R. Lawson Gamble's Blog: R Lawson Gamble Books, page 3

This Author Reads Reviews

Yes, I read all my reviews. I didn’t always, but I have written enough published works that I no longer experience depression or ecstasy from reading them, just minor irritation or tentative pleasure, and even those as background noise to useful tidbits in my ongoing growth as a writer.

There are times in every writer’s creative cycle when discouragement lurks. The reason may stem from diminishing royalties, fewer readers, or simply the sameness of routine, day after day. But nothing picks me back up more than a happy, positive review from a reader for whom one of my books has made a difference. These are the sparks that stimulate a new surge of creativity.

By the same token, a less positive review, while first tending to be discouraging, if meaningful, can open a new perspective for me, which in itself is a renewing experience. Such reviews are seldom about the craft of writing (I look elsewhere for that), but are comments about themes and plots, character development, likes and dislikes, all serving to remind me of the diversity of the human experience.

I expect a reviewer will have read the entire book, thus placing us on a similar wavelength, sharing common ground. This reader may wish for a different outcome, may dislike certain characters, or wish others hadn’t gone away, and comment to this effect, but we are both aboard the same train, however long it may be, and the comments are useful.

It is evident when reviewers have not completed the book, but have departed after a chapter or two. So often their complaints have resolved themselves in another few chapters. And my particular peeve is the non-reader who rates the book a “1”. How can they know? If they accidentally selected the wrong genre, or had a different expectation, they can always return it and buy something else, but please don’t express your ire with a “1”.

I have had reviewers who notice typos, repeated words, extra words, and so on, and mention them with a page or chapter reference. This is extremely helpful (you can find such errors in any book, no matter who the publisher), and I immediately note them and remove them and republish (yes, we can do that!). Please don’t say something like “there are many errors” but neglect to say what or where. The books run sixty to eighty thousand words. Finding those errors (if they still exist), without knowing which edition or format the reviewer has read, is a near impossible job.

Then there are those (a few) who Email me and explain exactly where they found errors and what format they had read. And when they begin their Emails saying how much they enjoyed the book, it is the icing on the cake.

Reading reviews tells me how well I have reached my targeted audience and suggests more precisely what one hopes to find in my novels. While I can’t please everyone in a single book, I do keep your thoughts in mind when writing. If the reviewer is commenting on book #9, I can probably assume I have hit the target somewhere in the previous eight!

I write novels to entertain, and reviews tell me how well I am doing with that. Keep writing reviews, and I’ll keep writing novels!

LOST OASIS WINS SILVER

On September 1, I received the happy news that LOST OASIS, book #8 of the Zack Tolliver, FBI Series had won a silver medal in the Readers Favorite International Book Contest in the category Fiction-Mystery-Murder. As categories go, that is a massively large one, to my mind, which makes the award even sweeter. But this is a massively large contest, with thousands of entrants and an enormous number of categories. It is the elephant of contests.

I enter my books in very few contests, but have entered this one twice, and placed twice. There are conflicting views in the literary world regarding this contest, and many others, for that matter. Even The NY Times best-seller list has been challenged as being manipulated by certain large publishers. It seems no icon is safe these days!

I return to this particular contest, not because I have placed in it (although I won’t discount that as an emotional impetus), but because of the way it is scored. The reviews from Readers Favorite are written by, well, readers. You never get the same reviewer twice. Nor is a great review guaranteed, although they claim not to publish reviews under 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. In private, they submit a critique based upon five categories, which I won’t go into now.

The point is, to my mind, that readers, not professionals or paid judges, assess the work, which is pretty much the same way another valued evaluator, Consumer Reports, operates. And the Readers Favorite contest is judged the same way as their reviewing system, but by several readers who affix the work with a number score. Those scores are averaged, the final score is compared to a number affixed to the awards range, and the job is done. If there are no scores high enough for any of the five winning categories, there are no winners in that category.

Similarly, if there are no scores that match a particular place, that medal is not awarded in the category. So, for instance, you might have a gold medal winner, no silver, but three bronze winners and two finalists (all due to ties). My first award, a bronze awarded for Canaan’s Secret in 2018, was one of three bronze medals awarded in that category. For my money (and yes, there is an entrance fee, although not a substantial one), a medal awarded as the result of such a system is much more meaningful than the opinion of a one judge, as in many contests.

My preference for this democratic model of selection isn’t new. I entered publishing with the same idea, to let the consumers decide the quality of my work rather than an overworked and swamped acquisitions editor. Amazon and similar sales platforms offer this opportunity––publish it, put it up on the shelves, and they will come…or not. I often wonder how many great writers left their work and careers gathering dust on some editor’s desk before the digital revolution.

Of course, I do not know how many entries there were in my particular category of Fiction-Mystery-Murder, yet the spread of the category and the popularity of the genre compels me to believe there must have been quite a few. Yet I entered the contest not to solidify my faith in the quality of my own work, for I am content in that respect, but to introduce my work, and the enjoyment of it, more widely.

THE STRAND MAGAZINE

The first issue of the Strand Magazine was published in January, 1891, named for its location off the Strand, London. Herbert Greenhough Smith was the editor from 1891 to 1930. The magazine enjoyed great popularity from the start, publishing factual pieces as well as short stories and serialized fiction. Smith aimed the content at mass readership and realized an immediate circulation of 300,000, aided by the first serialized appearance of Sherlock Holmes, written by A. Conan Doyle during that startup year.

A simultaneous edition was printed in the United States, its content similar but altered to reflect different interests. Thus The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes benefitted from an immediate readership in two nations. Agatha Christie benefitted similarly from the printing of her Hercule Poirot stores in The Labors of Hercules. When you add to that list the authors Rudyard Kipling, W. Somerset Maugham, Leo Tolstoy, and H. G. Wells, to name just a few, one can understand the popularity of the magazine.

The U.S. edition was discontinued in 1916 due to World War I. The Strand Magazine ceased publication in the U.K. in March 1950, but was revived in the U.S. in 1998 as a quarterly magazine, featuring such American writers as Ray Bradbury, John Mortimer, and Tennessee Williams. The current editor, Andrew Gulli, has gained a reputation for discovering previously unpublished works by Hemingway, Alcott, Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and others.

It is with pride that this author announces his association with this historic magazine with the printing of an excerpt from LOST OASIS in the magazine’s blog, appearing now in its summer issue (www.strandmag.com). Be sure to check it out.

Last Week for Presale Purchase of Matilija

The Curse of Matilija will be delivered to those who purchased it on presale on June 30. With just over a week to go, 150 readers (so far) will find Zack Tolliver, FBI, #9 in their tablets, Kindles, and phones on that date. We bought our own just to join in the fun!

Typical of most Zack Tolliver, FBI escapades, Zack journeys with his friend Eagle Feather into new mysteries with novel twists in strange environments among different cultures. It’s always a page-turning ride through little known technologies, wilderness areas, and unsuspected dangers. You won’t want to miss out.

And the legends! In every Native American culture Zack and Eagle Feather visit, there are myths and stories handed down through the generations that touch the lives of the people in some way, and also our protagonists, for good or ill. Matilija’s Curse is no exception.

Join the fun and grab your copy of The Curse Of Matilija now on presale for just $2.99.

“The Curse of Matilija” Soon!

It’s time to purchase your copy of “THE CURSE OF MATILIJA” on presale. Here are five reasons:

Yes, you want to read your book now, not tomorrow. But tomorrow is coming, and where will you be when that moment arrives? Buy it now and forget about it and let Amazon remember for you! Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday!

On June 31, after publication, the price of The Curse of Matilija will increase to $4.99, but purchase now and it cost just $2.99. Now that’s a bargain.

Raise its rank. More presale purchases means a higher ranking for the book on Amazon. A higher ranking means greater visibility for the novel and more sales. More sales means a happier author and more Zack Tolliver books.

Be surprised! Who doesn’t like a surprise? If you are like us, you’ll forget you purchased the book and then here it comes to your kindle. Surprise!

Be first! Be the one to know what the excitement is about before your best friend or your mother-in-law! Be in the know!

There! Five reasons to purchase your copy now. But the best, and truest reason is to be sure not to miss this latest fast paced, riveting adventure with Zack Tolliver and Eagle Feather.

The Matilija Poppy

(DISCLOSURE WARNING! This article reveals some content (not specifics) that could be spoilers for fans of Zack Tolliver, FBI novels.) 

What does the tiny flower on the cover have to do with the  newest Zack Tolliver, FBI novel, THE CURSE OF MATILIJA? Read on.

In writing THE CURSE OF MATILIJA (muh-TILL-uh-hah), we explored some new roads (cautiously, we hope) while preserving the integrity of the Zack and Eagle Feather mystery that fans expect. What remains unchanged is our use of Native American spirituality, mysticism, and symbolism both historical and current as partners in the plot.

In this novel, it is a Venturaño Chumash legend that enters our pages, one that residents of Ojai know well, the story of Chief Matilija and his beautiful daughter, Amatil, whose lover, the warrior Cocopah, lies dead on the battlefield after attempting to defend their homeland.

Seeing this, the distraught and inconsolable Amatil, whose love was deep and boundless, lay down upon her lover’s body to die and thus be forever joined with him in the next world. As a symbol of the purity and unending nature of their love, a new flower grew in that very spot, a flower with white petals symbolizing the purity of her love around a yellow center representing the everlasting nature of their bond. It is called the Matilija Poppy.

When next you travel to Ojai, if you should happen to spot a Matilija Poppy, remember the legend of Amatil and the warrior Cocopah and the eternal love that created it.  

1981: A wet matilija poppy with one of its petals wrapped around itself in California. (Photo by Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images)

Excerpt From New Zack (Book #9)

While the cover reveal is still a couple of weeks away, we thought it would be fun to include a sample from the new Zack Tolliver, FBI novel. We are currently in the editing and finishing stage.

The tired black eyes flicked to Zack. “I have never experienced it before, but I had become the hunted. I sensed she had realized I was there and was looking for me.”
Zack gestured toward the drawn curtain. “She’s here, then.”
“Yes. Once I knew she was on my trail, the games began. I, too, doubled back, but she was expecting that and almost had me again. When night fell, I could no longer read sign, and the game rules changed. Then it was about listening, interpreting the night noises, blending into shadow, but always moving. Pausing to rest was not an option.”
Eagle Feather took another, longer sip of coffee. When he next looked at Zack, his eyes were full of admiration. “She is masterful,” he said. “I heard owls hoot. Too may of them, but I could not tell which was real, which was her. Even the tree toads sounded suspicious to me. How could I know where she was when I could not tell which night noises were real?” He grunted. “Then the moon came up, and the game changed yet again. Moving shadows. Was it tree branches in the night breeze, or a deer, or coyote? Or the one hunting me.”
“You’ve been up all night,” Zack said.
Eagle Feather nodded. “Once I realized she was deciding the rules of the game, and I could not win, it was time to try to escape. But she was expecting that, too. Once I stopped trying to locate her, once I began trying to lose her and get away, I sensed her always in front of me, turning me away, herding me like cattle. She seemed instinctively to know what I would do, where I would go. It was exhausting.”

We are excited for the release of THE CURSE OF MATILIJA, coming to bookstores near you this spring.

Santa Ynez Valley Star Interviews R Lawson Gamble

Star: Your action thriller takes place near Joshua Tree National Park in a mountainous desert region. Why such a desolate place?

Gamble: I’ve gone to Palm Springs many times because I like to run in the heat and the desert. I’ve always wanted to visit Joshua Tree and I was delighted to discover there were a lot of beautiful trails up there. It’s a great place to run, except the trails are too short. So, I went to the Ranger Station and got special permission to go past the barrier for a long-distance run, which took me to a place called ‘Hidden oasis’. Looking down the arroyo, I saw a virtual Garden of Eden filled with palm trees. It was in this desert wilderness that I was inspired to write this book.

Star: What other experiences have you had running in the area?

Gamble: I participated in the Joshua Tree Half Marathon which takes place at night. Two thousand five hundred people run it by only the light from the headlamps worn on their foreheads.

Star: What was that like?

Gamble: The half marathon begins just as darkness falls and the moon rises. When you look back all you can see in the darkness is a snake of headlamps worn by the runners in the race. Absorbing the atmosphere, the coldness of the night and the desolateness of the area, my imagination kicks in and I’m off to write another book, at least until the last few miles when I’m just trying to survive and complete the race.

Star: Did you research the area?

Gamble: (laughs) One interesting point is that while I was writing the plot of ‘Lost Oasis,’ conjuring up the most vicious and villainous characters, through my research, I was shocked to discover a real-life parallel of the nefarious activities that I’d imagined for my plot. My story happened in real life, here in California. I couldn’t believe what I was reading; it was all there.

Star: Your story also involves a tribe of Native Americans. Can you tell me about them?

Gamble: Yes, the Chemehuevi, a division of the Southern Paiute Tribe whose legends include flying runners and the trails they run, which are featured in their songs. These songs are passed down through generations.

Star: Are you writing anything currently?

Gamble: I am at work on the ninth book in the series, which is still untitled. It will be a little different this time, relating more to human frailties than in the past.

Star: Have you always been a writer?

Gamble: Writing novels is my third career. It’s something I love to do. I write every morning, rain or shine, 365 days a year.

Gamble is also the author of a history of Los Alamos “Los Alamos Valley” as well as the “Johnny Alias” series, all of which can be purchased through Amazon and at local bookstores. Interviewer for this article: Pamela Dozios

Traveling The Dark road

The Dark Road is the place to begin if you are a first timer to Zack Toliver, FBI, novels. As one reviewer puts it, “You don’t have to read this series sequentially, but I recommend doing so. I enjoy a series so much more reading it that way.” Each novel is intended to be read as a grab-it-off-the -shelf stand-alone story. All are meant to entertain.

For those who have not yet experienced the adventures of Zack Tolliver and Eagle Feather, or for those who have but missed reading this prequel, we are offering it free for three days in early April, beginning Thursday the 8th through Saturday the 10th, on Amazon.com.

The book is technically a novella, at a hundred thirty-nine pages in paperback format, written initially for inclusion in a three-author, three-book anthology entitled Western Justice, which is now available only in eBook format. Given its popularity, and its chronological place at the beginning of the Zack Tolliver series, we released The Dark Road individually as both an eBook and a paperback.

Other than CAT (series book #4), The Dark Road may be the most Navajo Nation-centered of the series so far, where the other novels either leave the Navajo Nation in pursuit of their mystery, or begin within other tribal centered cultures. A reviewer writes, ” I’ve read through Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Nation Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn several times, so I’ve been looking for an author whose books are also set there. I’m excited to have found this author…”

Whether your interest is the Navajo Nation, a good mystery, or a rousing adventure, we believe you will find The Dark Road a fascinating, and for a few days, free, place to journey.

Five Star Review of Lost Oasis

For immediate release:

Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Mystery – Murder book “Lost Oasis” by R Lawson Gamble, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088FYGCPL.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers’ Favorite

R. Lawson Gamble’s novel Lost Oasis (Zack Tolliver, FBI Book 8) is a murder mystery. The principal character is FBI Agent Zack Tolliver, Special Cases Branch. Zack has an impressive record of solving challenging crimes that seem impossible and irrational. Eagle Feather, a Navajo and renowned tracker and guide, is Zack’s friend and mentor and extraordinary co-investigator. In the story, Dr. Carl Scheidecker, the world’s foremost expert on renewable hydroelectricity generation, is a consultant for EverSun Energy Company in the desert flats near Joshua Tree National Park. Dr. Scheidecker disappears, utterly and mysteriously, on a hike in the desert. Zack is called in to investigate the scientist’s apparent disappearance near a remote Chemehuevi sacred pillar of rock, the site of an ancient oasis. As Zack and Eagle Feather investigate, there are repeated attempts to kill them both. Why? Who would kill to silence all efforts to solve the mystery?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading R. Lawson Gamble’s Lost Oasis for its remarkable principal characters, Zack Tolliver and Eagle Feather, and equally for the fascinating evocative narrative of Chemehuevi legends, beliefs, and traditions interwoven into the mystery. Zack and Eagle Feather are a formidable team of investigators. Zack has the unusual ability to grasp intuitively the significance of legends and myths. Eagle Feather’s extraordinary ability to view matters from both modern and more ancient perspectives is vital to their investigation and to their very survival. I liked the involvement of two Chemehuevi tribe members in the story: Dr. Silvia Mike, dentist and shaman, and Lucas Leivas, a Chemehuevi investigator. Their characters are vital to understanding the seemingly unrelated pieces of the mystery. As the story progressed, I was riveted by the twists and turns. The vivid desert descriptions make the tension even more palpable, and the suspense never ends. The ending is out of this world! A great murder mystery, elusive and exciting!”

You can learn more about R Lawson Gamble and “Lost Oasis” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/lost-oasis where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

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