Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Gordon Lee served two years in the Army National Guard, three years in the USMC making the rank of sergeant. He also notably served 20 years with the city police, and became chief of police. He was a traveling coin dealer for 10 years and ran his own store as a sports card dealer. For 24 years of his life he dealt in Antiques. He has travelled across Europe and America, living a life full of experiences which he is now sharing with others through his books. To this day, he is still residing in Oregon. Gordon Lee has written seven books, but currently has one published title.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Growing Up In Bay City Oregon: A Memoir 1936 – 1953.
Lee was inspired to write the memoir about the Bay City period of his life because he wanted to share it to hopefully inspire others.
Oregon author Gordon Lee will be publishing his debut memoir “Growing Up in Bay City Oregon: A Memoir 1936 – 1953” through Caliber Press. The book will be available on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and hardcover on July 31, as well as Kindle Unlimited.
The hardcover and paperback book will be made available to libraries and bookstores through IngramSpark, and the e-book will follow with an .epub version for other devices after the Kindle version is in KDP Select for 90 days. The Kindle version of the e-book will be free to download on Amazon for 5 days, from Aug. 1-5.
There are two versions of the hardcover book. One is grayscale on creme paper stock and the other is a premium color edition on premium white stock. Most of the images are black and white, but the color edition will allow the color images to print in color.
Gordon Lee’s memoir focuses on his childhood from when he was born in Nebraska and the family moved West during WWII so his father could find a war-effort job, eventually finding employment at the shipyard on Swan Island. After the war ended, the family moved to a cabin in Barview while Lee’s father built a house for them in Bay City. Lee recounts details of his youth and what it was like to grow up in Tillamook County during this time period.
He was a student at the Bay City school up until the 11th grade. In his memoir, he details what Bay City looked like before the re-routing of Hwy 101.
The memoir centralizes around the family’s poverty and how Lee managed to earn money working several jobs as a child, while also having many adventures despite their financial situation. The book has several historic photographs pertaining to Lee’s family and the various historic places that are mentioned in the book. Lee eventually left Bay City to join the marines, and then returned to Oregon to work a number of jobs before retiring. He worked most recently as an antiquarian.
Gordon Lee is also a life member of the Tillamook County Pioneer Association. He maintains a large private collection of historical Oregon photographs and other artifacts.
Gordon Lee is currently retired, but has penned seven manuscripts during the pandemic by hand onto yellow legal paper.
When asked how he was able to accomplish such a feat he said, “Writing is easy for me because I have done so many interesting things in my lifetime. You also need good work habits and a desire to accomplish your plans. Knowing your subject is also a requirement.”
Lee was inspired to write the memoir about the Bay City period of his life because he wanted to share it to hopefully inspire others.
“Although I did not have expensive, material things, I had a need to try new things as well as ideas that made it an exciting way to live and to learn while growing from a child to a young man,” Lee said. “My memoir is filled with real life events, including the good times and the bad, which is true to life.”
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Lee has penned all of his books onto yellow legal paper, which his publisher types and then they both work on the edits together.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Lee has been a long time fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and several notable Western authors.
What are you working on now?
Lee is currently working on the edits for a travel guide to Tillamook County that will take travelers off the beaten path.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This one, I hear, is very good! But you have to promote everywhere you can if you want to sell.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the books, but also think about how you’re going to promote them and make a real plan for that BEFORE you publish, if you’re self-publishing or working with a small press. Even big publishers require authors to help with marketing – so think ahead on how you’re going to build an audience to help your book sales.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t finish something if you don’t start and keep going.
What are you reading now?
The newspaper. 🙂
What’s next for you as a writer?
Working on publishing the other six books I wrote. When you finish writing – you still have editing and other work to do to help the publisher out. You’re not fully off the hook. More-so, if you self-publish.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, a book about desert island survival, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a book about how to get off desert islands.
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