I am an advocate of research for any book genre. Fiction is no exception. I can not think of a form of fiction where research is not desirable, even for works in which the entire content is a figment of the author’s imagination. Any story must be plausible. Most readers desire to connect the dots … Continue reading The Importance of Research in Fiction
research
Reviewers: Part of the Team
At first the argument suggesting authors should not read their reviews was compelling. Justified from an emotional point of view, this sage advice was intended to protect authors from ultimately meaningless harshness and even cruelty - after all, there are a lot of nutcases out there - or so the reasoning went. Indeed, a few … Continue reading Reviewers: Part of the Team
Marketing On Radio
This past week has been busy. To gain visibility for my latest Zack Tolliver, FBI series novel Canaan’s Secret, I took a guest spot on two radio shows, one a blog talk radio show and the other an old fashioned over-the-airwaves local radio show live in a studio. The effectiveness of both for my … Continue reading Marketing On Radio
Coincidence, or a Pattern?
If you spend a good deal of time engaged in historical research, as I do, it is possible to come to believe everything on earth is connected in some way. This connectivity often appears to be chance or coincidence, but upon close inspection I often suspect patterns. It can be difficult to ascertain the difference … Continue reading Coincidence, or a Pattern?
Writing “SAND”
It is true the sand of the Mojave Desert hides treasures. There are storied treasure hoards, such as a ship laden with pearls, an underground river bed of black sand laced with gold, a shaft of gold ore behind an iron door, lost and never relocated. Then there are the real underground treasures … Continue reading Writing “SAND”
Salomon Pico’s Monterey
(Every couple of months or so I will write excerpts of interest from my history research.The following piece is one such.) The times shape the man (or woman). It is in part why research for a story, history or novel is so fascinating. Why do people react to similar environmental circumstances in vastly different ways? … Continue reading Salomon Pico’s Monterey
The Lineage of a Bandit
Several of my projects have intersected, and some of the subject matter has aligned with the expressed curiosity of some readers of this page, and so I will share, from time to time, that material from my research into the life of Salomon Pico, Bandit. Salomon Pico was born into a family of "movers and … Continue reading The Lineage of a Bandit
Salomon Pico Addendum
It is past time to make good my promise to the history buff followers of this column to share findings from my research. Of my ongoing projects, the latest development of interest concerns my research into the life of California bandit Salomon Pico, considered by some the Zorro model. The Pico family (or should I say families) … Continue reading Salomon Pico Addendum
DEVIL TOWN
My research of late has taken me to Alta California and the restless pioneering souls who first settled it. I am pursuing links to certain colonial families but as often happens while hunting treasure I stumbled across an entirely unexpected gem. I call this one Devil Town. Here's the story. Along with the Missions … Continue reading DEVIL TOWN
History is an Artichoke
I am immersed in research. The project began over five years ago out of curiosity and has grown sufficiently to become the infrastructure for a historical novel, or maybe even a biography. History, I've found, is like an artichoke; a cultivated thistle with a flower of tough outer layers that protects a tender heart. My … Continue reading History is an Artichoke
R Lawson Gamble 