Straight from the Mouth of 'Sweet Southern Betrayal' author Robin Covington

Robin Covington, who NYT Best Selling authors, Robyn Carr and Carly Phillips, said was their new “auto-buy author”, writes sizzling hot contemporary and paranormal romance.

A Night of Southern Comfort, her best-selling debut novel was nominated for the RT Book Reviewers Choice Awards for Small Press and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”. When she’s not exploring the theme of fooling around and falling in love, she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Manganiello.

Robin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Washington and Maryland Romance Writers, a faculty member at Romance University, a member of The Naked Hero, and a contributor to the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today.

You can find Robin on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter (@RobinCovington).

Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children, a ginormous German Shepherd and the world’s cutest Corgi.

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Thanks for letting us interrogate interview you!  Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you wanted to be an author?

Because it has been a joy for me since I was a kid and I didn't want to regret never trying it out.

Tell us (we won’t tell promise!) is it all it’s cracked up to be?  I mean what are the perks and what are the demands?

Oh yes – it is sooooo worth it.  The demands are your time, your energy, your blood sweat and tears. But, the best part is when you get an email from a reader and they tell you that your book has resonated with them – made them cry, or laugh, or want to go jump their husband/partner!

Which route did you take – traditional or self-published – and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what’s that like?

I went for the traditional route because I wanted to work with an editor I respected. I am so lucky to get to work with Alethea Spiridon Hopson who edited some of my writing idols and she teaches me something new every single time we work together. I love my house (Entangled Publishing) and I feel like I get to explore all the stories I want to tell. 

Edits are tough and each book goes through 4 rounds before the book is ready to go. 

Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending so much time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published, what have you?

They do give me the sad puppy dog face once in a while –usually when I’m down the wire on my deadline. But the rest of the time I try to keep a balance and for me that requires me to write at lunch at work and later at night once the kids are in bed and after I’ve hung out with the hubby.  

Do your pets actually get their food on time or do they have to wait until you type just one more word?

LOL. Actually, feeding my dogs is my daughter’s job so they get fed on time.  ; )

In writing your book, how did you deal with the phone ringing, your family needing dinner or your boss calling you saying you’re late?

I write at night when they are asleep. But when deadlines are looming, I tell them I love them and lock myself in my office. My husband is supportive and since I don't check out that often, he helps me through the rough times.

What was the craziest or insane thing that happened to you in the book publishing process?

I was at work in a very important meeting and my phone started vibrating across the table with all the texts and tweets coming in. I finally got to look at them and it seemed like the entire world was telling me that Carly Phillips had read my first book and had tweeted how much she loved it.  It was nuts and I emailed her to thank her and we’ve since become good friends. That was nuts. I have loved her books forever and to think that she loved mine was mind-blowing.

How about the social networks?  Which ones do you believe help and which ones do you wish you could avoid?

For me, Facebook is the most successful. I love people and I am Southern – which means that I can’t say anything in 140 characters or less. So, I use FB a lot. I’m on Twitter but it isn’t as natural for me. I also love Pinterest (check out my fab boards!) and I’m trying Tumblr but it is non intuitive for me.

What is one thing you’d like to jump on the rooftop and scream about?

Haribo Gummi Bears are the best ones on the market. I was actually debating this with a guy in Wawa today . . .

Okay, too much sugar for you today!  Here’s a nice cup of Chamomile tea and come on over and sit under the cabana and watch the waves roll in.  Now…can you tell us what you love about being a published author and how all those things above doesn’t matter because it’s all part of the whole scheme of things and you wouldn’t have it any other way?

I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I love writing my stories and having people read them! The opportunity is such a gift. If you want to write a book . . .  do it! The rewards are amazing.