As for who Raymond Cook is, well, I’m a 66 year old disabled veteran now living in Wenatchee, washington and doing wildlife photography. In 1972, at the age of 18, I enlisted in the marine Corp. My plan was to retire. But fate has a way of changing our destiny. In 1974 on my way back to my base, a drunk driver hit me head-on going 80, and my life was forever changed. Those were my darkest days. Eventually in 1983 I enrolled in college and took a creative writing class as an elective. At that point I had no interest at all in becoming a writer or author. In truth, how many people have taken a writing course in high school or college and believed one day they would write a book?

Little did I realize what a ‘profound Impact’ that class and my instructor, Mr. Art Wicks would have on my future. Between 1983 and 2010 I wrote my poetry and short stories, but refused to believe that one day I could set down and pen thousands of words, put a title to what would one day be considered a book. In 2003, I wrote a 5 page western romance story I simply called, “A Western Romance Story!” It was only meant to be a short story. Each year though I would add a few pages to the story    because I liked the story plot and characters. In 2011 while wanting to add 10 more pages to what was now a 50 page story, ‘something happened’ and it became my first novel called, “Was It Fate Or Destiny?”

This is my 10th year writing western frontier novels. I have written 35 western frontier novels since 2011.

I recently learned that Arthur William David Wicks, my college professor who taught Creative Writing to me in 1983 recently died on Nov. 10, 2013. It is a great loss to the world because he truly touched the lives of his students, me in particular. Without his guidance, encouragement and inspiration, none of my eBooks or poetry would have been written.

An author’s goal is to not just ‘Entertain a reader’ but to try to touch the reader’s emotions too. After all, that’s the entire purpose of reading a book, to enjoy what you’ve read.

My next 2020 book is called, Sometimes It's Hard To Forgive:

About This eBook

     Gerald Morrison, his wife, Maria and their daughter, Elizabeth age ten, are on their way from Sawpit, Colorado to Silverton by covered wagon in 1887. After reaching the main road, a deep rut in the road breaks off a rear wheel and the family’s stranded. Hours pass and no one has come by to help them. When a group of riders from Silverton are seen approaching, the couple is hopeful one of them will return to town and come back with a wagon wheel.

     But the five men who stop, tip their hats to Maria and get off their horses aren’t planning to help the family. With guns drawn, the family’s ordered to climb down. After Gerald drops his gun belt, he’s tied to a wagon wheel and forced to watch them take turns beating and raping his wife. Elizabeth breaks free from a man gripping her hand and makes a run for the woods. But her freedom is just a fleeting moment as 45 slug tears into her back.

     One of the men then shoots Maria and she dies at her husband’s feet. No words can describe the agony in Gerald’s heart having endured seeing his family murdered. Now they turn their brutalness on him. When a bullet to his head puts an end to his misery, the men ride off laughing. The next thing Gerald knows, he’s standing at the bottom of an endless stairway leading to heaven.

     Though he feels wings on his back, an angel blocks his path to ascend the stairs. The angel asks him if he’s forgiven the men who murdered him and his family. Angrily he tells the angel no. The angel tells Gerald, “Until you forgive the men who took your life and your family’s lives, you can’t join your family in heaven.” Without his angel’s wings, he sets out on a quest to find the five men who will continue murdering people if he doesn’t find and kill them.

My Self-publishing Journey:

Where did I first learn about self-publishing?

In 2011 when I wrote my first western frontier eBook.

What was your first self-published book and when and how did you publish it?

It is called “Was It fate Or Destiny?” I created my author website back then, calling it, www.wasitfateordestiny.com not thinking for a moment that I would write a second book. Later I changed the name of my website to: www.westernfrontierebooks.com

Name three things you know now about self-publishing that you wish you’d known then.

First and foremost I have learned how important it is to re-read each eBook I write and fix the grammar since typos aren’t the issue. English was never my strong point in college and five years into writing, I realize now that it is critical for the reader to enjoy what I write.

Second, I learned that Amazon only offers my eBooks to those who (OWN) a Kindle. This definitely has a strong impact on sales.

Third, I learned that on any given category on Amazon there can be over 100 pages of similar books as mine. Most readers won’t scroll down more than a few pages to pick out something they would like to read I believe. Thus it isn’t easy for a reader to find anyone’s books unless they type the exact title.

What has been your biggest surprise as a self-published author?

My biggest surprise has been not realizing the (NEED) to not only re-read what I have written (BEFORE) I upload it onto the web but also find a Beta reader to read my books. A Beta Reader is someone who loves to read and is an extra set of eyes catching many mistakes I didn’t catch. That includes punctuation.

What is your proudest achievement as an indie author?

I think my proudest accomplishment has been the persistence to re-read 7,500 pages of my eBooks (SEVERAL) times trying my best to (POLISH) what I have written to make each eBook more enjoyable to my readers.

How do you describe yourself and your books – self-published, indie, or something else?

Self-published is how I describe myself.

What are your future ambitions as an author?

To be a more successful author is all I hope to be.

How different do you think the self-publishing landscape will be in five years’ time?

I feel the world of self-publishing is rapidly changing and I hope it will always be in a good way for us self-published/indie authors.

~~Random stuff about me~~

I grew up in Shelton, Washington, a small logging town.                                                               

My family lived on an Indian reservation for several years.
I have a grown daughter, 31 and a grown son, 27.
I presently live in California and love the blue sky.
I’m a life member of the DAV having served in the Marines. (1972-74).
I love deer hunting and fishing but don’t do either right now.
My best friend’s grandchildren treat me as a long lost uncle. (Big Smiles)
I like going to rodeos, county fairs, garage sales, swap meets and farmers markets.
I like helping others if I can and have a strong ‘volunteer’ spirit within me.
I love all types of music but couldn’t carry a tune if someone handed me a bucket.  

I like to garden and am health minded.
I love horses, dogs and cats.

Favorite Movies:

True Grit, Silverado, The Magnificent Seven, Unforgiven and Pale Rider

Favorite Bucket List Thing I’d Like To Do: Go shark fishing off of Monterey Bay, California

As you scroll down my homepage you’ll see the three 2018 books I wrote. Since my first eBook in 2011, I’ve written 31 western frontier eBooks totaling 7,500 pages. If someone had told me in 2011, I would write this many books, I wouldn’t have believed them. I hope one of my eBooks will become your favorite.

~~My advice to anyone who wants to write a book but thinks they can’t, stop saying, “I can’t” and take a ‘creative writing course’ like I did back in 1983.~~