Title: Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal
Author: Rock Lambert
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1517310929
Pages: 274
Genre: Historical Fiction
Today we are talking with author Rock Lambert of “Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal.”
PBR: What played a factor in your becoming a writer?
I have always loved the written word. Ever since my mother used to read to me as a child, I always thought she was magic…she could take the letters on the pages and make them into a story, and I just loved the feeling it gave me when I watched her and listened. English was my favorite subject in school, and when I started the sixth grade our teacher, Carol Lane, read J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” to us over a period of a few weeks. From that point on, when I learned that such imaginative things could be created and written about, I guess I could honestly say that the inspiration to be a writer began right there. I recalled the feeling that I had as a child, listening with wide eyes and full attention, and hanging on every word…and then it hit me. I wanted to try to give that feeling to others.
PBR: Do you have favorite genre to read?
I enjoy fiction mostly, but to pin it down to one specific genre is pretty tough. I really like a story that catches you within the first 10 pages or so, and then you can’t put it down. I like suspenseful stories, some mystery, and a mix of paranormal, ghosts or things that are scratching under the floorboards in the night… I also enjoy reading about animals and nature, and learning about different creatures and species in different parts of the world.
PBR: Why did you decide to write the Figurehead trilogy?
I wanted my story to reflect my love of the ocean and of the old sailing ships, so I decided to write about a figurehead from a tall ship of centuries past found on the beach by a couple of kids….and the rest is history – sort of.
I’ve always had a love of the ocean and a fascination with the old sailing ships ever since I was a child. As I stated before, I’ve always had a desire to write a story, but never really had anything to really push me in that direction…until one night while I was at work and I got my inspiration and drive to write the story from out of all places, a fortune cookie. I know it sounds silly, but it’s true…but that’s another story.
PBR: The Figurehead contains a great deal of maritime lore and vernacular, have you always held an interest in seafaring?
Absolutely. Ever since I was a small child, I’ve been drawn to the ocean. There’s something about the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean that keeps me going back time and again. I enjoyed reading the stories and legends that told of the age of sail, and the seafaring men that dared to go out on the water. Sailing was very different then, with no motors or GPS. Navigation was by the sun, stars and maps, and you were always at the mercy of the weather. The men of those days risked their lives every day.
PBR: How much research went into writing the book?
Since this trilogy is my first work it would be hard for me to say. I don’t really know what constitutes a lot of research, but I looked into many different things and gathered as much information that I felt I needed. I wasn’t striving for perfection, but rather just enough to be realistically plausible. When writing fiction I feel that perfection or accuracy is not necessary – remember, it’s fiction – plausibility gave me more creative freedom to shape the events of story.
PBR: What was the hardest part of writing the Figurehead books?
There were two. The first was when my mother passed away. She had been my number one fan, and every morning as I was writing the story, she would ask me to come into her room and read it to her. She had encouraged and supported my desire to be an author since I started writing the story in August of 2013. She passed away in June of 2015…Just 1 week before I received the author’s proof copy of Book 1 – Rise of a Legend. That was a real hard time and a period of adjustment, not being able to read to her anymore…The second hardest part, I would have to say was the ending. Taking a story and having it leapfrog back and forth through two different eras in time is a challenge that I had never done before. It’s like writing two separate stories, and then at the end there has to be this one part, this one event that ties everything together…to me, that was the hardest part…finding that one event. I could tell you what it was, but I’d spoil Book 3 for you.
PBR: Your books feature a strong paranormal theme, what made you decide to include that as part of the Figurehead story?
Well, I’ve always had a belief of the afterlife; some realm or a place just beyond our plane of existence. So when I went it came time to describe how and why the figurehead was haunted, it really became a key part of the story. It was enough of a good start to have the two kids find it on the beach, but I wanted to give it something more…so I made it haunted. I found that if I created a wooden figure of such a size that was “alive” so to speak, with the spirit of a person (or something else) inside it, and it was aware and had the ability to move about, and change its form and able to regenerate if it was damaged…well, the idea sounded really fun and had just the level of creepiness to it. I had a lot of fun figuring out that whole side of the story as to how the wooden woman came to be, and the reason for her return.
PBR: What was your favorite part of the book to write?
Again, a tough one. There were several. I enjoyed writing the action of the ship to ship battles, and the creation of the different scenarios from each of their perspectives. I also enjoyed creating and writing in Jackal’s character…bad guys are so much fun. I also enjoyed writing about Merle’s evolution from a simple minded young man that worked the anvil and the events that led him to become the hero of his home town and helmsman of the Avenger. Other favorite characters are Nathan Moss and Captain Richard Tagg. There are other characters and events in Book 3 that I had a lot of fun with too, but I can’t mention those…not yet.
PBR: What is your best advice for other authors looking to publish?
Write for the joy of writing. I believe that if one is driven by money to write then they’re in it for the wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to discredit anyone’s work or ambitions, and I’m just as interested in a buck as anyone else. Writing can be difficult, yes. There are many different mediums and genres out there, and each is every bit as unique as an individual’s writing style. Whatever you write, be creative, and enjoy the journey that your writing takes you on. When the journey ends, you’ll have a record of it to keep, and there is nothing more satisfying than to have a printed copy of your work to hold in your hands, share with others, and use to inspire the authors and storytellers of tomorrow.
PBR: Do you have any new projects that you are working on?
Yes. The story of the wooden woman may be over, but there will be more works coming in the future that pick up where this story leaves off. They will be different, since these future works will take place entirely in the present day, with some of the characters from the first story, and will also have references to parts and characters in the first trilogy’s long past as its connection. I already have the framework and storyline drafted for the next two books, and a working title for the first one.
To learn more about “Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal” please visit: Pacific Book Review
