Just the FAQs

Where can I obtain your books?

All of the Cameron Scott titles are available on Amazon.com, in print or as ebooks. Links to the books are available in the 'Books by K. Robert Campbell' section of this website. Contact your local bookshop or library about stocking the Cameron Scott books if they don't already have them.

Why didn't you start with 'The First...'?

When I started writing, I didn't expect to produce a series. The title, "The Fifth Category" lent itself to the novel because a category 5 hurricane plays heavily into the story, and Cameron learns that the clandestine group he uncovers has five tiers, or 'categories,' of rankings within its hierarchy. When I realized that people were actually interested in reading that first book, and were asking about others, I started working on a second one. That second book revolved around Cameron's assistance to a client in straightening out her deceased parents' testate estates, which had four parcels of real estate, one of which, the fourth one, was crucial to the action. "The Fourth Estate" seemed a natural title for the book. And so it went.

What happens after you reach zero?

The simple answer is: Fractions. At this writing, "Three-Quarter Time" is about to be released. It starts fittingly, when a note gets attached to a fiddle-leaf fig on the porch of Cameron's office overnight. The note writer, a member of a community band, worries that someone might be trying to kill the tuba player. In the oven is "Half A Teaspoon," which I hope will be released by fall of 2025.

Your stories are based in and around the real town of Southport, North Carolina. Why use 'Riverport' instead of Southport?

Primarily, I wanted to have a little creative freedom in providing locations for action in the stories. For instance, I describe Cameron's getaway cabin on the landward side of the Intracoastal Waterway. If I want that cabin to have a far-off view of the ocean, I don't have to worry about someone who is familiar with Southport and its surrounds telling me, "That's impossible." That said, Author Wiley Cash does effectively use the actual Southport, and other locales in Brunswick County, NC for his book, "Ghosts Come Home," although his characters are fictional.

Are any of your characters named after real people?

I normally only use real names for historical figures. Occasionally, I'll 'borrow' a last name of someone I know or have known, but the character has no likeness to the real person. I have named Cameron's wife Mary, after my own wife, because she has many characteristics of my own wife. On one occasion, I did use a real person's full name, with their permission.

Are any of your stories based on real events that happened during your time as a park ranger or attorney?

Short answer: No. Sometimes, events that I have witnessed do slip in, such as the six ocean waterspouts in "The Fifth Category." A lot of knowledge I gained as a park ranger has helped me form situations or solutions that appear in the stories.

Why did you shift to short stories for "Twelve Tales?"

After I finished "Zero Tolerance," I wanted to try something a little different. I've written some short stories, one of which appeared in the collection "Enter Stage Write,"  published to raise funds for Wilmington, NC theaters during the Covid shutdown. I thought it might be fun to write a collection of short stories, all featuring Cameron Scott and each themed to a month of the year. It proved to be a daunting task the way I did it--I had twelve stories going all at once and had to keep up with the plotline in each as I jumped around over several months' time. One of the fun parts was coming up with titles, such as "A Dead Start" for January and "Helter Swelter" for August.

Do you have any other books in the works?

Glad you (I) asked. Aside from "Three Quarter Time," I have completed a literary fiction titled "Scratch," under a different pen name. Still deciding on how and when to release that one. I also have about six or seven partials of different genres with anything from a few sentences to several chapters complete. 

What else have you written?

My stage comedy, "Radio Play," was produced locally by Stage II Productions a few years ago. In it, a radio soap opera's announcer has decided to rewrite the day's script without telling cast or crew. The original script is nowhere to be found and the cast have to do the best they can with what he has provided. In the picture below, they are arguing, not realizing they are on the air. I hand-made the old-time 'microphones' used in the production. The 'DRN' on the top of each represents the fictional Dumont Radio Network. To the left, there was a sound effects table with a two-man crew trying their best to keep up. Contact me at authorkrcampbell@gmail.com if you know of a community theater group that would like to produce it.