Author Interview: Bill Lockwood
About the author:
Now a retired State social worker for both the States of Maryland and Vermont. By night He has always been active in community theater and writing. He moved to Southern Vermont in 1992 and became active in the Bellows Falls community. He was the Greater Falls Regional Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year in 2006 in recognition of his work as Chairman of the Bellows Falls Opera House Restoration Committee. He wrote articles covering the arts and interesting people in the Bellows Falls (VT) Town Crier from 1998 through 2006. He also wrote articles for other publications including Vermont tourist magazines. Currently He freelances with the weekly “The Shopper/Vermont Journal” and daily “Eagle Times”. He has had five historical fiction novels published by The Wild Rose Press, “Buried Gold” 2016, “Megan of the Mists” 2017, “Ms. Anna” 2018, “The Monsignor’s Agents” 2020, “Gare de Lyon” 2021, and “Forced Entry?”2022. His short story “The Kids Won’t Leave” appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of “Two Hawks Quarterly”, and “Pizza, Pizza” appeared in “The Raven’s Perch” April 28, 2021.
What inspires you to write romantic fiction?
Actually, I thought my first book, "Buried Gold", was a mystery. But a Romance publisher, The Wild Rose Press, took it, and I have been with them ever since, them having now published six of my books. All of mine have some mystery, spy adventure, or suspense elements, but they obviously have enough "romance" to qualify for that category too.
Tell us about how you write.
I think of things and make notes all the time. There are specific times I block out to sit down at the computer and put my notes all together. I also write articles on the arts and interesting people for the local papers. Sometimes competition for my time between the articles and the novels gets complicated. The articles have deadlines. The novels pretty much don't.
Do you listen to or talk to to your characters?
No, but I sort of imagine them talking as I probably saying what I would say in their position.
What advice would you give other romance writers?
Persistence and perseverance. My first book was accepted after 113 prior submissions to agents and publishers over 13 years.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I had to get an agent or a real publisher. I don't have enough disposable income to self publish.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think just as with Covid that people will still read books pretty much whatever is going on. I do see a real danger to consolidation that limits choices for authors when they are making submissions. Things will continually change, but books themselves will still be there.
Which romance sub-genere(s) fit your stories best?
action adventure
My books are available in the following formats:
eBook, Print
Amazon