Animal lover with his own small zoo, Robert Sanborn is the author of critically acclaimed series ‘League of the Moon.’ I got the chance to learn more about him and his work which I will be sharing with y’all today.
Baphy:
I’m so glad you were able to do this interview. I’d first like to ask what sparked the idea for ‘League of the Moon?’
Rob:
The original idea for the book was something completely different. I had this idea for a story about a person who moves into a new house and is being haunted. Throughout the course of the story, people, places, and things start to seem eerily familiar – like deja vu on steroids. But there’s a really good reason for that … he/her is being haunted by the ghost of their own past life. If you’ve read “In Your Dreams” you can see the seeds of that original story. The funny thing about writing is, once you start, the story becomes the boss. Especially if you are a discovery writer, or a “pantser,” like me. So the original idea, once the words started flowing, went out the window.
Baphy:
Hearing you say all that, I can definitely see remnants of the original. The final version still maintains that eerie, mysterious vibe too which was one of the things I loved. I’ve always felt that if the story takes the reigns from you, that is just indicative of an inherent knowing of how it should be told. Do you think perhaps you’ve lived pieces of this story in your own past lives?
Rob:
I very much subscribe to the notion of reincarnation. As for whether I might have lived parts of “In Your Dreams” in a past life, I’d be the last to rule it out. Some of the passages, as I wrote them, had almost a feel of automatic writing.
I’ve had the feeling of deja vu more than a few times in my life. I’ll share two of them which blew me away. The first happened when I was about four years old. I was in the hospital to have a benign, thank God, tumor removed from my throat. I remember walking down the hallway, holding my stepdad’s hand,and looking up at the overhead fluorescents. Out of nowhere, I remember thinking ‘so that’s what they use for light here.’
Much of the research into past lives deals with children retaining their memories until almost five years old. I’ve always considered the feeling surrounding that incident as a possible recall from a previous incarnation. It had, and still has, that feeling for me.
The second: I was on a sober retreat at a place called Eastover in Lenox. I’m not sure if it’s still in operation. I’m talking around 1998 or so. There was a huge, old building called “The Duncan School.” It was one of the places housing guests at the time. For some reason, the hallways were pretty dark, and I remember getting spooked and power-walking my way out of the place. I felt watched.
It was when I got outside, however, things got strange. This was the most powerful feeling of deja vu I’ve ever had. For a span of about thirty seconds, as I stood on the landing at the bottom of the steps, I knew which of my friends would come through the door next, naming them in my head before each came through the door. It kind of freaked me out a little. Did it have to do with something from a past life? I wouldn’t rule it out.
Baphy:
Oooh that’s both interesting and creepy. I love that you captured that eerie vibe within your writing. I am enthralled yet disturbed by deja vu to be honest. Alright, if you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be and why?
Rob:
One thing I never expected was the popularity of my second main character. Henry Trank is the main character, and the story starts in first person with Henry introducing the world he lives in to the reader. In that first part, he meets Joanne. She’s a beautiful, green-eyed witch who Henry’s got a thing for. Joanne is smart, funny, and a complete wise ass. And she’s also hauntingly familiar to Henry, though he can’t figure out why. Most of the feedback I’ve gotten from readers is how much they love Joanne’s personality. So, if I were to bring one of them to life, I’d have to defer to the readers. They know their shit!
Baphy:
*laughs* Joanne’s part was definitely a delightful bonus to me. Like you say- I went in focused on Henry, but the romantic subplot with Joanne quickly had me equally invested in her. If Joanne is a favorite character, then which book in the series is your personal favorite?
Rob:
I’d have to go with “The Red Witch: League of the Moon, Book 2.” What I loved most about writing that book was introducing new characters to the universe. Or, as my wife loves to call it, the “Mooniverse.” Her favorite character is Byron Miller, the fictional Chief of the Salem Police. I had a freakin’ blast creating Byron. The thing I enjoyed most was taking a “facts and evidence” guy and turning him into a believer in the supernatural. He did not come quietly.
Joanne, in this book, really came into her own as a spiritual warrior. She’s a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners witch and a blast to write. She gives me the freedom to flex my sarcastic muscles a bit too 🙂
Baphy:
“Mooniverse,” I love that! I’m reading ‘The Red Witch’ now and am much enjoying it. Has writing and/or publishing this series had any impact on your life?
Rob:
When I was in the process of writing “In Your Dreams” there were several times I considered quitting. I’d get to a point in the story where I felt lost. It seemed I was losing the story, and I genuinely wanted to quit. At times, I put it aside for weeks. I told myself all the usual bullshit I think every writer tells themselves: the story sucks; you can’t write; no one’s gonna like this; this doesn’t make sense. I think we’re all brutal on ourselves. I know I was. There was always one small part of me, however, that just refused to quit. If I’m being honest, I’m one of those people that starts a ton of different projects without completing any of them. That kind of crap can convince you you’re always gonna quit, and I usually do. But I wanted this! I fought myself tooth and nail. I remember writing the last few pages. I literally shook. I was so overwhelmed with emotion because the end was in site. When I wrote the last line, I remember being in a daze. I got up from my desk, which at the time was at the front end of our apartment. My wife was in the next room. I said, “I finished. I wrote a book.” She was ecstatic and proud. There were tears in my eyes. If you read “In Your Dreams” just realize, I couldn’t read the last line as I wrote it. But I felt every letter.
Baphy:
Wow, that just makes it all the more special thinking about that final line. I am so glad you never gave up entirely! and I see many others who feel the same. I can imagine the sense of accomplishment, a feeling you are well deserving of! So what was your biggest struggle in writing this series?
Rob:
If you read the answer to the last question, you’d think that was it – just actually finishing it. But that wasn’t it. One of the best quotes I’ve ever heard about writing fiction was by Stephen King: “Fiction is a lie. And GOOD fiction is the truth inside the lie.” At the end of “In Your Dreams,” I mentioned that a lot of the things that happened to my characters are things that actually happened to me in real life. A lot of those things weren’t pretty. I suppose, looking back, I stopped writing for long stretches because, let’s face it, it was fucking uncomfortable. But I got through it – both the book and those things in the past.
It wasn’t all bad though. There’s a part in the book where my character, Joanne, has something supernatural happen to her. If you check out the book, and you read about the part in the deli, that exact thing happened to me. It was in a deli in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s all I can say about it.
So, the biggest struggle in writing this series has been overcoming me. I’m gettin’ there 🙂
Baphy:
Damn. I don’t think it’s too surprising how much you were invested in this story. I felt an emotional connection to both the characters and the story itself so while readers may be ignorant about every little thing you put into it, that feeling of importance bleeds through. I hate to hear that you’ve been through so much and that writing this was difficult, but you turned out an amazing piece of art that I think all of us can find some manner of comfort in. For that, I am appreciative. With that in mind, what was your purpose in writing ‘League of the Moon?’
Rob:
There was definitely a bit of a message in there, but I don’t think it was entirely intentional. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard about writing is to “write what you know.” When I started “In Your Dreams,” I was fifty. There’s a lot of living packed into fifty years, but the first twenty-five years of my life were spent figuring things out.
I had my last drink at twenty-three. Two years into sobriety, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. I’ve always believed in a Higher-Power, and that belief was put to the test in those first few years. The things I learned about myself, and the powerful spiritual experiences I had in those years changed me forever. I drew directly from those experiences to create the characters. Their life experiences and their backstories all have a piece of me in them. And there’s bits and pieces of all the kind people who helped me through those times.
In answer to your question at the end: *Sorry, I ramble. LOL*
Did I simply want to tell a story? Yes, but the story told me what it was going to be about. I went where it took me.
Did I have a message to send? I think so. I remember consciously debating about what I wanted to include in Wanda’s backstory. That was probably the hardest thing to write, because it hit close to home. I finally decided to give it the full treatment, because I realized there might be someone out there feeling the same way and it might give them hope.
Was it cathartic? Absolutely, but I don’t think I fully appreciated that until well after the book was published.
Was the book/series a mission to finish? Absolutely. Especially “In Your Dreams.” I needed to prove to myself I could finish it. Words don’t do the feeling justice.
Baphy:
Any words of advice for aspiring authors or authors who are struggling with their craft?
Rob:
Yes. I saw an interview with Eddie Van Halen. The interviewer asked him if he had any advice for aspiring musicians. His answer was, “Yeah. Don’t stop.” I live by that.Also, there’s this guy from Maine. You’ve probably heard of him. His first book was titled “Carrie,” I think. He talks about how he used to send stories into magazines, and they’d send back one rejection slip after another. The guy used to stick them on a nail in his wall. Eventually, the nail couldn’t hold them all. Someone asked him what he did when the nail wasn’t enough. His answer – “I put them on a spike and kept going.”
Baphy:
I really love the story about King and the nail. I haven’t heard that before, but it’s certainly inspiring! Is there anything else you would like to share before we sign off?
Rob:
That was definitely the effect it had on me. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere. I have to say I’ve really enjoyed our back and forth, so thank you very much for this opportunity to share!
If there’s anything I could say that would help other authors it would be to have patience with yourself. I look back at my first book and my latest, and I feel I’ve improved. The first book was a labor of love, and I gave it my all, but I’ve learned a lot between “In Your Dreams” and my fourth, “Black Magick & Envy.” I’m ten chapters into my newest book, “Soul of the Witch,” and I’m really enjoying the ride so far. The best part about writing a series is growing the lives of the characters and introducing new ones as the series progresses. And writing bad guys is a fucking blast! “Soul of the Witch,” if everything goes well, will be published in late 2023, early 2024.
“In Your Dreams” is permanently free and you can currently download it from Amazon, Kobo, or my website robsanbornauthor.com“Saving the Witch” is a novella which takes place 26 years before the events of “In Your Dreams.” It’s free if you sign up to my newsletter. It’s also on my website and the download is from Bookfunnel. It can be read in the Bookfunnel app, Kindle (Bookfunnel will help you load it onto Kindle) or just about anything with a screen. I hope you guys check it out and come on this awesome ride!
Baphy:
Great advice! and I’m glad you’ve noted an improvement in your craft. That is always a nice feeling. Those are some awesome deals that I hope everyone will take advantage of. I’ll repost those links below. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. It has been interesting to hear about!
If anyone has any questions or comments for Mr. Sanborn, please post them below and perhaps we can get another interview with him down the road to answer them! In the meantime, here are his social media and book links. Please go and check out ‘The League of the Moon’ series and leave some love in the form of shares and reviews!
Get “League of the Moon: In Your Dreams (book 1)” FREE on Amazon!
Get the whole series so far on Amazon!
Robert Sanborn can be found on:
Twitter@robsanbornauth
Facebook
Instagram
Amazon
Author Website
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~Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden
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