An Interview with Robin Alden Howard
Robin writes dark, emotionally-charged fiction with razor-sharp edges and tender undercurrents. Her stories dissect love and trauma, survival and control, with characters who don’t just break—they unravel. She’s the voice behind the Four Husbands and a Bottle of Trouble series, where resilience is messy, love is dangerous, and control is always an illusion.
Robin lives somewhere between memory and madness, fueled by caffeine, stubbornness, and a relentless need to write the truth—even in fiction. When she’s not tearing out the hearts of her readers, she’s baking ridiculously good cookies, sidestepping reality with wit, or pretending she has time to rest.
She doesn’t just write stories. She writes scars.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I didn’t set out to write just one story. I wanted to write a life. The Whiskey Gentleman is Book 4 in my series, a fictional memoir that follows Rachel through the chaos, heartbreak, and danger of four very different marriages. This final book closes her arc, and I knew I needed it to feel both inevitable and surprising. Husband number four embodies that tension. He’s charming, dangerous, and the last puzzle piece in Rachel’s journey of survival and self-discovery. What inspired me was the chance to give her story the ending it demanded, one that lingers long after the last page.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The story was always there. Scribbled in journals, tucked into notes, carried in memory. But it wasn’t ready for the world until I was. It took me ten years of grieving before I could finally shape those pieces into The Whiskey Gentleman. The title came easily once I saw him clearly on the page; elegant, dangerous, intoxicating. He was always the final chapter of Rachel’s story; I just had to find the strength to write him.
Describe your dream book cover.
My dream cover is the one already on The Whiskey Gentleman. I wanted a cover that immediately set the tone: dangerous, refined, and unforgettable. The whiskey glass, the gun, the dog tags. All of it tells you exactly what kind of man this is before you’ve even read the first page. It balances elegance with threat, and that’s the duality at the heart of the story. Seeing it come to life exactly how I imagined it really did feel like a dream.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
If The Whiskey Gentleman had a soundtrack, it would be a blend of raw emotion, grit, and haunting beauty. Songs like Labrinth’s “No Ordinary” capture the intensity and fragility of love, while Love and Theft’s “Whiskey on My Breath” mirrors the darker, more destructive side of it. Dan Vasc’s “The Last Goodbye” brings in that epic sense of finality, and Mikey Howard’s “Just for a Little While” adds a thread of tenderness and longing. Together, they create the emotional push-and-pull that drives Rachel’s story to its conclusion.
What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?
Who has time to read when you’re busy writing, living, and surviving? Most of my stories come directly from life. They’re shaped by experience more than research. That said, Diana Gabaldon has been a huge influence on me. The way she weaves history, emotion, and intimacy into her books showed me how powerful it is to make readers feel a world, not just read about it.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I am a retired insurance agent who currently runs a small home bakery where I create gourmet cookies and make custom cakes.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
Before writing full-time, I spent years as an insurance agent, which taught me a lot about people, resilience, and sometimes how strange real life can be. These days, I run a small home bakery, where I create gourmet cookies and custom cakes. It’s a sweet counterbalance to writing thrillers. One moment I’m decorating a cake, the next I’m plotting fictional chaos.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is simple: reclined with my laptop balanced on my lap, coffee always within reach, and music in my ears. Il Volo and Irama are my constant companions. They set the rhythm and emotion that carry me through the page. It’s less about the space and more about that mix of caffeine and music that fuels the words.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Don’t be afraid to put your thoughts on the page. Perfection comes later. First drafts are supposed to be messy. It’s the raw truth that matters, and you can always polish the words after.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
I hope readers walk away with the sense that survival isn’t just about enduring. It’s about finding strength in the mess and the heartbreak. Even in the danger. Rachel’s story shows that love can wound and heal, sometimes in the same breath. If one thing sticks, I want it to be the idea that even in brokenness, there’s resilience. The ending of one chapter can still feel like a beginning.
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