FEATURED AUTHOR: KHALED TALIB

ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

Book Details

Title: Gun Kiss

Author: Khaled Talib

Genre: Thriller 

Publisher: Imajin Books (December 1, 2017)

Paperback: 221 pages

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH KHALED TALIB

A few of your favorite things: Shoes, pens, notebooks.
Things you need to throw out: Papers, files, old clothes.


Things you need in order to write: A desktop computer, peace and quiet, the bird outside my window stop screaming.
Things that hamper your writing: The bird screaming, doorbells, and phone calls. 


Things you love about writing: When I finish a scene.
Things you hate about writing: When I get stuck at a scene or choosing the wrong word.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Rewriting and proof-reading
.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Finishing a draft.  


Things you love about where you live: Peace and quiet.
Things that make you want to move: When the bird comes around.


Things you never want to run out of: Printer ink.
Things you wish you’d never bought: A stupid painting that’s hanging on my bedroom wall. 


Words that describe you: Patient, generous and quiet.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: Serious.

Favorite foods: Pizza, burger, and steaks.
Things that make you want to throw up: Insects as delicacies.

Favorite music or song: Anything and everything from Pop to Country.
Music that make your ears bleed: Opera.

Favorite beverage: Soda.

Something that gives you a pickle face: Tonic water.

Favorite smell: Lavender
.
Something that makes you hold your nose: Wine.

Something you’re really good at: Making hookah
.
Something you’re really bad at: Math
.

Something you wish you could do: Ski.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Make my bed.

Something you like to do: White river rafting
.
Something you wish you’d never done: Slamming into a glass door.

People you consider as heroes: Muhammad Ali, Erin Brockovich, J.K. Rowling. 

People with a big L on their foreheads: People who abuse their power. 



Last best thing you ate: Turkish baklava.

Last thing you regret eating: Packet noodle.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Help a person who is injured.
Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A lizard on the wall.

Things you always put in your books: A sense of humor.

Things you never put in your books: Porn.

Things to say to an author: I love your book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Can I get a free copy of your book?

Favorite places you’ve been: Pyramids of Giza, St.Moritz, Brighton, UK.

Places you never want to go to again: Parts of Singapore.

Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I’m an Interpol agent. 

A lie you wish you’d told: I’m a minor, I deserve the discount.


Read an in-depth interview with Khaled.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Singapore, Khaled is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines.

The author is a member of the Crime Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers. Khaled's novel Incognito won the Silver award for the AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest 2017.

Connect with Khaled:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

FEATURED AUTHOR: KHALED TALIB

ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

Book Details

Title: Gun Kiss

Author: Khaled Talib

Genre: Thriller 

Publisher: Imajin Books (December 1, 2017)

Paperback: 221 pages

INTERVIEW WITH KHALED TALIB

Khaled, what’s the story behind the title of your book?
Gun Kiss is a metaphor for finding love during trouble times. It’s a story about a man who rescues a movie star from a drug lord, but as they fall in love with each other, their happiness is interrupted havoc. 

Where’s home for you?
I live in Singapore. I spent some years working in the Middle East, and I travel a lot. So, I’d like to describe myself as an international citizen, especially since I enjoy other people’s culture and food.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Singapore. I was born here. However, I feel like a foreigner nowadays. Things have changed. I don’t fit in. Then again, I never did because I’m a minority. Singapore’s culture and values may not necessarily be mine.

What’s your favorite memory?
The amusement park, and having cotton candy.  Magical place.

If you had an extra $100 a week to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
A couple of kindle books. Then I’ll save the rest and buy a nice pair of shoes at the end of the month. I like shoes.


What’s the dumbest purchase you’ve ever made?
An old, red Miata that was a guzzler.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Never stand at the edge; someone might push you. It happened to me once when I was standing at the edge of a pier. Lesson learned.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
I rescued a stranger from drowning. It happened in Malaysia. I gave him my life jacket. I didn’t realize how strong the current was until I had removed the life jacket. It took all my strength to swim back to the boat.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
I answered a call and forgot I was frying some fries. The flame almost hit the ceiling, but thank God it got put out on time. 

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
How fast time flies.


What makes you bored?
People who talk about stocks and finance, business and computers.  People with no sense of humor.  


What is your most embarrassing moment?
A woman in a car at the gas station laughed at me as I stood outside searching my pockets for my cash card. I was so preoccupied in finding it that I forgot it was in my mouth. 


What makes you nervous?
Deadlines . . . I hate deadlines. I hate to rush. I’ve seen how rushing causes injury to people. People loose control when they are forced to rush. Total chaos. I hate it. 


What makes you happy?
Chocolates, a good movie, and traveling. The idea of going on a train journey always sounds nice.

Who are you?
An observer.

What brings you sheer delight?
Buying a perfectly-sized pants at the mall without having to adjust it.

Would you rather be a lonely genius, or a sociable idiot?
A lonely genius. Best to be heard of than laughed at.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
"Writers have dual citizenship. They live in the seen and unseen world." It’s taken from The Little Book of Muses, a collection of inspirational sayings for writers. I wrote the book.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

What would your main character say about you?
Here’s a guy who knows how to dress up his characters.

How did you create the plot for this book?
I don’t pre-plan a story. I might have a character in mind, and as I go along, I’ll develop the plot. Sometimes, I’d make mistake and rewrite the plot. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s not. 

Is your book based on real events?
Yes, they are, although it’s heavily dipped in a jar of fiction. I collect stories from here and there, then make up my own. I try to imagine the situation, how it would have been and draw my own conclusions.

Are you like any of your characters?
My sense of humor. In Gun Kiss, you’ll notice that in the protagonist.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?
He’ll probably toss me out of the window or poison the box of chocolate.

Who are your favorite authors?
Too many to list down! 


What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
When my Kindle battery dies.


Do you have a routine for writing?
I write whenever I feel like it. It can be anytime of the day. But at times, I’ll need chocolate to boost my energy, in addition to a hot cup of coffee . . . with sugar.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
At home, in my bedroom. I’m not one of those people who can concentrate at a café with a laptop. Knowing me, I’ll people watch instead of looking at the screen. 

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
People repeatedly tell me that my writing feels like a movie. 

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
In Gun Kiss, I wrote a military battle scene. It was tough because I had to coordinate everything from various angles while managing characters and dialogue while everything was ricocheting and blowing around them. 

What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?
Someone left a comment on Goodreads and described my novel, Smokescreen, a “B-league thriller.” Then again, there are so many trolls out there. Well, I complained to Goodreads, of course, but at the same time I don’t really care. You find criticisms and trolls everywhere. Other writers get it too. Have faith in your readers. People can see what’s true and what’s not.  

What would your dream office look like?
Victorian. Like Sherlock Holmes’s.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a murder mystery set at a winery in South Australia. I used to handle the public relations account of the South Australian tourism office, so I’m familiar with the State.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Khaled Talib is the author of Smokescreen, Incognito, and Gun Kiss. Born and raised in Singapore, Khaled is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines. The author is a member of the Crime Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers. Khaled's novel Incognito won the Silver award for the AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest 2017.

Connect with Khaled:
Website  |   Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble