Author Interview: Bill Walker (A Note From an Old Acquaintance)

Bill Walker is the author of A Note From an Old Acquaintance. If you missed my review on it, check it out here. He is a graphic designer specializing in book and dust jacket design, and has worked on projects by Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Between his design work and his writing, he spends his spare time reading voraciously and playing very loud guitar, much to the chagrin of his lovely wife and two sons. Bill makes his home in Los Angeles.

*I truly enjoyed his book and I thank Bill and his publicist Tracee for the interview & giving me the opportunity to review it.*

1) How old were you when you started writing?

I was about eight or nine years old. I started writing because I loved reading so much and wanted to sustain that rush one gets from a great story or book. The first book I ever wrote was a pastiche, The Adventures of Mouser, which was a story about a boy with an intelligent mouse for a pet. It was a slavish homage to a favorite book called, Ben and Me. The funny thing about that is that an old friend had borrowed it not long after I finished writing it and then moved away. He'd kept it all these years and finally sent it back to me after nearly forty years, complete with its original hand-drawn cover. It was quite a trip down memory lane.

2) What inspired you to write A Note From An Old Acquaintance?

I wanted to write something that was a distinct departure from my other more plot-driven work. I've always been an incurable romantic. Heck, one of my favorite movies is Somewhere in Time. I wanted to write a novel where the emotions of the characters carry the story.

3) Are the characters in the books based on someone you know?

As with any author, I use bits and pieces of people I've known and incidents from my life, but the characters are cut from the whole cloth of my imagination.

4) What was the hardest part about writing A Note From An Old Acquaintance?

Making the antagonist a little bit sympathetic without blunting his purpose as a character. In early drafts Erik was an out and out criminal, a blackmailer, whose secret files rivaled those of J. Edgar Hoover. I soon realized that he couldn't be that way, as Joanna was far too sensitive and intelligent to stay with someone like this for so long and not get at least a hint that something was awry. I decided I needed to dial him back, give him real feelings, even though they are misguided ones. I like to think I made the better choice in his respect.

5) If you had to describe your book in one word, what would it be?

Poignant.

6) Do you have any other projects you're currently working on?

I do have a couple of projects, but I don't like to talk about them in the formative stages. Call me superstitious ;-)

7) Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest?

It depends upon what you define as new. New to me? Then I would say Michael Connelly and Lee Child, both superb suspense writers.

8) What book are you currently reading?

Dracula by Bram Stoker. I recently read the new sequel by his great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker, and it's actually a pretty good book. So I was inspired to tackle the original, which I'd never read before now. Thought it was about time. I have a whole stack of books I want to read. My problem is that I tend to buy them faster than I'm able to read them.

(Eleni: Bill I have the same problem! I buy way too many books!)

9) Do you have anything to say to all your readers?

Just that I hope they'll come love my characters as much as I do.

10) Tell us something about yourself that no one knows about.

That I hate to be pigeon-holded.