Robin Alden Howard

The Shadow Gentleman drops you into the fallout after Harrison’s death, where Eli Mercer inherits more than a company—he inherits secrets. What starts as a quiet security outfit turns into a war against something buried deep in government black files: Omega Directive. Explosives, encrypted ghosts, a questionable jet pilot, and a team just unhinged enough to pull it off. It’s found family with firearms and shadows that don’t stay buried. And one amazing dog named Cap. Live on TT release party tonight.

@GaiusKonstantin What if I wrote a book directly to the readers? I did. But it stays that way throughout the book.

The Fourth Wall You’ve seen it in movies, from the slight exasperated looks directly into the camera by Julie Andrews to the slapstick, over-the-top ending of Monty Python’s Holy Grail. This gimmick can work, especially in a comedy, but how does it work in a novel? For the most part, it doesn’t. A while ago, I was reading a novel for review. It was a lighthearted mystery, and I was enjoying it. Then the author showed up, right there in the book, and broke the fourth wall. “Cute,” I thought to myself, and kept reading. Then he did it another 20 times or so. From talking about the need to introduce new characters, to characters telling the author they weren’t meant for the scene, to discussing how to move the plot along. It stopped being cute. All immersion was lost, I stopped taking the book seriously, and if I’m honest, I stopped taking the author seriously as well. I know it’s a book; I don’t need or want the author to remind me. If you’re going to break the fourth wall, do so sparingly. Readers have different tastes, that’s true, but gambling immersion for a (possible) chuckle will backfire more often than not. #WritingCommunity

Live cold read teaser from The Archivist.

@sirbenjaminjr I hope I am 👀

@RobinAldnHoward Hi friend! I know you’re real 😊😊😊

My feed has wandered off the beaten path from my #writingcommunity friends and I’ve also had a lot of friends’ accounts hijacked lately. If you can see this and you’re real say hi so I know you’re there and I’m there too 😂

@GaiusKonstantin @CollingsMaccrae @AutisticRedHead No, it was on me. 😆

@RobinAldnHoward @CollingsMaccrae @AutisticRedHead You're not going to blame that on me are you? Now it's @CollingsMaccrae who gets to sweat it out. I crack open her book tonight.

The first of its kind I can't believe this was over six months ago, time does fly. What I have today is my very first review of an author here on X. Though we do not speak much, I recently discovered that Robin was also instrumental in helping @AutisticRedHead stay confident when doubt crept in and she considered abandoning her own work. Good book, good person, what's not to like? “A real predator didn't seek attention. A predator made the world forget he was there at all.” This quote from The Archivist by Robin Alden Howard offers insight into a new kind of villain—one who appears to be anything but. The world perceives Doctor Adam Sinclair as he wishes: a brilliant, cultured, and handsome neurologist who embodies success. However, that is only a mask. Behind the façade of success and normality lurks a serial killer—ruthless, efficient, and devoid of emotion, driven solely by a need for control and perfection. As Adam continues his killing spree, he encounters Cyra Nikolas, an investigative journalist who becomes a different kind of target. Instead of killing her, Adam makes her his wife while persisting in his study of death. Throughout this, it never occurs to him that a man obsessed with perfection and control ultimately possesses neither. Horrifying yet elegant, The Archivist by Robin Alden Howard is a thriller that stands out in its reliance on psychological terror rather than on gore. The plot is straightforward: a serial killer operates largely undetected and beyond suspicion, killing with impunity—almost. Dark themes of obsession and malice permeate the novel, while raising questions about true justice versus the letter of the law. Character development focuses on a unique villain, who is a masterpiece in his own right, while also featuring a strong supporting cast. The pacing of the story is sublime, enhanced by a slightly unorthodox writing style, and includes short, sharp sentences to create a realistic but frightening tone. For fans of psychological thrillers, The Archivist is a breath of fresh air that will surely satisfy. Review on Readers Favorite >>> tr.ee/r3RVAu #ReadersFavorite #ByGaiusKonstantine

@GaiusKonstantin @CollingsMaccrae @AutisticRedHead And I was TERRIFIED while I waited.

@CollingsMaccrae @AutisticRedHead @RobinAldnHoward Yeah, it was more than I expected. That's good, she was the first on X I reviewed, it could have backfired.

@CollingsMaccrae @AutisticRedHead Ohthank you! I do my own and a graphic designer I am not.

@AutisticRedHead @RobinAldnHoward Plus, what a great cover!

My dear @RobinAldnHoward 🫀🫀

@CollingsMaccrae @GaiusKonstantin @AutisticRedHead I try to learn something new every day. I might not remember it, but I try 🤷‍♀️

@RobinAldnHoward @GaiusKonstantin @AutisticRedHead I’m a lifelong learner. I appreciate you!

@CollingsMaccrae @GaiusKonstantin @AutisticRedHead You make me blush 😊

@GaiusKonstantin @AutisticRedHead @RobinAldnHoward Excellent! I love Robin’s work. It’s who I want to be when I grow up. Bravo!

@GaiusKonstantin Pretty sure I'm on list somewhere 👀

@RobinAldnHoward Lol... Better hope the Feds have a sense of humor...

Table of contents in printed fiction?

This means a lot to me. Thank you not only for reading so thoughtfully, but for understanding exactly what kind of story I was trying to tell. And thank you for the kind words about me personally. Supporting other writers matters to me because most of us battle doubt far more than people realize. I’m really glad she kept going.

🔗 in 🌳

@GaiusKonstantin I rely on my beta readers. I'm always looking to get more. They come and go

To Beta or not to Beta So you finished your manuscript, perhaps it’s your first, congratulations. Maybe you showed it to a few friends and family members, they read it, and think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Do you know what that means? Pretty much nothing. Let’s be frank: if you’re looking for honest, unbiased feedback, family is rarely the answer; that’s where beta readers may come in handy. In particular, confusing passages may be called out because, after all, you know exactly what you mean when you write some words, the target audience may not. Plot holes, flat characters, and pacing issues can also be identified, but there’s a catch. Beta readers are not all the same. Some are experts at what they do; others are not. Some will interject their personal belief systems into their feedback, and others will be objective. It is vital that you understand the difference because using a beta reader does not assure quality feedback. So what to do? Actually, a lot. You could forego beta readers entirely and rely on your editor(s), but that isn’t always feasible. So if the choice comes down to nothing or a beta reader, go for the beta reader. Remember that you have the final word, but don’t take any feedback personally. Analyze it, investigate it, and then determine what action (if any) is needed. #WritingCommunity

Sometimes I have an overwhelming desire to be sassy.

@AutisticRedHead @GaiusKonstantin And I was right 😉

@GaiusKonstantin @RobinAldnHoward She is, you don't imagine how many times I said to her, I'm not going to publish this, and she was like You need to publish that, Gaby

An Exception I do not normally review outside of Reader’s Favorite; however, this is a rare exception that is unlikely to be repeated soon. For our very own @AutisticRedHead , your review is below. As this is outside RF, I’m not going with a star rating. Instead, I’m giving you something even many 5 star reviews do not get, a recommendation. “Their lines were predictable, and their rhythm felt mechanical. Their world was a play that had gone on too long without rewriting—too simple, too flat, too empty.” The world in Hanneh, a novella by author Gabriella Nøhr, isn’t just simple; it’s picture-perfect on the outside while stifling everything that makes us human. The setting is a happy little country, particularly an even happier little town called Vejle, where a woman named Hanneh struggles to recall how she came to be there. Behind a carefully manicured façade of harmony, Hanneh realizes that only sterility and conformity are permitted, all in the name of ‘wellness.’ But what is well? What is normal? And who gets to decide the parameters? As Hanneh explores her surroundings and, more importantly, herself, she is about to discover an age-old truth: Normal is sometimes an artificial concept imposed by a society when it can’t define, categorize, or accept an individual for who they truly are. Clever and sharp, Hanneh by Gabriella Nøhr is an original and uniquely relevant portrayal of modern dystopia disguised as a gilded cage. The plot itself follows a woman suffering from a neurodevelopmental condition as she struggles to acclimate to a state-controlled ‘safe-place.” However, another interpretation is that the entire novella is a pertinent metaphor for every person who has ever felt like an outsider or the ‘other’. In addition, a not-so-subtle dig is thrown at the medical profession, which tries to treat a condition without knowing exactly how the people suffering from it feel. Gabriella’s writing style is focused and sharp, but she does break a couple of rules. The formatting is not what the industry expects, and while I cannot know whether this was an intentional stylistic choice, I would urge that it not be changed. The story works better without conforming to that norm. Additionally, the pace is very brisk and the English Translation impeccable, though at times the story seems slightly abrupt. Overall, Hanneh is a great read for anyone who has ever felt out of sorts in a society that shaped itself without understanding a part of humanity. I easily recommend it.

@AutisticRedHead @GaiusKonstantin @CollingsMaccrae Love you too!

@RobinAldnHoward @GaiusKonstantin @CollingsMaccrae Love u Robin

Originality There’s a lot that goes into writing a good book, and it’s not enough to have good skills or to know all the rules. You need a good story to tell. Luckily, with so many readers out there, chances are your tale will be interesting to someone. That’s okay. What isn’t okay is writing someone else’s story. Writing reviews for RF means I read a lot, and by extension, notice a lot. Two books in particular stand out for what not to do. The first was written by an author who used Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo as a template. More precisely, he used the 1996 version of that story, Last Man Standing. By this, I don’t mean just the concept; I’m referring to sections of dialogue that appeared word-for-word in both the movie and his book. Yes, the names and setting were altered, but the story itself was not. Another author at least tried to make his story different. He took the 1942 classic Casablanca…and turned it into a sci-fi story. Never mind that I still noticed. Seriously? What am I supposed to do with people like this? Reward them for being lazy and penning a book that was a borderline rip-off? Authors, if you do this, you will be called out; it’s only a matter of time. #WritingCommunity

@jflWrites I write in one file with backups. I edit individual chapters.

When drafting/editing, do you save chapters separately, or do you keep all of the chapters in the same document? I'm working on FREE tools for indie authors and need to know how y'all spin your words. #authors #writers #PayItForward