What does Amazon have against tiny American Indians?

I’ll answer that question very shortly. Bear with me, please….

A few weeks back, I revisited the background and some of the research I did for Treason, Treason! my alternate history story set during the American Revolution. It gave me an opportunity to chat a bit about what sorts of things went through my head while writing the book.

Then it came time to discuss what came next, a four-book series I worked on for about seven years: the Little Primitive books. Well over a year ago, I reworked the covers for all four books. Most of the changes were minor, and I maintained the general look and feel of the originals. Then I republished them.

Big mistake.

No. Make that BIG MISTAKE!

Why? Because in their infinite wisdom, if I changed the cover, even slightly, Amazon would no longer post the book reviews I’d received on each of their sale pages. Now remember, the interiors remained the same. And, to the best of my recollection, none of the reviews mentioned the covers.

Several phone calls and emails were met with stiffer resistance than the Russians faced from Ukraine.

All four books are available, each with a slightly modified cover, and I’ve reduced the prices on both the ebook and paperback versions.

It’ll take Amazon a while to catch up with those changes, I’m sure. And it might even freak them out–assuming any human beings are actually involved in any of this–when I make the first two titles available as FREE downloads starting tomorrow (3/7/23).

I would dearly love to see some reviews for these books. They got some raves the first time around, which is why I’m so disappointed in the stance Amazon has taken.

Anyway, this is probably a good time to revisit the books in this series in case some of my newer readers aren’t familiar with them. You’ll find links for all four titles at the end of this post.

So, let’s dial the calendar back to when I finished the first book, A Little Primitive. Great title, no? A story about a two-foot-tall native American Indian who encounters a world populated by what appear to him to be giants. That’d be you and me!

I contemplated a title for the follow-up story, and the only thing that felt like a natural fit was A Little More Primitive.

A trip to Wyoming and the charming little western town of Ten Sleep provided a wealth of great material. We had the opportunity to visit the sorts of terrain where the story takes place, from the plains to the mountains, and everything in-between.

The people of Ten Sleep are wonderful. I’m confident in saying that even though we only met a handful of ’em. There’s a relaxed, country vibe there which as far as we could tell, everyone shares. It’s friendly and inviting, just the perfect fit for a story about a miniature human making his way in a world of giants.

Even though the Little Primitive series is a collection of contemporary stories, I had to do some digging into Civil War history to find intriguing details that impacted the lives of the character’s ancestors and provided motives for what they did and how they lived. It’s always exciting–for me anyway–when I learn things that make me rethink what life was like in an earlier era. I’m certain many a great story resides therein and is yet to be told!

Stories about little people pop up in almost every culture on Earth. Granted, they aren’t all the same, and between lifestyles and customs, those stories come shaded in rainbow hues.

But I was particularly intrigued by the stories about tiny people which abound in Hawaii. Naturally, that provided the impetus for the next book in the series, A Primitive in Paradise. It gave me a chance to put little Mato into a deep, romantic quandary while simultaneously dealing with a massive threat to the lives of thousands upon thousands of visitors to the islands.

I got to poke a little fun at the corporations that operate gigantic theme parks and produce films featuring cartoon characters we all know. I just couldn’t use their names. (Some such theme park operating conglomerates are well-known for bringing lawsuits against anyone who dares to name any of their products or productions. I’ve no desire to spend any time in court.)

But then I knew I had to bring the players back to Wyoming for the finale. And that led to the creation of Primitives in Peril.

I wanted to dig deeper into the lives and loves of Mato’s people. In doing so, a new character evolved, one who absolutely stole my heart and who may star in her own adventure later on. A fifth book in the series? Who knows. Maybe!

When I started working on the very first book, I had no idea where it would lead. I never imagined a three-book series, much less one that stretched to four and possibly five.

I find that I learn something new in every book I write, and sometimes the thing I learn isn’t about some crazy fictional world or bizarre player from my dreams. Sometimes I learn something about myself. Thus far, it’s been mostly good stuff.

But then, I pride myself on telling people I make shit up for a living!

Thanks for dropping by. And if you’re interested in helping me out by buying a copy of one or more of these stories, if you haven’t already, please, please post a review on Amazon. The book links are posted below. And remember, books one and two will be available for a free download from March 7 through March 11, 2023. Depending on the response, I may do the same thing for books three and four.

A Little Primitive

A Little More Primitive

A Primitive in Paradise

Primitives in Peril