Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our Friday spotlight on Thriller author Stuart Woods. Stuart gave us permission to use his web site to gather the answers to some of our questions, and use them in this spotlight. Stuart’s latest released paperback book is Hit List, (A Stone Barrington novel), and newest released hardcover novel will be Double Jeopardy (also Stone Barrington) on March 23rd. He has several other novels due to be released later this year, including a new Teddy Fay novel, Jackpot on June 1.
Stuart, can you please tell us briefly a little about yourself and your writing career?
My mother taught me to read the year before I went to school, and she did a good job. I became a voracious reader as a child, reading Mark Twain and Dickens and a lot of horse and dog stories from the Junior Literary Guild, then I moved up to my mother’s Literary Guild selections. That has to be the basis of my career. One learns to write by reading, and by the time I was nine or ten, I wanted to write.
Where can people find your work? (Besides Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester–though they should totally check here first!)
The complete list of my books is published in the front of every book, in reverse chronological order. (Some editions of some paperbacks may not adhere to the proper order.) Alternatively, you can go to the Books page of my website, where they are listed in reverse chronological order with pictures of their covers and the dust jacket copy. You can then print out a checklist, take it to any bookstore, and buy all the books!
What draws you to the particular genre or style that you write? What do you think draws readers to these kinds of books?
Murder and crime are depressing only if they’re happening to you. And they’re among the most compelling human dramas, if you like that sort of thing.
What is your favorite part of being a writer? Of the whole writing and publishing process? What do you think has been your greatest lesson in the journey thus far?
The freedom. I’m as much my own master as anyone can be, without being the master of others. I can write anywhere—all I need is an hour of solitude and a computer, and I can write a chapter. Since my work is portable, I can live anywhere I like.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
My publishers have asked me to write five books a year, including one cowritten novel, so there will be five new books every year for as long as I can stand it.
What is/are your passions other than writing?
In the future, I’m going to be on the water more, in both Key West and Maine, in Indian Summer, my new Hinckley T38 motor vessel, and aboard Enticer, a 1935 Trumpy motor yacht of 85 feet, in which I am a partner.
Writers very often have furry or feathered or otherwise non-human companions to “help” them through their work. Do you? What do you have? How do they “help” (or, “not-help”) with your writing?
I have been married to Jeanmarie Woods since 2013, and we share our life with my fourth Labrador retriever, named Fred. (I name all my dogs Fred.)
Stuart, thanks so much for allowing us the use of your web site for responding to our questions!
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 