Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I
was born and raised in Singapore to a family that originated from southern
Yemen. I started my career as an oil and gas staff writer before switching to
lifestyle magazine journalism. I also spent some years in Cairo, Egypt working
for a current affairs magazine before becoming editor of a tabloid-sized
newsmagazine.
What started your interest in writing?
I
am a highly imaginative person, so telling stories come to me naturally. I tend
to pay attention when someone tells me an interesting story in opposite to some
boring teacher trying to convince me that math is the way to go. I wish the
Cheshire Cat was real so he can bite the ass of all my math teachers. Well, my
reality is different from others, I guess. Why do people paint and why do
singers sing? I guess it’s a calling. I don’t see myself trying to make a house
with my bare hands or create a rocket. This is all I can do that I think is the
best option for me.
What is your book(s) about?
My
latest novel, Gun Kiss, is a story about a former US soldier who rescues a
Hollywood movie star abducted by a drug lord who then launches a revenge
campaign against the both of them.
What are you currently working on?
I’m
working on another thriller set in a winery in South Australia. Since I used to manage the public relations
account for the State’s tourism, I am pretty familiar with the region.
How long did it take you to get your
rough draft finished on your latest release?
It
took me six months in total to finish writing the novel and another month to
rewrite before I pitched it. That’s pretty fast for me, considering that my
debut took many years while the second took me more than a year.
If you could be any paranormal creature
what would you be?
Yikes!
Well, maybe half-Martian, half-human.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I
watch TV a lot these days. There was a time when I stopped but I’m back to it.
I have varied tastes, so it could be something thrilling on NetFlix or a
romance story on the Hallmark Channel.
Are any of your characters like you?
Yes,
I’m witty and I think fast, so you’ll see some of that in the male protagonist,
Blake Deco.
What genres do you write in?
I
prefer thrillers, suspense and mystery. It gets me going, you know. I love
rollercoaster rides!
For
readers who haven't tried your books yet, how do you think your editor or loyal
readers would describe your books?
My
books have been described as if you’re sitting in a theater watching a movie. I
write in two-tones with vivid scenes, so you’ll get to experience a 3-D effect.
Gun Kiss
Publisher- Imajin Books
Thriller
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.
Excerpt:
The tall buildings around Washington, D.C.’s 10th
Street overshadowed the historic Ford’s Theatre. Though the building had
undergone refurbishment both inside and out, it still seemed slightly out of
place in modern America. However, that didn’t stop the throngs of tourists
visiting the building that June morning as wispy clouds threaded through the
cerulean sky.
It was a crowded weekend day when Abraham Lincoln, in
his overcoat, and two Union soldiers, their faces covered with bandanas,
stepped out of the van. They meandered past the theater’s five historic
doorways toward the modern glass entrance. Everyone assumed they were part of a
promotion taking place at the museum. It was not uncommon to see park rangers
and tour guides dressed in period costumes.
The man behind the Lincoln mask was Rick Walker—at
least, that was the name he was currently going by. Highly educated, the
thirty-six-year-old professional thief had a penchant for the fast life. If the
assignment was a success today, he’d promised his girlfriend a nice holiday.
Two female park rangers stepped forward when Rick and
his companions reached the front of the line.
“You have to get in line, sir. Also, you need to get
tickets. Kindly remove the mask and bandanas before entering,” one of the park
rangers said.
“I do apologize, madam, but I’m in a bit of a hurry,”
Rick said. “I don’t think I need a ticket, nor do I have to get in line given
who I am.”
“That’s the only way you’re going to get in,” the park
ranger said.
“Well, if you
insist, madam, and once again, please accept my apologies.” Rick bowed and
tipped his hat, then extended a hand to the park ranger, who instinctively took
it.
Rick grabbed her wrist tightly and locked it to his
own with a steel cuff.
“What are you doing?” the park ranger yelled, trying
to jerk her hand away.
“Getting acquainted,” Rick said.
The park ranger reached for the walkie-talkie strapped
to her belt, but Rick snatched it away from her. Frantically, she turned to the
other park ranger. “Get security!”
One of the two Union soldiers dropped his prop rifle
and grabbed the other park ranger’s hand, then cuffed her wrist to his own. He
pulled out a real gun tucked under his waistband and aimed it at her.
Rick unbuttoned the jacket of his three-piece suit and
brandished the bomb strapped to his chest.
“Bomb! Bomb!” a
young teenager in the line shrieked.
Pandemonium broke out as the screams of panic
amplified. People ran in every direction. Those who moved slowly were slammed
aside, or knocked over.
Rick pulled the
ranger cuffed to him aside. “We’re going downstairs, and we’re going to take
the Deringer. Obey your president,” he said in a hollow voice.
“Yes, sir,” the park ranger said as beads of sweat
formed on her forehead.
They descended by elevator and emptied into an
interactive museum. The wealth of history in the dimly lit space featured
original artifacts in glass showcases, furniture, statues, murals, and
narrative devices. The visitors already in the museum scattered wildly at the sight
of a man in a Lincoln mask displaying a bomb strapped to his chest, a park
ranger cuffed to his wrist.
“Show’s over, folks,” Rick yelled. “Go!”
The park ranger guided her captors to a section in the
museum where the Deringer floated in an oblong glass case capped at both ends
with wood. A mural behind it depicted John Wilkes Booth firing a single shot at
Abraham Lincoln as he sat in the theater box.
The Union soldier not cuffed to a park ranger took out
a glasscutter from his coat pocket and began to cut a circle in the glass. When
it popped free, he inserted his hand inside and yanked out the Deringer.
“We’re going to take you with us. Don’t give me
trouble. If you behave, you’ll be back home in time for dinner with the
family,” Rick said, dragging the park ranger closer to him. “Understand?”
The park ranger nodded once, nervously.
“Excellent,”
Rick said.
They exited through the theater’s main door and
stepped out into the empty street. The crowd had dispersed. Some had regrouped
tensely a few hundred meters away at both ends. “Cheer up—it’s going to be a
fun day,” Rick said, walking toward the van.
The park ranger
with Rick raised her voice. “Please, please, let us go. I don’t want to die.”
“Well, behave and everything will be fine.” He opened the side, forced her in and jumped
in after her. He shut the door after the accomplice had climbed in with the
second park ranger.
The van began to move off.
“Hallelujah!” Rick yelled in excitement behind the
mask as he sat at the back of the van.
He removed the cuff from his wrist and secured the park ranger onto a
railing.
“We’ll be arriving in five,” the driver said after a
few blocks. “You know what to do.”
“I sure do,” Rick said as he removed the bomb strapped
to his chest. Still wearing the mask, he looked at the hostages. “Don’t worry
about the bomb, it’s fake.”
He unhooked a tote bag from the wall and began
removing the contents. Facing away from the hostages, he removed the Lincoln
mask and slipped into casual attire. He hid his face by putting on a red
baseball cap and a pair of dark shades then stuffed the costume into the bag
and swung it over his shoulder.
Rick looked again at the park rangers. “Look on the
bright side—now you get to tell visitors a different story at the museum.”
The Union soldier in the back with him handed over the
Deringer, which Rick slipped into the bag.
The driver slowed down and stopped behind a parked
car.
“All good outside?” Rick asked.
“Yeah…all good. I parked a few cars behind us,” the
driver replied, looking at the side mirror.
“Okay. Nice doing business with you guys.” Rick pulled
open a trapdoor in the center of the floorboard, slid out, and slithered under
the parked car in front of the van.
The van pulled away from the curb and sped down the
street. After a minute, Rick rolled onto the road, got up, and walked toward
the park at Judiciary Square on the Red Line and descended into the Metro.
A day later, Rick sat at a café with his eyes glued to
the screen of a laptop, drinking a hot latte with his back against the wall. He
scanned the faces of everyone who entered. Though he wasn’t expecting trouble,
he remained vigilant.
“Is it in yet?” the tall blonde sitting across from
him asked.
He scratched the roughness of his stubble as he
continued to stare at the screen. “Not yet.”
Moments later, the figures on his account changed. A
new deposit had been registered: ten million dollars.
Rick lifted his eyes. “Darling.”
“Yeah?”
“Remember, we’re in a public place, so don’t scream.”
She leaned forward. “It’s in?”
Rick wriggled his eyebrows. “Pack your bags. We’re
going on a holiday, as I promised.”
About the Author
A former magazine journalist and public relations practitioner, Khaled Talib has authored three thrillers since 2014.
His work has been praised by NY Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, NY Times bestselling author Ruth Harris, USA Today bestselling author Jon Land, NY Times bestselling author Keith Thomson, K.J. Howe, and Jon McGoran.
The author is a member of the International Thriller Writers.
The author is a member of the International Thriller Writers.
Author Website
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