Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is William Tirre, but my friends and family call me Bill. I am an applied research psychologist who recently retired from the federal government after seventeen years with the Air Force in San Antonio, Texas and nineteen years with the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC. Today I am a self-published author of novels and other fiction. I can honestly say that writing stories is a lot more entertaining than writing dry research reports!
In 1983 I married the love of my life, and we are now empty nesters because our three adult sons are pursuing their own careers and living separately. My oldest son, Matthew, is a trained illustrator who created all the wonderful pictures in Spunky and Leonard.
When I am not writing I read a lot of books, both fiction and non-fiction. I especially like historical fiction, Westerns, science fiction, and mystery/suspense. And I start each day with a Bible reading. In addition, I like to play contemporary Christian music and compose songs on my guitar. For exercise I play pickleball and basketball
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Adventures of Spunky and Leonard”?
A2. Honestly, I did not have any special challenges in writing Spunky and Leonard. I just tried to remember what kinds of adventures I would have liked to have had as a boy and then I let my imagination take control. It was a different situation for my historical fiction novels. To develop these stories, I had to do some research to make the story authentic with respect to the beliefs, customs, and language of people in the time period I had set the story in.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. For Western novels my favorite authors are Elmer Kelton and Louis L’Amour. They have influenced my writing, but I would not say I deliberately tried to imitate them. These authors made the Old West come alive for me. I really enjoy reading history and trying to understand the opinions and perspectives of people living in various points in history. Some of my favorite authors in this category are Diana Gabaldon (Outlander) and Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind). Margaret Mitchell’s one book was a masterpiece that captured the zeitgeist of the Civil War and Reconstruction period in the old South. She had intimate knowledge of the South and conveyed it expertly in her novel.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. My favorite place to visit in the U.S. is the St. Louis Arch. In the early 1960s I could see it under construction from my parents’ neighborhood in St. Louis. It is still quite a thrill to stand at the base of this monument and look up to its zenith at 630 feet.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Love Lost and then Found in the Civil War’?
A5. I wanted to show how a person who suffers a romantic loss can be restored and fulfilled through finding a new love possibly deeper than the one lost. When one door is closed shut another door opens. The idea of a closed door leading to another opportunity encourages believers to trust in God’s plan, even when facing disappointment or setbacks. The main character in this story, a seminary graduate named Simon, lives out his faith by refusing to join the Confederate army and defend slavery, and by mentoring a young man, Josiah, who is escaping slavery. Simon’s deep faith sustains him through various trials.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Rescue of Minnie Engel’?
A6. The Rescue of Minnie Engel was my first novel and naturally it took more time to write. And keep in mind that I was still a full-time employee of the Department of Education and so I could work on the novel only in evenings and on weekends. I submitted the first version of the book to a publisher in 2019. After I received some reviews, I revised the book and submitted it to a new publisher in late 2023. Thus, I was working on this book from 2018 to 2023.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. In addition to Amazon and Barnes and Noble, my eBooks are available at all the major sellers of eBooks.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Hand of the Ojibwa Maiden’?
A8. The title The Hand of the Ojibwa Maiden comes from the old-fashioned idea of winning the hand of a young woman in marriage. The story is set during the Sioux Rebellion of 1862 when war parties spread through southwestern Minnesota setting fire to fields, homes, and barns of white farmers. Robert Perault meets Little Fox at the Sioux village and the two teens fall in love. But the chief’s son wants Little Fox for himself.
The cover is intended to show the two young lovers embracing each other with a orange sky from the burning farms as a background.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. This is a hard question because I have found that when I am writing a story the characters come alive for me and it seems that they are telling me their story. So, it is not the case that I must deliberately try to keep the story fresh, the story is unfolding for me through the thoughts and actions of my characters who seem to have become alive, at least in my mind.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. I think it is that the writer should engage the reader’s interest at the very beginning of the book. If the book does not capture their interest from the very start, readers might not continue to stay with the book.
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