About the Author

Bill Williams was born and raised in a small western Kentucky town, attended Murray State University for two years, then transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967. After graduation, Bill joined NASA at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he worked as a systems engineer, test director, and technology transfer manager, on the Apollo Program, Apollo-Soyuz Program, Skylab Program, Viking-Mars Program, and the Space Shuttle Program. He met his wife, Sandy, in California while working on the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test Program in 1976. Bill retired from NASA in January of 2001 after 34 years of service and moved to Australia with Sandy and their son, Jonathan. Sandy is a native Australian and wished to return to her homeland. While in Australia, they purchased a home in Croydon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, and a small farm in South Gippsland near Leongatha. After three years, they returned to Florida. Jonathan graduated from high school in Australia and has now earned his degree in Electronic Production & Design from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Bill's oldest son, Doug, a Gulf War veteran, passed away unexpectedly on February 24, 2011, leaving behind his ex-wife, Melissa, and their son, Alec, in Batavia, Ohio. Doug's hobbies were computers, astronomy, photography, and UFO investigation.

Interviewer: "Where did you get your idea for The Belarian Initiative?"
Bill: "The idea for this novel was smoldering in the back of my mind for probably 35 years, but I never considered really writing it. Then one day I was inspired by a NOVA program about the formation of planets and galaxies and thought that this information could be relevant in my novel. The next day I started writing and couldn't stop. The ideas were flowing so fast that my fingers on my keyboard couldn't keep up."

Interviewer: "What about some of the interesting characters? Where did they come from?"
Bill: "I modeled many of the characters in The Belarian Initiative after childhood friends and NASA colleagues. I want to thank them (and they know who they are) for giving me their permission. Their names have been changed to protect their innocence, but I have tried to be faithful to their individual personalities. It was great fun putting words in their mouths."

Interviewer: "If the Belarians built only 500 starships, how did they end up with ship designations greater that 500?"
Bill: "Well, the ships were built in three orbiting factories...one in Belarius orbit and one each in orbit around its two moons. So three ships were under construction at all times. Belarius was assigned 4-digit numbers starting with zero, so BS-0292 was built there. The moons were assigned 4-digit numbers beginning with 1 and 2, making BS-1071 the 71^st ship built in orbit around moon #1 and BS-0292 the 292^nd ship built in the Belarius factory. More ships were built there because, being a planet, Belarius had more manpower and raw materials than the moons."

Interviewer: "I see that your online version of your novel has a page listing cast members. Why is that?"
Bill: "Oh, that's just my fantasy of seeing The Belarian Initiative made into a movie or TV series. Also, it was easier to write dialogue if I had a familiar face to visualize saying it. The actors I chose for the different parts are ones that I admire and that seemed to fit the part."

You can email the author at billw@iname.com.