Monday, November 17, 2008

A Warm Welcome To My Guest, Mystery Author, Robert W. Walker - Intro by Morgan Mandel




Dead On Available June, 2009












I'm happy to welcome my special guest, Robert W. Walker (Rob) to you today. He's not only a nice guy and a member of Acme Authors Link, but also a great author whose number of published books may soon reach his age at the rate he's going! Why do I mention age? You'll see.

Another Heartfelt Growth Experience Year
by Robert W. Walker

Every ten years I go through the Crisis and am typically left devastated. It is part of who I am. My son asks me, "Dad, why don't you just call it a Growth Experience?" So I have worked at trying to put a positive spin on passing another decade. But there's no easy way to deal with it at times.

So...wish me well as I'm having another birthday falling on another year ending in a big fat cold numerical 0, and for a writer this means marking another year I've not seen my babies, my art, my books shoot through the freakin' roof and attain the stature of greatness or monetary reward I burn candles for. Another year I've not seen my titles reach the level of success I want for them, and to be counted among the authors I have worked my entire life to be like, and if that sounds sad and lonely so be it--but I know I am not alone by any means.

There are so many fine, wonderful authors of a vintage age--such as my age--working against all odds STILL after being kicked in the teeth by so many obstacles, both man made and natural from being ripped off by a publisher to being ripped by one's own health that it behooves the older among the writing crowd to warn off the younger who come in starry-eyed and taking on the world of publishing with a beautiful naivete that we miss, a naivete that is part and parcel of youth and determination and passion for one's own efforts. Some younger authors have asked me, "Why didn't you warn me about this so-called business?" But I digress.

Hell, I think I will be digressing this entire blog, and if it is true that the new middle age is 60 then I have many more chances at grasping the golden rings held out by this lottery we call the publishing industry and the book world wherein reefs are bestowed on the few while the many hundreds if not thousands of toiling writers go unheralded.

Now I will digress to recent sad news: The recent deaths of Tony Hillerman, Studs Terkel, and Michael Crichton display the rainbow of fine writing that is so absolutely different among these talented gentlemen, and the distinct number of years they were among us, also quite different. Crichton fascinated us with visions of the future; he delved into moral issues surrounding our scientific knowledge outstripping our social awareness and values and the clash of it all in such books as Andromedia Strain, Terminal Man, and more recently --well, you name it. He touched on the issues of the day and made us think deeply about them. And of course he brought us ER. I have always been a huge fan.

Studs Terkel, whose books were fascinating nonfiction that revealed the lives of so many otherwise hidden characters, has always been a huge idol for me growing up as I did in Chicago. I am reminded of Royko as well.

Hillerman too is a giant among readers and writers, a man who broke down so many barriers that it is undeniable he led the charge for understanding Native Americans through his fiction, and in the process becoming an author who enlightened the rest of us. I once got a piece of advice from Dean R. Koontz to slow down with the caveat that "You don't do your best writing until you turn fifty." That was a long time ago, I can tell you.

And with my more recent work, I certainly understand where Dean was coming from, but I gotta tell you, I think I am goig to do my best work "after sixty" now as I've done my best work "after fifty" already and I'm still working toward perfection which may come "after seventy", hopefully. That elusive butterfly, perfection.

I believe that Hillerman, Terkel, and Crichton--all mining different areas--achieved perfection. So on this Monday, November 17th send cards and letters and wish me well in my continuing quest to "do my best work" ever and to find readers who agree. I have been writing since age 11, meaning I have been penning novels and short fiction now for approximately fifty years, so by gosh and by gawl-ley, I certainly hope I make a worthwhile grab for the ring that I have set as a goal for myself--because it certainly has never been about money alone, despite my jokes to the contrary over the years.

Happy Reading and Writing,
Rob Walker
http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com/
new site, new giveaways!

Cheer Rob up by leaving a comment, please.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rob,
Call me when you hit 70.
Happy Birthday!
Pat Browning

Morgan Mandel said...

Hi Rob,
Welcome to Make Mine Mystery and Have a Happy Birthday!

You should be proud and not down on yourself. You have gotten far in your field, though it may not seem that way to you. How many other authors have had that many books published? Of course, it doesn't hurt to keep that drive going to always do better. It's part of being an author.
Enjoy your stay at Make Mine Mystery.
Morgan Mandel

Helen Ginger said...

Happy Birthday Rob!

I love the cover of Dead On. Seriously. I took one look at it and wanted to read it. Want to find out about the guy hanging from the tree.

Unknown said...

Celebrate! Today is the anniversary of the day you started your journey. Hey, I have to put it that way, I'm not far behind you. However, in the publishing arena, I am w-a-a-y behind you, and you have definitely cheered and inspired me. So, I repeat, Celebrate! (and then continue on your current project). Best wishes.

Robin Minnick

Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Muses said...

Happy Birthday, Rob, you sexy young devil!!!!!
HUGE Hugs on your birthday, my friend.
Kaye

Debra St. John said...

Ah, the birthdays with the zeroes on the ends. I have one of those coming up, too! Happy Birthday, Rob!

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

Oh, Rob, you're a sweet young thing.

I can definitely sympathize with you when it comes to not achieving what you'd hoped for.

Your books are every bit as good, if not better, than some of your chums.

Cheer up! It's not over yet, trust me.

Marilyn

Vivian Zabel said...

I passed 60 a few years ago, and I'm still improving -- in my writing, too. *laugh*

Happy Birthday, and even great writing.

Vivian
http://viviansmysteries.blogspot.com
http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

60? I remember that decade, or it seemed like it. I wonder the feeling of being published. Your books might be fun to review though, I do do that.

Check me out on my website
Http://unwriter1.wordpress.com

I am too old to do any but digress. I can even laugh about it once in a very great while.

ron

Jean Henry Mead said...

Happy Birthday, Rob. Men improve with age, like fine wines. And the best writers are those past the big 6-0. You have a lot to look forward to. :)

Anonymous said...

HOLA everyone, this anomymous message is from one of four of my pen names -- aka Rob Walker...wish first to thank all who came by this virtual birthday party and signedd the guest book (made comments(. I will definitely keep my undeniable, unbelievable, insane optimism going; you all can bank on that. Must be in the genes or is tha jeans? I think there were a couple of quesions asked, so I am going to go back and reread all the comments again, collect up any questions and respond later tonight o tomrorrow, OK> For now am going to Logan's RoadHouse for the best ribs in this entire town, as my wife has given me dibs on where she wants to take me to celebrate.
The best gift I got today was an email from a housebound reader/fan who gushed about having read 25 of my books, all of which were a "mystery" to locate! It does give me goosebumps to hear that my novels gave this poor woman, who has undergone ten surgeries an outet that takes her out of her bed and chair to strange and far away places. She's now my number one fan in Canada. She tells me she does not own a mallet, so I should not worry overly.

Rob Walker
for your free ebookARC of Dead On go to
www.robertwalkerbooks.com

Dana Fredsti said...

Happy Birthday, Rob! You are, by your picture, a very YOUNG 60. And your dog is adorable, which is beside the point, but I had to say it. A lovely, thoughtful post.

Anonymous said...

Hey Rob - Happy Birthday! Enjoyed reading your blog entry here... wishing you happiness and success in the coming year.
Cathy

Mark Troy said...

Happy Birthday, Rob.
I, for one, envy your success. So what if the body is getting on in years? Imagination doesn't age at the same rate.

Chester Campbell said...

I'm always sending belated birthday cards, so this comment is right on time. Happy Birthday, Rob! Mine is coming up on the 30th (along with Mark Twain and Winston Churchill), but I'm way past the 60 and 70 marks. I envy your publishing history, you've accomplished so much. Just keep plugging away. And don't worry about digressing. Sure beats regressing.

Anonymous said...

Hola again everyone and thanks to all who found time to drop by and say hello on my birthday. Helen, you asked when can you get your hands on Dead On. There are two answers to that one -- if you go to my website you can have it NOW as an eBookARC....a completely new marketing approach - like seeing a film in advance. All I ask is that you tell one other person (or more) what you think of the book. Else you have to wait for the hardcover publication in June 09. The file is a pdf which can be opened on a Kindle, a Sony reader, other readers, your PC and downloaded chapter by chapter. I think it is my best book to date, but then I always think the book I am working on is my best work to date...But I got so many belly laughs out of this as well as full-metal-jacket gasps. The villainous bad guy in this piece is a kind of "psychotic" Rambo type. I mean Rambo was tough and out for vengeance but at least he was not psychotic. While the hero here is truly out for vengence...in fact, vengeance is what keeps him alive and going.

RoboWriter Rob

Anonymous said...

Oops@ I forgot to add. Someone praised the cover art for Dead ON, again I think it was Helen. By clicking on the cover, you get a full page and a really good view of the mayhem and the peaceful, lovely justaposed scene back of the mayhem. I just wanted to let you know that this cover was created by my son, Stephen, a master with graphics who owns his own biz in graphic arts at
Stephen@SRWalkerdesigns.com -- a treat of a site in itself. He also created my site, and he is the guy who has put a lovely face on the site at www.loveismurder.com --the greatest mystery conference anyone ever saw midwinter in Chicago. And hey, anyone seeking a guy to do a book cover, Stephen's Aces.

again thanks everyone!
Rob

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