L.J. Martin: Nemesis #western

Nemesis
by L.J. Martin

Romancing The West welcomes author L. J. Martin, the author of over 30 book length works from such major NY publishers as Bantam, Avon, and Pinnacle. He also writes the daily conservative political blog, From The Pea Patch. His works of fiction include westerns, thrillers, mysteries, and historicals; and of non-fiction include a book on killing cancer (he’s a two time cancer survivor), a cookbook, a how-to book on writing, a book of cartoons, and a political thesis. His avocations include photography (with over 100 videos on youtube.com, search ljmartinwolfpack), cooking, travel, gardening, shooting, fishing and hunting.

L. J. lives in Montana with his wife, Kat, an NYT bestselling internationally published author of over 55 historical and romantic suspense novels. When not writing, the Martin’s travel extensively, both stateside and abroad, gaining new material, making new friends, and enjoying this great world. They live in Montana in the shadow of that state’s beautiful Sapphire Mountains, on a small horse ranch with the two million acre Lolo National Forest as their backyard, and winter in California near the Santa Barbara channel.

He's a member of The Society of Professional Journalists, Mystery Writers of America, Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, and Thriller Writers of America. Accomplished in Western History, he’s available as a speaker on that subject and writing (see his Write Compelling Fiction), and has spoken and given seminars at several writer’s conferences. More about the Martin’s on ljmartin, wolfpackranch, and katmartin, (all .com). Or on facebook at L. J. Martin, Larry J. Martin, The Kitchen at Wolfpack Ranch, From The Pea Patch, and Kat Martin (both friend and fan page).

RTW: Here's the back cover blurb for Nemesis:

The fools killed his family...then made him a lawman. This wild and wooly western, in the Louis L'amore tradition, comes from renowned author L. J. Martin, whose over 25 novels have brought compelling reading to so many. McBain, broken and beaten from the Civil war, is reluctant to return to his family, as a snake dwells in his belly and he can't get the images out of his mind...until he learns his sister and her family have been murdered. Then it's retribution time.

RTW: Another book for my TBR! Why do you write Westerns? What aspect of life in the Old West intrigues you the most? Did you work that into Nemesis?

L.J. Martin, author

LJM: I was raised in central California, but in the state's number one cattle and sheep county. I wrangled horses and packed for a boys camp when I was young. I come from a long line of Texans and Okies and speak the language of the west, so it was natural to both read, and eventually write, westerns. I also, of course, write thrillers, mysteries, and some non-fiction.

RTW: If you lived in 1872, what would you visit first? Is there something you’ve been curious about that you can’t find in your research sources?

LJM: If I had to pick an individual city it would be San Francisco, then Sacramento. At the terminus of the transcontinental railroad, both cities were fascinating and the most eclectic cities in the world, just subsequent to the largest migration in the history of the world at the time, the California gold rush.

RTW: If a person who had never read a Western, any sub-genre, asked you for a recommendation, what novel or movie would you recommend and why? What did the author do to bring the story alive for you?

LJM: Lots of great western movies out there. Lonesome Dove, Dances With Wolves, Open Range, and on and on. And an equal amount of great novels. My list is long as my arm.

RTW: Why must McBain take this particular story journey? What does he have to prove?

LJM: McBain is on a journey of retribution, and revenge, and gets it. A number of secondary characters effect him and his story.

RTW: Set us up for your excerpt, please.

LJM: If a novel doesn't hook you in the beginning, the novelist has not done his/her job, so here's the first couple of paragraphs of Nemesis:

Excerpt of Nemesis

by L.J. Martin

It’s been fifteen years since I’ve killed a man.

At least a man against whom I held a grudge, the recent unpleasentries excluded as in the smoke and haze of battle you seldom saw the face of a man you dispatched. And that whole affair seemed President Lincoln’s grudge and only my duty as a sworn soldier. Not that the taste in your mouth is any sweeter for the small difference. After all, killing is killing. But that man fifteen years ago, when I was a younger of only fifteen years, came against my family, and he was well known to me and mine.

I have now carefully cleaned and sighted my weapons again, and cast a few bullets, as I have a task before me.

But I hoped the task would never shadow my door nor sour the taste in my mouth again. I’d hoped no man would offend or threaten me or mine so much I’d feel the need…the requirement…to put them in hell.

The devil of it is it looks like I now have an even half dozen lowlifes on my list of chores.

Five of the six offenders, seeming dry and dusty, rode into my sister’s homestead, three hundred twenty acres in the middle of thousands more of federal free-graze land, feigning needing the well for their horses and their own parched throats. Sarah McBain MacIntosh was as fine an upstanding Christian woman, a lady, a sister—and at one time a friend—as God ever created, and would never turn a man away from a mere drink of water or a hot meal for that matter.

Available at Amazon

RTW: You hooked me, that's for sure. So what’s next? Is Nemesis a part of a series?

LJM: Yes, and I'm putting Mr. Pettigrew up this week as a print book (a novella), it's already up on Amazon as an ebook.

RTW: Anything else you’d like to add?

LJM: If you enjoy good history with your novels, try my Rush To Destiny, accurately based on the west's most unsung quintessential hero, Edward Fitzgerald Beale. My six book series, the Clint Ryan Series, is set in California during our Mexican war, and shortly thereafter, and has lots of good history included. My Montana Series is also a half dozen books, all in the classic Louis L'Amour tradition.

RTW: In the spirit of Christmas, a little mouse told me you have a nice gift for all of us!

LJM: I will give anyone a free ebook copy of my cookbook, Cooking Wild and Wonderful, just for the asking.

RTW: Thanks so much for visiting with us today, L.J.  And what a gracious offer--this is a wonderful cookbook!  

Lots of  delicious recipes are included in Cooking Wild and Wonderful, and L.J. gives easy to understand step-by-step instruction--anyone can cook if you follow his recipes.  As he says, you can make the mundane into magnificent.  So leave a comment and you'll get a free cookbook.