Interview with sci-fi thriller author Brian H. Roberts

Today’s author spotlight shines on Brian H. Roberts. He’s here to chat with me about his sci-fi thriller, Red Dragon, the first book in the EPSILON series.

During his virtual book tour, Brian will be awarding a $75 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
In his first life, Brian worked as a contractor and civil engineer in bustling Seattle. Desiring a change, he and his wife traded big city life for the outdoor adventures of Central Oregon. His writing draws deeply on his lifelong loves of science/technology and adventure sports. His EPSILON Sci-Fi Thriller series now boasts two novels: Red Dragon and Crimson Lucre.

Welcome, Brian. Please tell us about your current release.
The Prospector 1 mission, led by Dallas Gordon, has successfully identified sites for the Prospector 2 mission to begin mining. In book 1(Crimson Lucre), the Prospector 1 team survived numerous sabotage attempts by a corporate rival. Book 2 reveals the real puppet master, Chinese general Zhang Aiguo, who desires to overthrow the communist Chinese government and install himself as emperor of China. He plans to control the world’s supply of rare earth elements, thereby controlling the manufacture of all things electronic, from computers to autonomous vehicles.

EPSILON Corp’s mining operation on Mars threatens Zhang’s stranglehold. He sends a military mission to Mars to bring the planet – and its mineral treasure – under his control. As EPSILON staffers are abducted, Dallas must call on his military backgrounds to defeat Zhang’s soldiers and save the lives of his coworkers.

What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always been interested in the exploration and colonization of the solar system and beyond. But I recognized the desire for exploration alone would only go so far to motivate humanity to spend the billions and billions of dollars it would take to reach and colonize another planet.

At the same time there is recognition that our current rate of resource extraction to manufacture the stuff of civilization and progress isn’t sustainable either environmentally or economically.

I realized that there are nearly unlimited resources to exploit on Mars and the asteroids. Such potential for wealth provides plenty of motivation to explore and colonize. Wealth also promotes greed and jealousy – grist for Red Dragon and my EPSILON Sci-Fi Thriller series!

 

Excerpt from Red Dragon:
Pang quickly leveled his NP42 at Dallas and fired—both rounds just missing, one to either side.

Dallas returned fire without setting up his shot. The round impacted the side of Pang’s helmet. It ricocheted off, leaving behind a spiderweb of cracks across his visor.

Momentarily stunned, Pang quickly leveled his gun again at Dallas.

“You’re mine, gwáilóu,” he growled.

Dallas dove to his right, firing but missing twice, followed by a hollow click just as he met the ground.

Grinning wickedly, Pang strode up to Dallas as he lay on the ground. He stood over the prostrate commander and extended his arm to fire.

Pang’s visor exploded outward into a glittering shower of shards. From Dallas’ perspective looking up into the black daytime sky, it looked like a thousand mirrors twinkling in the morning sun. The imperial Chinese captain stood as if frozen, his eyes tightly shut, frost growing across his reddening face. He blindly fired one final shot, raising a puff of dust beside Dallas’s helmet. Then Pang dropped to his knees and screamed, the thin Martian air stealing his life’s breath. Frost quickly grew around his eyes, nose and mouth. He fell face forward atop Dallas and lay still.

 

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently writing the sequel to Red Dragon. Zhang Aiguo has unfinished business on Earth and on Mars. Even though Dallas completed his mission and returned to Earth, he and EPSILON are swept up in Zhang’s stratagems.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
As an author, I’m a late bloomer. I didn’t begin writing until after I retired. But ideas that would become my EPSILON Sci-Fi series began to percolate nearly forty years ago.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full time, although I suppose I come close. Because I’m retired, I have the luxury of spending more time in an average day than many of my author friends who still hold down jobs.

I spend mornings working on marketing projects. I’m an independent, self-published author, and so far, I haven’t delegated that to another individual/company. Afternoons I’m plotting, writing, reviewing and revising.

My wife and I reserve one day a week to hike or explore. Once COVID subsides, we hope to resume traveling. Next fall, Maui. Next year, Patagonia (Chili and Argentina).

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I was a civil engineer before I retired. I spent a good part of my civil engineering career as a project manager for multi-million-dollar transportation improvements. Man, I learned to outline a project schedule down to the tiniest detail. A poorly sequenced project could create all sorts of delays, costing millions in cost overruns. Old habits die hard, so you guessed it, I outline the heck out of my books. I’ll spend weeks outlining a plot. But an advantage for me is that when I finally sit down to write, I can really crank. And a big side benefit? I haven’t had to contend with writer’s block.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
That’s easy. I wanted to be a paleontologist. My favorite book at age five was a book about dinosaurs my grandmother had given me – that and Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches the Egg. (What can I say? I was five.) I’ve never lost my fascination for these remarkable creatures who predated us 67 million years.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
It’s been really gratifying for me to communicate with my fans – to meet people who were entertained and even educated through my work. I look forward to meeting some of your readers in that same way.

Links:
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Amazon

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