Today we’d like to introduce you to Walker Smith.
In two words, Walker Smith can best be described as an artistic gypsy. As the child of a bebop drummer and a literary beatnik mother, she grew up with two options: music or literature. She started in Los Angeles as a solo artist with the prestigious Casablanca label. After recording three albums, she lost her house in the Northridge earthquake and headed to New York to pursue her first love – writing.
Walker freelanced by editing, writing articles, and interviewing celebrities and Civil Rights activists such as Ruby Dee and Madeline Anderson. During this time, Walker began work on her first historical novel titled The Color Line. She also started a two-year collaboration with Black Radio pioneer Jack “the Rapper” Gibson, which culminated in her as-told-to biography titled Mello Yello.
After the events of 9/11, she moved to New Orleans to marry Dave Williams, the owner of a Los Angeles recording studio. Soon Dave opened the doors to Vault Recording Studios In New Orleans, and a small publishing company took a chance on Walker. The Color Line was released in April of 2005. While Walker began doing book signings and television and radio appearances, the city was bracing for Hurricane Katrina.
The evacuation was inevitable, but by now, Walker and Dave were accustomed to moving. They headed to Houston, where Dave relocated The Vault, and Walker went to work on her next historical novel titled Bluestone Rondo. Following Bluestone, Rondo was Letters from Rome and The Weight of a Pearl. Walker is currently at work on a new novel set in New Orleans and Houston.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
After having a team that believed in me in New Orleans (also victims of Katrina), the toughest part for me was when I had to turn to self-publishing. The marketing aspect is not my forte, although I love working with young actors as we shoot book trailers. My other artistic dream was to work in the film industry! I also love meeting with book clubs all over the United States for book signings.
Walker Smith Books – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In the competitive field of writing, what sets Walker Smith apart from other historical novelists is her ability to tell stories with all the suspense, tragedy, and romance of history. In an intimate, non-linear style, she takes her readers for a high-torque ride in a time machine, building tension and providing revelations with unexpected impact. For example, in her racial Cain and Abel novel Bluestone Rondo, the opening scene is revisited three times, and each retelling provides a missing clue to the surprising outcome.
In each Walker Smith novel, history is the setting, but the characters are the engine that drives the story. With an ear for dialects and a talent for revealing the inner workings of characters’ minds and emotions, Smith sometimes reveals their duplicity in brief glimpses and other times in telling scenes. They are guilty as well as innocent — unique individuals that defy stereotypes.
“My novels celebrate the lives of so-called ‘ordinary folks’ — working-class people with bills and problems, who fall in love, laugh, and struggle. They ultimately turn out to be much more extraordinary than they know.”
As you immerse yourself into the characters’ lives, you begin to notice the details of their world — a rich and accurate tapestry of current events and their impact. Through their eyes, you find yourself walking the pages of history in real time. You experience their lives. You are there. For more information on Walker Smith books, please visit www.walkersmithbooks.com.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
While I am working hard to be recognized as a top-tier novelist, I always remind myself of something Maya Angelou said something about not looking for artistic joy intangible (i.e., monetary) success. The joy is in the DOING of the thing. That’s why I continue to write and make each novel better and more compelling than the one before.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.walkersmithbooks.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkersmithbooks/?ref=badge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/walkersmithofficial/posts/?ref=page_internal
- Twitter: @Walker_smith_
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
