There’s a lot of culture conflict, and morality conflict. Is it OK to kill in the name of protecting innocent animals being slaughtered? How do you deal with the clash of local aristocratic classes (living the last vestiges of colonialism) encroaching on both modern civil society as well as tribal life?
Jeffrey Ulin – 13 April 2023
The Back Flap
Big game hunter Richard Keeton unexpectedly finds himself in line to inherit a British Lordship, but with the family’s wealth in tatters Richard cannot afford the lifestyle commensurate with his pending title. Hell-bent on restoring riches, Richard realizes he can make a fortune poaching animals. With the help of Alijah, a tribesman, he’s soon secretly slaughtering animals and taking kickbacks to build a network smuggling rhino horns and elephant tusks. Richard’s poaching ring comes under threat when Michael Sandburg, an American researcher, starts dating his stepdaughter and becomes suspicious. What will Michael do if he discovers the truth and has to choose between his future family and a newfound mission to protect endangered animals at all costs? Jeffrey Ulin’s thrilling adventure weaves romance and intrigue against the tragedy of driving species toward extinction. Read it now and be transported to colonial-tinged polo fields belying the savagery of men willing to butcher majestic animals in their lust for money and privilege.
About the book
What is the book about?
In Kenya’s savanna, a big game hunter waiting to inherit a Lordship masterminds a poaching ring selling rhino horns and elephant tusks. Lusting to restore his family’s fortune, his plans are thwarted by a researcher who falls in love with his stepdaughter and becomes a vigilante protecting the animals.
When did you start writing the book?
More years ago than I want to admit. I let the draft sit for many years until I had sufficient time to rewrite it and do the story justice.
How long did it take you to write it?
Candidly, since I put it down for years, that’s hard to answer. Overall, probably 2-3 years.
Where did you get the idea from?
After majoring in anthropology at university (Harvard), I had the opportunity to work on a rhino rescue project in Kenya. We helped train a government capture unit and moved endangered rhinos to sanctuary areas. I was horrified learning about animal poaching- that was the genesis of the idea to write a book, but then I needed to construct an entire story. The fading colonial world in Kenya and too much corruption in lots of African governments then sparked the notion of what if a peripheral member of the aristocracy unexpectedly came to inherit a title, was frustrated that he didn’t have the family wealth to live the imagined life of his ancestors, and turned to poaching to restore his fortunes. The bad guy/villain was almost easier, and then I created lots of interesting other characters. My favorite is a tribesman named Alijah that the would-be Lord recruits and through bribes places in the anti-poaching agency. There’s also an American researcher who comes to protect the animals and ultimately takes the poachers/pending Lord down, as well as the Lord’s stepdaughter who is a tom-boy veterinarian (despite her pedigree) and falls in love with the American researcher.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
There’s a lot of culture conflict, and morality conflict. Is it OK to kill in the name of protecting innocent animals being slaughtered? How do you deal with the clash of local aristocratic classes (living the last vestiges of colonialism) encroaching on both modern civil society as well as tribal life? What about the conflict a tribesman faces when he becomes educated and has one foot in a tribal village and another in the modern world- and ends up with families in both? How do you deal with a love story between an everyman researcher and the daughter of an aristocratic family (who feel similar passions for protecting animals but come from polar opposite worlds)? Exposing these themes without making them the center of the book—which is really about the horror of killing animals for profit—and keeping the characters realistic was a big challenge.
What came easily?
Interestingly, scenes taking place in tribal villages and those where animals are being hunted and are suffering came most easily. Perhaps the horror of poaching struck such an emotional chord where I was able to simply channel that in the writing. For the tribal villages, personal experiences visiting tribes/Africa were so memorable and vivid that those scenes flowed naturally too—even when elements or rituals where completely made up.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
All the characters are completely fictitious and not based on real world people. I guess in a minor way one of the characters, Michael, a Harvard PhD researcher studying baboons who develops a calling to protect the animals and marries the villain’s stepdaughter (and takes down the poaching ring) has elements of what I wanted to be! I studied anthropology and sociobiology, and wish I had Michael’s courage and adventure to stop some of these real world horrors.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
It’s a tough question, and I would say I’m more influenced by a mix of experience and exposures, not one or two particular authors. If I had to point to someone regarding The Lord’s Tusks, perhaps Wilbur Smith and his swashbuckling adventures set in Africa
Do you have a target reader?
I actually hope it appeals to a cross section- people who love action adventure, those who love animals and conservation, people who may like a touch of historical fiction tinged with romance where the good guy gets the girl and vanquishes evil, and even people looking for a family drama as this deals with a titled family’s generational downfall. I could go on!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Not anything formal. I create flow charts of family trees and characters to try and keep relationships and timelines straight- it’s more challenging than you might think. I don’t do anything like set a fixed goal of having to bang out 5 or 10 pages a day—sometimes I may write a little, and if inspiration hits, I can just keep going until late at night. Scenes and characters can take on a life of their own, and it’s fantastic when you become transported into the world and the story just flies out, literally conjured from thin air.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I have changed over time, and now outline more than I used to. However, I accept that any outline is loose, and am most excited when twists and turns organically evolve. It’s great to have a sense of confidence that you know (or at least think you know) where the story is heading; however, it’s even better when you surprise yourself and the characters and story come alive, inspiring scenes and elements that were never in the cards.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Both. I’ll read over scenes and sections once I finish passages and fix certain things on the spot. If you recognize how to make an improvement, do it right then or you may forget what you were thinking. I then edit extensively once everything is done- in fact, it’s a bit of mental race to get to the end, and I always have in the back of my mind that I need to go back and fix this or that or sort out an inconsistency. I’ll even keep working notes about elements I need to go back and fix, but if I let that hold me up, I’d never finish the initial draft.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes I did, and it was very helpful. I wasn’t a believer beforehand, but now I swear by it. The trick is finding someone that can be constructive, has a knack of seeing something that you’ve overlooked because you’re perhaps too close to it– and isn’t overdoing things or making so many comments that it’s overwhelming or challenging the essence of what you’ve crafted.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Yes and no- I am lucky that one of my son’s runs a marketing firm. I outlined some ideas and worked with them to develop a cover- it was so great the publisher didn’t want to make any changes. Everyone loved it.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Yes, I had a detailed marketing plan. One of the more ambitious elements—though I doubt most successful– included making short videos, akin to trailers, that featured slides taken from when I had worked on a rhino rescue project in Africa. You can check them out on my website. I also undertook some social media initiatives, dabbled in small-scale advertising, and worked with a publicist.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I’ve literally lived all over the world- in the US I’ve spent significant periods in the Midwest (Kansas City and Chicago), East Coast (Boston) and West Coast (San Francisco Bay area). I’ve also spent nearly 15 years living abroad, including in The Netherlands, London and Spain.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’ve had an interesting career, where I worked on the business side of the entertainment business (including working on Skywalker Ranch for George Lucas), ran an animation studio where I created a hit animated series for Disney (Higglytown Heroes), and am also a lawyer where I’ve worked as a General Counsel for media-related companies in Holland and London. I’m very proud of my book The Business of Media Distribution- Monetizing Film, TV & Video Content in an Online World (3 editions), that has become a bit of a bible for understanding the film and TV distribution world and which I’ve been lucky enough to use to teach (including at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business). You can check it out on my website (link below).
What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished a new book, which is on an entirely different subject matter. It is more of a spy thriller, pitting a young Israeli Mossad agent against an old-world ex-Stassi officer (former E. Germany). The plot in part deals with art stolen by the Nazi’s at the end of WWII that surfaces in the new millennium- and a bit like The Lord’s Tusks involves two families tangling with each other, brought together by fate, with the heroes unravelling hidden evil and working to stop past crimes from festering in today’s world.
End of Interview:
For more from Jeffrey Ulin, visit his website.
Get your copy of The Lord’s Tusks from Amazon US or Amazon UK.