William Joel

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I am a U.S. Air Force veteran who served at the end of the Vietnam war. The Air Force found that I had a talent for languages, so they sent me to language school. I served as a linguist for a section of military intelligence and spent several years at the National Security Agency (NSA). I was very interested in police work and later joined the state police. After some time in uniform, I was recruited to be a hostage/crisis negotiator and trained by FBI hostage negotiators in criminal and abnormal psychology, criminal profiling, and in the techniques used to “talk down” a hostage taker or someone barricaded with the intent to commit suicide. It turned out that I had a natural talent for it and never lost anyone. I retired after getting an advanced degree in psychology. I wrote my first novel in the mid-nineties but found I needed to learn more of how to express my creative imagination eloquently with descriptive and believable character depiction, dialogue, storyline, and background. I love the idea of providing readers with entertainment and an escape into a different realm of their imagination with my writing. I continue to enjoy reading immensely and my favorites are mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. Originally from the East Coast, I transplanted West to Arizona. Maybe someday I’ll return to the East Coast area. I enjoy a close and loving family relationship my wife, my children, grandchildren and my siblings. I thoroughly enjoy writing and love to read. I have been listening to audio books lately, science fiction by Jay Allan. I enjoy gardening and love to walk or hike. I like photography but I’m not good at it. I’m excellent at shooting, a natural skill. When I was in the military I engaged in Tai Kwan Do and earned my brown belt. I was only a young guy of eighteen years of age. At the time I didn’t go for my black belt because it was full contact and I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

When and why did you start writing books?

I began writing in 1995 and then recently rewrote the two novels and published them on Amazon. I became an avid reader in the third grade. I remember the books only cost 25 cents back then. I read westerns mainly. I loved all the novels by Jules Verne and Alistair MacClean. I still have all the paperback novels I bought back then. I exceptionally love books. In my twenties I read mystery/action novels by Robert Ludlum and Frederick Forsyth. I got lost in the stories. It was my perfect escape from the pressures of everyday life. That is why I began writing. I want to give back to others what I found in reading the works of the previously mentioned writers. I exceedingly enjoy writing and sometimes feel like I’m in the story as if I was reading someone else’s work.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Writing would be my third career. I have too much energy to slow down yet. Maybe when I’m a hundred years old I’ll slow down a little (just kidding). I am a retired hostage negotiator and after that became a trauma therapist. I am slowing down now that I’m at the very late stage of middle age (smile). I’m almost seventy. I feel I need to do something for a career in which I make my own time schedule and can work as much or less as I want. Although as I said I have considerable energy so I write every day.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

Codename Poltergeist. My favorite character is James Halyard, alias Poltergeist.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Heads or Tails You're Gone was the hardest. It stretched me the most as a writer because I was trained by the FBI in profiling criminals, abnormal and criminal psychology and I tried exceedingly hard not to make this novel too dark. I felt that actual knowledge I have from being trained to profile serial killers would make the novel exceptionally scary and dark, which I didn't want.

Who is your favourite author and book?

Frederick Forsyth, The Deceiver.

What book are you reading right now?

Enemies and Allies (Earth to War, Book 4) by Rick Partlow

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

I have a highly creative imagination and my inspiration comes from current events going on in the world.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Reading, gardening, and walking or hiking

Do you have any new books in the works?

Poltergeist, the Pale Horse