Author Interview: Robyn Singer and The Order of the Banshee
R
Hello cinnabar moths or any kind of moth you’d like to be. Welcome to the Writers Triangle, Cinnabar Moth’s podcast for all things publishing and books. Today we are here with Robyn singer author of the Ricochet duology. Robyn, how’re you doing today?
Robyn
I’m doing quite well how are you?
R
I’m doing well as well. Are you excited about the release of The Order of the Banshee, the sequel to The Sunrisers?
Robyn
I am extremely excited for The Order of the Banshee’s release. Going through the whole process of releasing a book the first time was fun, but a little scary. Now that I’m familiar with everything and how it works, it’s all just fun.
R
I can imagine with you know, not having to expect any surprises or having any mysteries about the process, you can sort of relax into it a bit more.
Robyn
Exactly, yeah.
Rasta
And so with the order the Banshee is the sequel to The Sunrisers and the events and it happened five years after the events in the previous book, The Sunrisers. I feel like this strengthens the order the Banshee as sort of a book that you could read on its own if you wanted to. Would you agree with that?
Robyn
I would, um, well, the ideal way to consume these books is absolutely one after the other. The time skip provides enough distance from the first book’s events, that it can stand on its own. Readers have everything they need to explained to them early on. And if someone is reading this book as a standalone, they can still enjoy it simply as a story about what happens after two characters get their happily ever after.
R
And I do like that concept as well of the what happens after the happily ever after. Because I think a lot of books just kind of end there or a series end there. We don’t really get to see the next steps ofthe characters lives.
Robyn
Right. Yeah. And the first book was very intentionally a pretty simple adventure story. Lots of laughs, lots of big happy moments. And this is what comes next.
R
I think it does a wonderful job having that continuation make a lot of sense. And on top of the consistent theme that you have between both The Sunrisers and the order the Banshees is inclusivity while telling a great story. How do you balance out storytelling with inclusivity? Was that difficult for you at all?
Robyn
For me, it isn’t hard at all my life is a diverse and inclusive one. And so it doesn’t really take any additional effort on my part to make my work the same. I’m a queer, transgender autistic Jew. There are people of all races genders, sexual identities, disability that cetera. In my day to day life. Representation is important. And I do my best to make as many people as I can feel represented.
R
I think you do a wonderful job with that with the diverse set of characters that you have in these books. And I want to talk to you a little bit about these characters. Can you tell us about your relationship with them and how they all come about for you?
Robyn
I put a lot of myself into my characters in these books and in general, speaking just for these characters, they’re all wholly unique from each other. But there are definitely still parts of me and each of them. The two I put the most into are naturally the book’s protagonists, Yael Pavnick, and Molina Langstone. They’re both autistic queer woman with Yael also being Jewish and ADHD. And at the same time, Yael is basically everything I would have wanted out of a superhero growing up, in spite of her being a notorious thief and not exactly a great person. Molina meanwhile shares a lot of my personal anxieties and insecurities, feeling average compared to those around you, familial pressure, a need to hurt – a need to hide parts of who you are, etc. Coming out of the first book, Yael was easily the most popular character both because she was the main character, and because while she is hyper competent and special in so many ways, her disabilities kept her relatable to so many people. Molina meanwhile is my grumpy little nepobaby who has a lot of issues I think people can relate to in a broader sense.
R
I do think both those characters have a lot to them, that people can connect to and witness and enjoy. And aside from them, you also have a, you know, a quite sizable cast of characters actually, who have their own journeys that they experience through these books. Is there a character whose journey you’re most excited about? And if so, which one?
Robyn
I wish I could talk some more about one of the supporting characters here because you just set me up for that. But honestly, I am most excited for Molina’s journey in this book. In the Sunrisers, she took a backseat to Yael but here she absolutely take center stage. Like I said Yael was the most popular character last time and I hope this book will get Molina that same level of appreciation. Like I said, this is a story about what happens after happily ever after. And it’s all kicked off when Molina, a lifelong career woman, starts questioning of settling down with a woman she loves is really enough for her.
R
Yeah, that’s a good talking point of you know, is your life actually settled if you’re just settling down? Or if it needs something more to it for you to feel satisfied, and happy with the life that you’ve created? And so following up on that, with you know, you’ve been most excited with her journey. Would you say that she’s her favorite character or is a different character, your favorite?
Robyn
It is a different character. And I cannot say anything else other than she is a new character introduced in this book. Everything about her as a spoiler, so I have to keep my mouth shut. But I will say that readers will have an opinion on her. They may love her like I do. Or they may think she’s the worst. I guarantee no reader will think she’s just okay.
R
Just for your description allowed having read the book, I think I can guess who it is. And I do agree that it is pretty spoiler.
Robyn
I’m sure you do. Yeah.
R
And so from talking about reading the books we know from ra reaction from our PR list with books, sirens and library things that you do have a nice following who and people who are reading and appreciating your work? How does it feel to have fans?
Robyn
It’s amazing. Obviously, working with a small press, you have to keep your expectations for a book release in check. But there were still so many people who loved and appreciated my story. And I loved it. I had people telling me how much they loved the characters how much they needed to get the book for younger relatives because of the disability rep. There was even some fan art. I love my fans, and I hope you love order of the Banshee too
Rasta
That sounds really awesome having all this positive feedback come in. And sounds like a lot of fun. But on the reverse side, are you feeling any additional pressures with having a fan base? Or has it all been positive for you?
Robyn
Oh, it’s fun, for sure. Honestly, just that I’m extremely confident in my work. And I have no doubts that I’m putting out a quality product. Knowing that they’re looking forward to the next book gets me excited. But in this case, it is a little scary not because of anything like expectations or anything like that. But because I’ve written a sequel that is drastically different from the first book, and I just have to cross my fingers that they’ll enjoy this new direction.
Rasta
So for you, you feel content about your writing and don’t feel pressure to change it very much just because you have fans, but you do wonder if the fans will be able to appreciate the shift that’s happening.
Robyn
At the very least if there is some negative response, I think it’ll be more critique. If it’s critiques of the story events rather than writing quality, that just means I’m doing my job right. If I’m getting that getting that emotion out of people.
Rasta
That makes a lot of sense to me. Because we when we write stories, we do have an experience. So we want people to have when reading it. And we may not have like all the details sorted out, but we do expect them to follow along the journey with us. And so with that, is there a part of the Ricochet duology and experience with The Order of the Banshee that you’re most excited about fans experiencing?
Robyn
Um, well, picking up from that, at the same time, it’s a little scary. I can’t wait for fans to see the new direction the story goes in. There are so many shocking moments and twists throughout order of the Banshee. And I’m hoping for some good sweet reactions to them. Also the new characters, there are a lot of them in this book. I love them as much as I do my OG cast and I hope people think they live up to the originals.
Rasta
As soon as I read it, I definitely was taken on on a ride through this book and in a positive way. But there are a lot of surprises a lot of things I didn’t expect. And overall I felt like I really got to know all the characters involved including the supporting cast, it didn’t feel like anybody was left behind. That’s something that I enjoyed when I was reading it a lot.
Robyn
I’m so glad. I am a firm believer in the writing philosophy that characters are the most important part of any story. If you don’t have well developed, likable characters, you have nothing and so that’s really where most of my effort goes into.
Rasta
It makes a lot of sense – I do agree with that as well. You know, if the characters aren’t interesting, we can’t really connect with their journeys. So changed a little bit to talk about it being a sequel now with the order the Banshee… are there any easter eggs or surprises or things that you can hint at for fans that might have referenced to the Sunrisers at all or something else?
Robyn
Well, again, it is a sequel. So yeah, a lot of the stuff that drops it picks up. I guess I can say unlike the first book, order the Banshee is centered around several mysteries, like the characters are actually trying to actively solve. And the key to a good mystery is that it’s possible for the reader to figure it out before the characters. All the clues are in there. They just need to find them.
R
Okay, yeah, I definitely think when I – after reading it, I definitely had that experience of “wait a minute… there were hints for this.” Although I have to admit that I did not notice them going. In so following with that, what do you think the fans will most love about where you take the story? Or what do you hope that they most enjoy about it?
Robyn
I think the people who don’t hate me for what I’m about to do to these characters will appreciate what a unique direction the story goes on. The first book was intentionally a simple romantic fun adventure through space. With only hints to the dark and harsh nature of the setting. Order of the Banshee is darker, more dramatic, much more narratively complex, and everything may not turn out, okay, in the end. And I think people who are willing to think about these books in relation to one another, will understand why I wrote things that way.
Rasta
I definitely agree, and I want to follow up on that a little bit with, you know, with the shift in the changes and the increased complexity, as well as some of the spoilers that I can’t fully mention, in the book, I feel like you’ve made a lot of really bold choices about the kind of the evolution of the story. And, you know, without spoilers, of course, could you talk about how you’re able to write so fearlessly and so confidently, in this new direction and with these choices that you’ve made?
Robyn
So this may seem random, but it’s because I’m a comic book fan. If I’m not writing or working my day job, I’m probably reading or talking about comics, specifically Marvel and DC. And people who only really watch the movies and TV shows based on the comics don’t really get this, but they’re more or less soap operas above all else. And I love them. I can’t get enough of them. I’m always talking about them again. So with Order of the Banshee, I do lean a little into that soap opera style of dramatics. I know some people may not like it, but it’s what I love. And I know plenty of others do as well.
Rasta
So for you, your – part of your confidence comes from the fact that this is a style of writing and a style of narration that you personally connect with and enjoy a lot.
Robyn
Right. It’s the kind of thing I personally enjoy consuming.
Rasta
I think that’s actually an important thing that sometimes authors miss is writing something that you personally enjoy, so that you can feel confident that you’re writing something enjoyable, Because if you do, then surely other people will as well.
Robyn
Exactly.
Rasta
And so with that, you know, you’ve made quite a few bold choices, and quite a few changes narratively compared to the first book. How do you think that your fans will react to your choices? And when you’re writing it did you factor any of that in while making choices? Were there any things that you might have cut or added in because of that?
Robyn
So some people are definitely going to hate me. I’m sure. The previous book had this perfect fairytale happy ending. And now I’m coming in to mess that all up. There will be haters, but I think the people who enjoy this book will enjoy it even more than the first one unquestionably. Fan reactions were something I thought about as I was writing, but only so much in the sense of, oh, they are going to be so shocked by this.
Rasta
So for you, you’re when you’re thinking about the fans, and their reactions is mostly just excitement about them being to experience this aspect are this bit that you added in or this thing that you wrote, that’s a twist that they might not have seen coming.
Robyn
I was just like, yeah, then we’re going like, Oh, my God, what is happening? How is this happening?
R
Yeah, for sure. I definitely had a couple of moments. I was like, Wait a minute. This is what is going once.
Rasta
And so, you know, you read the first book, you’re going into the second book. Did you feel any additional pressure with the Sunrisers being successful and having this developed fan base, or was it something that didn’t really factor into for you?
Robyn
Honestly, no. I wrote the Sunrisers in 2020 while I wrote The Order of the Banshee in 2022. In between, I wrote two other novels and continued working on other projects to further hone my skill. As a result, I did not feel any pressure to live up to The Sunrisers. Because I knew I’d become a much stronger writer than I had been previously.
Rasta
Okay, and so for that process, you know, of having written the first book than having other projects in between everything, has that process changed you as a writer? You mentioned, you feel like you’ve evolved more as a writer. But can you go into that a little bit more?
Robyn
Just with every book, you write every thing you write, in general, you pick up a few more tricks, you’ll notice a few things that work better than other things, and all – slowly but surely, it all comes together to just make your writing flow better, to have more impact and just be overall more engaging.
Rasta
And so you feel very confident that the order of the Banshee is an improved representation of your writing with a bit more engagement a bit more, I guess, pop to it in a way compared to The Sunrisers.
Robyn
I would say it’s a good example of everything I’m currently capable of as a writer.
Rasta
I think that’s wonderful. And I think having that confidence also wonderful. And something is a common theme – We’ve talked quite a bit about changes and differences. But a common theme between the Sunrisers and the order the Banshee is that there’s a lot of humor and a lot of violence, you know, there’s these dark themes as well as light and comedy to it. How do you find that balance between the two?
Robyn
Well, like a lot of writers, my style was heavily influenced by shows from the late 90s and early 2000s, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I think it’s very obvious when reading the Sunrisers, if you’re familiar with it, Firefly. And those shows really set a precedent for how to balance humor and dramatics in a way that even their own creator hasn’t been able to recapture in modern times. It’s something magical when done right. And I’ve just been hoping to capture some of that magic in a bottle.
Rasta
I do think that there – those are very good representations of what you’re talking about. And I do, I personally feel that both The Sunrisers and The Order of the Banshee do capture some of that essence as well in a way that, you know, I believe that your existing fans have already experienced and new readers will have the pleasure of experiencing for the first time as well.
Robyn
Thank you.
Rasta
So with your experiences of having written now, a few different books, along with the two books in the duology. Do you feel like you found your voice as a writer – your style?
Robyn
I do. There will always be people who don’t like what I’m writing about or that I favor writing in first person over third person. But I know what I’m about. I know how I like to write. And I’m not going to change that for anyone. But I know I’m proud of what I’m putting out.
Rasta
Yeah, I hadn’t thought about the first person versus third person thing.
Robyn
It is a really hotly debated subject on book Twitter.
Rasta
Is it?
Robyn
Yeah.
Rasta
Okay. As a reader, I find that
Robyn
In first person.
Rasta
Come again?
Robyn
There are so many people I’ve seen out there who adamantly say they will not read books that are written in first person. And so many writers who say that writing in first person is quote, unquote, easy mode.
Rasta
That’s the take I hadn’t heard before. Personally, as a reader, I find that I’ve enjoyed books on both styles. And so for me mostly is “is it well written?” Is it interesting to me, rather than a perspective that’s written from being the focus?
Robyn
Yeah.
Rasta
Now for for you with, you know, you’ve now you mentioned that you wrote a couple other books as well that are unrelated to the duology, as well as now the second book in the series coming out. Do you feel like you can identify as a capital A “Author”? Is this a title that feels right for you?
Robyn
I would Yeah. Authors aren’t just the people at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. That’s just the top .1%. If you’ve written a book and published it, and you’re still writing, congratulations, you’re an author.
Rasta
I definitely agree. And I do think that you also written some very lovely work to go alongside that title of author that people look at your body of work and can enjoy it, you know. And so with that, looking ahead, what do you plan on doing next? What projects do you have an in line?
Robyn
Oh, I have my hands in a few pots right now. For my day job, I have just received a position teaching English to kids with disabilities. And I am so excited to start that. And in my creative life, I’m working on more novels. I’m currently writing feature articles for cbr.com. And with three issues out so far of my ongoing comic book series, Final Gamble from Band of Bards Publishing. I’m hopeful we’ll get to make more soon.
Rasta
That sounds like quite a few exciting things are going on in your life then.
Robyn
Absolutely. Yeah.
Rasta
And so with that, I’m excited for the release of The Order of the Banshee and excited for your future works as well. I know your fans are too. And Robyn, I’d like to thank you for talking with everybody today and being on the Writers Triangle.
Robyn
Of course. It was a pleasure.
Rasta
And everybody listening all of our beautiful moths thank you for tuning in. And be sure to by order the Banshee coming out November 7. Robyn, can you tell everybody where we can find you as far as social media goes?
Robyn
Are you can find me currently just at Emmatalkscomics on Twitter. It is not really a book Twitter as you might expect that as me – as I said, I am a comic book fan girl and you can find me nerding all about at all about those. There
Rasta
Wonderful. And for everybody who’s listening, be sure to visit cinnabar moth.com where you can check out the transcripts and we’ll send the link to Robyn’s social media. Once again, Robyn, thank you for talking with me today. It’s been a pleasure.
Robyn
As always,
Rasta
Bye bye