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| LEON A. WALKER |
Profile of the author: Leon A. Walker writes various forms of creative literature as well as social and political commentaries and book reviews. Over the past two years, he has also served as a judge for the "Next Generation Indie Book Awards" and in addition, he continues to collaborate with artists and photographers -worldwide- on a variety of unique artistic images. He has worked as a public and private sector business professional and he is a retired United States Naval Officer. He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio.
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Q How many of your books have been published so
far?
So far, I have published two books and
just completed a third one, which will be available soon.
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Q What is your specific field of writing?
Primarily poetry and short
stories, but sometimes I also write social and political commentaries.
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Q Are there any specific reasons, for choosing
this particular field?
A lot of that focus and education came
from my father. He often
read and recited poetry to me and my siblings, when we were young
children. I found it moving
& it remains a lasting memory.
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Q What has been the general assessment of the
reviewers and readers for your books?
The responses to my books, has been
very good. I have received
numerous favorable comments, emails (from around the
world) and interviews such as this.
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Q What is your own general assessment of your
books?
Generally I think they are quite
good. But as a writer, I am
very critical of my work, so I never seem to be completely happy with every
aspect of a completed work.
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Q Which particular book of yours, do you
consider as the best so far, and why?
My second book entitled “Life Lines” is
probably my best work so far. It
covers a wide range of topics and seems to generate a lot of
interest.
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Q Who is your role model?
I can’t say that I have a specific role
model. I admire many people
who are intellectuals, those who do good literary work and
also those who promote respect for nature and mankind.
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Q Which other author’s books, do you feel, come
close to your style of writing?
I can respond to this best by saying
that I love classic writers. From
Shakespeare
to Hemingway and many others, I think that I have been influenced by
them.
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Q When & how do you get the ideas & do
you immediately note the ideas down in a diary
or elsewhere?
I have gotten out of bed in the middle
of the night, to write or to make notes about something that inspired me. I have done this countless
times.
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Q On an average, how many months do you take to
complete one book, in all respects?
In a perfect world, it would normally
take me about 12 months, meaning
writing the content and completing all preparations.
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Q Could you share an interesting event/incident
in your writing career, with the readers?
I enjoy doing interviews. You might find this one insightful
about me and my writing.
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Q Do you agree that besides the quality of
writing, there are other factors too, for the
success of a book?
Certainly. There are very popular themes that are
selling in great numbers. It
is not
necessarily about quality, but rather
popularity.
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Q Which aspects motivate you to write books?
Earning money/publicity/helping readers
/self-satisfaction/others
I am a passionate writer. My goal is always to simply touch
people in a positive way or to move them to introspection.
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Q Has Face Book helped you in any way, in your
writing career or even otherwise? If yes,
please elucidate.
No, I don’t think so, although I have
connected with many other writers on various forums of social media.
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Q In your opinion, is there adequate scope for
name/fame/wealth in the field of writing?
I think that it is far more challenging
today, than it was 20 or 30 years ago. With
the advent of internet and e-books, I think bound
books are selling in fewer numbers. So
it follows that there may be less of a customer base for
the more expensive bound books today.
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Q What are the reasons for the general success
of the concept of “Agents of writers” in some
countries?
The “Agent” is the bridge between the
Writer and the Publisher. The
Publisher –in the U.S. for example; relies on the Agent to suggest
a book that is suitable for publishing,
which means that the book should sell in profitable
numbers.
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Q If you were not a writer, in what other way,
you would have expressed your creativity?
I lived in Italy some years ago and I
continue to try and maintain some fluency. I consider this somewhat artistic. I suppose I would try an instrument
like the piano as well.
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Q Have your family members and friends
contributed in any way, in your writing career?
Only in terms of their memories; and
the stories that I may have written about them. Of course, they have also been very
supportive
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Q Due to the concept of e-books, what is your
opinion about the survival of printed books
in future?
I have touched on this
earlier. E-books are
already having an impact on revenues in the publishing world. However, I
believe that many people, including myself, still enjoy reading and collecting traditional bound
books. It will be
interesting to see how this evolves. My
books are available in all formats.
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Q What are your future plans for writing books?
I have just completed a manuscript for
my new (third) book entitled “Equinox”. I expect to make it available very soon. A fourth book will follow within the
next year to 18 months. It will be more of an autobiographical
work.
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Q What is your advice to the budding authors?
Write with passion and purpose. Don’t be afraid to bear your
soul. If you can touch
someone emotionally, they will remember you!
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----------vijaiksharma
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