Richard L. Black

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Richard L. Black

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Born
San Diego, The United States
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March 2014


Richard earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from California State University Long Beach. His diverse professional background has spanned from the 104th floor of the original World Trade Towers in New York as an Institutional Stock Trader to a major software corporation working closely with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.

Maximus is his first novel. He defines it as a ten-year research project that became a labor of love. Richard is currently working on his next project entitled Starfish, the saga of a young Danish woman who immigrates to the timber country of Humboldt County in Northern California during World War ll.

Richard grew up in San Diego, California. He and his wife of 50 years, the former Marian
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Richard L. Black The ability to create an imaginary world full of imaginary people. And in the course of creating a story always asking "what if?" and being able to di…moreThe ability to create an imaginary world full of imaginary people. And in the course of creating a story always asking "what if?" and being able to dictate the answer. I don't think people understand the amount of research a writer has to do in order to write historical fiction. The benefit is what you learn and you have to enjoy that process or it will be a burden. In writing "Maximus" I learned 100 times more than what actually ended up in the manuscript. For example; How long did it take to sail from Rome/Ostia to Caesarea in a merchant ship at that time. I did hours of research to validate one sentence. You have to enjoy the research process and be excited about the things that you will learn that you may never write about.

The independence is a great benefit. You have to enjoy working alone and pushing yourself - although I found that the publisher and editor have a great deal to say about your work; all in the spirit of helping you pen a better and more marketable yarn. You are putting yourself out there. I was fortunate, no, beyond fortunate to have someone like my first novel. You always think you are writing a good story but until you risk putting it out there for criticism you will never know if others will feel the same as you do. My day job has been in sales so I'm not a stranger to rejection. I can't tell you how emotional it was for me when I got the email from my publisher saying they liked the story and wanted to publish it. I was blown away. I'm still in "pinch-me" mode. It's like anything else we do. We are all still children in a way, hoping for validation and approval that we've done a good job. (less)
Richard L. Black I read "Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth recently. I did some research on the author and found this gem.
Frederick Forsyth was in his study on…more
I read "Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth recently. I did some research on the author and found this gem.
Frederick Forsyth was in his study one day. His young son came in and asked, "What are you doing Dad?"
"I'm working son," was his response.
"No you're not, you were staring at the wall," his son accused.
"That is working!" the author argued.
Sometimes I stare into space. Sometimes I walk the dog. Sometimes I close my eyes, reset the movie projector in my mind, turn it back on and try to describe what I'm visualizing in my imagination. In my way of thinking, writers block is not a bad thing. Writing is not a mindless exercise. It requires thought and meditation. Starting and stopping along the way. Perhaps a cut, edit, change in direction or maybe a complete rewrite. One truism; you can't edit unless you've written something. So write something. I do believe there are times you just need to walk away from the process and figuratively ask the characters to start talking to you and helping you out. That sounds corny but it works for me. (less)
Average rating: 4.03 · 442 ratings · 100 reviews · 3 distinct worksSimilar authors
Maximus

4.03 avg rating — 441 ratings — published 2015 — 10 editions
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Ninth Year Mathematics (ARC...

it was ok 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1983
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Timmy and Tommy the Adventu...

0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2011
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Wild Dark Shore
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Tortilla Flat
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Where Angels Fear...
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The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood
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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
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A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman
A Far-Flung Life
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The Secret Sewing Society by Siobhan Curham
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The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood
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Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
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Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
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The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
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A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
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Middlemarch by George Eliot
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Never Too Old For...: The ABC's of You and Me 147 279 Jan 11, 2016 09:48PM  
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