Carol: Give a short bio about yourself.
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Tell us about your motivation
to write.
Woodrow: 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 fan of old movies
and movie 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.
Carol: Explain your journey to publication.
What was your reaction and how has it changed
your life?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Describe your current book.
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: List your other books, and describe
them.
Woodrow: 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 violent western adventure. A Mountain man
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?
Carol: Who is your one favorite author?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: What is your advice to aspiring
writers?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: What is your genre of writing?
Woodrow: I write mostly in the mystery
and Horror genres, but I have tried a western.
Carol: Where do you want to take your
writing in the future?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: What are your favorite writing
websites if any?
Woodrow: WizardsOfWords.org
Carol: Do you like writing short stories,
novels, poems or novellas? Which is your favorite
and why?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Are you in any book clubs?
Woodrow: No, if a book intrigues me,
I’ll buy it from Amazon. They have been very good
to me.
Carol: What is your opinion of your current
publisher and would you recommend them to others?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Would you self-publish and why
or why not?
Woodrow: I self published my last two
books; that is why they are not available from
Amazon. Yes, I would do it again.
Carol: What do you think of the black
writers today?
Woodrow: I don’t think, I haven't read
any. Not because of any prejudice, I read on gut
instinct. If the book grabs me, I am hooked.
Carol: What family member, if any, supports
your writing?
Woodrow: My wife. Nether of us have
anyone else.
Carol: Have you done any book signings?
If so, what was the result?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: What are your marketing tools
for your books?
Woodrow: I rely on the internet.
Carol: Give us your website and email
address where we can purchase and check out your
work.
Woodrow: My web site is
woodrow-w-walker.tripod.com. My e-mail address
is - authorwoodrowwwalker@yahoo.com.
Carol: Did you attend writing classes,
and if so, what is your opinion on writing seminars,
degrees, and workshops?
Woodrow: I think a writer, 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.
Carol: How are your other hobbies?
Woodrow: I have Netflix so I am still
a big movie fan.
Carol: What is your favorite voice to
write in and why?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Do you want to write full-time
or is this just a hobby for you?
Woodrow: I do write full time thanks
to Uncle Sam.
Carol: In reviews of your books / short
stories, etc., is the feedback positive or negative?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Do you have an editor?
Woodrow: I wish I did. I do my own editing,
it’s a writers curse.
Carol: Do you have an agent?
Woodrow: No.
Carol: Of all your books / short stories,
what is your favorite and why?
Woodrow: You might as well ask me which
of my cats I like best, I love them all.
Carol: Where can your books/short stories
be purchased?
Woodrow: Amazon.com
and Lulu.com.
Carol: What is the message you want to
send out with your books?
Woodrow: I don’t think I have a message.
I write to entertain.
Carol: Is non-fiction and historical
something you want to write in the future?
Woodrow: 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."
Carol: Is science-fiction, romance, or
mystery a genre you’d like to pursue?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: What kinds of books do you like
to read?
Woodrow: Mysteries.
Carol: What is your full-time job?
Woodrow: I am Retired.
Carol: If God gave you three wishes what
would they be and why?
Woodrow: 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.
Carol: Tell us about your upcoming books
and events.
Woodrow: I have no events to report.
I am currently writing short stories for the Amazon.com
short story program.
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