Author Interview: Robert Lummus

So first off tell me about yourself?
I am 25 years old and grew up in Meridian, Mississippi. I am the son of a secondary education mathematics teacher, Christina Lummus, and a man who spent most of my life working in fast food restaurants, Robert Lummus Sr. From a young age, education was a main focus for me, but as I grew up I found my own interests. The start of the path that lead me to where I am is an interest in the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game and history. As I grew up, I began pursuing my interest in history and anything involving mythical creatures or magic. My uncle, otherwise known as Partner to me, helped support these interests since it was a shared interest between us. This interest evolved to a deep understanding of history and a love for different fantasy card games including Magic the Gathering. When I was unable to get a job in education after graduating from college, I began working at a McDonald’s where I began writing my book.

What made you want to become a writer?
In the past, I loved reading so much that I had aspirations of writing my own story to tell to the world. I tried countless times to write an interesting story, but I never had the drive or patience to finish the story that I started. That dream became nothing but a fantasy until I suddenly got an idea that just wouldn’t leave my head. Since I had a lot of free time, I began working on the story and that was the beginning of the journey that led me to publishing my first book.

What writers do you admire? And what are your favorite books?
I honestly admire J.K. Rowling and some of my favorite books are the Harry Potter series. I admire her for continuing her journal despite the rejections that nearly cost us an amazing book series.

So you’ve recently published a book, tell me about that?
Honestly, I am really excited about the book, and the fact that there are people who want to read my story. I imagine that this is similar to the feeling that a father would have the first moment that he holds his child in his arms and watches them go out into the world. You can purchase a copy here, and also the sequel has recently been released which you can buy here. 

What if any, were the difficulties in writing and publishing your book?
The most difficult part for me was editing the final copy of my book. I love writing the story and creating the journey of my main character, but the editing process was just draining for me. I had to push myself to reread each chapter trying to make it perfect before finally submitting it to be published. I think this was the most difficult for me because I am a naturally paranoid person when it comes to projects I work on.

What was the inspiration for ‘Rise of the Necromancer’?
I love to think about hypothetical situations, and how life would be if certain things happened. I am the kind of person that will look at a book, film, or TV series and wonder what would happen if one thing was different. One day, I had the sudden thought of what it would be like if a necromancer wasn’t the bad guy since I have seen them portrayed as the villain in countless video games. From there, the idea continued to evolve until it became my story to tell the world.

Did you self-publish and if so what was that like?
Yes, I did self-publish my book. Honestly the experience was really simple, and it allowed me to get my work out there in a timely manner.

What has the reception been like for your book?
From what I have seen and heard so far, everyone seems to be enjoying the story that I have created. I have already sold 16 books in my first month, and I hope to see that number rise with my book signing at the end of the month.

Are there any plans for more books in the future and will they be connected to this one?
I have plans to create a complete series based on the adventures of Stevie and his friends. I am already working on the second book in The Last Necromancer series continuing where Rise of the Necromancer left off.

Had you written anything before you published this book, and if so is it available to read?
I wrote a few things in the past, but they were all incomplete works that have been lost to time. Now that I have published my first book, those old stories will be written once my first series is complete.

Please feel free to provide links here to any social media you might want to share?
The main one that I use is my page on Facebook dedicated to my book series. If you have questions, comments, or just want to chat then feel free to send me a message.

And lastly sum up your recent book in a tweet length pitch?
My story revolves around a young necromancer who discovers his powers, and is thrown into the dangers of the magical world by an unknown enemy. After the first fight for his life, he learns that the magical community sees him as a threat, and goes into hiding to learn more about his powers. In time, he will have to face the threats of the magical world, hiding the true source of his power, to find a place that he can belong while trying to discover more about his past and the mysterious enemy coming after him discovering that all mythology is based on reality.

First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/

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