Interview with author T.W. Anderson of Wichita, Kansas, author of the novel series “A Reluctant White Knight” with Volume 1 “Will It Be Sunny Tomorrow?” copyright 2008, published through Amazon.com self-publishing division CreateSpace.com in 2009 and available through Amazon.com in print and electronically, thanks to the guidance and assistance of Smashwords it is also available as an e-Book for KINDLE, NOOK and most other e-readers.
Volume 2: “Coyote Running”
Volume 3: “Seascape’s Aground !”
Volume 4: “Legacy of the General”
Volume 5: “Splash Landing”
Volume 6: Working Title “Not on MY ranch!”
Volume 7: Hawaiian Interception

Actually, it started out as a stress reliever when I was up against some political pressure in a previous job. While I traveled extensively for that job trying to recruit more business, I spent a lot of nights in hotel rooms. I didn’t want to sit in front of a TV and let my mind grow numb. And whenever I picked up a book to read, because I love suspense thrillers where good triumphs over evil, they were written with what I would call an R or even an X rating. I didn’t need that sort of language or graphic sexual descriptions filling my head. It’s tough enough being a guy and trying not to let others negatively influence how you speak and think. I’m sick and tired of being embarrassed taking my wife someplace and hearing gutter talk. People who want to talk like they are in a locker room or a bar now do it whether they are in a mall or standing in front of their kids. And most mystery books, most action movies, are far too graphic in language, sexual content and violence. I write in a style that isn’t going to embarrass someone if the guy or girl sitting next to you on a bus or a plane starts reading the book over your shoulder.

Rather than sit in a hotel room on those business trips I’d find a nice park, fire up my laptop and just type out a fantasy story. I spent a week in Los Angeles on business and had to work an exhibit booth from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. five days in a row. When I got off work I didn’t want to sit in my hotel room so I drove to Marina Del Rey where I had called upon a prospective customer early in that week. I sat at the marina each night that week until midnight typing on my laptop. By the end of the week, better than half of my first book was in rough draft form.

Admittedly, part of it is from my own past and my life. Some of it was my thinking about what might have happened if I had taken the job with the CIA? What would have happened if a chance encounter with a low life had turned into a gun fight?

And I must admit I’m a romantic. I was brought up to treat a woman with respect and to show my affection and love to those who have earned it. I like to think I’m as romantic as the main character in my books, but I’m sure my wife would dispute that. But I try. I open the door for a woman. I’ll try to make birthdays, Valentine’s Day and anniversaries something special.

I was also brought up to stand my ground when my principles are being attacked and if necessary to give that last full measure for the protection of those I have been entrusted to care for.

I’m not going to answer that. It is not an autobiography. But if my readers find it interesting, I hope they’ll keep coming along for the ride.

I named the novel series “A Reluctant White Knight” because I was called that once in my life. And the first book released in 2009, “Will It Be Sunny Tomorrow?” just naturally flowed from my fingertips watching sunsets over the water and boats at Marina Del Rey.

The second book, “Coyote Running”, was released in 2011 and continues the romance and adventure. And I think it does a good job of paying homage to Native Americans of all tribes and clans that I have personally met in my travels and work.

The third book, “Seascape’s Aground!” was just accepted by CreateSpace for Amazon in both print paperback and e-reader versions on August 31, 2015. As I'm responding to the interview I am preparing to submit the third book to Smashwords who has provided me with the guidance I needed to submit the first two books for e-readers. My wife helped me a great deal with character development on that book and I bounced plot development off the whole family. I have some incredibly gifted kids and their families and they have all been supportive.

The fourth book “Legacy of the General” is complete, has been submitted to my editor and should be published in 2015 as well. The story outline has been described by those who have gotten a sneak peek as "riveting". I’ve worked in a lot more action scenes. And there is still plenty of romance. My sons have been involved in story development to a much higher degree on these third and fourth installments in the series.

Actually a lot of the characters in my books are people who I know. I’ve just changed their names to protect them. Not really. What I have done is taken the positive traits from the people I love and instilled those traits into the family of the main character of my books. But I have also given the bad guys some of the traits of the people I’ve crossed in my life that I hope I never meet again.

Volume 6 is written and waiting its turn at the editor. The first couple of chapters of Volume 7 are in my laptop and that book was inspired by a recent trip to Hawaii I was fortunate to take. Whether the books are a commercial success, or not, is not why I write. I write for my own entertainment and I just hope others enjoy the story lines as much as I do. I’ll keep writing as long as the good Lord keeps giving me the inspiration. I’ll probably retire from my professional position in a few years and writing will give me a good hobby for those days that aren’t fit to do other things like fishing.

Actually, I finished the first book in 2008 and worked off and on since then to try to get it picked up by a commercial publishing house. I submitted to well over one hundred major publishing houses and almost as many secondary printers. I did have one publisher tell me they’d consider printing it if I completely re-wrote the book to have their style, terminology and so on. I had a number of publishers try to sell me on self-publishing the work through them, but they were talking thousands of dollars of investment. Then late in 2008 I read a story in the Wall Street Journal about a writer much like me that didn’t have the time or money to do the commercial self-publishing route. That writer found that Amazon.com had a self-publishing operation called CreateSpace.com. They also have a KINDLE e-Book reader publishing assistance website. Once I got to researching like kind opportunities I found Barnes and Nobles has a self-publishing site for their NOOK e-Book reader. And whatever electronic device isn’t served by an e-Book published through those Amazon and Barnes and Nobles websites could be accessed by publishing through SmashWords.com.

All in all I think I spent a little over two weeks and $100 to submit my book to all four publishing sites. And half that cost was to purchase the rights for the cover art.

Yes. As I said, I don’t care if my books are a commercial success. But opening that package that contains your first proof copy in the form in which it is planned to be published was a thrill I’ll never forget. And having friends, families and even strangers compliment me on my writing has been gratifying as well.

Primarily because I think there are a lot of pilots out there, men and women, who will enjoy that part of the story. I have to admit, I love to fly. I was born to fly. After all, my initials are T W A ! But then again the present generation will grow up not knowing that TWA stood for Trans World Airlines, had a major presence in Kansas City as well as every major city around the world. And at one time was one of the best run airlines in the world.

In my case, the TWA stands for Terrance William Anderson.

I received my first airplane ride when I was 4 yrs old. Dad acquired a small two seat airplane known as an Aeronca Chief from the Civilian Pilot Training program after the Korean War for $600. That doesn’t sound like much for an airplane but considering you could buy a luxury car for $3,000 in 1955, $600 was a significant investment for a man with a growing family.

The event of my first airplane ride was most memorable because I scared the heck out of dad by breaking loose from my uncle’s hand and running toward the airplane while the engine and that shiny spinning propeller was still going. Dad got the engine shut down in time and explained the danger of that spinning disk. I don’t remember much about the actual flight. I just knew I was flying and loving it.

I have memories in Kindergarten when my family lived in Upper Sandusky Ohio of living beside the Air National Guard base where T-33 and F-86 jets flew almost daily. I got in trouble in grade school in Roselle, Illinois where the school was under the airport traffic pattern. Each plane’s sound was a distraction. But when a P-51 Mustang started flying out of that local airport I couldn’t help but stare out the windows as it passed by. Unfortunately I found the principal’s office wasn’t as good a viewing point.

After the family moved back to Minnesota I rode my bicycle four miles to the local grass airstrip. There I eventually was able to get pilots to take me up for rides by scrubbing the oily belly of local planes, a job pilots do not like to tackle.

It would take a while to tell you about all the varied experiences I've had in five decades of flying. But let me just wind this up by saying if my health and finances would allow it, I'd still be active in flying today. There is no better view of God's green earth and deep blue sea than from the cockpit of an airplane.