Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Guest Blogger, Bill Walker

Please join me in welcoming author Bill Walker as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Walker’s latest book release is “A Note from an Old Acquaintance.” Here’s the blurb from the book’s back cover:

Brian Weller is a haunted man. It’s been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian’s life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife’s prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair. 

 
Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart. 

 
Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.

Bill joins us today to talk about his writing of “A Note from an Old Acquaintance.”

I've always been fascinated by history and by the past. I guess you could say that I'm naturally nostalgic. With the future uncertain, the past beckons with a golden light that is hard to resist.  

 
That's what motivated me to write A Note from an Old Acquaintance. I was also motivated to try something new as a writer. For the most part, my previous books tended to be more plot-driven, more in the vein of a mystery or thriller. And while this book contains a dash of those elements, the story is much more focused on the two main characters and how they meet, fall in love, and are separated by circumstances they cannot control. 

 
Aside from being a nostalgic person, I'm also an incurable romantic. For me, the idea of reconnecting with a lost love is something very powerful--something I believe will resonate for readers, as it does for me. I also wanted to explore how two very different men, with different backgrounds and temperaments could love the same woman so intently and how dissimilar that love could be. 

 
For Brian and Joanna, their connection is primal, spiritual, and intellectual. Each understands what it takes to create their art and each draws inspiration from the other. On the other hand, Joanna's fiancĂ©, Erik sees her more as an object of worship, something to put on a pedestal. What he sees in Joanna is the ultimate inspiration for his need for wealth and power. 

 
So, what I've tried to do is write something that will speak to readers of every stripe, men included. Hopefully, that will be the case. For the one thing writers want is to be read and appreciated, an accomplishment that is getting harder and harder to realize.  
 
Thanks Bill for giving us background on what motivated you to write “A Note from an Old Acquaintance.”


 
Bill 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 and can be reached through his website: http://www.billwalkerdesigns.com


Have you re-connection with any old acquaintances lately that you can tell us about? :)

15 comments:

  1. Interesting plot! I love books about writers. :)

    Facebook has caused me to forge reconnections with many old high school friends (and maybe even some high school enemies!) :)

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder

    ReplyDelete
  2. That IS an interesting plot. Sounds very intriguing. I must add it to my read pile.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really enjoyed this guest blog. I'm very much into nostalgia myself, so this is definitely on my TBR list!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mason - Thanks for hosting Bill. Bill - I've been fortunate to have made many good friendships through the years, and sometimes, I do get nostalgic for those "old days." I've found many of my closest friends again in the past few months through social media (one of its real advantages!), and been so happy to find that time and distance hasn't kept us all from staying friends. To look at these questions from an author's point of view is really interesting; I'm intrigued by your book : ).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very interesting plot lines. Two men loving the same woman but for different reasons. I was also intrigued by the idea that Bill is a graphic designer who does book covers. How interesting!

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mason, Left you an award, you can check it out on my blog.

    http://annellealtman.blogspot.com/

    ann

    ReplyDelete
  7. Elizabeth, I enjoyed the way Bill gave some insight into the problems writers face when dealing with a big success and needing to write the second book.

    Teresa, it is intriguing and had me wondering what the characters were going to do next.

    Crystal, this book will make you stop and remember any 'lost love' from your past.

    Margot, reconnecting with old friends like you've never been apart is always fun and says a lot about the friendship to begin with.

    Helen, the two men are completely different in so many ways you wonder at first why Joanna would be drawn to both.

    Ann, thank you so much. I'll drop by.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very interesting book and love the motivation article behind it. Thanks for sharing with us today, Bill.

    Marvin D Wilson

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's neat that after doing cover art, he got to write his own book!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I recently reconnected with a friend from elementary school on Facebook. It seems so odd to talk about our children and realize they are the same age we were when most of our memories of each other were made.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Interesting stuff :)

    I've run into a few old friends (sadly at funerals). We pick up the old threads surprisingly easily.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Marvin & Diane, there are some other very interesting books that Bill has also written.

    Janel, it is a strange feeling to realize we have become our parents so to speak.

    Jemi, it is sad that funerals seem to be where we reconnect with old friends and family we've lost touch with.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like a VERY exciting book!!! WOW!

    I just got a note from an old acquaintance and was considering a book about it. LOL! (Really!)

    But mine wasn;t going to be this exciting, I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Mason - your guest bloggers should know how many books they're selling through your site. You sure know how to pick them!

    And this is for you:

    No award to give, no ribbons fine;
    Just thank you from a damaged mind.
    Since healing from audio novels starts,
    Your blog and contest played their parts
    To give me joy in winning three,
    And my life will improve in quality.
    .-.-.-.-.

    I realize I'm no poet, Mason, but a simple thank you for the audio books I won on your site just isn't adequate. Few people realize the benefit of audio books to people with epilepsy or other seizure disorders, or to those who have had a stroke. It's almost a miracle therapy, but a seriously expensive one.

    Again, I thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mary, you never know were a note will lead. :)

    Kathleen, I'm at a lost for words. Thank you so much for your kind words and the beautiful poem. I'm making a copy of this and posting over my desk. I truly appreciate it. I'm so glad you enjoyed the audio books and that they help in anyway. I've learned alot about how audio books are not only entertaining, but helping with seizure disorders. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.