I was lucky to get an interview with Rob Edmunds the author of the historical fiction novels Masinissa: Ally of Carthage and Masinissa: Ally of Rome.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m a recently published author of historical fiction with two books about the Numidian King Masinissa and another I’ve just finished set in a more recent period of history. I’m from Swansea in Wales and work very close to where the famous Welsh poet and playwright Dylan Thomas was born and grew up.

Why should I buy your books?
Masinissa was a hugely important but a little forgotten figure in history. His decision to switch sides in the Second Punic War decisively influenced the outcome of that conflict, which was the most historically significant of the ancient world. If Carthage rather than Rome had won, many fundamental aspects of our world, including the language and alphabet I’m currently using would, in all probability, be different.

“Recreating a life that was lived millennia ago was really quite thrilling for me.”

— Rob Edmunds

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I’ve always had a general interest in writing but it was really coming across the story of Masinissa which gave me the motivation, as well as perhaps the structure, to dedicate more of my time to it. In that sense, I would say I have been writing with a purpose for about seven years.

The research into the history within my books also gave me momentum to persevere and several years after starting the novels I’m still learning more about some of the characters, particularly in terms of the legacy they left in the arts and culture of the world. They have featured in paintings, plays, operas, ballets and even some films, including the very first epic movie Cabiria which was released and shown worldwide in 1914.

Why did you choose to write historical fiction? And why focus on Masinissa?
I chose to write historical fiction as I have a very broad interest in history and came across a story which I felt was ripe for reinterpretation. Recreating a life that was lived millennia ago was really quite thrilling for me. I’ve seen many things relating to Masinissa’s life, including art, statues, plays and historical works and that really fired my imagination. It seemed to me that his life and accomplishments deserved to have a wider audience. He is still revered across North Africa but is little known elsewhere.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
That is a really hard question for me to answer. There are many authors I greatly admire for many reasons. My tastes are probably quite eclectic too. I enjoy writers as diverse as John Updike, Ross McDonald, and Isabel Allende for example. Perhaps the closest to my books in terms of what I aspire to write is Augustus by John Williams about the life of the first Roman Emperor. When I read it I was hoping there would be a reference to one of the descendants of Masinissa, Juba II, who was mentored by Caesar Augustus and was one of Rome’s most learned men. Unfortunately, there was no reference but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the novel in the least!

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
This is another tricky question that requires a little reflection. The pleasure in finding the words perhaps. There is a great deal of magic and mystery in the shaping of stories and sentences! Holding the published book for the first time was also a wonderful feeling. Having your books in the world for people to read and hopefully enjoy certainly put a smile on my face.

What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
The hardest part I would say is when I’ve started to struggle or not been able to see clearly how I should develop the storyline. That was probably most apparent in my most recent novel where the structure was a little looser. Marketing is also quite a challenge which I’m learning a lot more about as I go.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I think a social media presence is very helpful and is worthwhile developing, in whichever platforms you’re most comfortable with. I’ve found bookfunnel to be quite useful too as a means to distribute advance copies to people who are interested in the books. The site also allows you to participate in group promotions with other authors which can help you reach a wider audience.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I’m in what might be viewed as a querying hiatus. I have ideas for three novels at the moment and I’m unsure which one to focus on. One is set during the ancient period again, one is science fiction and another would be about one of the characters who makes a cameo appearance in my most recent novel. She was quite famous in the last century and had quite a remarkable life.

Do you expect new technologies to come along soon that will have a huge impact on self-publishing? For instance, when will we see a decent novel written by an AI author?
I feel the most transformative changes in the publishing industry have happened in quite recent years, relative to the enormous period of time books have been in print that is. When I was a child there was no such thing as e-books and that has taken me quite a lot of time getting used to. I still have a strong preference for a paperback. Audiobooks are also increasingly popular and accessible and, potentially, strong revenue generators for authors. I’m not sure when a decent novel might be written by an AI author. I wonder if such artificial intelligences can have the capacity for imagination. I suppose following formulaic structures could create something readable but an author is the sum of his experiences, perceptions and imagination, none of which a machine can readily understand or replicate. How would an object express a feeling?

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
I have many dreams, very few of which are remotely attainable! In terms of my books, specifically those about Masinissa, my dream would be that they would be adapted for film or television. Masinissa, as a character, has appeared in at least three movies but he’s long overdue another appearance on the silver screen in my view. The last person to have played him was the famous American actor Woody Strode, after whom the character Woody from Toy Story was named. Finding a connection between an ancient North African king and that movie franchise really did amuse me!

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
I’d just like to thank you for the interview. I really enjoyed responding to the questions and I appreciate you giving me the platform to promote my novels.

Thank you for doing the interview. I wish you the very best of luck, and I hope you find many new readers for your books.

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