Q & A With Author Bill Walker

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I knew it from a very early age, as I was a voracious reader and started writing because I wanted to sustain the joy I received from the stories I'd read.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

That's a tough one. So many writers have inspired me. I would have to say Richard Matheson has had the most fundamental effect. Like me, he has written in multiple genres and has himself written a love story from a man's perspective, Somewhere In Time, one of my favorite books and movies.

How do you create the characters in your books? Are they based on people you know?

Like every author, I use bits and pieces of my own experiences. But my characters are mostly reflections of differing aspects of my own personality. We authors are the ultimate actors in that we inhabit each character's psyche as we create them. For me that really is a wonderful experience, because it is through my characters that I can do things that I can never do in real life.

What is the one book you think everyone should read?

I would heartily recommend Matheson's book, Somewhere In Time. I would also recommend Jacky Finney's Time and Again. The first time-travel romance and an influence on Matheson's book.

If you weren’t a writer, what be your profession?

Well, I've been a few things: film director, co-owner of a production company, freelance story analyst, insurance salesman (I still have nightmares about that one) and a graphic designer.

If you could trade places with anyone in the world, past or present, real or fiction, who would it be and why?

It would be easier to say who I WOULDN'T trade places with, but to indulge your question, I would have to say that I would love to trade places with some of the top brand name authors, like Stephen King, Dean Koontz and James Patterson, to name three. Of course, like anyone else, all three of these men have problems that I would not want to endure, but their careers are definitely something I would like to emulate.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 3 things, what would they be?

My copy of Time and Again, my MacBook Pro with a battery that would never die and flawless, uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity, and my 1961 SG/Les Paul.

What is your favorite movie of all time?

Just to show you the contrarian that I am, my two favorites are Somewhere In Time and A Clockwork Orange.

What is the one thing that you want all your fans to know?

That I truly enjoy having the opportunity to entertain them with my stories. For me, that is the highest calling.

If you could invite 5 people to dinner, who would they be and why?

Assuming that they don't have to be limited to currently living people, I would choose the following:Abraham Lincoln - for the opportunity of hearing him speak. If he'd only lived another few years, his voice could have been recorded by Edison. I think it would be fascinating to hear him.Mark Twain - I would love to see him and Lincoln in a battle of wits.Jimi Hendrix - to talk to him about how he achieved his sounds and to have a little jam.Marilyn Monroe - Because she was so much more intelligent than people gave her credit for, and I've always had a thing for her.Gene Simmons of KISS - Because he is such an astute businessman and a very underrated bass player. I'd want him for that jam with Hendrix, too.

Visit Bill's website.