As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Roderick Edwards discusses how he turned his passion for ancient history and biological heritage into over 35 books, including his latest, Vikingstock, a no-nonsense exploration of practical Norse life before Hollywood’s myths took over.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Roderick Edwards about his life and career, what inspires his writing, and the work that went into his new book, Vikingstock.
Roderick Edwards is a 57 year old retired data analyst living deep in the Ocala Forest in Florida, surrounded by longleaf pine trees and swampy lakes. He spends his days tending his exotic gardens which includes cacao, banana, and olive trees, coffee bean bushes. He collects fresh eggs daily from his hens and ducks that free-range on his property. This backdrop is the inspiration for the over 35 books he has written and published since 2017.
I’ve always kept journals and wrote stories in spiral-bound notebooks but it wasn’t until after the advent of print-on-demand that I was able to fulfill my purpose, The impetus for it all came after finding my biological family which was shielded from me over 50 years by adoption law.
While I’ve always had an interest in writing, especially in alliteration and wordplay and a lover of ancient history, it wasn’t until I began to trace my biological history upon having my birth records unsealed that I had enough publishable content. This content materialized into a sort of autobiographical awakening.
Currently, I write and publish a book every few months but my first books required more time, especially for editing and formatting. They were typically completed within six months.
My latest book, Vikingstock released in mid-January 2025 took about 2 months to complete.
Tracing my biological heritage, I was able to go back unbroken to the year 680AD to Norway to a Viking named Lutro. This piqued my interest in presenting the Norse as the practical people they were before they were commercialized by Hollywood, comic books, and sports teams as the Vikings.
Vikingstock required me to sift through loads of misinformation from neopagans and even video game makers who seem to have latched on to Norse heritage and turn it into a fantasy world. I also didn’t want to bog the reader down with the mythos of the Vikings.
Reading through original source documents like the Eddas and even the Russian Primary Chronicle and consulting the works of Norse/Viking experts took time, as there were conflicts between the sources, such as some that said Viking is only a verb and others that claim it is also a noun such as in how someone who sails is called a sailor, so too the Norse who went a’viking were Vikings.
As a data analyst by profession, all of my books are structured in a no-nonsense manner with more data and less fluff. I wanted Vikingstock to come off more as an explanation by someone living the heritage than someone recounting it.
Although it is often considered a no-no in the literary world, I self-edit my work using read-back tools and other such things. I hope I have done the job well.
Your first book should be what I call a throwaway book; a book you practice the art of being an author. Do not set out to write your magnum opus. I guess though, if you only plan to write one book, this advice is not very helpful.
I really want to delve into how the Americas were founded and structured. The English/British often get the blame for ravaging the New World but the reality is the Spanish and Portuguese came to the Americas almost 200 years before the Anglo-Saxon-French-Dutch explorers and settlers. In fact, it was the Spanish and Portuguese that plundered and unfortunately wiped out many of the indigenous people of the Americas long before the other Europeans arrived. Yes, the Latinos/Hispanics are also Europeans and now the dominate the entire continents of South and Central America. I want to write about that.
I a multi-genre author and as such it is difficult to garner a dedicated following so I’d better love the art and act of writing without worrying what I have accomplished. I hope it is worth it to other people but it is always worth it to me since the goal is not the approval, accolades, or validation by peers or others.
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3FSenEg
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3FPKPqG
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/4j9a9Xc
Audible: https://amzn.to/4ckgRY8
Apple Audiobook: https://apple.co/42erib7
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4488cG0
https://rodericke.com
https://www.facebook.com/rodericke
https://twitter.com/roderickedotcom
https://www.instagram.com/roderickeauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/15856826.Roderick_Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/@roderickeauthor
https://truthsocial.com/@roderickedotcom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Roderick_E
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/roderick-edwards
https://www.librarything.com/author/edwardsroderick
@roderickedotcom.bsky.social
We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", as arts and crafts…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", discover the truth behind…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Grace Morrison's playful, twang-filled…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", book worms need their…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", discover 10 gripping books…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Alex Abraham’s memoir Trauma…
View Comments
Your blog is a breath of fresh air in the often stagnant world of online content. Your thoughtful analysis and insightful commentary never fail to leave a lasting impression. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us.