Today I have the pleasure of hosting Khaled Talib on the blog. He will sharing important information about his latest novel Gun Kiss
You’ve written three novels, but none except Gun Kiss has a splash of romance. Why?
Blame it on an old movie that I watched one evening. A famous movie star who starred in it also reminded me of a pre-university friend who in some ways resemble the actress. Unfortunately, we lost contact. Recently, I approached a newspaper reporter in Singapore for help to find her. He published a story about my novel in relation to finding her. I wanted to give her a copy of the novel. I named the actress in my novel Goldie St. Helen. The protagonist is Blake Deco.
As a male author, did you find it difficult to write a POV from a woman’s perspective?
Well, I didn’t dress up like Tootsie if that’s what you mean, but I did spend time making observations. I also tried to delve into a woman’s mind to weave in emotions, thoughts, reflections and the things they talk about in oppose to what men talk about.
Do you think you understand women better now?
Are you kidding? Of course not! When she goes silent, I have no idea what’s she’s thinking about. I even wrote a scene about that.
How would you describe the relationship between the characters in the novel?
Happy. Confuse. Intense. Fearful. Anxious. Lost. Perplexed. Hopeful.
Readers and reviewers have described your action scenes as fast, and there’s plenty of that in Gun Kiss. Why do you feel the pace is necessary?
Ask most people why they like going on rollercoaster rides?
It’s pulsating. It’s the same with reading thrillers. I write that way because my readers want the story to be riveting. I want to share the thrill of writing with my reader. If I don’t feel it, they’re not going to feel it.
Do you plan to write a sequel?
I should. It’s a colorful story, if I do say so myself. I’ll consider once I’m done with the present manuscript, which is a murder mystery. Let’s see how it goes. I’ll need to find a new plot. I’m sure it’ll happen… I can feel the characters calling me back for another round of adventure.
Think Gun Kiss will be made into a movie?
Anything is possible. My debut, Smokescreen, was read by Paul Greengrass, the movie director. I pitched it to him via Creative Artists Agency and he read it. The idea was rejected but I came that close. The experience gave me inspiration to write some scenes with the actress and her movie agent.
Who will play your characters if Gun Kiss is ever made into a movie?
I don’t know. Some people in their thirties, I suppose. He must be handsome, and she must be blonde. Am I asking a lot? Well, you’ll have to consider how long it’ll take before the movie is made. Even if I had some favorites, they’ll be older by then. I am sure Hollywood will have new faces over the years.
What does Gun Kiss mean and how long did it take you to come up with the title?
It’s a metaphor for finding love at a dangerous time. It took me a while to get it right. I had a few weird titles in the beginning, some even sounded like a soda brand. But then I said, “This one.” It sounded perfect, especially the way the story’s been written.
American history seems to play a part in the novel. Since the prologue begins with the Deringer that shot Abraham Lincoln stolen at the Ford’s Theatre Museum, did you learn anything new about that fateful night during your research?
I learned that a man named Samuel J. Seymour was at the theater lived long enough to go on television to tell us what he saw.
Seymour was about five-years-old in 1865. During a television show called “I’ve Got a Secret” he revealed that he saw the assassin John Wilkes Booth jump off the balcony after the shot was fired. Imagine that… a live witness. Seymour died in 1956.
Thanks for visiting
ABOUT GUN KISS
A stolen piece of history, an abducted actress and international intrigue…
When the Deringer pistol that shot Abraham Lincoln is stolen and ends up in the hands of a Russian military general, covert agent Blake Deco is tasked by the FBI to head to the Balkans to recover the historical weapon. Meanwhile, the United States media is abuzz with news of the mysterious disappearance of Hollywood movie star, Goldie St. Helen.
After Blake’s return from overseas, he receives a tip from a Mexican friend that a drug lord, obsessed with the beautiful actress, is holding her captive in Tijuana. With the help of a reluctant army friend, Blake mounts a daring rescue. What he doesn’t expect is to have feelings for Goldie—or that a killer is hunting them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Khaled Talib is a former magazine journalist and public relations
practitioner. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines. He is also the author of thrillers Smokescreen and Incognito. Khaled is a member of the International Thriller Writers. The author lives in Singapore.
Social media author & book links
Amazon universal link: http://getbook.at/GunKiss
Website: http://www.khaledtalibthriller.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KhaledTalib
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khaled.talib/
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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