Interview with Author Robin Murphy by Diane G. (icesk8tr)
Diane: We would like to welcome Robin Murphy back to talk about her second book “Secret of the Big Easy”.
Robin: Hello Diane I thank you and Paperback Swap for having me back.
Diane: Did you publish this book in the same manner as Sullivan’s Secret?
Robin: No, I self-published Secret of the Big Easy. I read countless blog posts and discussion groups on the subject and after a lot of soul searching I decided to test the waters and join the community of self-publishers.
Diane: Is it easier to promote a book the second time around?
Robin: It was easier because I had laid the ground work for my author platform with the first book. The website was there, my social networking was set, and I had a year’s worth of blog posts. But it still takes the same amount of “time” to promote both books. You approach previous blog tours you were a part of, and interviews, and then I reached out to a few new sites to share my stories. It is a time consuming effort but I created a timeline so I wouldn’t lose sight of what I really love to do, which is writing.
Diane: Your second book “Secret of the Big Easy” brings us to New Orleans. Any reason you picked New Orleans as the setting?
Robin: Interesting story, well maybe not to everyone…my husband and I always wanted to visit New Orleans and I thought wouldn’t it be a perfect fit for a psychic and a ghost investigating team to travel to New Orleans. Talk about paranormal. Then I received, at my day job, an opportunity to go to a great conference at…you guessed it, New Orleans. So, I was able to immerse myself into the heart of the French Quarter, and viola, Secret of the Big Easy was born.
Diane: How much time do you spend on researching the information like the rituals, paranormal events, etc. for your story?
Robin: I spend a great deal of time researching for my stories. I feel even though I’m writing fiction, I need to have factual information and details because it still needs to be believable. Readers are intelligent and you’ll lose them if you have certain information that’s not correct. You never know when you’ll come across a reader who knows something particular about a certain situation or scenario in your story. The minute they see the error, they’ve lost interest.
Diane: You bring the characters on a paranormal investigation with their local organization. Have you ever been on an investigation like this? This is something I would love to do!
Robin: Yes, I finally got the chance to go on an investigation last October with a local paranormal group. It was fascinating, exciting, and everything I had hoped it would be. In fact, I wrote a blog post here: http://robinmurphyauthor.com/robinmurphyauthor/?s=ghost+investigation describing the experience. This was the best decision I could have ever made because it gave me such an understanding of what really takes place for a ghost investigation. If you get the chance, go for it!
Diane: From having various experiences myself, I enjoyed reading about Marie struggling with her new abilities. Is some of this coming from your personal experiences?
Robin: No, I haven’t had any personal psychic experiences. I think I have a sixth sense, something a lot of people have. I’ve read many books written by psychics and learned about their experiences which gave me the sense of how it can take over your life or scare you out of your wits. It may be a gift, but some feel it’s a curse.
Diane: Are you going to continue this series and have the SIPS team continue to travel to other cities?
Robin: Yes I am. My third book in the series, Federal City’s Secret being released this summer, has Marie and the SIPS team traveling to Washington, DC. It involves politics, the mafia, secret societies, and of course, murder.
Diane: Where is your book available?
Robin: In all the usual venues, Amazon paperback and Kindle; Barnes & Noble paperback and Nook.
Diane: Thanks again, it is always a pleasure talking to you as we share similar experiences!
Robin: Thank you, I so enjoy our chats.
Robin Murphy has generously offered a free copy of her new book, Secret of the Big Easy, to a PBS member who leaves a comment here on the blog.
A winner will be chosen at Random.
Thank you, Ms. Murphy and Diane!
