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Abbie Roads Does it Backwards

Hi everyone! Diana here. Today’s guest is Abbie Roads whose new, and fantastic thriller, Race the Darkness is out, TODAY! I got a chance to see it early as a reviewer, and I will say you’ll be up all night turning pages. She does an incredible job of meshing unforgettable characters, bound in their own pain, with gripping atmospheric settings. Against this eerie landscape, good and evil cohabitate, and literally anything can happen. Before I turn the con over to Abbie, and she tells us about her backwards approach to writing, here is a little about her. 

But first, committing to Abbie’s backwards state of mind I’ll post right here at the beginning, instead of the end ;-), that if you leave a comment about whether you’re a straight-up, backwards, or in-between kind of person, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Race the Darkness. 

Five things About Abbie Roads:img_2582

  1.  She loves Snicker Parfaits. Gotta start with what’s most important, right?
  2. She writes dark emotional books featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending… after torturing them for three hundred pages.
  3. By day she’s a mental health counselor known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. At night she burns up the keyboard. Well… Burn might be too strong a word. She at least sits with her hands poised over the keyboard, waiting for inspiration to strike. And when it does—the keyboard might get a little warm.
  4.  She can’t stand it when people drive slowly in the passing lane. Just saying. That’s major annoying. Right?
  5.  She loves taking pictures of things she thinks are pretty.

Being Backwards

by Abbie Roads

Don’t let anyone tell you there’s only one way to do things. I’m a pro at doing things backwards.

I drink decaf in the morning when I wake up. I have caffeine after noon. I find that drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon gives me enough oomph to get through the day and on into evening.

I read the ending of a book before I read the book. I gotta make sure the characters have a melt my heart happily-ever-after.

When shopping for a book online, I only read the negative reviews. Of course the blurb has to capture me first, but then I’m digging through those negative reviews. I’ve bought many a book because of a negative review. Too much sex and violence = automatic buy for me. The hero was an alphahole = automatic buy for me. I love alphaholes! This book was too much like something J.R. Ward would write = automatic buy for me. I LOVE J.R. Ward. See what I’m saying about these negative reviews influencing me to purchase?

And the ultimate thing I did backwards…

Wrote my books backwards… Sort of… Let me explain.

I wrote Race the Darkness, edited it for a year, and then realized it sucked. But I didn’t know why it sucked. I thought I had a good plot. I thought I had good characters. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the story. And I knew something was wrong.

So I moved on and wrote Hunt the Dawn. I wrote it. I edited it. Then realized it sucked too. That’s when I discovered Margie Lawson who taught me exactly what I needed to know to make my books great. So I re-wrote Hunt the Dawn. Only about 10% of the original story remained after I finished it.

After I polished Hunt the Dawn, I sent it out on submission to agents (I got my agent from Hunt the Dawn) and then revisited Race the Darkness. By that time, I’d grown so much as a writer that I realized Race the Darkness needed to be completely rewritten. So I trashed the old version. I mean trashed it. Gone. No more. And rewrote Race the Darkness from scratch. The only thing that remained the same was Isleen and Xander’s names. That’s it. The plot changed. The character profiles changed. Everything. Not one thing from that old book remained.

So backwards…

I believe everyone deserves to be unique and do things her own way. For me, I’ll always work through life upside down and inside out. That’s just how I roll.

Don’t forget to leave a comment about whether you’re a straight-up, backwards, or in-between kind of person so you’ll be entered to win a copy of Race the Darkness. The prize winner will be announced in the comment section and must live in the U.S. to qualify. 

RACE THE DARKNESS (Out today!)

Cursed with a terrible gift… highresfinalrtd-1

Criminal investigator Xander Stone doesn’t have to question you-he can hear your thoughts. Scarred by lightning, burdened with a power that gives him no peace, Xander struggles to maintain his sanity against the voice that haunts him day and night-the voice of a woman begging him to save her.

A gift that threatens to engulf them

Isleen Walker has long since given up hope of escape from the nightmare of captivity and torture that is draining her life, her mind, and her soul. Except…there is the man in her feverish dreams, the strangely beautiful man who beckons her to freedom and wholeness. And when he comes, if he comes, it will take all their combined fury and faith to overcome a madman bent on fulfilling a deadly prophecy.

44 thoughts on “Abbie Roads Does it Backwards”

  1. sounds great! I’m gonna say I’m an in between kinda gal, sometimes I start at the beginning sometimes in the middle and work in both directions, don’t know if I’ve ever stated a the end, I’ve never read the end of a book first, I like to be surprised.

    Reply

    2. Hi Jan!

      Yes. Yes. Yes. Start in the middle and work both directions–I do that too!

      Thanks for dropping by!

      Reply

    3. Hi my darling Abbie!

      I’m not backward, BUT on occasion if I’m overly involved and sobbing throughout a book, I will fast track to the back to take a peek! Haha!
      As for writing, I’m not backward, but I don’t write like everyone else either. Sometimes I wish I did! Lol! However, my brain just doesn’t work that way. I edit as I go. I also don’t do outlines. Never have. Even in college (I wrote 3-5 papers a week), and EVERY single one received an A. I would spend 1-2 days researching, I’d decide my focal point, I’d write the introduction, then I’d input paragraph headers (this was my form of organizing the paper), and I write it all within 1 day. Every. Single. Time. When I went back and had to do an outline as a requirement it totally messed with me. Lol. I’m not sure why, but I always have my plot/idea and where I want it to go, and how I want it to end figured out. Then, I just write. Of course, there are some things I already have planned in the story, twists or turns, and action scenes or who the bad guy is, but the in-between stuff comes as I write. I edit every time I’m ready to add more to the story. This also is what gets me through any moments where I may feel stagnant. I’m weird in my own way too! I’ve learned though that everyone is different and what works for another, may not work for someone else. Love your style! Xoxo

      Reply

      2. Hi Lacy!

        We have some similarities in how we write! I edit as I go too! I can’t outline what’s going to happen in a book. If I try to I don’t want to write the book because I already know what’s going to happen! And I usually have an idea for a scene somewhere in the novel. But I don’t have any idea how I’m going to get my characters there when I start a book!

        Thanks for stopping by!

        You rock!

        Reply

  4. I am “in-between”…I think. I take a long time to make decisions, once I do then it’s done, no second guessing or looking back. But in certain situations, I am straight forward, no over-thinking, just reacting or saying what I think.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sandy!

      It’s funny how we’re all different like that. My husband is the one who likes to take a long time to make decisions. And I’m the one who usually just goes with my gut feeling.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

    2. I can take forever making really important decisions, too, so I completely understand. But it feels good to know you made the best decision you can. So glad you stopped by, Sarah!

      Reply

  5. I’m an in between kind of person. Sometimes I start at the beginning and other times I work backwards.

    Reply

    1. Hi Melissa!

      Well… I can tell you when it comes to actually writing a book. I’m a start at the beginning kind of girl too. I have to start right at the beginning and work it over and over until I get it right before I’ll move on.

      Thanks for popping in!

      Reply

  6. Great post, I’m looking forward to reading this book, that cover is spellbinding!
    I’m a straight-forward kind of gal, which gets me in trouble more often than not, lol

    Reply

    2. Hi Jacquie!

      I love the cover too! Sourcebooks did an amazing job! I hope you enjoy the book!

      And let me just say I don’t know what kind of magic you possess, but dang girl I can’t believe all the Tweets and Retweets of RACE THE DARKNESS that started with your blog!

      Thanks so much!

      Reply

      2. With Everything else in my life I run backwards. As for books I have never read the ending of a book first. If I know what’s going to happen then I feel there’s no reason to read it. I like the surprise! Reading for me is my quiet time, my me time.. I can live in my imagination and forget all my worries.

        Reply

        1. Hi Tina!

          Yes. Yes. And Yes. –>”Reading for me is my quiet time, my me time.. I can live in my imagination and forget all my worries.”

          Same here!

          Reply

  7. I am a total backwards girl too, Abbie. I write my stories from the black moment to the beginning. I always read the ends of books first and always buy/not buy based on the 1-star reviews. So glad I’m not the only one!!!
    I am so excited for your Debut. It’s a fabulous book and I’m so glad it found its perfect home at Sourcebooks. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Sharon!

      I can’t wait to read your books! And you know I’m happy that you’re my Sourcebooks sister!

      Reply

  9. Oh Abbie, I think we were separated in the cradle. 🙂
    Except for the caffeine-backward deal, we have the same story, and that’s how I know the bliss you’re going through right now. It truly is like giving birth- there is something of you that will always be here for others and YOU created it from nothing and took years to make it right.
    Congratulations!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Sarah!

      Sisters from another Mister!

      I love how you look at getting published. It very much feels like I birthed something into the world!

      Thanks so much for being so supportive! And hurry up and finish that book so I can read it! 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Chelly!

      Caffeine all day for me would result in me jittering like a junkie and not being able to sleep all night.

      You go girl! Pro-caffeinate!

      Reply

  11. I’m a in between person and congrats on your release. I like coffee in morning tea midday and coffee again in evening

    Reply

    1. Hi Tina!

      I do enjoy a nice cup of decaf coffee in the evening. Especially on a chilly evening. But I can’t do the caffeinated kind. I’d be up all night!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  13. And the winner of a copy of RACE THE DARKNESS is… Drumroll… Chellypike!
    Woot! Woot! Congratulations!

    Chellypike–here’s my email address. abbieroads@yahoo.com Contact me so I can make arrangements to get your book to you!

    Thank you Diana for having me!

    And thanks to all of you who commented!

    Reply

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