By Ken Waterman
Alright, I know how this sounds. Claiming your own books are going to be bestsellers? Bit arrogant, isn’t it? But hear me out—because I’ve read the so-called “top shelf” thrillers out there. Some are great, don’t get me wrong. But a lot of it? Recycled plots. Cardboard characters. And somehow they still hit the lists. Meanwhile, I’ve built a character in Woody Buchman who’s got more grit, heart, and bite than half the books clogging up the “New & Noteworthy” tables.
Woody is not your average hero. He’s flawed, messed up, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking—but he’s real. He was born out of pain and chaos, drawn straight from the wreckage of my own life. Addiction, survival, running from the law, learning to live again—it’s all there, on the page, because I lived it too.
In the first book, Woody Buchman, he’s a fallen Wall Street currency trader turned addict, on the run and spiraling out. It’s fast, raw, and hits hard. No fluff. No filters. Just a man clawing through the wreckage of his life. And people are feeling it. I’ve had strangers tell me Woody reminds them of themselves, their brothers, their exes, their ghosts. That’s when I knew—this character was striking a nerve.
Then comes Woody Buchman – Glasgow. He’s escaped Ottawa but landed right in the dark heart of Glasgow’s underworld. New country, new identity, same demons. Only this time, he’s up against something colder, sharper—Tam and the gangland web Bonnie pulls him into. But what’s different now is Woody wants out. He wants redemption. Maybe even love. And you better believe, the stakes are life or death.
Here’s why I believe these books are destined for bestseller status:
- Woody’s a cult figure in the making. He’s that guy you root for even when he’s screwing up. He’s raw and honest and you feel every punch life throws at him. Think Michael Douglas in Wall Street if he lost it all and had to fight his way back from rock bottom through the backstreets of Glasgow.
- It’s not just crime—it’s truth in fiction. There’s a deeper current under all the action, the heists, the violence. It’s about trauma, recovery, and the fight to be something more than your past.
- Readers want something real. I’ve sat at signings and heard people say, “You’re writing the stuff the big names won’t touch.” That’s exactly the point. This isn’t polished fantasy—it’s the underbelly. It’s pain and survival and redemption, written by someone who lived it.
- It’s got heart. Beneath the guns and the money and the addictions, there’s a love story: Woody and Anna, Woody and Bonnie. There’s friendship. There’s hope. And people are craving that mix—hardcore crime with a human core.
So yeah, maybe it’s bold to say I think Woody Buchman and Woody Buchman – Glasgow are headed for bestseller lists. But I didn’t write these books to play it safe. I wrote them because I had something to say. And I genuinely believe Woody’s story deserves a wide audience.
If that’s arrogant? So be it. I’d rather bet on Woody Buchman than churn out another forgettable thriller.
