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RODERICK VON KING
THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR BRIDGING LOVE & SALVATION
Roderick Von King is a storyteller whose work moves effortlessly between precision and emotion, logic and belief. Trained as an Aerospace Engineer with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Computer Science, King spent decades immersed in systems built for accuracy and consequence. Yet alongside that technical rigor ran a parallel life shaped by music, faith, and narrative instinct.
Long before his emergence as an award-winning author, King was already writing songs, lyrics, and stories, absorbing the rhythms of the music industry through early exposure to legendary figures such as Sly and the Family Stone, Bobby Womack, Rufus, and Chaka Khan. That immersion led him to establish his own record label, production company, and music publishing house, grounding his creative voice in both artistry and enterprise. His literary debut, Why Didn’t We Love?, marked a defining transition. A romance rooted in emotional truth and human vulnerability, the novel earned the International Impact Book Award for Romance and later the International Impact Book Award for Author of the Year 2025, cementing King’s place as a writer capable of translating lived experience into resonant fiction. The story’s reach continues to expand, with a completed screenplay adaptation and a companion song currently in production.​
​King’s most recent work, Altar Call – An Honest Depiction of a Path to Salvation, reveals another dimension of his voice, one shaped by spiritual inquiry and moral clarity. Inspired by his original song “Altar Call,” the book explores faith not as doctrine, but as lived transformation. The work received both the International Impact Book Award for Personal Transformation and the Christlit Book Award 2025, affirming his ability to bridge storytelling and spiritual reflection without compromise.
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Beyond the page, King’s creative curiosity continues to travel. His forthcoming project, Last Night in Trinidad, draws from years of immersion in the island’s Carnival culture, weaving music, memory, and place into a multi-sensory narrative. With more than ten original Soca songs inspired by firsthand collaborations with Trinidadian artists and steel pan arrangers, the project reflects King’s belief that stories can live across forms and frequencies. As he steps fully into this literary chapter, Roderick Von King stands as a rare kind of author, one who brings the discipline of engineering, the soul of music, and the depth of faith into every story he tells. His work does not seek to entertain alone; it seeks to connect, to question, and ultimately, to transform.
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For Roderick Von King, storytelling does not end when a book reaches its final page. His latest venture, The Literary Launchpad, reflects a broader vision of authorship, one that treats writing not as a solitary act but as the foundation of a larger creative and professional ecosystem.
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Designed as a full-service publishing accelerator, The Literary Launchpad guides writers through every stage of bringing a book to market. From navigating self-publishing decisions and traditional contracts to assembling a complete, genre-aligned book package, including cover design, blurbs, taglines, advertising copy, and ISBN registration, the platform focuses on clarity, execution, and long-term positioning. Editorial rigor remains central, with structured editing and proofreading processes supported by modern AI-assisted tools, alongside audiobook production and compilation projects. What distinguishes the initiative is its emphasis on expansion. Authors are encouraged to think beyond the book itself, developing spin-offs such as screenplays, music, merchandise, and live experiences. Launch strategy is treated with equal seriousness, encompassing book signings, book-club outreach, award submissions, media coverage, and platform-building through social media, video, email marketing, brand strategy, and monetization frameworks. Where appropriate, authors are guided in establishing industry-facing visibility across cultural and entertainment platforms.
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This philosophy mirrors King’s own creative process. He recently adapted Why Didn’t We Love? into a screenplay by distilling the novel’s emotional core into a tightly structured cinematic arc, translating internal reflection into visual storytelling, refining dialogue, and sharpening narrative momentum. With pitch materials now in development and original songs written for the proposed film’s soundtrack, the project exemplifies his belief that stories are meant to travel across mediums.
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Through The Literary Launchpad and his own evolving body of work, Roderick Von King continues to challenge conventional boundaries, advocating for a future in which authors are not only writers, but architects of their creative worlds.
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INSIDE THE BOOK
WHY DIDN'T WE LOVE? BY RODERICK VON KING
"Why didn't we love? Why did we try to hide what was deep inside?" Bobby Vail thought as he pondered his failed relationship with the love of his life. If you have ever truly loved someone who did not return his/her love to you, then you can understand the gut-wrenching pain and mental anguish it can cause, as well as the insatiable need to find answers to such tormenting questions.
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This book takes you on a roller coaster of love that journeys through college life, the professional workplace, the ten-year high school reunion, marriage, divorce, death, church, skiing vacations, and romantic cruises. You will experience joy and pain and a myriad of other emotions dealt by true-life experiences. As a 1972 high school All-American scholar athlete, Bobby Vail did not pursue his athletic or musical dreams, but attended a small private university in Los Angeles to be near his cousin, Ronnie Cole, one of the leading black actors in Hollywood. There he meets the beautiful Monica Devoreaux, from New Orleans, Louisiana, and falls head over heels in love with her. She does not immediately return his love, charting the course for a chase that spanned two decades, in which bad timing, personal circumstances, and other obstacles keep them apart.
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Monica's desire for independence and the good life gets her caught up with a rich man 16 years her senior, and she gets trapped in the relationship. The genuine friendship that Bobby and Monica developed is the element that keeps them involved in each other's lives. They explore issues of politics, race, and religion, which generate some big differences of opinion. Bobby's job as a project engineer for a national defense company sets the stage for intrigue. He gets thrown in the middle of a cover-up and has to decide whether or not to stand alone against the white corporate establishment. Bobby, a true romantic who loves love, unmasks certain male stereotypes and brings a fresh, honest depiction of the male psyche with regard to male-female relationships. He displays his emotions, his hardness, his vulnerabilities, his passions, his pains, and his shortcomings, all in an attempt to remain down to earth in keeping with his father's teachings. Bobby reaches the pinnacle of success, which is attributed to a strong two-parent family, a powerful father figure, and a moral upbringing. Bobby is unable to find true love and happiness until he meets Kathleen Keaton (aka KK) at the Delta Sigma Theta fashion show luncheon, hosted by his mother, on the weekend of his ten-year high school reunion. This attractive African queen, and sorority sister to Mrs. Sylvia Vail (Bobby's mother) and Monica Devoreaux, sweeps Bobby off his feet and diverts his attention away from his romantic pursuit of Monica. Now that Bobby is desired by another woman, Monica, given the unfortunate circumstances of her life, begins to pursue him, cranking up the gain on this cat-and-mouse relationship.
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Bobby and KK embark upon a whirlwind romance that culminates in marriage and KK getting a record deal as a result of Ronnie's efforts. KK's involvement in the music business, as a singing star, opens the door for mistrust and scandalous behavior. KK allows the bright lights of Hollywood to turn her from a meek, God-fearing, simple woman into a shrewd, callous, and complex diva. A Bobby and Monica reunion presents itself, and they take advantage of the opportunity, put their faith in God, and go for it. Bobby and Monica finally experience the love that had been hindered by unspoken words, unshared thoughts, and misconceptions. Bobby Vail learned that life is precious and you have to take it seriously. He reflects on whether the course of his life was dictated by random events and circumstances, fate, or simply good and bad choices.
A powerful story of love, timing, choices, and the emotions we’re often too afraid to speak, Why Didn’t We Love? invites you to feel deeply, reflect honestly, and experience a romance that stays with you long after the final page. Grab your copy now and begin Bobby Vail’s unforgettable journey today! Available on Amazon
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR RODERICK VON KING
Voraka Magazine interviewed Author Roderick Von King, and he opened up about the powerful blend of engineering, music, and literary craft that shapes his storytelling, the emotional spark behind Why Didn’t We Love?, why the story resonated so deeply with readers and award committees, and how adapting it into a screenplay transformed his understanding of the characters and their emotional journeys.
Q. How have your backgrounds in engineering, music, and writing come together to shape the unique way you tell stories?
My engineering precision, musical sense of rhythm and tone, and mastery of language fuse into tightly structured, sonically vivid narratives, technically exact plots with lyrical pacing and emotional resonance that balance logic and tempo to define my storytelling craft.
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Q. What inspired the emotional core of “Why Didn’t We Love?”
The emotional core of “Why Didn’t We Love?” began with a song by my friend and songwriter Oliver Davis. Moved by his story, I interviewed men and women and discovered its questioning of missed chances resonates universally.
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Q. Why do you think it resonated so widely with readers and award committees?
Its raw honesty and universal theme of regret, explored through intimate voices of men and women, created profound empathy. Readers saw themselves, and committees recognized emotional truth married to skillful storytelling and originality. The piece balanced accessibility with nuance, making it both moving and award-worthy.
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Q. How did adapting Why Didn’t We Love? into a screenplay deepen or shift your understanding of the story and its characters?
Adapting it for the screen forced me to externalize internal regret, translating memories into scenes, sharpening arcs, and revealing behaviors that subtext had only hinted at. Visualizing choices clarified motivations, deepened empathy for each character, and transformed introspection into dramatic action with clearer stakes and consequences.
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Q. What was the experience like turning your song “Altar Call” into a full-length book, and how did that process influence your relationship with faith and creativity?
Turning the song into a nonfiction book transformed my faith into disciplined inquiry and testimony. Research and real voices pushed creativity beyond metaphor into honest reportage, deepening belief through questioning. The process made faith more accountable and creativity more principled, blending spiritual reflection with factual storytelling.
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Q. Why do you feel Altar Call – An Honest Depiction of a Path to Salvation has connected so meaningfully with audiences seeking personal transformation?
Altar Call connects because it embodies the Gospel’s core and advances the Great Commission, offering accessible, faithful guidance. By answering difficult spiritual questions plainly and drawing on real stories, it serves as a practical, trustworthy handbook for anyone pursuing authentic personal transformation.
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Q. How does your background as a songwriter influence the rhythm, tone, and emotional structure of your writing as an author?
My songwriting roots infuse my prose with lyrical cadence, rhythmic pacing, and precise economy. I structure scenes like verses and choruses, build emotional crescendos, and favor vivid sensory lines. Repetition, refrain-like motifs, and musical sensitivity to tone create immersive, emotionally resonant narratives.
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Q. What drew you to create Last Night in Trinidad, and how do you plan to capture the authenticity and vibrancy of Trinidad’s Carnival culture on the page?
Driven by my love of Soca music, my forthcoming book Last Night in Trinidad chronicles Carnival through personal encounters with leading Soca artists and steel-pan arrangers. I have also written twelve Soca songs, one inspiring the book title, that document distinct Carnival experiences, blending music, memoir, and cultural celebration.
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Q. Who have been the most influential collaborators in your musical journey, and how have these partnerships shaped your artistic vision across different mediums?
My musical journey began with my cousin Gordon DeWitty’s introduction to the industry and was shaped by gold and platinum award-winning mentors William Zimmerman, Con Funk Shun’s Felton Pilate and Danny Thomas, and Wayne and Wanda Vaughn. Their collaborations, especially with Pilate, honed my artistic craft.
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Q. What impact did your early exposure to music icons through your cousin Gordon DeWitty have on your creative development and professional path?
Early exposure to music icons through my cousin Gordon DeWitty convinced me to steer clear of drugs and taught me to innovate, accentuate the groove, and value the chemistry that makes music come alive, as I witnessed the very best in the industry.
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Q. When did you realize it was time to transition from engineering into full-time storytelling, and what gave you the courage to pursue that shift?
Upon retiring from engineering, I transitioned to full-time storytelling, bolstered by a completed manuscript and a screenplay draft adapted from my book Why Didn’t We Love? Those finished works gave me the confidence to pursue writing professionally.
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Q. How has your personal spiritual evolution influenced the themes and messages you now gravitate toward in your literary work?
Being a Christian, I now gravitate toward the fruits of the Spirit, which guide my character, conduct, and conversation.
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Q. What guides your decision-making when choosing your next story, especially as you move between genres like romance, spirituality, and cultural narratives?
Guided by personal experience, I am expanding my character Bobby Vail into a trilogy. Last Night in Trinidad is book two, and the planned third installment follows Bobby’s life in Utah, allowing me to explore romance, spirituality, and culture through one evolving character.
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Q. What do you hope readers, viewers, and listeners ultimately understand about who Roderick Von King is through the legacy you are building?
I want audiences to see me as a multifaceted storyteller, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and cultural ambassador, who bridges genres and cultures and inspires resilience, creativity, and authenticity. My legacy aims to celebrate music, memory, and community while mentoring others to tell their truths through my new business, The Literary Launchpad.
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Q. How do you feel about being featured on the cover of VORAKA Magazine, and what does this recognition mean to you?
Being on VORAKA’s cover is an honor and recognition of years devoted to music, storytelling, and spirituality. It validates my work, amplifies my voice, and motivates me to keep creating and mentoring. I am grateful for the platform to share stories and represent the communities that shaped me.
Cover photography by Petra Luna.
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The January 2026 Literature & Arts issue of Voraka Magazine presents Roderick Von King on the cover, a distinguished, award-winning literary voice whose work stands at the intersection of romance fiction, faith-inspired storytelling, and emotional narrative depth. His presence on the cover marks a celebration of authors who blend artistry, purpose, and cultural impact in contemporary literature.
Download the issue