Interview With Author Caelen Walker
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a US Army veteran, and father of 2, who lives in the San Antonio, TX area. I started writing fiction as a method of coping with the things I’d seen and been exposed to while serving and only allowed a select few friends to read the stories. It let me explore certain situations and emotions and even change the outcome in some cases. After a few years of doing this a close friend challenged me to write a book, and I decided to answer the call. I wrote Frost Rising, my first book, and ended it in such a way that if I never wrote again I could be happy with it as a stand-alone novel, but I was fortunate to get a lot of pressure from friends and supporters asking for a second book, so I put out Frost Settles. I decided I wanted to tell more of the story than just one small area and one or two groups of people, so my next move was to stay in the same “universe” but change locations, which resulted in Rebel’s Redemption. The three books have come together quite nicely in my opinion, and I’m now working on 2 more in this “universe.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rebel’s Redemption was born from a desire to tell more of the story than what fits into the main Crown Acres series. The main character, Alex, was so intriguing to me, but he never really fit in with Clint and the people that surrounded him. Every time I tried to put him in he caused problems with the continuity or common sense of the story, so I kept pulling him out. I knew I wanted to write more about what was going on outside of the area that Clint and his family lived in, so it seemed like a natural fit to introduce Alex in his own story. I’m proud of my work around Clint and his family, the the way that Rebel’s Redemption came to life has been amazing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I sleep with a digital recorder by my bed!? LOL! In all seriousness, it sounds cliche, but I don’t outline much. A couple of high-level things I want to have happen in the book and maybe a cool scenario or two I hope the characters end up in, but all-in-all, I just let it unfold. The characters themselves have conversations and I just record them. The situations unfold in the way that I see them happening, even if I don’t agree with the decisions being made. It just kind of happens and I feel more like an observer than a creator.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh man, A. American, Walt Browning, and William Johnstone instantly come to mind. On the classics side, I’m a huge fan of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Hemingway.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on Book 3 of the main series, Hard Frost. Things are starting to really unwind in Clint’s world and people are becoming more feral and less civilized as we near the “6 months since the event” mark. I’m also working on two other projects within this universe, The Traveler’s Journal, which will be an entirely first-person, journal-style entry that follows one man who is stuck on the road 1,400 miles from his home. I’m interested in how the first-person, past-tense account will unfold for him. I’m also starting my process around another spin-off book that will discuss how upstate NY is dealing with life after the event and the challenges they face.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method would be my website https://www.caelenwalkerbooks.com/
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Take your time! It’s exciting to write your first book but take your time. I was in such a hurry to share my first novel with people that I sent it off to print before giving it a thorough reading and editing. I had a typo where I had put the wrong name for a beloved character and it still haunts me to this day (even though it’s been fixed). I’ve been tempted to create a character with the typoed name and kill him off just to try and find some peace! LOL!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Wow. Ever? “To thine own self be true.”
What are you reading now?
I’m reliving Frost Settles to prep myself for Hard Frost, as well as C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, more appearances. I’m working on a couple of book signings and hoping to put out another book (Hard Frost) in October of ’24.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I mean… “How to Escape a Desert Island” comes to mind… but in reality: The Art of Racing in the Rain – Garth Stein, and then as complete of works of Tolkien and Lewis as I could manage.
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