Interview date: 23 February 2021
R.G. Roberts is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, currently living in Connecticut and working as a Manufacturing Manager for a major medical device manufacturer. While an officer in the Navy, she served on three surface ships, taught at the Surface Warfare Officer's School, and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College with a masters degree in Strategic Studies & National Security, with a concentration in leadership. She later earned an M.A. in Writing from Albertus Magnus College.ll.
Would you recommend MWSA membership to other authors?
Absolutely. Finding fellow military-focused authors is hard! Also, as a reader, I like to read authentic military-themed books across multiple genres, and MWSA is a great place to find good reads.
Why write about a war of the submarine when you served on surface ships?
The idea of an underwater-focused World War III came to me while I was at the Naval War College. They always say that World War I was the war of the battleship and World War II was the war of the aircraft carrier. I started wondering...what would World War III be? With satellites and long-range sensors extending both the surface and air warfare pictures, where can you find real stealth? Underwater. I spent enough time trying to find submarines to testify to that.
The last real frontier on earth is under the sea. Eventually, we'll start exploiting resources on the ocean floor. Companies are already building underwater hotels (!) and there's a ton of precious metals and other resources under the seabed. But a lot of those resources are in international waters, and countries' exclusive economic zones frequently overlap. That's a recipe for conflict.
From there, I started looking at the diplomatic and military relations of nations in the Indo-Pacific region. I knew right away that I didn't want to write about US v. China - everyone writing World War III does that. And, frankly, I don't think China wants World War III any more than the US does. No one wants another world war. So, the key was making one happen by accident, with enough countries' national interests involved that the shooting starts and no one can back out until it’s far too late.
I do also write a lot of surface warfare in the books, too. It's like going home, and one of my main characters is a surface warfare officer commanding a destroyer. But as the war moves on, and missiles get used up and surface ships are easier and easier to find, the war will transition more and more to the one medium where true stealth remains possible.
Why place the war in the late 2030s and not now?
There are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason, if I have to be honest, is because I didn't want to accidentally put something classified in the series. By pitching it forward a decade and a half, I can extrapolate new technology that's replaced current day tech, and thus not throw something in that is still lurking around in the back of my brain.
Secondly, because if I want a big war, a "mother-loving Navy war," like it's called in one of my all-time favorite World War II movies, I have to set up a situation where that war can happen, and that means letting the geopolitical situation go from uncomfortable to tense over the next decade and a half.
Lastly, I love the idea of underwater stations, and we're just not there yet on the technological front. We probably *could* make them...but we haven't, so there we are.
What made you start writing?
I can't remember! I've written back as far as I can recall, back to kindergarten when I was given the option to draw pictures or write stories. I gave up on sleep while I was in the Navy to write, sneak time on lunch now to write, and stay up late when inspiration hits. Writing is a part of me, and I'll do it whether anyone reads my work or not.
What books do you have out?
War of the Submarine started as a serial on Kindle Vella (which you can find here: https://amazon.com/War-of-the-Submarine/dp/B09317Z8G4). I post a new episode/chapter weekly while I'm writing. It's in season 2 now, which is also book 2, "The War No One Wanted." Once book 2 is complete on Vella, it will move to paperback/ebook/hardcover 30 days later.
There is also a prequel on Amazon, "Before the Storm," of novella-length (https://amazon.com/dp/B09GMCSXMB). This is a fun story about Alex Coleman in his XO days, chasing undersea pirates with his old college roommate.
I do also have a fantasy serial on Vella with a strong war flavor, as well as an alternate history set in the late Roman Republic focusing on Caesar's wars in Spain (Caesar's Command: https://amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PFBJQ51).
I am a multi-genre writer, but my works always focus on leaders faced with difficult choices, and they always feature wars of one sort or another.
You can find my website at http://www.rgrobertswriter.com I am on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rgrobertswriter I am on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RGRobertsWriter
Why have so many of your characters graduated from Norwich University?
Probably because I'm a NU grad myself. I remember being very happy when WEB Griffin included a Norwich grad in one of his books - you never see Norwich in military fiction!
Norwich University is the oldest private military college in the United States. Founded in 1819, Norwich breeds creative leaders, and I love honoring my alma mater by letting some of my main characters meet there. For my fellow Wick grads out there, I'm original Charlie Company, class of 2004.