Meet Richard Podkowski | Debut Author | Retired U.S. Secret Service special agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Podkowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, what inspires you?

Everyday life. My mind’s eye wanders when I least expect it, or I might recall something out of the blue. I people watch all the time…maybe due to my training as a special agent! The creative part of my mind is always working: playing make-believe with real-life scenarios, events, people’s personal stories and situations, stereotypes, biases, trying to capture a range of emotions. From there, I develop characters and storylines based in everyday life and hopefully believable.

Often I’ll be driving or sitting at a red light, and something pops into my head which I think might be interesting. I also get inspired by music and songs. The good news/bad news is when I shouldn’t be getting inspired but focused on the task at hand.

My dad was a very talented artist whose specialty was oil painting. It was his hobby, not trade. Maybe that’s why I see writing fiction is like being an artist who has a brush, a color palette, and a blank canvas in front of them. I have an idea and bring the image in my mind’s eye to life. Take creative license and see what happens.

I believe as a writer, especially with fiction, you’re “baring your soul” for all to see. I learned quickly with my debut novel process, you have to be thick-skinned to play in this sandbox. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone sees the same thing through a different lens. My creative masterpiece might be the 3-year old’s pre-school scribbles on a crumpled piece of paper to readers, reviewers or the literary agents I queried. (That’s a painful process!)

I’ve seen a lot and traveled to some very interesting places between my long career with the Secret Service and private sector security. As an aside, one of my favorite rides at Disneyland, well California Adventure, is Soarin’ Around the World. Personally, I preferred the California version, but have to say that it always kind of jolts me, when the camera is over The Great Wall of China and The Pyramids of Giza, both of which I’ve been to. I experienced – up close – the good and bad in people, participated in historic events, met some notable characters. I try to weave elements of my life’s experience into my writing. Some are more obvious than others. For example, Mike Stalowski, the protagonist in The Walk-On comes from a blue-collar neighborhood on the Southeast Side of Chicago, in the shadows of the shuttered steel mills. I’m from the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side where my father worked in the slaughterhouses. I personally haven’t been hounded by the media like Mike “the Steelman” Stalowski (maybe after this interview), but I was certainly in the middle of it when assigned to protective details including the President and foreign dignitaries, which definitely influenced my opinion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I think most people find it hard to believe I have a creative streak and some artistic talent after learning I had a career in the Secret Service. Besides writing, I make very intricate and detailed personalized Christmas ornaments out of modeling clay and other household items. It’s therapeutic for me and makes me focus. Over the years, I’ve made enough to warrant a small tree just for them. I have something tangible to show for my efforts and it’s always a bit heartwarming to pull them out of storage and hang on the tree, flooding me with memories. I sometimes joke about selling them, but my wife reminds me that no one would pay even the minimum wage equivalent for all the time I put in.

Years ago, I caught the entertainment industry bug as a background extra on Chicago Fire. I took classes and booked some print, film, and commercial jobs. Unfortunately like publishing, there are more rejections and disappointments. I’ve mostly learned not to take it personally, but it still stings sometimes. All you can do is try again for the next opportunity.

I’m definitely ready to fully retire from the security profession, but know I can’t sit still and hang around the house all day. So I’m looking to get on set or in a writers room as a law enforcement subject matter expert where I can pull my experiences and interests together, helping create great entertainment.

Writing is my passion and that journey, filled with peaks and valleys, is my primary focus now. The first thing I want the world to know is my debut novel The Walk-On is a great story. You do not need to be a football fan to love it! Romance, light-hearted moments, tragedy and a bit of my DNA are all in the mix. Circling back to writing peaks, I just learned the book was named 2023 American Writing Award Finalist in two categories, Sports and Fiction-Religious. Ultimately, it is a powerful story of love and loss, exploring the consequences of personal decisions and rewards of faith, redemption, and hope.

Secondly, I am not a one-trick pony and have other stories in various stages of development. Operation Santa Bear is a holiday rom-com I wrote after Patty and I started bingeing Hallmark movies in 2018. I’ve outlined two sequels and a spin-off character to appeal to those of us on the shady side of 60. Currently working on a crime story that is multi-generational and based on the organized crime task forces I supervised in Chicago and LA.

Lastly, since this is LA, yes, I would love to see all of these on a screen and am working to make that happen!

If there’s one thing I learned in life, it’s don’t wait. Life is short! Be responsible, but pursue your dreams. Make the time, and take the time. Yes, you’ll make mistakes, but I believe you have to try. I tell people “when it’s my time, I want to leave this earth with the tank on empty!” I push myself and burn the candle at both ends. Sometimes I think I push myself-and my wife- too much, but unfortunately, it’s in my DNA.

Fitness is a big part of my life. I have a Type A++++ personality and have to burn off steam and stress. I try to work out everyday. It’s kind of like the Toby Keith song ”Don’t Let The Old Man In!” I’m eligible for Social Security and Medicare, but in many ways I still think I’m thirty years younger.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I’ve had the opportunity to explore the greater Los Angeles area on two different occasions. I was stationed in the U.S. Secret Service LA field office from 1995-1999. We moved here from Washington, DC with a 2-week old infant and no clue how big and diverse the Southland is. I learned pretty quickly due to both protection assignments and criminal casework throughout the area. I experienced gritty and glitzy neighborhoods, new and old LA, which is my favorite with the art deco buildings and old Hollywood glamour, the beaches, and the desert. The cultural experience here is unlike any other city in the U.S. or abroad.

We moved back here from Chicago in July, 2020. Not much changed other than the exploding real estate values and the traffic has gotten worse. Still, LA remains the land of the Golden Sun and a destination for many. Of course, the entertainment industry is part of the fabric and rich history of the area.

So, if I had to entertain visitors for a week, here’s what I’d plan.
1. Hollywood, of course. Yes, many tourist stops including The Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Paramount Studios. Eat at Dan Tana’s, Pink’s or Kantor’s Deli. Drinks at Chateau Marmont.

2. Los Feliz, Griffith Observatory, Hike to the Hollywood sign from Lake Hollywood (I’ve tried several times to hike there from Griffith Park, but I’m not fond of heights and had to turn back.) Tons of cafes to choose from and I haven’t been, but want to try Little Dom’s. Love Tam O’Shanter and it’s Walt Disney connection.

3.The Getty and Westside. Definitely dinner at Gladstones, which I’m happy to hear will stay open a little longer, preferably a seat overlooking the ocean.

4.The Reagan Library. In addition to the spectacular scenery and top notch historical exhibits, I confess I like to take people there because it’s a small slice of my past. I began my time on PPD (Presidential Protection Detail) with President Reagan. I’ve flown on the Air Force One and Marine One that are on display and ran alongside the 1984 Cadillac limo there that was featured in the Clint Eastwood film “In The Line of Fire.” I see my former colleagues in some of the photos and remember long days and nights at different major events around the world. Sounds crazy, but I’d drive back to Glendale for dinner at Divina Cucina, near Montrose, our favorite restaurant there since it opened in the late 1990s. My protagonist has dinner with his sister at Divina Cucina after shooting a cameo in a rock music video at the nearby Rose Bowl. New Moon is another favorite place to eat in Glendale.

5. Breakfast at San Marino Cafe or Cindy’s in Eagle Rock before walking around the Rose Bowl. Lunch at The Hat for World Famous Pastrami and then burn those calories walking through the gardens at The Huntington. Tough choice where to spend the evening, but I’d say dinner at Lemon Zest in Sierra Madre followed by dessert at Merengue in Old Town Monrovia. Or hang out in Pasadena at Magnolia House, which is this cool old house with small plates and craft cocktails, or Gale’s for great Italian.

6. Seal Beach is my go-to beach day trip. Rent an e-bike and ride along the San Gabriel River Bike Trail. Spend some time on the beach. Walk the pier and along Main Street. There are great cafes and restaurants in town, but I’d definitely treat my guest to dinner at Captain Jack’s in Sunset Beach. Outstanding seafood.

7. Disneyland or Dodgers Stadium if the Cubs are in town.
Disneyland must rides: Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin’ Around the World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, It’s a Small World, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Dodgers Stadium day depending on game time would be spent in Highland Park along York or Figuerora. Lots of great little shops and places to grab a cup of coffee or bite to eat. Villa’s Tacos or Casa Bianca for pizza on Colorado Blvd, which is the best and closest to true Chicago thin crust pizza in LA. Like Divinia Cucina, I’ve loved it since my first go-round in the late ’90s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

Stepping out of the stereotypical mold of my former career within an elite law enforcement agency as a rigid Secret Service special agent to pursue creative interests including acting and writing has not been an easy journey. For decades, I wrote detailed criminal investigation reports “building the clock” instead of “telling the time.” Let’s just say that made for a very lengthy first draft we lovingly refer to as the War and Peace version. I would have never made it this far without the one person who has encouraged me, counseled me, worked on double-digit revisions with me, and helped me navigate the shark-infested waters of trying to get published…and that is my long-suffering wife Patty whom I’ve been fortunate to have at my side for over four decades now. You wouldn’t guess it by comparing our desks, but she keeps me on track, on schedule, and moving forward with my creative endeavors.

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