Author Interview and Book Review - Walked Away by Robyn Fogg-Hyatt

I love finding new, unknown authors and giving them the spotlight attention that they deserve. This is never been truer than when I met this week’s author Robyn Fogg-Hyatt. As I began reading her book, Walked Away, my internal radar started sounding all kinds of bells and whistles telling me that I needed to look deeper into this author.

The reason for this I believe was so that I could help her bring forth her message to the many Mormons and others from strict or cultist type religious groups that have misrepresented God to their memberships and followers.

Through Robyn’s book what you will find is a woman of God who has poured her soul out in the form of a book, designed to help others see the beautiful Light, Life and Love that our Heavenly Father has even for those that are stuck in a religion with what Robyn describes as a wobbly foundation.

I love finding new and unknown authors especially those that put their heart and life on the line to write Real and Relevant, life changing events that can be applied to help others. In her book, Walked Away. I found Robyn through a website called Jukepop.

Allow me to introduce you to the most amazing woman of faith and courage through an in-depth review and interview that follows.

Robyn was raised in the Mormon faith by her mother and father. It was her father that lead the family into Mormonism, however, it was through her mother's love inspired guidance of wisdom telling her daughter that there was more to the the story and this life, and God that Robyn would have to learn on her own.

With all the talk today about transparency, and being genuine, demanded by the general public now days, it is refreshing to find writers and authors that are willing to pour out their heart and soul for the benefit of their readers. I believe that this move toward being open, honest and genuine is an actual move of the Holy Spirit, ever drawing us closer and closer to Him through this change in society that is requiring more and more real and relevant information, instead of the fluff that many media outlets.

Our society has become more sharing minded, and this I believe is one author that has done just that. Sharing the difficulties from leaving everything that she had ever known, to step out into the big bad world, expecting that everything that she had been told, was going to come crashing down upon her because she had lost her covering of the LDS church family. Robyn knows that there is a seemingly large mass exodus from the LDS church, and she wants to be here on the outside waiting to help them cross over to a new and better way of life. That life that Jesus provided for, that is filled with light and laughter, instead of rules and rituals, with God, our Heavenly Father right in the very middle with them in their flight to freedom.

Robyn truly is a voice for the countless men, women and children that feel that they have no voice to speak up with for themselves. She has provided the voice and encouragement to take that first step of faith, towards a loving God, not a god that is into rituals, but a Heavenly Father God, that wants a relationship with His children.

When I asked Robyn when and why did she begin writing, the answer that the provided was shocking and awe inspiring. Robyn not only walked away from a 20 year career as a Hairstylist, makeup artist, and photographer for venture out into the new and wild adventure. This wild adventure cause her to lose everything! So as an inexpensive pass time and much needed entertainment, Robyn began writing.

Robyn says that since her New Beginning days of moving to Idaho, she believes that losing everything was actually the best thing that could have happened to her, it caused her to look inward, to what she had inside and through her writing, it began to be drawn out ever so gently by the Holy Spirit guiding her through the inward process of change.

Robyn has a pure of love people and of the writing craft. She adores the local authors in her little town in Idaho, and loves sharing notes and coffee with them in the local cafe. However, she says that the one author that stands out for her as a mentor and encourager is an author by the name of Jane Freund. She is the writer of several children's books, and many more self-help books. Robyn said, "when I was ready to throw it all away and leave writing in the trash bin, Jane inspired me to realize my own potential and then go for it!"

The reply that Robyn gave as the answer to this question, was simply awe inspiring again. Robyn, with tears swelling up in her eyes, replied, Robert Hyatt, my birth father. "See I was adopted and it was several years before I found out who my birth parent were." When she finally did find out who her birth father was, she would love to have him write and tell her all about his days in films and what it was like back in the days of Old Hollywood. He was a close friend of Natalie Woods and was a child actor in dozens of films.

I simply fell in love with Robyn not only as fellow writer, but also as a fellow human being and Pastor. With Robyn's answer to this question you will see that her heart isn't into becoming Rich off her flight from Mormonism, but on helping others see the light.

Robyn said that she would give the following advice to any would-be authors: "Don't get discouraged. Love what you do and if it's not the next best seller then just keep writing. I hear a lot of complaining from other authors that they haven't sold a book, and don't know what to do.

My advice is simple, through the ever growing swells in the huge ocean of authors out there now, you must learn how to market yourself and your book. Even if it means giving it away. Remember, you are building a reputation, and it is a slow process becoming known to the masses."

Pictured below are two more of Robyn's books. She is such a gifted and talented writer, that she spans a wide variety of genres.