New, Exciting And Heading To Market This Week From Charles Ray!
May 7, 2024|Authors
A few days ago, DSP launched a new competition, and one of the first Westerns to result from that competition has already been prepared for market—“Showdown At High Noon” from Charles Ray will be the first of the new competition entries to be released onto the market for readers to enjoy.
This exciting first Western adventure of a series comes from one of the most popular authors in the Western genre, Charles Ray. Charlie is one of the most prolific and popular authors with books ranging from mountain men through to gunfighters, lawmen and every other kind of Western inbetween.
This new adventure is something he has been toying with for some time and readers should enjoy it immensely as they travel with Charlie to the “Showdown At High Noon” in the company of Boone Collins—a new Western hero readers may very well be hearing from again real soon.
What Is This One About?
When Boone Collins’ friend, Hale Orson, marshal of Plata, New Mexico, is murdered, Boone lets the Plata mayor talk him into taking Orson’s job. The new marshal, a loner who came to New Mexico from Texas after the death of his wife, only wants to be left alone and not be responsible for anyone but himself. But his sense of responsibility for a friend compels him not just to take the job, but do it the way Orson would’ve done it in his honor. His first task is to find out who the killer is, but that task is complicated by the web of relationships that exist in a small town that is overshadowed by competing interests. One is the owner of the copper mine that is the town’s economic mainstay, who the mayor thinks might be the killer. The other is a rich ranch owner whose arrogant son acts like the heir to some ancient throne. Boone finds himself caught in the middle of so many intrigues, he doesn’t know which way is up, and without the help of Thelma Battle, owner of the Two Aces Saloon, as an anchor, he fears he might drown in the sea of double dealing and back stabbing.
Boone, though, is not one to give up. He’s determined not to let outside interference or his personal demons get in the way of getting the job done.
Where Can I Get My Copy?
“Showdown At High Noon” will be released this week and will be available as a Kindle e-book and as a paperback from Amazon.
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Help Wanted: Mounting Autograph Requests Call For Expansion
April 17, 2024|Authors, DSP Articles
Autograph requests in the Western genre are becoming more popular, and Charles Ray recently shared a very pleasant request he received from a reader who had recently finished a collaboration Charles had written with Harvey Wood called “Hell’s Fury.”
More of these requests have become commonplace as more and more readers turn to Western authors for their entertainment. This has occurred to the point that DSP has considered hiring a new assistant just to deal with this ever-increasing stack of reader requests.
If there’s an indication of popularity in a genre, then autograph requests and personal correspondence with readers are that indication. Judging by the time that is now spent corresponding with readers, Westerns are working their way back into the public’s heart.
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Number one new release in Writing Reference books
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Y’all Listen: Life of a Texan.
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Transactional relationships
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Exploring Ethical Journalism Practices: An Interview with Ambassador Charles Ray
Mfundo Msimango, HBCU-ACC Secretary | 10 April 2023
Ambassador Charles Ray was a guest speaker to
the HBCU-Africa Correspondents Corps. Prior
to his retirement from the foreign service, he
served as the U.S. ambassador to Cambodia and
Zimbabwe.
What are the best ways for student journalists to approach
senior government officials with interview requests?
The best way to approach senior government officials is to find the email address of the agency protocol office and query them with your name, affiliation, and the reason you wish to interview the official. For retired officials, it’s a bit more difficult unless you know what organizations they might be affiliated with. In my case, for example, I am chair of the Africa
Program of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and can be contacted by completing the Press Contact form [on its website]. It’s helpful if you are as detailed as possible in your query regarding the specific areas you have questions about.
What are the expectations that senior government officials
have of student journalists when they are conducting
interviews? Are they different from those of seasoned
journalists?
Most senior officials will not expect student journalists to be as savvy as a seasoned journalist, but they will nonetheless expect the same degree of professionalism, e.g., understanding the rules on things like off the record, not for attribution, etc. They will also expect professional demeanor and conduct, such as being properly dressed, being on time, etc.
What are the ethical and moral challenges that student
journalists might encounter when interviewing senior
government officials? How should they mitigate them?
The challenges, really, are the same that journalists face when interviewing any subject. Being honest with your questions and intent (there are some minor exceptions when doing investigative pieces), and being honest about what you plan to write. Also, honoring commitments. For example, if you’re told something ‘off the record,’ to help you better understand a situation, you must not use that information in your article.
How should a student journalist prepare to conduct a one-on-one interview with a senior government official on national security or foreign policy? Are there any tricks of the trade?
Prepare your questions well in advance. Many officials will, in fact, ask for the questions in advance of the interview date, so they can be prepared with the appropriate information, get the required clearances and approvals, etc. Have an idea of how you plan to write your article, and prepare your questions accordingly. If during the interview, an answer causes you to think of a question that wasn’t on your list, explain that and ask it, keeping in mind
that the interviewee is under no obligation to answer. As a student journalist, my advice is to avoid ‘gotcha’ questions, no matter how tempting it might be. This is a good way to get an interview terminated and your name flagged as someone not to talk to in the future. Tricks of the trade? Listen actively and take good notes. If you wish to record, get the interviewee’s okay in advance. If you’re told no recording devices—which is often the case in some government offices—honor that restriction, and use your mind and a sharp pencil.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a repeat of anything you didn’t catch clearly, to make sure you get it right.
There are a lot of competing needs when it comes to
conducting interviews with senior government officials (e.g.,
privacy; security; transparency; openness; truthfulness). How
should student journalists balance those needs?
The same way you would with a relative or friend, or any other person. In interviews with government officials, you’ll be told if something impinges on security, so honor that, as there are legal implications to dealing with classified or sensitive information. Everyone is entitled to personal privacy, even public officials to a degree (although less than a private citizen). Be solicitous of your interviewee’s privacy and you’ll earn their respect and gratitude. As to transparency, openness, and truthfulness, these are things that you, as a journalist, should always be.
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Fan mail
Writers write to be read, especially those who write in the western genre. The one thing western writers don’t think of, because they don’t get it, is fan mail. I do get the occasional email, one or two a year, from someone who got it off my blog or my Amazon author page–half of them complaining about something–but an actual fan letter . . . well, I’d say never–until now.
A reader in North Carolina, who is reading Hell Fury, a western I co-authored with Harvey Woods, sent me a nice fan letter along with two posters he’d made of characters in the story. One poster he wanted me to autograph and send back and the other was a thank-you gift. Now, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, and my thanks and heart go out to him.
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Let’s make room for everyone
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Charles Ray Pens New Guidebook to Help Would-Be Western Authors
Charles Ray Pens New Guidebook To Help Would-Be Western Authors
April 11, 2024|Authors, DSP Articles
After years of the asking—Charles Ray has finally done it. He has penned his first writing guide for would-be Western authors with all the hints, tips and tricks a top selling Western author can come up with to help new writers on their writing journey.
With the Western going through something of a rebirth, it seemed to be just the right time for an author to put together a guide to writing Westerns for the modern audience. The guide is certainly not definitive and doesn’t promote itself as such—it is a starting place for those who are interested in riding down a trail that will lead them in front of a growing and vibrant new audience.
With more readers tuning back into the Western genre each and every day, it was inevitable that a guide such as ““How To Write Westerns For The Modern Reader” would be released—and we are proud that the first writing guide of its kind will be released by DSP and was penned by Charles Ray, a mainstay in the top one hundred bestseller list with his popular series, including “Jacob Blade: Vigilante,” “Caleb Johnson: Mountain Man” and “Rusty Rhodes.”
“This is a book we will be giving to all of our new signings,” DSP Chief Publicist Nick Wale explained when asked about the writing guide. “‘How To Write Westerns For The Modern Reader’ should help all authors get off on the right foot and write books that will connect almost immediately with our readership.”
“How To Write Westerns For The Modern Reader” will be released next week and will be available as a Kindle e-Book from Amazon.
