Zealot Script

My name is Cameron Roberts, and I’ve always had a fascination with science and technology. How it has shaped not just our daily lives, but also the flow of history from the discovery of agriculture and the foundation of our first cities, all the way up to sending a message made of nothing but electrons across the globe in an instant.

I was born near Philadelphia but have lived most of my life in Michigan with my parents and two brothers. Raised in a Presbyterian household faith has always been a significant part of my life, and something that certainly had an impact on the way I see the world and how I write. Speaking of which, I began writing my first novel, Time’s Bridge, while studying abroad in England during my tenure at the University of Evansville. Finishing my Electrical Engineering degree in 2016 I moved to New York to start my career, all the while writing and thinking of new and interesting directions to steer my story. Marrying my wife Caroline in 2018 and now having moved back to the Midwest, Indianapolis specifically, I’m proud to show the world what I’ve spent so much time and care crafting.

What’s your favourite part of the lifestyle of an Author?

It’s a blessing and a curse being a self-published author. On one hand I’m my own boss of sorts choosing when to write without any deadlines to worry about, but on the other, it’s just me with some help from my wife trying to get the word out. Mostly, though, it’s pretty good. I have a full-time job as an engineer, and coming home and jumping into the world I’m working to create is an extremely rewarding experience. Having recently finished the first draft of the second book in my series, Time’s Bridge, and nearly ready to publish a supplemental work, I’m excited to see what 2024 will bring.

What made you start writing?

While spending a semester abroad in the UK during college, a friend of mine mentioned NaNoWriMo to me. Seriously considering participating, I sat down and began planning, and not long after that, writing. Unfortunately, I turned out to be rather slow and methodical when it came to bringing my vision to life, so I wasn’t able to complete the challenge. On the bright side, though, I kept things up long after the month had passed me by, and ended up with something far more than I ever thought I was capable of.

Is there an Author that you consider your inspiration?

Christopher Paolini for sure. I read Eragon and the entire Inheritance cycle when I was young and have had a love for fantasy and dragons ever since. Speaking of which, I made sure to bring that most emblematic of creatures into my own work as well, sci-fi or not.

What’s your number one tip for an aspiring Author?

Just keep writing. It might sound cliche, but its the best way to get better and drill down to the heart of what you’re trying to convey with your words. There were times where I had all but given up, putting down the digital pen as it were, and walking away for as much as a year at a time, but I always ended up coming back to my world. There’s no doubt that writing can be extremely challenging, especially when you’re new to it, but the only real obstacle to crafting a truly great story and publishing it (even if it means self-publishing it through things like KDP) is you.

What type of book do you like to read and does this differ from the genre that you prefer to write?

These days, I actually don’t read much at all with everything else going on in my life. Job, kid, writing, trying to get the word out on my first book, and a bit of Youtube is more or less all I have time for on an average day. When I was reading, though, I read more fantasy then sci-fi, but I enjoy them both. No doubt this is why I had the idea to bring the two genres together.

Which one of your characters would you most like to spend time with?

Volucer obviously. Becoming friends with a super intelligent AI would be one thing, but one that uses a robotic dragon body to get around, yes please. All that, and if we became close, he would be first to lend a helping hand whenever I needed it, and never turn his back on me.

Which book do you consider a must-read?

For anyone who’s a fan of dragons particularly, I would say Eragon and more broadly the Inheritance cycle. Like I already mentioned, the inspired me, and so I have every confidence they can inspire others too.

What’s been the hardest edit that you’ve had to make? Why did you want to keep the material in?

Due to the length of my book, I struggled with the idea of splitting it in two for a long time to make it more appealing to agents and publishers. Eventually deciding to keep my vision intact as it was after failing to get either for a long time, I’m happy I didn’t mangle all my hard work.

If you could live in a book, which one would it be?

That’s a tough one, but it would either be the world of Temeraire or my own book, Time’s Bridge. In favor of Temeraire, dragon’s have been living alongside mankind forever, and have often served as weapons of war throughout history. Having the chance to become a companion to such a creature and fly upon its back into battle would be a rush impossible to experience in our own mundane reality. To my book’s credit, however, the power of AI has been unleashed with the promise of near limitless potential to benefit mankind. There is of course risk in such a powerful AI, as well, but you’ll have to read my book to see why I would be more than happy to occupy that world.

Is there any conflict between what you want to write and what you think your readers will like?

Being a Christian, there are definitely some religious themes and characters in my book which are no doubt a turn off to some. Despite this, I find it important to include such themes and depictions as a way of showing what I believe in and to represent a worldview that I feel is often ridiculed in the modern world.

What effect can a review have on you, if you read them at all? Both the good and the bad.

If they’re constructive, either positive or negative, I give them a good amount of thought and will quite likely take them into consideration going forward. The good ones especially give me such a rush, and its always very validating to hear that something I have poured so much heart, soul, and time into isn’t garbage. As an engineer by education with no formal training in writing or editing or anything like that, it sometimes feels like I’m an imposter who should stay out of the bookish world.

Can you sum up your life story in ten words or less?

Faith and hard work always pay off.

What’s exciting you about your next project?

Being able to continue the journey I started with Time’s Bridge. I have so many interesting ideas of where to take my world and characters, and bringing that to life in book two and beyond is something I can’t wait to do. Having already completed the first draft of the second novel in my series, and being very close to ready on a supplemental work, I’m hoping that this will not only give my short list of fans what they’re looking for, but also garner more attention for my works out in the wider world.

And finally, you have one quote to be remembered by, what is it?

Rage, rage against the dying of the light. -Dylan Thomas

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Check out Cameron’s debut novel, Time’s Bridge on Amazon or at his website.