Novelist CC Robinson joins me today to chat about her new young adult dystopian novel, Divided: Book One in the Divided Series.
Bio:
CC Robinson has over two decades’ experience in cross-cultural settings as a medical doctor working in post-civil war nations and as an Associate Pastor at a multi-ethnic congregation led by an African-American man in Cincinnati, the setting for Divided. When she’s not throwing on her superhero cape to save her characters from their dystopian antics, CC enjoys hiking, gardening, dancing, swimming, and driving her jeep through the woods with her husband and three kids.
Welcome, CC. Please tell us about your current release.
I’d love to!
Escape. It’s all eighteen-year-old Marcos Sanchez can think about as he stares at the towering walls of Queenstown in the Federated Republic of America, the ruthless dictator Supreme Commander Martin’s stronghold. But with Marcos’s father controlling his life, freedom seems like an impossible dream. That is, until one daring move lands him in a secret labor camp, facing a future worse than death, and he encounters a secret rebel movement – The Underground.
But their rebellion won’t come without consequences. Martin and his toadies will stop at nothing to crush the Underground’s uprising, and the stakes are higher than ever. Will Marcos and his diverse group of friends’ determination and bravery be enough to free the camp, or will they too fall victim to Martin’s iron fist?
Divided is the first book in my Divided series, a four book young adult dystopian series chronicling how four teenagers worked together to fix their nation, the broken and divided Federated Republic of America.
What inspired you to write this book?
In 2012 I had an all-night dream and witnessed the demise of America as we know it. Racial hatred had devolved into armed conflict and a second civil war. Our enemies took advantage of our weakness and destroyed both coasts and our military might with nuclear bombs, further crippling our nation and plunging us into darkness with an EMP. From the ashes, I saw a dictator arise and divide the remaining population into ethnic groups, erecting walls between us. The walls in our hearts had become actual walls of division. In the midst of this, I then met four teenagers, one from each ethnic area, who longed for both freedom from oppression and the ability to meet each other. When I awoke I knew I had to tell Marcos, Rose, Harriet, and Jason’s story. This became the four book Divided series, with book one Divided releasing September 7, 2024.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m currently writing the as-yet-unnamed novella which releases next winter, in between Divided and book two of the Divided series, Caged. I’ll be releasing novellas between each of the major series novels. These novellas are “side quests” featuring secondary characters and will help round out the setting and the geopolitical landscape of Divided. But readers don’t need to read the novellas to follow along with the series. When the novella is done and in production hopefully by October, I’ll dive back into finished book two, Caged.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always written stories. Walking through my neighborhood as an elementary kid, I have a distinct memory of composing a murder mystery based on a newly contructed berm in someone’s front yard. I convinced my friends the home owner had murdered their estranged uncle and buried him in the front yard. While I have no intention of branching out into mystery, I enjoy incorporating elements from other genres in my stories to keep the reader on the edge of their seat and the plot fresh.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I currently write part-time. My other part-time gig is as an Associate Pastor and finance director for the church my husband and I helped start in Cincinnati in 2013. One day I’d love to write full-time, though. I work in batches, meaning I dedicate a half-day or a full day to either writing / author tasks or church work. I find I focus better in long chunks of work rather than task-switching.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I hear other authors struggling with writing block and I hate it for them, but I’ve never had it. I credit my limited writing time, combined with my habit of broad-brushed plotting before writing, and knowing my characters well through writing their backstories (some of these are available on my website).
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an ambassador to a foreign nation. I feel like I’m not so far away from that as a writer, minus the Head of State dinners and all the plane travel, of course.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Despite its dystopian label, I wove themes of hope and courage into Divided. I want my writing to inspire the younger generation to live differently – connecting across cultural divides at tables, instead of arguing their opinion as my generation does in rows.
Lastly, I love connecting with readers – it’s my favorite distraction from actual work. In my email newsletter and on my socials, I share meaningful life details, what I’m reading, and writing insights plus promos, media appearances, and news. Come find me and let’s chat.