Roebuck celebrates release of novel with sequel in progress
Siloam Springs resident and Board of Directors member Lucas Roebuck celebrated the release of a new novel Thursday night.
Roebuck, who works at John Brown University, has spent around 1,000 hours in the past four years leading up to Thursday’s release and book signing. The author read three selections from his novel, took a questionand-answer session and signed books, which were on sale at a special reduced price.
The book, titled “Waypoint Magellan,” is a romance/ sci-fi novel, and the first in a planned series. Roebuck said he has already started work on the sequel, completing an outline and the first few chapters.
“Some people want to climb Mt. Everest, some people want to run a marathon,” Roebuck said. “Well, I’ve always wanted to write a book.”
For Roebuck, “Waypoint Magellan” is only the beginning. The author said part of his goal is to create a universe and characters that don’t have to end. Roebuck said he plans to keep releasing books with no planned end to the series as of yet.
“There are some things that I enjoy, and it gets to the end and you’re like, ‘I wish it would go on,’” Roebuck said. “And so I said, ‘hey, what if I do my own book that doesn’t ever have to end.’”
Roebuck said one challenge to writing his book was to write his strong female main character, Amberly. In addition to taking inspiration from the female main characters in other author’s works, Roebuck said he ran the manuscript by a few female editors to make sure Amberly’s character was realistic and consistent.
Roebuck said his book focuses
in on several themes, including collectivism, individualism, feminism and faith. Roebuck’s fictional universe includes Christianity, and Roebuck said he tried to give a fair representation of both Christians and non-Christians.
Roebuck’s novel is set in the future, at an interstellar outpost eight-and-a-half light years from Earth. During the reading, Roebuck chose three different passages from his novel to accentuate three categories his work spans. The sections focused on “Waypoint Magellan” as a romance, as a sci-fi novel and as a war story.
“I tried to write it a little bit for everybody,” Roebuck said.
Roebuck said he hopes readers will get a chance to read the sequel soon, projecting a release date sometime in November, though he said it might end up being later.
Roebuck’s release comes weeks after a book release by Gary Guinn, who was one of Roebuck’s professors. Guinn debuted his novel, “Sacrificial Lam,” in March.
“I’m really glad to be in downtown Siloam Springs,” Roebuck said. “We’re developing a culture of writers here.”