Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Indie Author Showcase: Keith Robinson

Before we get to the showcase, I have news!

The Kickstarter project for "Children of Aerthwheel" expired yesterday without being successfully funded. This does not, however, mean the book won't be published. Of course it will see the light of day. I'll just have to work harder to get print copies into the hands of booksellers and reviewers. I'd hoped to have a website that acted as a sort of companion piece to the novel; I can still do that, though it won't be as seamless and it won't be as interactive as I'd originally planned.

Truthfully, I was disappointed when the Kickstarter project hit the wall. Yet, I'm not discouraged. That project, like everything I've done up to this point, was simply an experiment. Had it worked out, I would have been overjoyed; but I can take that "failed" experience and learn some things. As an indie author, I will never count myself as defeated. I will always look at my experiences as opportunities to learn and adapt. It's a skill I like to apply in my daily life, too.

I recently heard a rather wise man say, "Failure is not trying." As long as I put my heart and soul into whatever I'm doing, I will never fail. Every movement made is a motion forward. Even when things seem depressing and the world appears to be at odds with your very existence, you have to try. That's what being an indie is all about. And I will never stop trying.

Okay, enough of the motivational mumbo-jumbo! It's time for the Indie Author Showcase... back for good, this time!

Today's featured author is Keith Robinson. In addition to the book featured below, he has written three sequels and is planning the fifth novel in the series. If there's anything I like more than an indie author, it's a hard-working indie author! Originally hailing from England, Keith has lived in the United States since 2001. When he's not writing, he is a website designer, a collector of books, and a fan of fantasy and science fiction.

And now, from the author himself...

Author: Keith Robinson

Book Title: Island of Fog

Genre: Fantasy for readers 9+ (suits adults too)

Your Book in 1000 Words or Less: A lonely, foggy island is home to eight families. Twelve-year-old Hal and his friends have always wondered what happened all those years ago on the mainland, that unseen place Out There beyond the fog, and after an astonishing discovery in the woods the children are more determined than ever to find out what their parents are hiding. But their lives are turned upside down when Abigail reveals her closely guarded secret. According to her, the children are slowly changing into monsters! Are they freaks of nature, or subjects of a sinister experiment?

Each child reacts differently to his or her unique monstrous transformation; after all, one may feel proud to be a dragon, faerie, or centaur, but who in their right mind wants to be a sadistic manticore or cowardly harpy?

ISLAND OF FOG is a story of intrigue and conspiracy. The reader follows Hal Franklin as he struggles to accept that he and his friends are something more than ordinary children, and that their parents have been covering up the truth the whole time. With their trust shaken and the unexpected arrival of a strange woman from Out There, the children hide their frightening shapeshifting abilities and pretend nothing is wrong.

The story continues in LABYRINTH OF FIRE and MOUNTAIN OF WHISPERS. The fourth book, LAKE OF SPIRITS, is due Summer 2011.

Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/098439060X (or signed copies from http://www.unearthlytales.com)

Author Website: http://www.unearthlytales.com

Something Unique About Your Writing Process:  I wrote ISLAND OF FOG organically and it took absolutely ages. I enjoyed what I wrote, but it took me in the wrong direction so I had to change a lot of it. Subsequent novels have only taken 4-6 months because I plan them with chapter summaries (just a paragraph each). But I rarely complete my summaries; as long as I have about half done, including the last few chapters, I can fill in the rest organically. For me it's like printing a map of how to get to your destination; you're aware of the route and where to make important turns, but you have no idea what you're going to see along the way.

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