Chula Vista author Mark C. Jackson is intrigued by western themes, yet he doesn’t know exactly why.
“It struck a chord and I’ve stayed with it,” he said.
A native of Oklahoma, Jackson’s first book, “An Eye for an Eye: The Tales of Zebadiah Creed (Book One),” will be the subject of a book-signing event sometime in late January, most likely at the Chula Vista Library’s main branch, he said.
The book is envisioned as the first in a series of three books.
Pre-publication reviews have been positive, he said.
Most recently, he received a glowing review from Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. Booklist’s primary audience consists of libraries, educators and booksellers.
“It says Jackson’s first book is not for the feint of heart; I will take that as a compliment as a first-time author,” he said.
The book, labeled historical fiction (“Americana” by the author), is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target.
The book might strike a chord with fans of last year’s award-winning film “The Revenant” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. However, Jackson said the film is set about a decade earlier than the events described in his book.
“My guy is coming around at the end of the fur trade,” Jackson said. “By 1835 to 1840, the beavers were just about gone throughout the mountains that made up the United States at that time.”
As the title suggests, “Eye for an Eye” is about revenge.
Jackson calls his character “honest, almost to a fault.”
“He was raised by Indians,” Jackson outlined. “He doesn’t really have a religion per se. His parents were Quakers. He’s loyal and can be trusted. With that said, you don’t want to cross him because he will take you out. The book is a story about the murder of his brother. Zebadiah gets his revenge, though Jackson said it’s “never as simple as killing a man, where retribution and redemption are not the same.”
Written in the words of the title character, Jackson’s book spins an exciting tale that leads readers by steamboat down the Great Mississippi to St. Louis and on to New Orleans.
Jackson said the character of Zebadiah Creed was actually developed in a short story writing class. “It was flash fiction — 1,000 words or less,” he said. “I found my character in that story.”
The 600-word story received so much praise in the class that he decided to write another story dealing with the character. This second effort totaled 5,000 words and was set in New Orleans and St. Louis in 1835.
A third story followed, though much longer at 23,000 words. It was set in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.
“An Eye for an Eye,” which encompasses 60,000 words, took Jackson three years to write.
There’s more to come.
Jackson said the second book places the character at the Alamo just before the fatal attack. He’s a messenger and leaves a few days before the defenders are annihilated by Gen. Santa Anna’s superior Mexican army.
Jackson incorporates historical figures such as Davey Crockett, Jim Bowie, Col. William “Buck” Travis and Sam Houston into the story.
Jackson said the third book will be set back in New Orleans and St. Louis.
Jackson said one of the most enjoyable tasks in writing is doing research.
An accomplished songwriter, Jackson draws inspiration from his ballads. “I like to tell a story with the songs I write,” he said.
“Songwriting helps with my writing. In song-writing, you need to be concise. To tell a story in two-and-a-half to three minutes, it has to be so concise, almost bare bones.”
