W.B.J. Williams
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams
Author of Johnny Talon and the Goddess of Love and War
The spirits, sorcerers, and truly desperate in San Francisco’s seedy neighborhoods know Johnny Talon, a private detective who can solve impenetrable cases in a way no one else can. His use of lucid dreams and subconscious insights lead him to the truth.
Talon has his work cut out for him when he’s hired by Eve (not her real name), a sex worker, to find and free the soul of her deceased wife from a sorcerer who hopes to entrap Eve. The closer he gets to finding the soul of Eve’s wife, the more Talon’s life may be on the line as he learns that there is more to his client than an angry woman. When his investigation leads him into hell, Talon has an epiphany: if he’s going to free Eve’s wife, he has to uncover Eve’s true identity. The things a gumshoe does to pay the rent.
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams
Author I draw inspiration from:
The idea of linking a mystery to the ravages of opium addiction came from reading a Sherlock Holmes story, The Seven Percent Solution by Nicholas Meyer. Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice gave me a different vision of how to weave an exploration of drug use and mystery. Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity’s Rainbow, and V explored different kinds of addiction.
The idea of using paranormal or even magic to investigate a mystery came from reading Randall Garrett’s Lord Darcy stories which are heavily influenced by both Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. John Ford’s The Last Hot Time gave me the thought that a paranormal mystery could be explored using noir themes. The noir mysteries of both Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet both heavily influenced my style, especially The Maltese Falcon which again is not just about who murdered Sam’s partner, which is almost a subplot in this brilliant exploration of yet another kind of addiction.
Sara Gran’s The infinite Blacktop reinforced the idea that there is a difference between a mystery and simply solving a case. Mysteries have no solution; their pursuit is what is important.
Haruki Murakami’s mysteries are never about solving a case, even if there is a murder such as in Kafka on the Shore. His stories are very surreal and taught me a lot about how to write a surreal narrative, how to explore a mystery.
Lewis Carol taught me how to do surrealism with a twist of the absurd, and Lovecraft’s Dream of the Unknown Kadath was an excellent model of how an exploration of dreams could be an exploration of hell. Like with Chesterton, I found Lovecraft a problematic influence, however at least before he died his untimely death, he had come to realize how stupid his bigotry was and had started to grow past it.
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My couch in my living room with the light of the sun behind me.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Li Kao of Bridge of Birds. I've love to hear the tale of what happened at the great confrontation with the White Serpent in the Mysterious Cavern of Winds, so I'd ask him to tell me the story. I'd have to be careful, however, as he'd just as likely steal my wallet.
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When reading Tolkien's The Return of the King in 7th Grade and realizing that things would not go well with a stranger for a king and there was a story in that.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love hardbacks' durability, I love paperback's portability but am sad at how quickly they can fall to pieces with many rereads. I love the ability to have a library of ebooks when I travel. I've never listened to an audio book, so I can't comment.
The last book I read:
Marion Deeds' Comeuppance Served Cold, a brilliant paranormal noir story of revenge. Loved every second of it.
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I write poetry with pen and paper, but prefer to type my stories directly onto the computer. I have horrendous arthritis, and writing longhand for any length of time is painful, but I can easily type at length.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Lisbeth Salandar, many of my real life best friends are hackers
Author Interview - W.B.J. Williams | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I am the Chief Information Security Officer of a prominent New England company.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 1960's, men could finally wear something that wasn't drab and clothing became comfortable.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Paris, France for the art museums.
My signature drink:
Darjeeling tea, black.
Favorite artist:
Paul Delvaux, his surrealist paintings are very evocative.
Number one on my bucket list:
I'd love to be a guest on The Tonight show. I'd probably come onto stage wearing a unicorn mask to break the ice.
Anything else you'd like to add:
The story came from an encounter with Paul Delaux's , Proposition Diurne at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and a desire to explore the story I saw on the canvas. My novel is deliberately surreal.
Find more from the author:
http://wbjwilliams.wordpress.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/wbjwilliams
www.twitter.com/wbjwilliams
https://mastodonbooks.net/@wbjwilliams
www.facebook.com/wbjwilliams
https://www.instagram.com/wbjwilliams/
https://bsky.app/profile/wbjwilliams.bsky.social
https://www.threads.net/@wbjwilliams
About W.B.J. Williams:
An Information Security executive by day, I am also an author. My publishing credits include: THE GARDEN AT THE ROOF OF THE WORLD (2013) currently being shopped for a TV/film deal, and THE REALITY, MYTHOLOGY, AND FANTASIES OF UNICORNS (2021) with Dragonwell Publishing. I also have two works of nonfiction with CRC press regarding Information Security. My short story "The InfoCoup" was published by Abyss and Apex in 2019 and featured in their magazine issue The Best of Abyss & Apex: Volume Three. I am a frequent panelist at ReaderCon, Arisia, Boskone, and served as a panelist at the 80th World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon 8) in 2022. My second novel, Johnny Talon and the Goddess of Love and War will be published by the Wild Rose Press on February 21, 2024.
