It was with great sadness that I learned my friend and gifted writer, Roy Willard passed away this October. He and I had gotten to know each other well since he was first referred to me in 2020 by a mutual friend. During our publishing relationship we worked through eight volumes of various genres.
I was impressed with his natural talent for engaging storytelling from the first time I read any of his work. His ability to move a story forward with compelling action, well developed characters, scene setting, and engaging dialog really stood out. This was as true for his memoir as his crime drama, police procedural, political thriller, and historical fiction.
Ever the learner, sometimes he would approach me just to talk about ways to improve facets of his writing that his dear and chosen readers had commented on, and each time, Roy took our discussions to heart and made notable improvements in the areas that concerned him.
He was a caring person with a certain reach who felt his career in education was his true calling, yet still found energy in his retirement for writing with a purpose. I’m sure there are many who will miss Roy Willard.
