… that two fascinating novels were born
Did you know there is an author living near Canterbury Rd. in Fort Montgomery?
There is. Linda Rich.
There’s just one thing you might want to know if you, say, invite Linda Rich to your book club … when the author arrives, it will be in the form of a six-foot-six-inch tall man, named Rich Zawisha.
Yes, Linda Rich is a pseudonym that Zawisha has used for the two psychological thriller/murder mysteries that he has written, Twisted and Twisted Unraveled. The first book debuted in 2014, and the second, which is actually “prequel sequel,” was published in 2019.
The books are self published (Friesen Press, a Canadian company) and are set in Fort Montgomery. Turns out, that’s exactly where Zawisha and his wife Linda (get it …. Linda and Rich Zawisha?) live.
“Yes, the books are set right in our back yard and in our house,” the author says, noting that the community at large plays a role in the storyline as well.
Zawisha didn’t start writing until retiring as an executive from the employee health benefit field eight years ago.
After wasting his first year watching reruns of Match Game (his words!), his understanding wife asked him what he planned to do now. He replied that he was going to write a novel. His wife was somewhat pessimistic, as she had graduated with an English Literature major from college and he had no experience writing.
A year later — “with the help of some chilled pumpkin vodka,” he says — his first novel was written and quite to the amazement of his wife, very good. Based upon the content of the murder mystery, she was constantly looking over her shoulder for the next few years.
This may not be the first time local readers have heard his name. Zawisha has shared information about his writing and publishing process with community members, at a presentation at the Highland Falls Library in 2016.
“I had such a good time doing that,” he says, noting he shared a power point presentation with his audience about how it all works. He credits former Library Director Suzanne Brahm with helping him early on in the process, for instance, in finding a literary agent.
Getting published isn’t easy, he says, noting even famed author JK Rowling got rejected by publishing houses “145 times”. He decided, after 40 queries, to self publish, and is happy he did so.
He notes that he found the editing process “such a pain”, but was pleased with the help his publishing company gave him. He also says he found it easier to write the second book, because “I’d learned to write dialogue, which definitely takes some practice,” he said.
A question Zawisha is often asked is ‘why the pseudonym?’.
“In my opinion, women are the best authors in this genre,” he said, citing Janet Evanovich, Tess Gerritson and other popular female authors. “I wanted to pay tribute to them.”
Back to that book club appearance by Zawisha? It’s not really possible in the months ahead — he’s about to undergo a hip replacement that will keep him busy for awhile. Might he spend some of his recovery time writing another book?
Maybe. He’s already got a name for number three in the series, Twisted Unhinged, but he hasn’t started it yet!
If you’re looking to obtain copies of Zawisha’s books, you can find them both in electronic downloads on Amazon, from the publisher, or, for autographed soft cover books, email him at rgzaw923@aol.com. Again, though, he’s going to be a little busy in the weeks ahead, so be patient as you wait for a response!
Using social media to gently let people know about his book, Zawisha has found a few fans in town lately, and that makes him happy.
“My greatest pleasure is when someone reads my books and enjoys them,” he says.
