Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US
Nick and Julia O'Connor's dream trip to Venice collapses when a haunting voice reaches out to Nick from Tintoretto's Paradise,
the world's largest oil painting.
The Writing Desk: Writing, support and useful links for writers
23 January 2022
Special Guest Interview with Rob Samborn, Author of The Prisoner of Paradise
I'm pleased to welcome author Rob Samborn to The Writing Desk:
Tell us about your latest book
The Prisoner of Paradise is the first of a series published by TouchPoint Press, and was released on Nov. 30, 2021. It's a thriller blended with historical fiction and magical realism, set in Venice, Italy in the present and 16th century. When an American couple travel to Venice, the husband comes to believe that his true soul mate is not his wife but a woman whose soul has been confined to the world's largest oil painting. On a quest to free his beloved from another time, he discovers an ancient religious order that uses the painting as an ethereal purgatory. He'll do anything to save her, but liberating her means freeing thousands of other souls - and the order will never let that happen.
What is your preferred writing routine?
Honestly, whenever I can. Though I find myself most productive in the morning with a good mug of coffee and at night with a good glass of wine.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Learn, learn, learn, edit, edit, edit. Never stop learning your craft and don't stop revising until your manuscript is so good, people can't help but say, "Wow."
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
This is my debut so I'm still learning. I'm active on social media and growing my presence, which is helpful, but in terms of awareness, I'd say nothing beats paid advertising. It's the only way to reach people outside of your own community. You can also scale reach with budget.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
As an American writing about present-day and 16th century Venice, I completed thousands of hours of research for this book (plus a research trip to Venice). Whenever I needed to research something to suit the plot, invariably, I'd discover that a person, place or event already existed.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
The opening. In my opinion, the most important part of a book is hooking the reader. I'm the first to admit that my second and third acts are considerably better than the first act. But if I can't hook the reader and get them to keep reading, they'll never experience the thrilling adventure that's in store for them. How to grab the reader, introduce character, and provide exposition without it all seeming heavy-handed is very difficult. My original opening was completely different and I wrote five or six distinct versions of the opening chapters.
What are you planning to write next?
The Prisoner of Paradise is the first of a trilogy and the second book, The Painter of Paradise is slated for release in the fall of 2022. That book is already finished, so I'm currently working on the third book. In all likelihood, I'll continue the series to four or five books and I'll write some spinoffs.
Rob Samborn
In addition to being a novelist, Rob Samborn is a screenwriter, entrepreneur and avid traveler. He’s been to forty countries, lived in five of them and studied nine languages. As a restless spirit who can’t remember the last time he was bored, Rob is on a quest to explore the intricacies of our world and try his hand at a multitude of crafts; he’s also an accomplished artist and musician, as well as a budding furniture maker. A native New Yorker who lived in Los Angeles for twenty years, he now makes his home in Denver with his wife, daughter and dog.Find out more at Rob's website https://robsamborn.com/ and find him on Twitter @RobSamborn
Honestly, whenever I can. Though I find myself most productive in the morning with a good mug of coffee and at night with a good glass of wine.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Learn, learn, learn, edit, edit, edit. Never stop learning your craft and don't stop revising until your manuscript is so good, people can't help but say, "Wow."
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
This is my debut so I'm still learning. I'm active on social media and growing my presence, which is helpful, but in terms of awareness, I'd say nothing beats paid advertising. It's the only way to reach people outside of your own community. You can also scale reach with budget.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
As an American writing about present-day and 16th century Venice, I completed thousands of hours of research for this book (plus a research trip to Venice). Whenever I needed to research something to suit the plot, invariably, I'd discover that a person, place or event already existed.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
The opening. In my opinion, the most important part of a book is hooking the reader. I'm the first to admit that my second and third acts are considerably better than the first act. But if I can't hook the reader and get them to keep reading, they'll never experience the thrilling adventure that's in store for them. How to grab the reader, introduce character, and provide exposition without it all seeming heavy-handed is very difficult. My original opening was completely different and I wrote five or six distinct versions of the opening chapters.
What are you planning to write next?
The Prisoner of Paradise is the first of a trilogy and the second book, The Painter of Paradise is slated for release in the fall of 2022. That book is already finished, so I'm currently working on the third book. In all likelihood, I'll continue the series to four or five books and I'll write some spinoffs.
Rob Samborn
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About the Author
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