Episode notes
In this episode of Something to Say, I had the pleasure of sitting down with W. Kenneth Tyler Jr., an award-winning, critically acclaimed debut novelist and the author of Hunting the Red Fox.
Kenny's journey to becoming a novelist is anything but ordinary. After spending 40 years as a certified public accountant, he decided to pursue something he had wanted to do for years—write a book. What began as an idea eventually became Hunting the Red Fox, an espionage thriller filled with history, humor, adventure, romance, and unforgettable characters.
During our conversation, Kenny takes me behind the story of Perry Barnes, a young man whose journey takes him from World War II special operations into espionage, Hollywood, professional golf, and the pursuit of a master jewel thief known as the Red Fox. We also discuss the real-life historical figures woven into the novel and how Kenny blended them with fictional characters to build the story's world.
We talk about what inspired Kenny to finally become a writer, the challenges of writing his first novel, dealing with uncertainty as a first-time author, and how his love of storytelling developed over the years. He also shares why he describes his writing style as subtly humorous storytelling and why he wanted the story to explore more than just the action and adventure.
What I especially enjoyed about this conversation was hearing how Kenny took a completely different path later in his career and turned a long-held ambition into a published novel. His story reminds us that a new chapter can begin when you decide to pursue something you've always wanted to do.
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