Stuart Woods hales from Manchester, Georgia, being born on January 9, 1938. He says that his mother taught him to read before he ever entered school. He says he became a voracious reader and even tried writing a novel when he was nine. When he found out how hard it was, he gave up on the project.
Stuart graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in sociology in 1959. He says he enlisted in the Air National Guard, jokingly calling it “the draft dodger program.” However, in the mid sixties, he was called to duty in Germany where he spent 10 months. He says the only thing he flew was a truck.
Moving to New York in1960, Stuart went to work in a job training program at an advertising agency. He says his secretary made more money than him. Then he spent three years in London working at various ad agencies.
In 1973, Stuart moved to Ireland ostensibly to write his first novel. He worked in an advertising agency in Dublin two days a week to support himself. It was during this time that he became interested in sailing, starting out by competing in dinghy racing against young local
children.
The novel, “Chiefs,” got shelved for eight years and was finally published in 1981. The paperback established Stuart as a serious novelist. It was made into a three part television mini series starring Charleston Heston and Danny Glover in 1983. Stuart had a small part as an FBI agent in part three. He said the hardest part of writing the book, “Chiefs,” was finishing it. After all it was a story he wanted to tell since he was a youngster.
What was the delay you ask? Sailing is the answer. Stuart’s grandfather died leaving some money for him in his will. Stuart bought a boat! Actually, he had a yacht built and in 1975 he joined the Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association Azores Race. Stuart published a book, in 1977, about his experiences in that race entitled, “Blue Water, Green Skipper.”
Stuart is known for his mastery of creating suspense in a novel. In an interview, Stuart admits that the only writing class he took was a correspondence course at the University of Georgia, to fill out his five credits to graduate, everything else he learned in the advertising business. Another of Stuarts novels, “Grass Roots,” was made into a television mini series in 1993.
Once Stuart started writing, he became quite prolific, sometimes producing two books a year; no great feat. Now at the request of his publisher, he has agreed to write three books per year. Some feel that Stuart Woods writing runs hot and cold, with “Chiefs” being his masterpiece. You will have to be the judge.
Stuart has been married twice but is a self proclaimed bachelor, again. Along with his black lab, Fred, (Stuart says he names all his dogs Fred) Stuart make his homes in Key West Florida, Maine and New York. These days, he says, he sails on other peoples’s boats.
Books by Stuart Woods:
Series:
Will Lee:
Chiefs (Will Lee Novel)
(1981) Run Before the Wind (1983)
Deep Lie (1986)
Grass Roots (1989)
The Run (2000)
Capital Crimes (2002)
Mounting Fears (2009)
Holly Barker:
Orchid Beach (1998)
Orchid Blues (2001)
Blood Orchid (Holly Barker)
(2002) Reckless Abandon (2004)
Iron Orchid (2005)
(2009)
Stone Barrington:
New York Dead (1991)
Dirt (1996)
Dead in the Water (1997)
Swimming to Catalina (1998)
Worst Fears Realized (1999)
L.A. Dead (Stone Barrington)
(2000) Cold Paradise (2001)
The Short Forever (2002)
Dirty Work (2003)
Reckless Abandon (2004)
Two-Dollar Bill (2005)
Dark Harbor (2006)
Fresh Disasters (2007)
Shoot Him if He Runs (2007)
Hot Mahogany (2008)
Loitering With Intent (2009)
(2009)Lucid Intervals (2010)
Ed Eagle:
(1992)
Short Straw (Ed Eagle Novel)
Santa Fe Dead (2008)
Rick Barron:
The Prince of Beverly Hills (2004)
Beverly Hills Dead (2008)
Stand Alone Novels:
Under The Lake (1986)
White Cargo (1988)
Palindrome
(1991) L.A. Times (1993)
Dead Eyes (1993)
Imperfect Strangers (1994)
Heat (1994)
Choke (1995)
Non Fiction:
Blue Water, Green Skipper (1977)
A Romantic Guide to the Country Inns of Britain and Ireland (1997)
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