I’m proud to call Bill Bernhardt a friend, and not just because he’s a New York Times bestselling author who’s entertained hundreds of thousands of people with his Ben Kincaid novels and other work. It’s also because he’s been so consistently kind to me and what I laughingly refer to as my career over our many years of friendship.
Back in 1999, when Bill decided to start his own imprint, HAWK Publishing Group, he chose to reprint the debut novel from Ron Wolfe and me, OLD FEARS, as one of the first three books that launched the company. Over the next decade or so, HAWK published a ton of my stuff and bought a lot of groceries for my family.
In 2009, Bill dedicated his novel NEMESIS: THE FINAL CASE OF ELIOT NESS to me. (I was able to reciprocate by dedicating my 2011 bio, WES CRAVEN: THE MAN AND HIS NIGHTMARES, to Bill.)
And now, he’s designated me Oklahoma Author of the Year. To paraphrase a good old line from radio writer Goodman Ace, I don’t deserve it — but then again, I’ve got diverticulitis, and I don’t deserve that, either.
The award is a small part of the latest Rose State College Short Course on Writing, set for Sept. 19-21 at the Rose State College campus in Midwest City, OK. Bill’s the man behind it all, and he and I will be joined by about 30 more writers, editors, agents, and other publishing-industry figures, including Guest of Honor Jacqueline Mitchard, whose DEEP END OF THE OCEAN was the very first Oprah Book Club selection.
Those who’d like more information on the course can find what they need at www.rose.edu/shortcourse. I’ve been privileged to speak at several of these events, and I can tell you that Bill and his faculty deliver the stuff that writers need to know. I’ll even try to make my own little contribution, based on my 35 years in the writing game.
If you’re interested in writing, I hope to see you there.
And, seriously Bill — thanks.