Keith walker: master of romantic suspense
by Wayne Jordan
Name: Keith Thomas Walker
Date of Birth: 26 September Occupation: Hospital Administration Residence: Forth Worth, Texas
1. How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since the fifth grade.
2. What convinced you to get started on your first book?
My first book is titled "Colored Rags." I've always been an avid fan of poetry, and I started to perform my own poetry during my freshman year of college. Around this same time period, my city was gripped in a wave of terror caused mostly by drug dealing and gang violence. I began to write poems that were anti-gang and spoke against black-on-black violence. I later decided I could address this problem better with a full length book, and that's what gave me the inspiration to write "Colored Rags."
3. What challenges did you face in becoming published?
Getting published was a nightmare in the beginning. Back when I was in college, I published scores of my poems in different anthologies and magazines, but I couldn't get anyone to publish a full book of just my poetry. When I wrote Colored Rags, I hit the same roadblock. I thought it was a good book, but it was very raw and in need of serious revision. I got discouraged when no one wanted to publish Colored Rags, and I didn't write another book for almost a full decade.
When I started writing again, the first thing I did was re-write Colored Rags from the ground up. I still couldn't find a publisher to invest in me, but I didn't get discouraged this time. Instead I wrote a collection of short stories that were as diverse as humanly possible. Some of my main characters were white, black, young, old, male, female, prostitutes and little old ladies. I did this to break out of my shell and also determine which voice I could breathe more life into.
By far, the most popular of all of my short stories were the ones written from a woman's point of view, so I decided to give that a shot. I wrote my first romance novel, "Fixin' Tyrone," in November of 2007. By February of 2008 I had two publishers interested in that book, and at that moment, I knew I was on to something.
4. Did you ever imagine that you would become a published author? What did you do when you got THE call?
I always had a feeling I could be a published author, but it was very hard to get into the business. I got discouraged plenty of times, and I wasted a lot of time drowning in despair.
The first time I got an actual telephone call from a publisher, I could barely contain myself. I had to maintain some composure, because I was at work, but you couldn't wipe the smile off of my face for at least an hour.
5. How have readers responded to your being a male romance author?
Readers are very interested in the fact that I am a male romance author. I believe, for the most part, they didn't think I could pull it off. I suppose it's like Danica Patrick racing with the big boys in NASCAR. You'll tune in to see if she's any good. If she fails, you'll say, "Well, that's alright because it's a woman." If she succeeds, you'll be amazed and interested and more likely to tune in whenever you see her on television again.
I hope that I'm able to prove myself to the many female readers out there, and they will be interested whenever I have a new book on the shelf.
4. What are some of your favorite authors, genres, and/or books?
Well, my all-time favorite author is Stephen King. I started reading his books when I was in the fifth grade, and he's the first author to make me say, "Wow. I wish I could be like him when I get big." Another author I read as a child was Walter Dean Myers. I like Mr. Myers because he spoke to me on a level I could understand as a juvenile, and also he was anti-gang and anti-violence like myself. Mr. Myers inspired a lot of the writings I did later in life. My other favorite writers are Walter Mosley and Dean Koontz.
5. What are some of the things you like to do you do in your down time?
Reading and writing are my favorite past-times. I still perform poetry, so if I'm not too busy with work, I like to check out open mic and poetry slams and support all of the great artists in my region. I love a good movie, and I also love my PS3. These last two hobbies can actually be counterproductive, especially when I'm trying to get some editing done, but hey, I am only human.
All about how to kill your husband:
1. Tell us a bit about HOW TO KILL YOUR HUSBAND? What was your inspiration for this, your sophomore effort?
My inspiration for this novel was to look at an old story in a totally new way. Infidelity (whether it be in a marriage or a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship) has affected us all in some way or another. When I decided to write about something that's probably been going on since the days of the caveman, I knew I had to not only give it my own personal insight, but I also had to take the story further than the average writer would. Every time the reader believes they know where this story is going, I open a totally different door and confuse them all over again. I kept this story suspenseful to the very end, and I believe readers will be satisfied with the result.
2. Do you have any favorite characters or scenes that you wouldn’t mind sharing or providing a little more insight on?
It's kind of hard to answer this question without telling too much about the book. My favorite scene is during the climax, so I won't mention it right now. But I can say that my favorite character is the heroine in this story. Claire is smart and strong, yet she's been married for sixteen years, and she doesn't realize how dependent she is on her husband until she faces the fact that she might lose him. I love Claire's interactions with her children, the decisions she makes as the book progresses and the courage she exhibits at the end of the novel.
3. Did you face any major challenge(s) writing this particular story? If so, what were they?
Hmmm. I suppose the only real problem I faced was dealing with such an old plot, like marital infidelity, and putting a fresh spin on it. I was constantly worried that readers would look at the blurb and say, "Oh, a husband cheating on his wife? Been there, done that..." It's hard to convince a reader that, "No, you've never read a story like THIS before..." I've learned that I have to sit back and let them experience it for themselves.
4. What was the response to your first book, FIXIN’ TYRONE?
The response to my first book, "Fixin' Tyrone," was outstanding. I honestly didn't think readers would give me much of a chance because they didn't know me from a hole in the wall. I certainly didn't expect to sell as many books as I have. I think the best part about the whole experience is when readers to go my website and send me personal messages. That really means the world to me.
ALL ABOUT THE FANS
1. What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming releases or projects you are working on?
My next book is called "A Good Dude." This book has simple title, but the plot is very complex. The main character in this book is a runaway from New York. Her troubles (aside from running away) start when her rapper/drug dealing boyfriend is arrested. The main character (Candace) wants to return to her parents, but by then she's pregnant, and she believes she has disgraced them. Candace wants to remain in Texas until she can get her life together, but there's another drug bust, a trip to jail and later a CPS case she has to contend with. This book will probably be marketed as a romance novel, but, like Fixin' Tyrone, it's really much more than that.
2. Do you have any reader events coming up (book signing, tours, etc.)?
At this time, I would have to say no. I do not have any book signings or tours on my calendar. I've been doing promotions for myself thus far, and I'm not embarrassed to say I need serious help. I will arrange a few book signings in the Dallas/Fort Worth area this year, but I have none on the schedule at this exact moment.
3. How can your readers stay in touch with you?
The best way to stay current on my new releases and upcoming book signings or tours would be through my website: keithwalkerbooks.com. My website has links to my poetry on YouTube, my facebook account, as well as my personal email address (kwalkerbooks@yahoo.com).
4. What advice or encouragement do you have for aspiring authors?
I think the best advice I could give an aspiring author is to remain diligent, read as much as possible, and don't be afraid to try something new. As I mentioned, when I wrote my first novel, I couldn't find a publisher for it. I got discouraged, as a lot of other authors would. It took a while, but I eventually learned that it wasn't my writing that was the problem, but the type of stuff I was writing.
If you're a good writer, don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try things you never thought you would. What's the worst that could happen? You'll get another rejection letter? Big deal. I've got more than fifty of those.
The staff of Romance in Color would like to thanks Mr. Walker for taking the time out to be our guest.
