Daniel W. Hood found perseverance pays off. After self-publishing five books, his sixth, “Dancing with a Stranger,” was published by Austin Macauley in August 2024. A mystery mixed with romance, the novel follows a football star in Massachusetts who dreams of joining the NFL but his aspirations are derailed when his mother meets a charming man who may have ulterior motives.
According to Hood, he started writing after retiring from a 29 year career in the U.S. Department of Defense. He said one day shortly after he retired, he said to himself, “Okay. Dan, you have to do something.” Although he enjoyed his other interests; bodybuilding and Tai chi, he had always enjoyed writing, having formerly been a reporter for Channel 56 and part of the Public Affairs Department at the DOD.
In writing a book, Hood said his goal was not necessarily money or fame but out of enjoyment and to “stay grounded.” However, he has made some money from self-publishing and co-writing a book purchased by a film production company (the film was never produced).
“Lobrigolin and the Forest of Fear” was Hood’s first book and the first of a fantasy trilogy. Lobrigolin is a child with a mysterious background who travels from China to England and winds up battling the man who destroyed his village. The main character was inspired by his wife’s anxiety dreams when she was trying to cope with the stress from working on her PHD dissertation. Hood’s fourth book “Parasite” is about a monster living near Lake Champlain.
Hood said he gets his inspiration from his interests. His interest in nature segued into thinking about fantastical creatures. His trilogy evolved from his interest in 13th to 15th century history. His Tai chi practice keeps him focused and can lead him to mystical thoughts.
Hood started using his middle initial to avoid being confused with fellow fantasy author Daniel Hood, author of the Fanuilh series, when the two began receiving each other’s fan mail.
While he claimed no favorite book, he spent the most time talking about “The Sophomores and Me,” an autobiographical story about his time from 1954 to 1959 in a Doo-wop singing group called the Sophomores. They were a local favorite, performing in the Boston nightclubs where they met musical legends such as Johnny Cash and James Garner.
The group recorded five albums but never gained momentum, eventually giving up singing full time. However, on March 25, 2006, Hood received a call to perform at Boston Symphony Hall to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The book revolves around that period and the reunion performance 50 years later.
At 91, Hood is still going strong. Even with his near misses with fame, he appears to be content with his life. He plans to continue writing and doing Tai chi. Hood has come a long way from growing up in a Roxbury attic apartment with no stove when his mother was struggling to pay the rent. He has lived in Wayland for the last 27 years with his third wife Margery Kaplan. He said it has been the “best place he has lived.”
