Unless a very swamped author manages to find the time to get back to me soon, this will be the last in the first wave of these Q&As—I’m at work on the next batch, though. I’m really enjoying them and hope you are, too.
I talked to Troy Lambert a couple of weeks ago about his book Harvested, and now I’m glad to share his thoughts about writing in this corner of Idaho.
Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
I’m Troy Lambert, the author of over 30 novels, mostly mystery and thriller, but a few others as well. I currently live in the mountains of Idaho with my wife and a couple talented dogs. You can learn more about me at troylambertwrites.com.
Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I have lived in Idaho most of my life, starting when I was four, so I didn’t really “choose” to move here. However, I love it, and have been all over the state. I have left several times and moved away, but keep coming back over and over, so it’s kind of in my blood. I love mountains, rivers, and the diversity of nature in Idaho. It’s an amazing place.
Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
I’m actually the current president of Idaho Writers Guild, and I think connecting with other writers is super important. We often work alone, and networking with others like us is good for our mental health. And there is always something to learn, and writers’ organizations like the guild offer those opportunities in ways you could not find them on your own.
Almost every person I’ve talked with in this series has mentioned IWG—it’s clearly a valued group. All right Mr. President—give these readers your sales pitch. Why should they join up with IWG (or what kinds of things should they look for in a local group outside of Idaho?)
Well, first Idaho Writers Guild has some great speakers at our conference this year, and some great plans for more in the coming months. But also, it’s an opportunity to network with other writers and to give back to the writing community. We want you to be part of what we’re doing, and that means you can volunteer and with our support make things happen in our community that you want to see more of.
What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
So I attend book signings, and when I have book releases, I often partner with Rediscovered Books for those launches. I also attend writers’ conferences and workshops whenever I can. I attend a lot of conferences outside the area as well, including LTUE in Utah, 20Booksto50K in Vegas, and others. I think we are headed the right direction with conferences and workshops here, and I hope we can bring more great teachers here going forward.
What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
That’s a funny question. Because I was just telling a friend of mine that I go to L.A. or Utah and I get recognized. In Boise, nobody knows who I am. I mean not quite, but my following is mostly digital and from all over the place.
I’m getting answers like yours or the opposite—doing well here, and not much everywhere else. Do you have plans to change your local profile—or are you doing well enough that it’s not a concern? How have you gotten the word out to places like Utah or L.A. or wherever?
So the short answer? Most of my growth in “fans” happens organically. So I probably won’t change my local profile, but I don’t shy away from it either. As to getting the word out? Sometimes that is just about being out there in the writing and reader community. Being present and someone that people can connect with is probably the single most important thing you can do.
Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
Like any other place, I think a bit of both. There is a challenge here in that we have a lot of writers’ groups, and while we are working on better working together, there are still times when the community is fractured in many ways. In addition, there is a challenge from the rising cost of living. It is hard for artists and writers to make ends meet anyway, and finding affordable housing makes that even more challenging.
However, on the plus side, there are a lot of writers who live here. And living and working in a gorgeous place like this has some definite upsides for your mental health.
Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
I’ve been told I put Idaho or the west in all my books, and that is almost 100% true. I also put dogs in most of my books, so I guess the things I love the most come through whether I want them to or not.
Idaho and Dogs…a good combination.
Heh. I think so. But I may be biased. Only slightly.
One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
Well, my latest book Teaching Moments is set in Idaho, so there is that. But it is also about a serial killer, so maybe not the spirit of Idaho. However, there are a lot of local authors with some amazing books about the area, so that is probably too long a list to include here.
But if you get down to Rediscovered Books, ask those folks for a recommendation. They know their stuff.
Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!
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