Raymond Webb writes historical fiction, non-fiction/essay/humor, short stories, poetry, young adult, novellas, Costa Rican historical romance novels and flash fiction. He uses pen names in his work: Jake North for outdoor related material and Luisa Penrose for his Young Adult stories. A former cook in city and remote Pacific forests, he asks, “What’s to your liking? Have a taste, it’s free.”
He’s a full-time writer, husband and father and lives on the traditional, unceded lands of the Stó:lō, Coast Salish peoples in southern B.C., Canada.
Webb has lived (and worked) in five Canadian provinces and spent five years and more in world cities. Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal; Manhattan, Las Vegas, Montreux, Switzerland; London, England and at his snowbird home on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
He published a series of four, non-fiction, waterproof fishing guides in 1991 under Jake North’s name that put him in the media and on a national TV fishing show, (Tip of the Week). Forty thousand guides printed, sold and donated to charitable children’s causes. Currently out of print.
On completion of a project his writing reaches the same conundrum: Where goes the work after ‘The End’ completes. An idea; an author’s website might help readers pick-and-choose a sample from the diverse genre offerings. Want to read more click the ‘Request More’ button. For a limited time, the only cost, your email address to send.
With no plans to self or ‘trad’ publish, he explains, “I’m too old to cut the publishing mustard.” An editing professional reviewing the work might encourage further but retired on a fixed income makes this a no go. He realizes the offerings presented on webbliterary.com may need adjustment and these changes will become his writing 2.0.
Raymond’s not a business-minded publish and weep-the-rewards person. He spent too much time in his early writing days entering contests for a fee to receive a wall of disappointing rejections. (A few longlists excepted.)
The Gift trilogy grew out of an idea of gifted wedding rings from the Tsar of Russia given to his secret police henchman, Gregor Ivanovich. An acorn planted in 1881 Russia, becomes a three-branched trilogy tree via New York City in 2011 to Costa Rica’s volcanic mountains in 2030.
He writes in the mornings, edits in the afternoons and keeps a daily ‘lightbulb idea’ journal. The Ts’elxwéyeqw Native Tribe that surrounds connects him to the land. It’s a cool, refreshing place to write.
His daily view: the rain-fed eastern plain of the Fraser Valley, an agricultural, suburban/urban area bounded by the Fraser River to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Rocky Mountain, snow-capped peaks rise on three sides.
When not writing, he listens to jazz and classic rock, scolds his children (kidding, like never), streams the net, hikes mountain trails, pans rivers for placer gold and sport fishes spawning steelhead. An ADHD, his voluminous work represents a triumph of persistence in the face of unlimited distractions.
By offering potential readers a website to view samples of his work, he gives readers searching a ‘read free’ zone to sample-taste his writing style. He’s not interested in fame or fortune, but in like-minded readers who enjoy a good story; this website’s “Read a Sample” is built for you.
