Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I am, at the core, an eternal optimist. I am an artist who loves the process of creating something out of nothing but most of all, I am someone who deeply respects courage and bravery and thrives to empower all those who surround me by showing them their own beauty, strength and talents. I am a songwriter and storyteller and I tend to escape my own outer world by going within where I have free range to create my surroundings. I find tremendous peace and joy in this exercise of introspection and strive to share this with others so that they may, in turn, experience some of the same joy I do. I have written 2 books so far. My latest, called “Suicide Kills” was launched in April 2020.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I chose this title because of its deeper meaning. Many people have sent me emails and messages stating “Of course Suicide Kills. Isn’t that the very point of it?” to which I answer that yes, suicide does kill the person committing the act but we often forget the ravage and collateral damage that is left behind with each suicide.
What I am trying to convey with my title is that suicide kills families, marriages, relationships, communities, etc…it’s ripple effect is far reaching and we often forget the war zone that is left after the fact. The title serves to initiate conversations that may be uncomfortable but truly are necessary if we are to understand, accept and grow from this incredibly painful experience and to, perhaps, be of assistance to someone in need when the time comes.
I first started contemplating the idea of writing this book after losing my beloved brother to suicide. I had had my own experience with suicide and had been spared by God to tell its story but had not felt the need to share. After losing Walter though, the immensity of my loss was too much to bare and I felt the need to tell the world the story of who he was and what the world had truly lost with his passing. For the first 10 years of that loss though, anger was much too prevalent in my heart and I didn’t feel right about sharing all of that darkness with the world.
I needed my heart to start healing in order to come to a place of acceptance so that I could really tell the story and also share the lessons learned from that experience. I believed there was more value to that approach than another “Why Me” book. My need to share my brother’s beautiful Soul is at the heart of what inspired me to write this book and share it with others so that in turn I could provide others with inspiration and healing if they were in the midst of their own experience with suicide.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use images on Pinterest to stimulate my imagination. I love to find unusual images on Pinterest and write short stories using the elements in the images. When I wrote my last album, “Gonna Find My Way”, that accompanies my new book, “Suicide Kills”, I used images on Pinterest to write each song. I discuss this technique in more detail in a blog post I wrote not too long ago… https://www.klaudewalters.ca/post/a-new-way-of-writing-songs
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors. Her way of writing is very unique. I love the way she gives you every character’s perspective as she develops the storyline. It’s something I hope to do in my next book, which will be a fiction. I have a lot of books by Wayne Dyer in my library because I really appreciate his motivational and inspirational flow. I always feel empowered after reading one of his books and feel inspired to write. He was definitely an inspiration when I wrote “Suicide Kills”.
What are you working on now?
I am very focused on the marketing of Suicide Kills and its accompanying album and online course. You see, I created the book and album to go together to enhance the reader’s experience of the book (each chapter has a song that matches its content) and then I felt that I could help the reader push forward in their introspection journey by creating an online course that gives them videos, worksheets, exercises and further guidance to help them move forward with a more positive mindset.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Goodreads has been a really good place to connect with readers and promote my book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think my biggest piece of advice would be to just write. The first draft isn’t meant to be your last. It’s meant to dump all of the ideas and storylines into your writing platform or notebook. Don’t think of editing as you write…just write. As messy as it can be, just write with passion and enthusiam and without restraint. There will be time to edit and rewrite but the first draft is really about getting the ideas out.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write about what you know and what you have passion for whatever that may be. This way, the book writes itself. When you try to write about things you don’t really know or feel, it comes through to your reader and they feel your disconnect and therefore, they disconnect as well.
What are you reading now?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. We are living through very troubling times and I feel the need to ground myself into the now. It’s an amazing book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am hoping to have time in the next 2 years to write the 3 books that have been swirling around in my head for the past 10 years. I also want to write a children’s book series. There is also a poetry project calling my name…there are just not enough hours in a day.
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?
1) Title: The Greatest Miracle in the World
Author: Og Mandino
What it’s about: The book is based on the theme of friendship. An unlikely friendship between a busy businessman and ragpicker unfolds and brings to light an exchange that will become life changing for both characters. The book contains the “Memorandum from God” which is a written piece that speaks deeply to the heart of all who believe in God. It moves you to the core.
Why I loved it: I loved the story. It was touching, entertaining and truly inspiring. A feel-good book that makes us believe in the goodness of the world.
What it did for me: When I first read the Memorandum of God, I was deeply touched by it. But, when I actually heard the audio version of this passage, I found myself in tears. It was so poignant, so real, and authentic. I felt like God was summoning me to listen. To this day, I have never forgotten that passage and have shared it with hundreds of people. I wanted them to feel that unconditional love that I felt as I listened to the words being spoken. It transcended the human in you and went straight to your soul. It is a piece of literature that changed my life and confirmed that we are all God’s unique Miracles and we should never forget how truly special we are.
2) Title: The Last Lecture
Author: Randy Pausch
What it’s about: Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of waiting at home for his cancer to take him away, he decided to create one last lecture and share his life experiences. The book is about that lecture. It is about living your life to the fullest, grabbing every opportunity and running with it, about being unafraid and unapologetic about running toward the obstacles instead of away from them. It’s about living a life that everyone will remember once you’re gone.
Why I loved it: It was deeply inspiring. Randy puts a lot of humor into the delivery of his lecture and you often find yourself forgetting that the man giving the lecture is months away from dying. It is colorful and joyful and peppered with funny stories and brilliant realizations. It leaves you wanting more and hoping for a miracle.
What it did for me: It gave me hope at a time when I had very little. It made me laugh as much as it made me cry. His intelligence and raw delivery really touched my heart. It made me feel humble but blessed that I had picked up this book sitting among so many others. It filled me with gratitude that I had survived my cancer and was given a second chance to do something more with my life and to possibly be able to share my own message of hope and inspiration someday.
3) Title: Conversations with God
Author: Neal Donald Walsch
What it’s about: Suppose you could sit down and have a conversation with God. You could ask Him any question and get answers back. Questions about good and evil, faith, love, life, and death. Well, that is the premise of this book.
Why I loved it: All my life, I felt I had the same types of conversations with God, so I quickly and deeply related to the author and this book’s content. It is captivating from beginning to end and leaves you yearning for more.
What it did for me: It inspired me to continue my own conversations with God and seek to hear His messages transmitted, on a continuous basis, through all the elements that surrounded me. It made me believe that all those times I felt His presence and internally heard His words of wisdom, He was there, within, like a constant energy that guided me through my struggles.
Author Websites and Profiles
Klaude Walters Website
Klaude Walters Amazon Profile
Klaude Walters’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account