About Second Wind

by Aimee Nicole Walker

Hello everyone. I want to thank The Blogger Girls for having me here to chat about my brand-new book, Second Wind. I’m going to talk about the inspiration for the story, give you a fun fact about the book, and share a teaser or excerpt.

About Second Wind:

The idea for Second Wind came to me while I was on vacation with my husband in eastern Tennessee. We hadn’t updated our GPS since the previous year, and the directions to the restaurant we chose for dinner took us to the back of a new high school where their outdoor athletic fields were located. So, my husband was angry as hell, but I was enthralled by the football field and the majestic mountain view for a backdrop. My creative brain fired up immediately, and I clearly saw a football game playing out. I heard the crowd cheering as the king of the gridiron scores a touchdown, the marching band playing their fight song, but what stood out in my imagination the most was the silhouette of another boy on the sideline taking pictures for the school paper and yearbook. I immediately knew three things: the king of the gridiron and the photographer were in love, nobody knew it, and their love story would take me on a journey I’d never forget.

In Second Wind, I try to honor the men and women all around the world who didn’t have an easy coming out experience or one at an early age. I tell the story of a man who tried to repress his true self to play by society’s rules and the journey he takes once he decided that living half of a life is not really living at all. I also try to show that members of the LGBTQ+ community don’t just come out one time; they have to come out each time they meet someone new. And most importantly, it’s never too late to find your happily ever after.

Fun fact about Second Wind:

I decided early on that I wanted to illustrate the interior of Second Wind. Now, I have zero artistic ability, and I was confident that no one wanted to see my stick figure drawings leading off each chapter. I turned to my amazing formatter, Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Designs, and she knocked it out of the park. She amazes me with each project that we work on together, but this one was so near and dear to my heart.

Rush received a Polaroid camera as a kid and his passion for photography was born. Cameras became his constant companion and his chosen profession. I wanted the illustrations to be a Polaroid photo of an object or situation that symbolized each chapter. For example, chapter one is a picture of two boys riding bikes. It represents a memory Rush has from when he and Lincoln were seven years old. Linc played lookout while Rush stole his older sister’s bike. He was fascinated by the banana seat, the handlebars with streamers, and the basket on the front. He wanted to ride it, but didn’t know how. Lincoln helped him steal the bike and taught him how to ride it. Working with Stacey to create beautiful images that really brought the story to life was so much fun.

I hope you enjoyed this behind the scene look at the making of Second Wind. That sounds a touch stuffy, doesn’t it. I hope you liked this peek into my brain. Better? Thank you so much for hanging out with me, and thanks again to The Blogger Girls for allowing me to talk about a project that I’m so passionate about.

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