Introducing….Woodrow W. Walker

1. Give a short bio about yourself.  I was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1942. I now live in Tucson, Arizona.  Before moving to Tucson, I worked as a security guard in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was in Las Vegas that, I met my wife Jeanne we have enjoyed eight years together now and have four wonderful cats.

2. Tell us about your motivation to write. I came to writing late in life. As I neared retirement I knew that, I would need something to do. I am a long time move fan of old moves and move serials. So when, I decided to become a writer it made sense to me to write a story about the movies. That is how I created Buck Ames, a former stuntman turned P.I. He has been the star of three books and two short stories.

3. Explain your journey to publication. What was your reaction and how has it changed your life? Like a lot of people, it had been in the back of my mind for years. I was not sure how to begin until I brought a computer in 1999. I had nothing but a title “Murder at Republic” I felt that murder in a movie studio would be a great plot device. At the time, I did not know if, I could even finish it. I did and wrote two more and two short stories. As for changing my life, it has allowed me, to meet other writers and improve my own writing.

4. Describe your current book. I don’t have a current book. I am now involved with amazon.com’s short stories program. After you have purchased a short story you can read it on line or download it for .49 cents.

5. List your other books, and describe them. I have written five books, I have listed then in order of publication:

 Murder at Republic – A Buck Ames mystery. Set in the 1940’s a P. I. solves a murder in a movie studio.

Murder at Columbia – A Buck Ames mystery.

Legacy of Adrian Blackthorn, Vampire – During the Crimean War a young Englishman becomes a vampire after meeting a thousand year old vampire named Drago.

PS: I have just sent a three part story, to Amazon which is a prequel, to this book. My first three books are available from Amazon.com

Murder at Universal – A Buck Ames mystery.

Wolf Johnson Mountainman – A violate western adventure. A Mountainman finds a young girl in the wilderness after her Ma and Pa are killed by outlaws. Can he protect her from three killers who mean to see her dead? Both these last two books can be found at www.lulu.com

6. Who is your one favorite author? I know I should give a highbrow answer here but the truth is I love the writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Arthur Conan Doyle.

7. What is your advice to aspiring writers? The only way you can call yourself a writer is to write. If you have a story to tell get to it. If you can’t spell get a computer, but just get started. It’s not easy. Don’t expect overnight success or that you will get rich. There are a number of reasons to write, getting rich is not one of them.

8. What is your genre of writing?  I write mostly in the mystery and Horror genres, but I have tried a western.

9. Where do you want to take your writing in the future? Well, at 65 I don’t know how much future I have left. I just want to improve as a writer and hope others will enjoy what I have written.

10. What are your favorite writing websites if any? www.wizardsofwords.org

11. Do you like writing short stories, novels, poems or novella? Which is your favorite and why? My first two books were novellas, if you are speaking of length. I now have 11 short stories for .49 cents each at Amazon.com a book can take a long time to write. A short story can be written in far less time.

12. Are you in any book clubs? No, if a book intrigues me, I’ll buy it from Amazon. They have been very good to me.

13. What is your opinion of your current publisher and would you recommend them to others? Publish America published two of my books and I would send another to them first. A lot of people think after you send your book off to a publisher. Your work is over, but that is far from the truth. A writer must sell his/her own book, no publisher is going to take on a first time writer and give you millions for your book. Unless you are a movie star or maybe a politician.

14. Would you self-publish and why or why not? I self published my last two books that is why they are not available from Amazon. Yes, I would do it again.

15. What do you think of the black writers today? I don’t think, I have read any. Not because of any prejudice, I read on gut instinct. If the book grabs me, I am hooked.

16. What family member, if any, supports your writing? My wife. Nether of us have anyone else.

17. Have you done any book signings? If so, what was the result? I had a book signing when I was in Las Vegas at a B. Dalton book store for my first book. In about five hours I sold five books to three people, one lady brought three.

18. What are your marketing tools for your books? I rely on the internet.

19. Give us your website and email address where we can purchase and check out your work. My web site is http://woodrow-w-walker.tripod.com.

My e-mail address is - authorwoodrowwwalker@yahoo.com

20. Did you attend writing classes, and if so, what is your opinion on writing seminars, degrees, and workshops? I think a write at least one starting out should get all the help he/she can. However none of it will help unless you have a story to tell.

21. How are your other hobbies? I have Netflicks so I am still a big movie fan.

22. What is your favorite voice to write in and why? I’m not sure, I understand. I have written in both first person and third person. First person is good, if you want to make the center person the narrator. Third person gives the writer a better overview of the story. In first person you can tell only what that character saw or did. In third person the writer sees all and can shift between characters.

23. Do you want to write full-time or is this just a hobby for you? I do write full time thinks to Uncle Sam.

24. In reviews of your books/short stories, etc., is the feedback positive or negative? I am very glad to say that it has been positive for both. Two of my shorts have been rated five stars. As has my vampire book.

25. Do you have an editor? I wish I did. I do my own editing, it’s a writers curse.

26. Do you have an agent? No.

27. Of all your books/short stories, what is your favorite and why? You might as well ask me which of my cats I like best, I love them all.

28. Where can your books/short stories be purchase? www.amazon.com and www.lulu.com

29. What is the message you want to send out with your books? I don’t think I have a message. I write to entertain.

30. Is non-fiction and historical something you want to write in the future? I don’t write non-fiction. As for historical, I have touched on that with my vampire book “Legacy of Adrian Blackthorn, Vampire” and the three part short story prequel to it “Drago! The First Vampire.”

31. Is science-fiction, romance, or mystery a genre you’d like to pursue? I have written only one three part short story in the Sci-Fi genre. “The Rat Wars” genetically enhanced rat DNA is combined with human DNA to create a race of hybrid Rat People who war against humans.

32. What kinds of books do you like to read? Mysteries.

33. What is your full-time job? I am Retired.

34. If God gave you three wishes what would they be and why?  1. To see a Buck Ames script, I wrote be produced as a movie. 2. Have it be successful and 3. Knock the socks off Harry Potter.

35. Tell us about your upcoming books and events. I have no events to report. I am currently writing short stories for the Amazon.com short story program.