In-Depth Author Interview: Roger P. Heath Shares His Journey

In a world where ancient and modern timelines intertwine, Roger P. Heath’s debut novel, Warriors of the Continuum: Arrival, beckons readers into a richly crafted narrative that explores our shared human history. With a background as a geologist, Heath brings a unique perspective to his storytelling, weaving together themes of ancestry, discovery, and the resilience of the human spirit.

In this interview, we delve into the inspiration behind the book, the intricacies of world-building, and the personal journey that led Heath to embrace fiction writing. Join us as we uncover the layers of creativity that shaped this compelling tale, and learn about the hopes he holds for readers as they embark on this epic journey.

But first, who is Roger P. Heath?

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Roger P. Heath’s Books

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1. What inspired the premise of Warriors of the Continuum: Arrival—especially the mix of ancient and modern timelines?

I’ve always been fascinated by what our world might have looked/felt like in the ages before humans became the ‘overlords’ of our planet, in the ages before our technologies truly dominated the landscape. But it’s devilishly hard to take a step back and truly imagine that world. As Beth takes a moment to survey the verdant land, she recognises that ‘an entirely pristine planet was a vast concept to digest.’ And if you think of yourself in that past age looking out over that unspoilt land, might you see an ancestor of yours? Because at that moment, your great, great … great grandma is out there, somewhere, living her life. And wherever she is, whatever struggles she faces, she survives. Because you and I are here today!

Writing this tale allowed me the time and space to explore that concept, to attempt to convey a feeling of our shared past. Albeit a past with a twist!

But did this fascination with the past ‘inspire’ this tale? Hmm. I have two additional ways of answering that question.

Around twenty years ago, a random phrase popped into my runaway mind: No one knows but I, who wrote this here and why. No idea where that phrase came from, but I told myself that, one day, I would figure out a way of using it. And many years later, when the day came when I set down to write, I decided that someone would find that phrase written on stone. Nothing more than that. Just the discovery of this carved message (or a version of it) in some random place. All that followed was created from that moment.

The second piece to add is this. During the time I was writing the third book, I reread a book from childhood: Stig of the Dump by Clive King. It tells the simple yet impactful tale of a young boy who discovers a ‘cave man’ living in a disused quarry in the woods. It tells of their growing understanding of each other, and of their improbable adventures together. But it was the ending that took me aback. I’d forgotten how it ended. Far more serious than the rest of the tale. And with a twist that brought me immediately to the beginning of my tale! I saw an old interview with the author Ursula Le Guin where she was asked a similar question on what had inspired her latest story. She answered with an analogy to filling a compost bin. Over time, the bin is fed various disparate shreds of material, which, as they decay, are mixed thoroughly, eventually emerging (hopefully) as wonderfully rich soil. You don’t know which piece of the incoming garden refuse has contributed to what particular part of the resulting soil – but in some way, it all has. It is all in there, somewhere. Likewise for the story, you don’t know which particular part of your experience you may have drawn on at the time of writing.

And so, I think Stig of the Dump can lay claim to be one part of the unconscious inspiration for my tale.

2. How did you approach world-building for such a rich and layered setting? Did your background as a geologist play a role?

It’s interesting, because I didn’t approach this with world-building in mind. In fact, over the decades, I’ve generally skim-read the more detailed world-building descriptions in novels. I much prefer the characters’ actions, their behaviours, their dialogue. Especially dialogue. I think that’s why Ioved Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown trilogy. For me, a masterclass on dialogue. And no quotation marks in sight! In fact, when I started writing Arrival, I wrote it in his style using em-dashes instead of quotation marks. It’s a fantastic way to keep a flow going … but doesn’t seem to land well with editors!!

But, as usual, I digress. For the age 13000 years ago, I attended a couple of courses on the Upper Palaeolithic. I also bought books on the U. Palaeolithic. Then, from the nuggets I gleaned, I simplified when writing, describing – sparsely yet authentically – only what I needed to set the scene for the characters’ interactions. And only from the viewpoint of the chosen character.

My background as a geologist? Maybe it played a role. Certainly, I’ve dealt with the concept of significant timescales all my life – since the age of 14, I guess. Probably longer, as my mother is fascinated with ammonites! Even so, trying to wrap your head around time is tricky. Compared against the timeline of our planet, even against the timespan of life on our planet, hominids are relative newcomers, existing for only around 0.18% of life’s existence. And modern humans? Under 0.01%. That means that for over 99.9% of 3.7 billion years that there has been life on the planet, modern humans weren’t there!

That said, for 7 million years, hominids have walked the planet. And for 300,000 years, modern humans have been around. And these people knew stuff. Evidence of stone tools at 3.3 million years. Evidence of woodworking at 2 million years. Hand axes at 1.7 million years. Use of fire 1.5 Ma. … Yew spear 400k. Cave painting 55k. Sewing needle 50k. Flute carved from bear leg bone 45k. Sculpture of female fecundity 25k. And all this is just from what has been found so far.

My rambling point is that I think we continually underestimate what our ancestors could do, and how early they were doing it. And so, although a significant part of my story lies 13000 years in the past, in an age where the ‘modern’ technologies are not present, I tried not to underplay how smart these people would be.

This played into how I layered the unfolding trilogy. Pace and complexity build.

3. When did you first know you wanted to write this story, and how long did it take from idea to publication?

I’ve always had a runaway imagination, but never in a million years did I believe I could convert any of those fantastical thoughts into the written world. The realm of writers/authors was with the gods, not down here with me. But I’ve always been a keen reader across a variety of genres, and so books have always been close to my heart.

I also had a grandma who one day said she’d always wanted to be a writer, but for various reasons had never taken that path. I was so impressed – in awe in a way – that she believed she could have been a writer. And looking back, I know she most certainly could have been. Maybe that day planted a seed. Certainly, that moment in time has stuck with me … To be a writer …

But when did I decide I should try it?  I’ve mentioned the phrase ‘No one knows but I, who wrote this here and why’ previously. This played a part in some subconscious process in my mind, but did it trigger me to start writing? Maybe. But to start writing? And write this story? I think the reality is that I’d reached a point in my life, when I wanted to put my mind and efforts to something else, to something very different.

And so, one day, I sat outside in the garden and started to write. I wrote a scene with Lanky. Then wrote a scene with Jessica. And then I followed their tale.

That was in 2018.

Seven years later, I have the completed trilogy, and by Jan 2026 all three books will be published.

4. Do you plot everything in advance or write more organically as the story unfolds?

I saw an interview with David Gemmell, the brilliant British fantasy author of the 1980s-2000s. He said he started a tale with a character in the woods, then as they walked out, he followed them and their emerging tale. This is most definitely how it was with this story. I didn’t know about Beth, Naga, Shadow, Growl, Spider etc until I met them. I discovered them and the tale as I wrote it. This did mean that I was continually adjusting things across the three books to make the whole work. I’m so glad I wrote the full trilogy before publishing, else I’d be in big trouble, stuck with a first book that didn’t now make sense.

I should add, that while I started out with no plot outline etc, as I progressed, I created a side file of detailed notes including a mammoth list of FAQs where I asked myself about the story and characters. This reference work became my saviour over time, forming the keystone that held the whole in place.

Even then, I threw out 6 months of work on the final book when I realised I’d taken it down the wrong path. That was hard. But as with beta feedback, I’d learnt that no matter how long it took to correct something – days, weeks, or months – it had to be done. I learned a patience on a grand scale doing this.

5. What was the most challenging part of writing your debut novel?

Learning to write! Controlling dialogue tags. Avoiding repetitive words. Balancing plot pace with moments of tension/ reflection. Figuring how to write on days when I just didn’t feel like writing. Dealing with first beta feedback!

There was no single challenging part! It was a flood of overwhelming challenges!

6. Did you draw inspiration from any particular myths, cultures, or literary works while writing Warriors of the Continuum?

I read across several genres – e.g. fantasy, historical non-fiction, sci-fi, literary – and so all will have influenced my storytelling. Heroic tales with heart appeal to me. Like David Gemmell’s writing. And I’m in awe of writers like Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch. Character writing to die for!

7. You’ve had a long career as a geologist. What inspired you to make the leap into fiction writing?

I touched on this above, in that I’d decided I needed to break away from the world I knew and try something new. And I’ve always admired those who create something from a blank canvas – artists, woodworkers, sculptors – creating something unique, both for their own fulfilment, and for others to enjoy. Maybe I could do that? Maybe out of the crazy churning of my mind, I could take some of the weird thoughts and corral them into something like a story? I think my disillusionment with what I was doing allowed that mad idea to push to the fore. And not only would I start writing, I’d write a fantasy trilogy! Why a trilogy? Probably because of the influence of trilogies I’d read by the likes of Tolkien, Donaldson, Le Guin, Feist, and Brooks. And, somehow, that’s what I found myself doing.

8. What do you hope readers take away from Arrival—either emotionally or thematically?

I will answer this for the trilogy as a whole. Arrival is the beginning of a journey within this Continuum of ours. It is a beginning. As the story progress through Deception and Life, much is revealed, and yet more remains hidden. This may prove frustrating for some. Maybe. Probably. But what I hope is that within the cast of players in the unfolding tale, readers will find an emotional connection with one protagonist and become genuinely invested in that character’s journey – and their fate. I’d like that character to stay with them, long after the book has been placed back on the reader’s bookshelf.

9. Part One suggests there’s more to come. Can you share any hints about what’s next in the trilogy?

I’m nervous about answering this, as Part One hasn’t yet been released! That said, for those who do want to know more about WotC Part Two: Deception, then visit rogerpheath.com and navigate to the Deception page. There you will find the blurb.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers, especially those starting later in life or shifting from another career path?

Advice may be too strong a word to describe this answer. I’d say it is encouragement, sprinkled with reality!

If you aspire to write, then carve out the time, and start writing. Have no boundaries, no shackles on what you write. Don’t worry about what anyone else might think of your work, just write what you want to write. This is between you and your emerging tale only. And once you start writing, you are a writer. Call yourself a writer. That’s what you are now. Be proud of it. And as you write, learn about your new art. There is so much information out there to help you. Take it. But keep writing. Write and learn. Learn and write.

And, eventually, you will have your first draft. Well done. Pause. Celebrate.

Now go back and improve that rough manuscript, wielding all those additional skills you’ve gained. Then get beta readers to read it. Cry. Then take their valuable feedback and improve your story. And again. And again, if needed. In your new-found role as a writer, take all you have learnt from your previous career, and embrace your resilience and patience. Strive to deliver the best version of your story that you can.

Then, one day, you will find you have become an author.

It happened to me.

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Thank you, Roger P. Heath, for sharing your inspiring journey and creative insights with us.