Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Canadian… don’t hold that against me! I’ve written three books. I published the first of them (The Second Lives of Honest Men) nearly a decade ago, to positive reviews. I published my second and third novels more recently. (The Cart Massacres & Enter Final Gamer). My stories bridge science fiction with my personal beliefs: i.e., our way of life (North American living in particular) is unreal, and that society is ill. Still, I believe my stories are hopeful in nature. However, if you’re the type that likes burying your head in the sand, you may not enjoy the vibe I’m putting out. #LookUp
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest work, Enter Final Gamer, was inspired by necessity. During the dark days of lockdowns, I finally reconciled how I could tell a complex story within a deep-future utopia: one I’d had rolling around in my head for years. My first two books being darker in nature, Enter Final Gamer is a pithy and bright vision of our future – perhaps a welcome change from the dystopian stories of late, and one that got me through the worst of times!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does mania count? When I’m in a good groove, I type faster than I can think. When I’m in a great groove, my fingers can’t come close to keeping up with my mind. I write organically, allowing characters and events to develop in ways that make linear sense. I’ll weave a massive tapestry, full of loose ends – then meticulously tear it apart and put it back together over and over again until my ‘crazy’ can be followed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dickens, Orwell, Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Salinger, Huxley, Timothy Zahn.
1984, Fahrenheit 451, and A Brave New World define the world we live in. Orwell, Huxley, and Bradbury were each visionary, all capturing a piece of a grander truth. I always question it when people tell me they’re “avid, astute readers”, but haven’t read any of these classics. Read THOSE books before you waste time reading mine or anyone else’s!
What are you working on now?
I’m currently turning my three existing novels into audiobooks. (I’m halfway through The Cart Massacres.) I’m also working on a prequel and the first sequel to Enter Final Gamer, with a vision of this being a 5 book saga.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Harassing friends and family? I had built up some following a decade ago, then fell off on self-promotion. Family, job, etc. But now I’m back, trying to rebuild a reputation in the indy community.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get beta readers! Listen to their criticism, and if you hear their voices rolling around in your head after they’ve critiqued your work, telling you certain things, those are things you need to reevaluate! Put yourself in the shoes of your reader – i.e., that person who doesn’t have your entire vision in their head. I’ve come across entirely too many indy books that were banged out quickly, with no consideration for readers being able to track the story or the author’s vision, and not enough revision process prior to publication. If you aren’t an absolute master of the language, get a professional editor, and listen to their advice.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t live in debt.
Oh, was this supposed to have to do with being an author? Don’t live in debt. Don’t spend money you don’t have on the off chance you’ll see success. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. And most importantly, people will keep moving your cheese. Anticipate this and roll with the punches. Don’t stop.
What are you reading now?
Now? Right now? This! Honestly, I don’t read enough fiction anymore. I read a lot of news and current events. When I’m old, feeble, and confined to a bed, I’ll catch up on the thousands of books I’ve missed. Too much writing and living to do in the meantime.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, some sales! I’d love to make this my full-time living, even if that only constitutes money for coffee grounds and rent. Maybe some soup, yeah?
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I don’t care for tenting or roughing it, so I’m probably going to need to devote these choices to educational books that can teach me how not to die on a desert island. 0_0. Castaway, the novel?
Author Websites and Profiles
John Robert Cameron Website
John Robert Cameron Amazon Profile
John Robert Cameron’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account