Stories that resonate or not...

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

So I have to admit I have been going back and forth with this topic. Which to choose? Favorite or most difficult writing achievement? A favorite is always the easy part, my most difficult was, however, not an achievement. It was a bomb. I received the worst reviews ever.

Let’s start with the difficult one first,  and hopefully end on a high note. By the way the difficult one still stings.

Back  then I worked for Harlequin/Silhouette, when an author unexpectedly dropped out of the Bombshell line, I was asked to fill in. For those of you unfamiliar with Bombshell, it was what most would call a shoot em up, bomb em up,  line, with an element of romance.   Think thriller. Think espionage. Think terrorism.  I’m a contemporary romance writer, and not necessarily into destruction, I’m all about making love and not war, so, yes, this was a challenge. Still, I was willing  to rise to that challenge,  and I was honored to be chosen, never mind that I didn’t have much time to formulate a plot.

No excuses. The story fell flat. I accepted the job and should have delivered.  And in little or no time,  I wrote Meet Phoenix. Here’s what the story was supposed to deliver:

https://amzn.to/2K3428o

Brilliant, beautiful and brazen, art expert Phoenix Sutherland is prepared for anything when she embarks on a daring quest to recover a priceless statue—anything except having her sexy ex-husband, Damon, as a specialist on her team. Phoenix vows to remain professional. But with Damon's lean, strong body awakening buried longing, forbidden pleasure beckons as they enter the heart of Tibet, where danger, adventure and mystery await.

Soon the thrill of the moment rekindles sparks of desire neither Phoenix nor Damon can resist, as they recklessly toss inhibitions aside and discover the only real treasure worth risking everything to claim.

And here is a sample of one of the reviews this book received. All, though worded differently, concluded it was the worse book I’d ever written. On rereading I agree.

 Not Normal

“I am saying that this book is not one of Marcia King-Gamble's normal books. I have read a couple of books she has written and this one just did not hit the mark.” 

Lesson learned - When you don’t deliver what’s expected, or step out of your comfort zone, at least change your name.

Now onto my favorite writing achievement. Over a decade ago, I was given the opportunity to write mainstream books; meaning these were relationship driven books, and did not necessarily have to follow the series format. They were bigger books.  

I’d become obsessed with the plight of children born to American soldiers in Vietnam. I had read that these mixed children had a difficult time in a culture that viewed them and their mothers as outcasts.  Jade’s story was about a woman who finds out after many years,  her parents aren’t her real parents, so  she  sets off for Vietnam to find her mother and the truth.

 Ironically, the release date of Jade coincided with the 25^th anniversary of Operation Babylift.

https://amzn.to/2ygcEWj

For those of you unfamiliar with Operation Babylift, it was the name given to the mass evacuation of children from South Vietnam  on  April 3-26 1975 to the United States and other countries.  At that time, thousands of children were airlifted from Vietnam and adopted by families around the world.

A pair of well-worn baby shoes worn by an orphan evacuated from Vietnam during Operation Babylift

On April 3, 1975, then President Gerald Ford announced that the U.S. government would evacuate orphans from Saigon on a series of 30 planned flights. The challenge was to find homes for the Asian-American orphans. To the rescue came American businessman Robert Macauley who  learned that because of a lack of military transport planes, it would take more than a week to evacuate the surviving orphans. Macauley then chartered a Boeing 747 from World Airways and arranged for 300 orphaned children to leave the country. He paid for the trip by mortgaging his house. The good news was that over 2,500 children were relocated, and adopted by families in the United States and elsewhere. 

I really enjoyed writing this story, because not only did it require extensive research, I was forced to rely on my memories of visiting other Asian countries for the sights, smells and feel of  Vietnam. The plot line required a lot of “What ifs.”

Contrary to my other offering, Jade made the Bestselling list in several states.

Here’s one of the many reviews:

   A well-written book, and a Gamble worth your time!

What a great read! Now I realize that the decision not to have read it sooner almost cost me the opportunity to share with my reading public just what could have been missed. It is my opinion that writers should be able to write across the board every now and then to recreate other centers of reference for diversity. Marcia King-Gamble did this as she crafts a novel much different than what she is known for. She too, as I further opine, is an underrated writer whom should be placed among those who are considered leaders in their genres.

In conclusion, writers have their ups and downs. Some stories resonate with the reading public, others go over like a flat tire. The important thing is we continue to write. Because as writers,  we are compelled to tell the stories in our heart.  

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 35 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Be sure to join her mailing list.