Featured Interview With Robin Ray
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Trinidad & Tobago, lived there till I was 12, then emigrated to the U.S. Most of my teen years were spent in Mt. Vernon, NY. It wasn’t all peaches and cream, though; in fact, it was downright challenging. Still, I managed to survive by the skin of my teeth. After traveling around the country for years, and racking up experience points by the bucketful, I eventually landed in Seattle, a city famous for its diversity. I have no pets. I did try to adopt a dog once but the agency said I’d have to be domiciled, which I’m not.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Because I spent a lot of my teen years alone, I found the local public library to be my main source of comfort. I became enthralled and fascinated with all kinds of books, from biographies to Greek literature, from scientific achievements to turn of the century novels. I started writing almost immediately and, after high school, continued my literary pursuits at Iowa State University.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’d gotten my hands on several library books, breezing through them like a nor’easter in Maine. Looking to challenge myself, I sought out longer works, eventually discovering books like Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and “Fountainhead.” Around that time I also became a fan of writers like Franz Kafka, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. My favorite genres are human interest stories, books that speak about the hardships some people face, books like “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Cannery Row” and “The Jungle.” Because I was born, and continue to be, dirt poor, I’m inspired by writers who have been through the mill but somehow survived to tell their story either in fiction or non-fiction.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, my second novel, is called “Murder in Rock & Roll Heaven.” My original intention was to write a book where I “interviewed” pioneers and geniuses from days gone by, but when I saw books like that already existed, I abandoned my idea and created a mystery from my notes. Here’s the synopsis:
No one ever “re-dies” in Heaven; unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to singer Amy Winehouse. Because of the uneasy alliance and frequent mistrust between angels and citizens, a new detective in town has been tasked with investigating the prime suspects, the members of the 27 Club – Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. Now, with time running out, the wise-cracking PI and his newly acquired younger sidekick must quickly uncover the mystery that threatens not only to close Heaven’s doors forever, but promises to send a ripple effect through the entire universe that could rip it apart.
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