J.M. Robson - Author Life

J.M. Robson is a relatively new author with us. She originally released her debut novel, Three Little Words, in February 2017. So, we decided it was time to sit down with the author and ask a few questions about her life, and what is was like for her to get a book published.

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

I have loved writing from a young age and my late granny was the one to get me interested in writing short stories.  She wrote stories for the Woman’s Weekly and loved reading them.  So since then, it was my dream.

What was your first job?

I was a sales assistant in a department store.  Not what I planned to do but I was only 17 and kind of unsure of a lot of things at that time, so when I was offered the job, I took it.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I had the idea for the story in my head for a long time and then one day, actually over ten years ago, I finally sat down and wrote it. 

I hadn’t written in a long time due to work commitments, so when I did finally start written again, I remembered how much I loved writing and I have been writing again since then.

What was your life like before you became an author?

Very busy with work.  I own a Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental Management System consultancy company so I do a lot of travelling to client’s sites to set up systems and help them be certified to international standards.

I also spend a lot of time with my three rescue dogs and support animal charities in Romania and Bulgaria who do a great job in saving dogs from horrible shelters or from the streets.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

Yes.  My belief in my writing has been the biggest struggle.  I wrote Three Little Words over ten years ago and never thought it was good enough for publication, but through support from my family I finally self-published the book as an eBook and then was very pleased when Pegasus offered me a contract.  I can’t thank them enough for helping me believe that my work is worth publishing.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

I was busy before and now I am even busier.  Trying to juggle a business, promoting a book, writing and spending time with the family is a bit difficult right now but I am hoping in the long run it will be worth it. 

Having “Three Little Words” published has made me realise just how much I want to be an author. 

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

I still run my QHSE consultancy company so during the week I still have to visit clients and carry out work as usual.

The weekends and evening have changed now as I am writing the sequel to “Three Little Words” which I am really enjoying.

I also am currently doing the final editing of another book titled “I am the Walker”, which should be ready to submit to Pegasus in the next week or so.  This book is based in the Scottish Highlands and is thriller cum horror story.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

Returning to my old high school Baldragon Academy to speak to the first-year students about being an author, writing and being published.

They were all lovely, asked lots of questions and were interested in “Three Little Words”.  Some of students have since purchased a copy of the book.

It was nice to also receive lovely feedback through Instagram and LinkedIn from a pupil and a mother about my visit and the book. 

I would love the chance to go back and speak to more students.