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.
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.
“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 25th 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:
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.
Be sure to join her mailing list.
