. They eventually moved back home and she grew up in Washington and Idaho where she became an avid reader and booklover. In school she excelled in English, so of course she became an Electrical Engineer J  But once her first child was born, Gina gave up the glamourous engineering life for that of stay at home mom – and the writing bug bit again!

And now, in my hotseat…GINA ROBINSON!

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

G: I've always been an avid reader and a daydreamer who makes up stories in her head. When my first child was born, I quit my job as an electrical engineer to stay home with her. I started writing as a way to keep my mind engaged in the adult world while dealing with children all day long.

R:  What inspired your “Agent Ex” series?

G: My first two published novels, Spy Candy and Spy Games, are about fantasy spy camps. Writing about real spies, as opposed to people pretending to be spies at a fantasy camp, seemed like a natural transition. I love James Bond, but the only woman he ever married ended up dead. I began to wonder--what would it be like to be married to James Bond? What are the downsides and the upsides? Can true love survive that kind of pressure? And then, because I write humor, I put a humorous spin on it, imagining all kinds of crazy spying scenarios.

R: Tell us about your latest release

G: Diamonds Are Truly Forever releases on May 22, 2012. (R: That's today! Yippee!)It's the second book in my Agent Ex series, but it's a completely standalone novel. A reader can enjoy it without having read The Spy Who Left Me. Though, of course, I recommend reading all of my books, lol.

Here's the back cover copy:

LOVE ROCKS...

SHE CANNOT TELL A LIE

Staci Fields loves her gorgeous husband—and that’s the honest truth. Unfortunately, her inability to lie is a major liability for the wife of a CIA agent. During a previous mission, her loose lips nearly got her husband killed. So now Staci’s filing for divorce to keep him out of danger—no matter how much her lips still crave his kiss…

HE CANNOT HIDE HIS LOVE

Drew Fields knows that his wife doesn’t want to play the spy game anymore. But when he learns that Staci may be a pawn in her stepfather’s secret dealings with terrorists, he has no choice but to step back into her life. This time, the stakes are higher than ever. The closer he gets to Staci, the deadlier the odds. And the more he loves his ex, the more he has to lose…

R: Are you a fan of spy shows like Man from UNCLE or spy movies like James Bond?

G: I love spy movies of all kinds--funny ones like Get Smart and This Means War, action-packed ones like James Bond, and more thinking ones like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

R: Would you like to be a spy in real life?  What do you find fascinating about that profession?

G: Are you kidding? No way! I was born completely lacking the thrillseeker gene. But the acting, lying, living a double life part of being a spy is absolutely intriguing to me.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

G: How I got my agent isn't a terribly exciting story. I researched agents I was interested in and who represented the kind of work I wrote. Then I queried them and went through the usual submission process.

I sold my first novel after twelve years of rejection. I was understandably stunned when my agent called with the news. Actually she first called me the day before to say an editor was interested and was going to take the book to the editorial committee. My reaction to that call, which I kept to myself, was basically, Yeah, yeah, whatever. Call me when we have an offer. Like that's ever going to happen.

That sounds cynical and sarcastic, but it really wasn't. You have to understand I'd been down that road many times before. Editors took my books to committee and fought to buy them, but somehow never won. I didn't expect this new editor to be a superhero and actually prevail. But somehow, he did. I also thought we'd have to wait weeks to hear back and get the inevitable rejection. But my agent called the very next day with an offer. And then, like I said, I was just stunned, feeling as if I was in a dream.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

G: I need peace and quiet. I guess I'm easily distracted, lol. For me, what aids my creative process is having time to daydream and let my mind wander.

R: We know you enjoy writing romantic suspense. What other genres are you into?

G: The very first manuscript I wrote was a historical romance. I'd love to get back to that. I also write chicklit, or as I like to call it, humorous women's fiction.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

G:I'd like to spend a few hours in Regency England visiting with Jane Austen.

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

G:I'd like to see any of my Agent Ex novels made into movies. But I'd totally leave the casting to the experts.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

G:That I consider myself a serious person ;-)

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

G: Define crazy.

And now, a little thing Big Rock calls, “Just for Fun”

R:  Your Favorite?

G: Movie? I don't have an absolute favorite. As I said, I like spy movies. I really enjoy all the Jane Austen movies. I love to watch Van Helsing at Halloween. I like quirky movies like Stardust and romantic comedies.

TV Show? Big Bang Theory
Actor? I enjoy the work of many actors and actresses, but I don't have a particular favorite of either.

Drink? My very favorite beverage on the plant is water. I know, very boring, but it's just about all I drink. Even at restaurants. I'm a cheap date ;-)

Man from UNCLE or James Bond? No contest--James Bond.

Mountain or Seashore? Mountain

Cat or Dog? Dog  (MEEOOOOW!  Well, okay J)
Night or Day? Day

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

G: I write escapist fiction, so of course I want my readers to feel as if they've escaped from the pressures of real life. Other than that, I hope they leave my stories with a sense of optimism and hope. Got some good laughs. And believe that true love can prevail against all kinds of obstacles and is worth fighting for.

R:  Out of all the characters you’ve created, do you have a favorite and why?

G: Asking an author to pick a favorite is kind of like asking a mom who her favorite child is. I like them all for different reasons. But two stand out to me--Tonio, the hero from the first manuscript I wrote, which is still unpublished. I think I love him because he was my first.

And Jack Pierce, the hero from the third Agent Ex book, Live and Let Love, which comes out in January 2013. Jack is a CIA assassin with a tender side. And he's officially dead and trying to protect his "widow" without giving himself away. He was a blast to write.

R: what advice can you offer writers just starting on their journey?

G: Write the best book you can. Practice and polish until you can't make it any better.  Study the market. Know your competition. Don't be afraid to take risks, but take them with the full knowledge of the best and worst case outcomes and be prepared for either.

Thank you for a great interview, Gina!

Folks, to learn more about Gina, you can visit her website:

www.ginarobinson.com

Follow Gina on Twitter: @ginamrobinson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GinaRobinsonAuthor

Book Links for Diamonds Are Truly Forever

Amazon: http://amzn.to/HuD9Fq

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/H7IK2F

Books a Million: http://bit.ly/HAYfNG

Gina’s happy to give away a copy of the first Agent Ex novel, The Spy Who Left Me (paperback edition) to one lucky commenter. Leave a comment below with your email address.  For extra entries, you can:

Friend moi, ROCCO, on Facebook (if you haven’t already!)

Friend the HUMAN on FB

Friend Gina on FB

Follow moi on Twitter @RoccoBlogger

Follow Gina on Twitter

Tweet or FB about this interview and giveaway!

Be sure to list all you’ve done in the post so we can give you the extra entries. Tweeting or FB’ing about this interview and giveaway gets you 3 – count ‘em 3 – extra entries!

Contest open to US residents only. Closes midnight, May 28^th, winner announced on May 29!

Get goin!

Coming up…an interview with Queen Betsy Taylor, courtesy of MaryJanice Davidson, on the day of UNDEAD AND UNSTABLE’S release, June 5^th!

And more to come in the months after, including interviews with Sara Dearly (courtesy Michelle Rowen), Rachel Vincent, our KNTR fundraiser and character interview with CASTLE (fanfic) and more…..Happy Memorial Day, everyone!  See you after the holiday!

ROCCO

Incredibly Talented Blogging Cat

PS:  Gina is featured in this month's issue of NIGHT OWL REVIEWS - courtesy of "The Human". To get your free magazine, click here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/Nor/Authors/Night-Owl-Reviews.aspx