About the Author: Robin Reul
What would you like readers to know about you?
I've been writing stories since I was a child. Growing up on film sets and traveling a lot with my parents, books were my friends and my lifeline. I knew from early on the power a good book can have in making someone not just feel entertained, but seen, heard and understood. I like to write stories and create characters that hopefully stay with the reader long after that last page and leave them smiling, because the world is filled with plenty of darkness and this is my way of contributing to the light.
What music do you listen to (if any) when you write?
Most of the time, I prefer to write in total silence. That being said, I love to create a playlist of songs that remind me of the characters or various scenes or settings within the book and will often listen to this when I am driving around to inspire myself and get myself into the moment. When I write, often scenes just download into my brain and play out visually like I am watching a movie, so having that soundtrack really helps me set a tone or a mood.
What books or authors inspired you to become a writer?
Oh my goodness, that list is too long to count. I could never say that one author or one book set it all in motion for me. As a young adult, I devoured Judy Blume, Norma Klein, Paula Danziger, etc. As I moved into my college years, I was inspired by Anne Rice, Joyce Carol Oates, Wally Lamb. As an adult, I love Jodi Picoult, Jonathan Tropper, Kristin Hannah, Armistead Maupin, Matt Haig. I love books that make me think and feel and learn more about people and places different from who I am and what I know, books that make me laugh out loud, stories that take me on a journey. I am equally inspired to create those kinds of stories, and these authors inspire me to dig deeper and work harder.
About the Book: Where the Road Leads Us
What is your book about for those who haven’t read it?
It's about two teens at respective crossroads moments whose lives intersect when fate puts them in the same rideshare and it sets them off on a hilarious unexpected journey to find their true authentic selves. It's a book about human connection, hope and what we owe ourselves.
What has been your inspiration for writing it?
I wrote this book in the year after my father passed away. I was flattened by grief. Around the same time, my son was graduating college and struggling to figure out his path. So much of why he wanted to do what he majored in was tied to my father and his career, and my daughter was considering following in his footsteps as well. Without my dad here to share it with, it gave them pause. It made me think about how life can change in an instant and that loss changes our perspective on everything we think we know and want. It forces us to look at ourselves and what and who we value with a different lens. I loved the idea of these two young people meeting and having completely different lives, different struggles, different everything but they speak the same language of grief and it cracks them wide open.
What was your favorite scene or part of your book to write?
I don't want to spoil too much but there's a scene with some mannequins in the back of a truck that had me laughing while I was writing it. I also really loved writing Oscar's character. He was my favorite :)
Where can your book be purchased?
It is available for purchase online in trade paperback, eBook or Audiobook at most online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble and can be ordered from local booksellers as well.
To the Future Writer:
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write a book?
Get social media savvy. Writing a book is not just writing a book. These days, the bulk of marketing and promotion effort fall to the author. Learn about all the best ways to promote yourself and invest the time in an online marketing crash course on Udemy, which is an inexpensive and effective way to learn those skills. Start researching Bookstagrammers and become familiar with what they like to read and interact with them. Although it does indeed seem counter-intuitive to publish a book but not promote it or make people aware it exists, sadly, that is the case more often than not, so the true effort will need to come from you. The more prepared you are to meet that moment, the better the chance your book will get found by your target readers.
What’s next for you? Any events, upcoming pubs, etc.
Covid happened right before this book came out, so sadly I didn't really have a lot of in-person opportunities to connect with readers the way I had hoped. Currently I am working on two new projects. The first is an adult fiction novel, which is an exciting departure for me, and the other is a rom-com screenplay. I'm enjoying taking things in new directions and having fun with it.
Where can we find you:
Twitter- @Robinreul
Instagram-@robinreul
What’s on your TBR list?
It reaches to the ceiling! Right now I'm about to dive into Kristin Hannah's "The Great Alone", which I have been dying to read for years. I'm also gravitating towards a lot more "spiritual" books and have Yung Pueblo's latest "Lighter" on deck as well. I'm really trying to read things that inspire and empower me these days.
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