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 fiancé, 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? :)