Events,  Spring into Writing,  Writing

Robin Martin Inspires Magic

May 22, 2019 /

 Robin Martin is a fantastic writer with so much heart! I’ve known Robin through Facebook for a while now and she’s incredibly supportive and caring. Though she may say that she hasn’t gotten that “brass ring” yet I’m impressed with all Robin’s accomplishments. She has achieved that brass ring, though it might not look like the ring she expected! I love Robin’s posts and was so glad that I could interview her and learn more about her process!

You can find more information about Robin and her books here: http://sbpra.com/robinmartin-duttmann/

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Dani: How did you start with picture book writing?
 
Robin: As a child I always kept a journal. As an adult I was a voracious reader, but the art of writing had eluded me. It wasn’t until I had children of my own that I started reading to them, and in my mind rewriting the endings. Sometimes I would make up stories for my children. My mother encouraged me to put to paper all of my crazy thoughts. One day I read to her a story about a Zoo on the Moon. She laughed and said I had actually written down her reoccurring childhood dream about animals from earth on the moon. In 2013 I published Zoo on the Moon with SPBRA, a hybrid press. It’s not one of the traditional press houses, and not self publication. I like to think of it as a great alternative while I wait for the brass ring, and establish myself within the KidLit Community.  In 2015 Zoo on the Moon was selected for primary science in 147 countries at BEA. 
Dani: What’s the most fun thing you’ve ever written?
 
Robin: The most fun thing I have written  that has been published is called June Bug Jamboree. It has a singsong feel to it. “Potatoe bug drank a mug of the best moonshine there be. He asked to dance with the fancy ants, there was one but he saw three!” It was a little risky, but I thought Disney does it all the time –  scattering a little adult humor into the story, and let’s face it, it’s typically adults who are doing the reading at this age. I decided to have a little fun with it.
 
Dani: Who inspires you?
 
Robin: There are many within the industry who are my Facebook friends that I look up to and who I turn to when I have questions about my writing, or when I just need a second opinion. I believe you’ve been gracious enough to direct my path a time or five. Lol. But truly one of my biggest supporters other than family is a woman named Pam Goldstein. We co-chair www.WindsorInternationalWriters.com. She has invested in me by making me the director of the children’s programs, and buying me a classroom at SHO, a local Arts community. She even nominated me for volunteer of the year award for Children’s literacy last year from the Canadian Government, an award I gladly accepted.
Robin's Headshot
Dani: Do you have any advice for struggling writers?
 
Robin: Write because you love it. Submit it because you want to share it. And grow a thick skin as you hear many more nos than yeses….. Hmmm how do you spell nos and yeses?
Dani: What’s the most important book you’ve written?
 
Robin: Three years ago I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, a rare sub-type with low prognosis of survival and a very high rate of re-occurrence. I decided that parents and teachers needed a way to talk to children about cancer in a gentle but factual way, so I wrote Someone You Love Has Cancer- A Child’s Guide to Understanding. It won an award at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards of Arizona in 2018. As of the time of this post it’s been on Amazon’s Best Sellers -top 100 list for two weeks now. This is the book of which I am most proud. The illustrations are amazing as well, done by Kalpa Joshi of Kalpart. She is an award winning illustrator from India. 
My next project was written in conjunction with 1000 authors from all over the world called 1000 Ripple Effects. It’s a mental health book aimed at children ages 12-24. Look for it on Amazon soon!
 
Thank you so much for inviting me to interview. Many wishes for writing success to all, Robin Martin Duttmann
 
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Follow Robin:

Website and Books: http://sbpra.com/robinmartin-duttmann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobinZimmerman7

6 Comments

  • Lauri Meyers

    May 22, 2019 at 6:37 am

    Robin – Your journey was very interesting, and I liked hearing about your hybrid press experience. My thoughts are with you as you battle breast cancer and write through it.

  • Debra M Daugherty

    May 22, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    Robin, I wish I had known about your book on cancer when I had my surgery. It’s a scary time, and I hope that your outcome will be a good one, like mine. Thanks for sharing your personal journey.

  • Cat Michaels

    May 23, 2019 at 5:41 pm

    Whoa, just when you think you know someone from cyberspace, there are more lovely discoveries to be had -:D. thanks, Dani and Robin, for sharing your story on the writing road. Robin, sorry I missed you at BEA back then when I was a bewildered newbie and you were already racking up accolades.

  • Kelly Vavala

    May 27, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    Hi Robin, I needed to read this like right at this moment…I was just diagnosed with breast cancer last week and I was super scared and all that nonsense but now I’m ready to FIGHT!! How appropriate was this timing. Thank you for this inspiring post. Not only for the writing but also for the journey I’m about to embark. I haven’t told my grandson yet. So there’s that.,,