GREENVILLE — Local Greenville resident Adam Royer is a self-published author, with 11 novels plus two volume sets under this belt. He writes under the pen name “Joseph Ray James.”
“My first writing attempt was almost 20 years ago,” he said. “I wrote every day for a few months. Then, the first season of 24 came out on Fox TV and sounded way too similar to my story, so I dropped it. I tried again about eight years ago. It was a fantasy novel that was very rough and didn’t sit well with publishers when I submitted it. I picked up writing again and self-published my first true novel in June of 2015.”
It was then that he self-published “Sons of Abraham: J-17’s Trial.”
“I published on Amazon at first,” said the 42-year-old. “Later, I tried my hand on Barnes and Noble, with no luck.”
His six-part series, “Sons of Abraham,” is a science fiction series involving cyborg people (people with computer hardware in their brains) and their superiority to current man.
“My latest novel, ‘Windhammer,’ is a LitRPG,” he said “That genre involves some sort of video game component. Like characters trapped in a video game, as an example.”
His ideas for his writings typically come while playing video games, reading books, watching shows/movies, and from seeing artwork.
“Usually, I’ll daydream about some component of it until an emotional moment comes to my mind. Then, I focus on that emotional moment until I can build a story around it,” Royer said.
He said his first self-published title took him about two months to write, and a month to edit.
“It was only 150 pages, but my editing skills were lacking,” he said. “It’s difficult to edit your own work because you’ve seen the story so many times that your brain just skips some of the mistakes. My old books were called out for editing flaws in the review and likely led to their downfall.”
Who is his favorite author?
“I don’t really stick to one author, but Jim Butcher comes to mind,” he said “He writes the ‘Harry Dresden Files.’ It’s a modern day wizard who deals with supernatural issues, all while keeping it from the public eye.”
Science fiction and fantasy are easily his favorite genres.
I have a hard time getting into plausible stories, like your typical mystery and thriller titles,” he said. “I just don’t find enjoyment in the possible.”
A high school graduate, he holds a bachelor’s degree in crisis management.
Royer who, with his partner, has a son, said years ago, when he was single, he would write all night when he got off of work, and he’d also write all weekend.
“When I became a father, I struggled to find any writing time,” he said. “Then, about nine months ago, I got laid off due to budget issues from the employer I’d worked for almost 20 years with. So I’m taking my shot at my dream and writing full time. The virus crisis has made this difficult. I’ve been caring for a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old for the last several months, and finding time (and especially peace and quiet) to write has been nearly impossible.”
