I began writing again in 2013 and all I wanted to do was communicate with other souls, minds, and spirits. One of the first two novels I began work on was one I’d dreamed about writing for years: a historical novel about Buffalo Soldiers rescuing white soldiers in mortal danger, who, in turn, rescued the Buffalo Soldiers from certain death.
I abandoned it initially, realizing I didn’t know how to do the material justice, and wrote eight novels before taking it up again.
I’m blown away that “The Brothers Tremaine” has been drawing a steady stream of readers on Kindle Unlimited this year. My KENP pages read for the past three months has exceeded my expectation (and last year's entire total), as well as books sold, and I have no idea how or why, other than advertising on Amazon, which I began last year. All I can say is how grateful I am that I’ve found kindred souls who’ve found something worthy of their attention in my meager musings.
I remember telling my late college friend, Dr. Reginald Martin, Ph.D., MFA, of the University of Memphis upon the reading he sponsored at his home, that this was what I regarded as a historical fantasy; a pipe dream that could and would, in its best version, bring the races together, rooting for both the black and the white to prevail as one. I wanted white people rooting for the US Colored troops, and their representives Obadiah and Daniel Holder; and black people rooting for Jack and Justin Tremaine to prevail against the injustice they encountered in their respective worlds. I wrote the four brothers as versions of John Wayne, who became the iconic American hero of the movies from the 30s through the 70s.
I hoped, in my best vision, that I might help heal the rift between the races. A quixotic and unlikely hope, indeed.
I’m gratified that I’ve found readers for this vision and hope they’ve found something of value in my writing.
I want to thank each and every one of those who’ve taken a chance on one of my novels and to thank you for doing so. You make my effort worth having been taken. I’m grateful to you for doing so. You are what keeps me going.
