Writer, Author, Publisher

· Bill Bush ·

Bill Bush “lives in Halstead, Kansas with his two teenage children, who are the inspiration behind many of his stories.” Sydney and Blake are remarkable. Just ask their father. Or read the dedication to them in his science fiction book, Vetrix (2017). He states: “You inspire me more than you will ever know.”

I met Bill at the Newton Public Library (KS) when he was giving an author talk. Even though I wasn’t a fan of the science fiction genre and I don’t write for young adults, I enjoyed learning about this author’s journey. Because of Bill, I’m much more open to reading sci-fi and fantasy while appreciating what it takes to write for a young audience.

What changed in me? I think that once I heard of Bill’s journey I was reminded that storytelling can work in any genre when it’s done correctly. He also made me curious about how he plotted with Blake, his son, to create a planet named Vetrix and how a twelve-year-old boy became trapped there in the midst of an inter-planetary war.

Bill is “like an open book.” He’s willing to talk about anything. Just ask him. He’d be in trouble if he ever committed a crime, because once questioned by the police I think he’d confess before the crime fighting team had an opportunity to take on their good cop-bad cop roles.  

Maybe this has happened to you. Have you ever met someone who reminded you of someone else? Bill reminds me of a friend of mine who lived in Pretty Prairie, Kansas. Tim Stucky was editor, publisher and owner of the weekly newspapers the Ninnescah Valley News and Mount Hope Clarion. He was a friend who was always fun to be around. I never wanted our conversations to end. Tim died much too young in 2008. Boy, I miss him.

So, in my mind Bill and Tim are linked as writers and friends. Maybe this will explain to Bill why I’ve been stalking him. I have no nefarious plans.

If you ask Bill about why he wanted to become a writer he will always give credit to his mother, Phyllis Roth Lewis. She was a published author who wrote numerous short stories, poems, and books. He also credits God for setting him on this path.

Bill shares that his “primary motivation comes from the desire to write for a living. I want to write full time for lots of reasons – lifestyle, influence others with my ideas, enjoyment, maybe even notoriety.”

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? No, it’s not a foreign language. It stands for National Novel Writing Month. The challenge for writers is to write 50,000 words during the month of November. Bill continues to use NaNoWriMo as a tool for writing more books.

Bill’s publishing company, Snader Publishing Company, has already published eight books; five of Bill’s, two of his mother’s, and one by a new author. You can learn more about Bill, his publications, and his blog at his website: www.billbushauthor.com.

So far, these are Bill’s published books: Before Vetrix, Vetrix, Earth, Hodgepodge of Poetry, Maybe I Should Have Hit the Delete Key. The third book in the Vetrix series, Zentron, comes out next week.

The two books by Bill’s mother, Phyllis Roth Lewis, published by Snader are: Trapped on a Cloud and Legend of Aneeka. Ghosts in the Quarry, the third one, will be published next month.

Snader Publishing has just released Eating Crow, a comic strip by Christian Klopfer. Learn more at http://www.snaderpublishing.com/category/christian-kloepfer-books/

Since I write a weekly blog/podcast on my website, it should come as no surprise that my favorite Bush book is Maybe I Should Have Hit the Delete Key (2018). This collection contains Bill’s first one hundred newspaper columns—“So Many Thoughts So Little Time”—published in the Harvey County Independent.

I’ve used Bill’s example—his willingness to be open and honest about everything—as a reminder to me when writing my weekly articles.

If you want to write, then Bill can be a prime example to you of how a person’s inner drive can lead to the promised land.

Congratulations to Bill for his dedication to God, family, and to his writing.

Until next time, happy writing and reading!