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​book reviews

Painter of the Damned (Painted Souls Book 2)   by Rob Samborn

11/3/2022

47 Comments

 
Multi-volume historical-fantasy-thriller author, Rob Samborn introduces us to his latest book, “Painter of the Damned”, the second volume in the Painted Souls series:
A soul mate trapped in purgatory.
Dangerous alliances.
The quest for ultimate power.

After escaping Venice with their lives, Nick & Julia O'Connor have one goal: return home so they can end their nightmare vacation. But before they reach the American consulate, they're captured by Interpol and returned to Venice.

Behind Nick's detention is Salvatore della Porta, the corrupt head of an ancient, enigmatic order that controls Paradise, Tintoretto's Renaissance masterpiece that's also a purgatory for thousands of souls—including Nick's soul mate from the 16th century.

Della Porta believes Nick's previous life knows the location of a book lost to the ages. This mysterious manuscript will bring him world-changing power—or topple the order.

As Nick's link to the past consumes him, it's up to Julia to save her husband and crush della Porta. But with friends in short supply, she must enlist Carlo Zuccaro, unaware the young artist is the order's new Painter and warden of the damned.
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I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t think Rob could top the first book! Boy, was I wrong! The mystery, mild horror and adventure made this story hard to put down! The writing is so good, the author has a wonderful blend of dialogue, action and description to keep the story moving at a good clip!
Julia is never sure who her friends are because everyone she knows in Venice and Europe seems to have their own agendas that she can only guess at. She does a lot of guessing seeking every possible avenue to find and free her husband!
You are going to love this book! A fun and exciting read with 5 stars from me!

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 You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Painter-of-the-Damned-Book-2-ebook 
https://www.goodreads.com/-painter-of-the-damned-book-2 
https://www.kobo.com/painter-of-the-damned-book-2 
 
Here is the link to the review of the first book and interview with the author: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-prisoner-of-paradise 
 
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/RobSamborn 
https://robsamborn.com 
https://www.facebook.com/RobSambornAuthor 
https://www.instagram.com/robsamborn 
 
Copyright ©2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
47 Comments
Rob SAMBORN link
11/4/2022 04:26:16 pm

Thanks, Mark! I'm so glad you loves Painter of the Damned!

Reply
Mark
11/4/2022 04:39:56 pm

You’re welcome, Rob. I loved your book and can hardly wait for the next volume.

First question.

Would you mind telling us something about yourself beyond your bio on Amazon?

Reply
Rob snoen link
11/4/2022 04:48:15 pm

Sure. Two things about me that aren't in my Amazon bio: I used to work for the Japanese government and I once spent a summer in Florence, selling leather jackets by day and playing in a band by night.

Reply
Mark
11/4/2022 05:03:15 pm

Working for the Japanese government sounds pretty exotic. I love samurai movies and much of the Japanese cuisine including sashimi.

I traveled much of Western Europe in 1973 before the Berlin Wall came down. The Cold War was still on. I didn’t make it to Italy because I got sick after 2 months of backpacking around Europe studying architectural history.

New question.

Where did the inspiration start for this series?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 12:36:02 am

I've also traveled around Europe quite a bit.

The inspiration for the Painted Souls series came from the fusing of two ideas: the concept of soul mates and the immortalization of people in artwork. That led me specifically to Jacopo Tintoretto's Paradise, the world's largest oil painting and the titular subject of The Prisoner of Paradise, the first book.

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 09:10:47 am

My first trip, in the summer of 1973, included a self-designed list of important edifices in architectural history. I wanted to be an architect at that time. I did spend two days in the Louvre, but I did not visit many other art museums. Though I did see lots of art in some of the cathedrals.

New questions.

What kind of marketing are you doing or planning on doing for your book?

What kind of marketing has worked the best and the least for you for any of your books?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 11:23:12 am

Sounds like you had a great trip.

Though I'm with a publisher, they're an indie publisher, so unfortunately they do very little marketing. The obits is on me. I do a good amount of social media, online book tours, in-person events, promotions, and paid ads. I'm a big believer in brand recognition and awareness, so I think you need as much exposure as possible. But in terms of sales, paid ads are the most effective.

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 01:41:50 pm

It was a life-changing trip, backpacking around Western Europe for a little over 2 months. I had a Student-Rail pass that allowed me to ride 2nd class and down for free. 3rd class isn't bad, 4th class is kind of rough and 5th class is sitting on a wooden bench with no back to it. Pretty rough.

Promoting and marketing a book is almost every author's responsibility whether traditional, independent or self-published; unless you are a big name author.

One of my favorite blogs is about pursuing the local author angle. How to be a marketing star right where you live. A copy-and-paste link or search the title in the box below: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/hometown-book-marketing/ I would add a few tips, seek out literature teachers at the high school and college level to share in their class and there might be a club in the school. Local newspapers are a good resource for an interview as well as local cable access. There might also be a broadcast arts curriculum and/or a club at the high school and college level. Have some questions about your book ready to hand the interviewer if they seem uncertain.

If there are tourist destinations try and place your books with the local author angle. Museums, gift stores, motels, hotels, tourist attractions are all possibilities. Keep a box of books in your trunk. Get a counter-top holder for a few books, paste a picture of the cover on the holder behind the books and put re-ordering information on the back of the holder.

Consider renting a table at a comic convention, county fair, farmer's market or a flea market. Have free swag to hand out such as a bookmark and sell mugs or posters. There are so many ways to be the 'local author' I doubt I have exhausted the list of possibilities.

You mentioned blog tours, so this article might be useful for you. Do This, Not That – Blog Tours
https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2020/06/do-this-not-that-blog-tours I also have lists of book reviewers and book promoters on my Twitter pages. Those might be useful for you as well, check their requirements carefully before approaching them.

New questions.

How do you know when a book is finished?

Did anything in the book come as a surprise while you were writing?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 03:47:14 pm

Those are all great ideas. I've given presentations at a conference. And my book is available in the gift shop of the Doge's Palace in Venice, the museum where much of the first book takes place.

I'm a heavy outliner so I know when the first draft is done. Then I go through a number of rounds of edits. Once I'm happy with that, I have beta readers read the manuscript. I then make more edits and once I'm happy with that, I send to my agent. I then make more edits based on her suggestions and once I'm happy with that draft, I send it to the publisher for another round of edits with their editor.

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 03:55:57 pm

That is very cool that your book is available in Venice. Maybe you could get it into some of the hotels in Venice also.

That is a great process you have in place. It makes a lot of sense to me. As some writer said a long time ago, "easy reading is damned hard writing".

New questions.

How much time passed from when you got the idea to write your book; then actually starting to write the book?

How long does the research process take before you start to write a book or do you do the research as you write the book?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 04:03:05 pm

That's a great quote!

In this case, I came up with this book while I was writing the first book, so I started writing before the first book was even released.

I do a huge amount of research. Hundreds of hours, plus a trip to Venice. 😊

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 05:20:54 pm

I have no doubt you have spent hundreds of hours on research. Your books are so detailed and believable. The trip to Venice is certainly icing on the cake. That had to be a big factor in the authenticity of your story.

New questions.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?

Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 06:11:44 pm

The first draft of Painter of the Damned took about 11 months, which is pretty fast for me, and I'm getting faster. I expect the first draft of my next book in the series will take about 8 months to complete.

Yes, I always loved creative writing. I often made up stories, created characters, etc. I was also always interested in movies. While I didn't have a writing-related major in college, shortly after I graduated, I took a number of screenwriting courses at the college level and then attended a professional screenwriting school in Los Angeles.

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 07:06:52 pm

Writing is like many other skills, the more you practice it the faster you get.

Those screenwriting classes are paying off for you. Your story played out on my mental screen flawlessly. I have suggested to many writers to take screenwriting courses. I think a writer can't have too many tools in their toolbox.

When I was a sheet metal worker in construction, I had 8 or 9 different pairs of sheet metal snips.

New questions.

A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. Because, after the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important. How did you find your beta-readers?

Do you give them an e-version like a PDF or a hard copy you printed?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 07:31:34 pm

I couldn't agree more that a writer can't have too many tools in their toolbox.

All of my beta readers are in my writing group, as well as author friends. I in variably give them digital drafts, and usually Word (not a pdf), so they can make edits right into the document.

I don't think anybody has actually asked me for a hard copy. I'm happy about that. I have enough environmental guilt about being an author as it is.

Either way, I find it much more useful to have edits right on the source document. And I'm the same way when I read/edit other people's work. It's just my workflow and how I'm used to writing. I'd much rather type.

Reply
Mark
11/5/2022 08:29:53 pm

That is nice, the readers are writers themselves so they can spot things that don't work well. I am guessing that beta reading is shared by all for the other members also.

Working with a Word document is pretty easy. That is how I do my proofreading, using the Comments feature of MS Word. I don't like to use Track Changes because I don't like to change the author's words. I don't mind removing or adding spaces as needed, however.

New questions.

Do ask them questions or give the beta readers free rein?

Do you reward the alpha/beta readers in any way particular?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/5/2022 08:45:26 pm

Yeah, I don't understand how people write books using anything but Word. There's a reason why it's the industry standard.

For almost all of my beta readers it's reciprocal, so I don't get them gifts, or anything like that. I review their work and we give each other out undying gratitude.

For the book release, I put together a "street team" who is supposed to help spread the word. For those people, I send them a copy of the book.

Reply
Mark
11/6/2022 07:09:44 am

Microsoft Word has a huge user base installed around the world. It’s the de facto standard for business as well as education and available on Apple computers as well as PCs.

That is very nice, to return the favor of beta reading to your author friends.

I subscribe to a lot of authors’ newsletters and quite a few of them send out advance review copies and have a street team to generate buzz and help build initial sales.

New questions.

How many members are there in your authors support group?

Does the group meet in real life or is it all digital as in a zoom meeting?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/6/2022 12:55:00 pm

It's more of a writers's group, not an author support group. It's quite large, with about 25 regular attendees. It's not genre-specific, nor level of writer. Most of those people just read snippets here and there (out of order), so you could call the alpha readers. Out of that group, I have about 3 real beta readers. And then I have another small handful of friends who are published authors.

For the writing group, it's a hybrid, with about 85% of the attendees meeting in person. For the authors, it's all online.

Reply
Mark
11/6/2022 01:21:15 pm

There is a difference no doubt. That first group is pretty big. The virtual option is nice to have.

New questions.

What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?

What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/6/2022 01:26:35 pm

For the first question, I'd say how important it is to build buzz and market ahead of the release, and then keep that going (even more so).

For the second question, I wish I knew: 1) how important building a network is; 2) how much marketing an author needs to do; 3) how difficult and slow the publishing industry is (overall, not just my books).

Reply
Mark
11/6/2022 01:59:46 pm

Boy howdy! Building buzz is so important now. Amazon not only turned traditional publishing‘s apple cart upside down it smashed it to smithereens and chased the horses away. It is all up to the author now.

Those are all important and critical points. Especially how slow the publishing industry is. Mini publishers will try and time a book to the market and they may wait as long as a year before they put that book out and meanwhile the author is left swinging. That’s one of several reasons why I think authors are much better off indie publishing if not self publishing.

New questions.

Do you have a hero, real or fictional?

What are some challenges to writing Historical Fiction?


Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/6/2022 02:15:52 pm

Yeah, publishing is definitely challenging. But it's a mountain that can be conquered. But it is a mountain.

I don't have a specific hero, but I'm quite inspired by heroes in general, both real and fictitious. While I like to write stories that have characters with a lot of gray area, I love it when people rise to the occasion and become heroes. Those heroic scenes are some of my favorites. You'll notice a few in Painter of the Damned, especially with Julia, who starts off as an average person and is even ready to call it quits and go home. But she rises to the occasion and becomes quite heroic at times. And that will continue with book 3.

The biggest challenges in writing historical fiction are 1) the time it takes to research; 2) getting it right; 3) finding obscure things that an author needs to include in books. The latter could include shoe wear, hairstyles, how people went to the bathroom, what sheets or mattresses were made of, how people shaved (or if they did), what they would eat or drink for a snack, and so many more.

Reply
Mark
11/6/2022 03:36:57 pm

I did notice where those times Julia rose to the occasion and acted heroically. I loved it, very inspiring!

The obscure details can provide so much color in scenes and leave a lovely impression. An air of authenticity can be created that can be very memorable.

New questions.

What is your favorite genre to read for fun?

Do you write notes by hand or on the computer?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/6/2022 03:54:01 pm

Thanks! I'm glad you loved those scenes. And yeah, I completely agree that the little details add color and a level of authenticity. That's why I do it. Sometimes I'll spend an hour researching for one sentence.

I read a wide variety of genres, including literary fiction, historical thrillers, historical fiction (all sorts) spy thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy (all sorts), mysteries, crime, and some non-fiction. I'd say my all time favorite is historical thrillers (thrillers set in the past or thrillers set in the present that involve some aspect of history).

I only write notes by hand if not in front of a computer or the extremely rare instance when I may not have my cell phone. I use an app on my phone to take notes.

Reply
Mark
11/7/2022 08:47:14 am

I used to read only science fiction, then I discovered fantasy and loved it. Tolkien's LOTR was my introduction to fantasy in junior high school. I read the series 3 times by the time I graduated from high school. I maintained reading only in those genres for many years. I have branched out a lot in the last 10 years and am happy to discover wonderful writing in so many different genres. Historical fiction is now one of my top favorite genres to read.

Most authors I have spoken to prefer using the computer for notes, but they will resort to using whatever means necessary to preserve ideas. More than one author receives visits from their muse at odd times. One author, in particular, mentioned how she keeps a pad of paper and a pen on her nightstand because her muse arrives at 2:30 am nearly every early morning. Another author lamented to me that her muse would visit invariably while she was in the shower and would lose so many great ideas. I suggested she get an outdoor notebook because the pages are waterproof and a Fisher Space pen because it will write underwater. She said she would do that.

New questions.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?

What has been the biggest surprise in your writing journey?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/7/2022 10:37:44 am

It's hard to pinpoint a single piece of advice, so I'll go with three: 1) write with an active voice; 2) know and live in your genre; 3) this is a marathon, not a sprint.

I think all three are very true, and the biggest surprise is related to #2, which is how important genre is. My books are multi-genre and a number of publishers shied away from the first one because of that. They loved the book but claimed they didn't know how to sell it because of it being multi-genre. At the time, I thought that was nonsense since nearly everything I read or watch is multi-genre, but it turns out to be true.

It largely stems from bookshelves - booksellers need a place to put a book, even on an online retailer. So, we stumbled out of the gate a bit but now the book is marketed as a historical thriller.

It's much better to find a single genre. Readers will pick up on the sub-genres from things in the description.

Reply
Mark
11/7/2022 12:33:49 pm

Perspective is important, not just in telling a story but in everyday life. You learned about the difficulty retailers have selling a multi-genre story. I hadn't thought about it from that point of view myself, but it makes sense to you and me, now.

All three pieces of advice are good. I have been espousing number 3 for a long time, in terms of marketing and promoting books. Unless an author has signed away the copyright on a book or story, the estate can maintain that copyright for 75 years after the death of the author, the last time I heard. I describe marketing books as an ultramarathon. Every author should actively promote their backlist while promoting every new book they write.

New questions.

Now that you have a published book, are you writing anything strictly for yourself or are you concentrating on writing for your readers?

Do you have an item or a routine you consider to be your writing lucky charm?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/7/2022 01:13:54 pm

Yup, all very true!

Unfortunately, there's not even a second in my day for me to write something that would be just for myself. That said, I only write what I like to read, so it's for myself in that regard.

I wouldn't say I have a lucky charm, but I do like writing to music. I find songs that could be the soundtrack to what I'm writing. It puts me in the zone.

Reply
Mark
11/7/2022 04:03:54 pm

Quite a few authors have told me the same thing. There isn't enough time to write for purely personal pleasure. You are doing what most of them are doing, writing something that you enjoy reading.

Some authors need quiet to write, others like to have music playing because it is soothing or stimulating for their writing. A few writers have mentioned they listen to specific music for certain types of scenes. There was one or two writers, quite a while ago, that said they create a playlist for the book by chapter or character. At least one of them said they included the playlists in the back of the book.

New questions.

What are common traps for beginning writers?

Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/7/2022 04:53:35 pm

Oooh, great questions.

I think common traps for beginning writers are 1) not knowing the publishing industry; 2) not recognizing this is all a business; 3) not realizing that writing is a career like any other that requires years of working on a skillset; 4) thinking any of this is easy.

I think a strong ego is an asset. While you don't want to be a megalomaniac or narcissistic, or even have an overinflated ego, being confident in one's abilities leads to a strong voice. And a strong voice is key in writing or any type of storytelling. Writers are storytellers. People want to listen to confident storytellers.

Reply
Mark
11/8/2022 12:25:42 pm

I completely agree with all four of those items. They are spot on. The publishing industry has changed tremendously in the last 20 years or so Amazon has really torn apart in the traditional publishing industry has contracted so much so many publishers at all levels have disappeared or have been swallowed up by competitors. We’re down to the big five now because it doesn’t look like the merger is going to happen between penguin and Schuster.

Your second answer is spot on also there is a balance that is necessary between a strong is a strong ego and narcissism. A writer has to have thick skin because not everybody is going to love their book the universally loved book has never been written nor will it be in this existence.

New questions.

Can you describe the demographic of your ideal reader? Who is the person most likely to buy your book?

Do you have an item or a routine you consider to be your writing lucky charm

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/9/2022 10:17:37 am

I agree. Some interesting things will be happening in the publishing world soon.

I like to think of it not so much as my ideal reader, but readers who will enjoy my work. Since my books are multi-genre, this is a pretty broad spectrum, but it's anybody who enjoys thrillers, historical fiction, books set in Italy or the Renaissance, books about art, or books with a love story at its crux.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't necessarily have a lucky charm, but I do like writing to music.

Reply
Mark
11/9/2022 04:29:34 pm

I think the publishing industry is still changing also. At times, I doubt it will ever stop changing. One thing I am fairly certain about is that the traditional publishing will never be the same as it was in 20th century. Amazon has completely altered the publishing landscape and has proven that anyone can write and publish a book. That is the good news and the bad news. In retrospect, the gatekeepers of traditional publishing saved us from wading through many poorly written books. In their zeal they also saved us from many talented writers. Of course, reviews now help us decide what to read next and what to never read.

Those are good categories to describe these books. One of the many things I like about your books is the relationship between Nick and Julia, it seems pretty realistic to me. Their story is full of bumps in the road and those bumps help them to realize how important their relationship is to them.

New questions.

Have you thought about publishing a story on Vella, Radish, Wattpad or one of the other episode-based publishing platforms?

Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/9/2022 11:49:49 pm

I completely agree with all that. There are pros and cons to both sides, for sure. I expect we'll be seeing a complete paradigm shift in the near future.

I've never considered publishing on Vella or Wattpad and to be honest, know very little about them. I've never heard of Radish.

I have the opposite problem of writer's block - too many ideas. And not nearly enough time!

Reply
Mark
11/10/2022 07:27:06 am

I think we are in the middle of the shift now. I am not sure how it will all turn out, though. I am hoping that TV and movie producers will realize how much awesome writing talent is out now and return to producing original shows instead of rehashing the same tired stories.

For any author interested in chasing that rabbit there are serious things to consider to protect your intellectual property rights. Many blogs have been written on this topic. Here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/07/26/turn-your-book-into-a-tv-or-streaming-series Joanna is one of my favorite bloggers.

Some authors make money on these sites. You will want to be careful, here is another copy-and-paste link: The Predatory Contracts of Serial Reading/Writing Apps https://writerunboxed.com/2022/06/24/reading-between-the-lines-the-predatory-contracts-of-serial-reading-writing-apps These issues may have been solved, I don't know for sure.

New questions.

Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?

If you branch out into a different genre, will you use a different name, why or why not?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/10/2022 11:46:51 am

Many authors use a pseudonym to either protect their privacy or to write in different genres in which there isn't overlap, or even a barrier (such as romance/erotica and kids).

For me, marketing and publicity is challenging enough, so I prefer to use my real name to capitalize on all the connections I've made over the years. There have been instances when people I haven't spoken to for years saw my name and reached out, having been completely unaware I'm a writer.

I do plan on writing other genres but I'll probably stick with using my real name for the same reason.

Reply
Mark
11/10/2022 01:02:55 pm

Many authors have echoed similar sentiments. They all make sense to me. There are quite a few authors who use a pen name so they can maintain their private life. I am sure that there are other reasons to use a pseudonym also.

New questions.

What is the next genre you are thinking of diving into?

Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/10/2022 02:27:26 pm

I'd love to try my hand at middle grade books, sci-fi and young adult.

I also want to continue writing in the historical thriller genre, but even more so into it. While my books are historical thrillers, since they're multi-genre, they're not necessarily squarely in that category. I plan on writing historical/archeological thrillers that are serials, so people can pick up any book without needing to read them in order.

For the second question, none come to mind. I've always been into a wide variety of genres. Though there are some styles and genres I've never liked and still don't!

Reply
Mark
11/10/2022 04:33:46 pm

Middle grade books are an interesting category. I have reviewed several of them and enjoyed them. The Bug Boys comes to mind, but there are others.

The archaeology books intrigue me quite a bit. I look forward to seeing what you write.

New questions.

Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

At this time, do you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/10/2022 06:06:37 pm

Thanks!

Absolutely - reading, watching movies and listening to music definitely helps a writer improve their craft. All three have their unique storytelling methods and one can learn from each. Now that said, a book writer should definitely focus on book reading. And, in fact, I think a writer should immerse themselves in their genre.

That leads me to the second question. At this stage in my career, I read either books that other authors request me to read (for author blurbs) or books that are a combination of research/homework and for my own enjoyment. Fortunately, I write what I like to read, so it's enjoyable for me.

Reply
Mark
11/11/2022 08:09:27 am

You nailed that! there are many different ways to tell a story. That is why I have encouraged authors to take classes in writing screenplays or plays.

It's wonderful when you love what you are doing or reading. I feel much the same way about helping authors. I love to read and enjoy pretty much everything I read.

New questions.

Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

What hurdle did you face in writing this book and how did you overcome it?

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/11/2022 02:34:36 pm

Books by masterful authors often have me marveling. They change the way I look at writing in the sense that I know I can continue improving my craft. There are also a number of books on writing that I love and completely opened my eyes earlier in my career. One that stands out is Stein on Writing by Sol Stein.

To be honest, I didn't have too many hurdles with this book. I'd say the biggest hurdle was outlining books 2 and 3 together. I had never done something like that before, so that was a challenge.

I suppose the other challenge was getting people up to speed on the contents of book 1, working it into the narrative, without it feeling like an expository info dump.

Reply
Mark
11/11/2022 03:58:54 pm

There have been a few books that have left me breathless also. Tolkien's LOTR floored me when I first read it in junior high school. I had not read high fantasy before. I read the set 2 more times before graduating from high school.

Sol Stein's book sounds like I should read it also.

I have heard of a few authors who write an entire series and then publish them a couple of months apart. Plotting out two books at the same time does sound difficult but it is easy to imagine that the continuity of the story is as smooth as possible as a result.

Avoiding the information dump is something almost every author writing a series struggles with. You did an excellent job of blending the necessary facts from book 1 into this story.

Last questions.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.

Reply
Rob Samborn link
11/11/2022 04:45:35 pm

Thanks! Glad you liked the way I catch readers up on book 1.

Good questions.

For the first, I'd say it was probably the cover of The Prisoner of Paradise (which has ironically been changed). Though I have a publisher and my publisher would've paid for it, at the time, I wasn't thrilled with their designers. Therefore, I took it upon myself to find a designer. My publisher has since greatly improved the quality of their covers.

For articles about writing, I don't subscribe to that many because there are so many out there. Therefore, I pick and choose as they come to me. Word Refiner I think is excellent! I also like Bookish Road Trip, The Writers' Lounge, Drinking With Authors, and the Bookish Hour, just to name a few.

One particular newsletter I like is called Script Shadow, which is about screenwriting and Hollywood. I find it very insightful for any type of writing.

But speaking of screenwriting, on 11/18/22, I'll be interviewed by Jeff Gordon, founder of the prestigious screenwriting school, Writers Boot Camp, in L.A. We'll be discussing the intersection between screenwriting and books. I haven't come across an event like this before, so any novelists out there interested in screenwriting, they should definitely attend. Register here (it's free):
www.writersbootcamp.com/blog

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Mark
11/11/2022 09:07:11 pm

I really like the cover of Prisoner. This cover is pretty good also.

I appreciate that. While I haven't written a new blog in a long time, I think gathering great blogs from other writers to be more valuable. Thanks for sharing those sites and that interview sounds very interesting.

Our time has come to an end and I want to thank you for being a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel. I love your books.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Rob Samborn link
11/11/2022 06:19:51 pm

Thank you so much for having me, Mark! I always love doing this "live" interview. You ask a ton of insightful questions that really got me thinking.

If any readers would like to check out my books, please visit www.robsamborn.com.

Thanks for tuning in! :-)

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