Walter Schmur loves to write.
It’s not an attribute you would expect in a man who spent most of his life working with numbers rather than words.
The 75-year-old, long-time Mission resident and former accountant, has penned a fantasy/sports/golf novel called Strike While the Iron’s Hot.
He began the project in March of 2014 and finished a year later.
“I had it printed in May of 2015. I had 50 copies published. Paid for it myself,” said Schmur.
The aspiring author is now promoting his book around the Fraser valley and across the world.
Schmur travelled to England on vacation and decided to bring some copies of his new novel with him. He only left a few, but he also went on a cruise and left two copies in the ship’s library.
“It’s probably still sailing around different parts of the world.”
He has given away several books to friends and family and sold about 20 copies as well.
“I’m getting back some of my money, but it’s never enough,” he joked.
Schmur decided to write about golf because of his familiarity with the sport.
“I’ve been a fan and a player, I’m not a great golfer, but I can play the game.”
He said the novel is a Fraser valley story, taking place on the Cheam Mountain Golf Course in Chilliwack.
Schmur was inspired by the corn fields adjacent to the golf course and had an image in his mind of a boy standing in a corn field watching people play golf.
“He gets interested in golf and gets inspired by the late legendary Canadian golfer Moe Norman and is given this gift – and this is where the fantasy part comes in – given a gift from Moe Norman from the beyond.”
So far he has received plenty of positive feedback. So much so that he’s debating with himself whether to print more copies of the book, or maybe write another one.
