Tag Archives: novel

Goodreads Giveaway

Feeling lucky? Here’s your chance to win a signed paperback copy of Gun Kiss in the Goodreads Giveaway contest.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Gun Kiss by Khaled Talib

Gun Kiss

by Khaled Talib

Giveaway ends January 25, 2018.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Good Luck!

KT

Interview with Hollywood Actress Goldie St. Helen

A chat with Goldie St. Helen from Gun Kiss!

Get a glimpse inside the world of Goldie St. Helen, the A-list Hollywood movie star as she talks from her Los Feliz bungalow about career, life, and current issues.

 

Khaled: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview.
Goldie [smiling]: My pleasure. Nice jacket, by the way. Love Mauve.

Khaled: Thanks, I bought it for this special occasion.
Goldie: I’m flattered.

Khaled: I love the house. Did you decorate the place yourself?
Goldie: Thank you. Yes, I did, with some advice from a designer, though I wish the kitchen was bigger. The only way was to cut into the back garden, which I refused.

Khaled: The kitchen looks perfect.
Goldie [laughing]: Are you kidding me? I need room for a bigger refrigerator. Hey, I host lots of parties!

Khaled: So, tell me, have you always wanted to be a movie star?
Goldie [grinning]: I wanted to be an actress. I never thought of myself as a star. One thing led to another, so here I am today.

Khaled: Were your parents supportive of your career choice?
Goldie [smiling]: My father didn’t speak to me for six months. He wanted me to be an architect, just like him. But it’s my life. Follow your dream, right?

Khaled: So, you would’ve been an architect if you weren’t an actress?
Goldie: Hell, no. I would’ve been a botanist. I love flowers and plants. That explains the solarium at the back.

Khaled: Many have tried to break into Hollywood, but failed. What’s your secret of success?
Goldie: I joined the industry because I was passionate about acting. I wasn’t looking for fame, money, and glamor. The perks that came with being a star were bonus points. I have no expectations. I’m not afraid of competition, even from someone younger. It’s one day at a time for me. C’est la vie.

Khaled: What words of wisdom would you give aspiring actors?
Goldie: All that glitters is not gold. Be prepared to work hard. How badly do you want it? Watch every step you take. Be careful of predators.

Khaled: How do you handle sexual predators in the industry?
Goldie [smiling]: If they grab you by the pussy, kick em in the balls.

Khaled: Easier said than done. You had a tough time doing that in the book, didn’t you?
Goldie: Hey, you wrote the book! I was just doing the acting for you! If it was real life, I would’ve kicked him so hard.

Khaled: Would you do a stage play or indie movie for little or no money?
Goldie: Of course! If the script is great, yes.

Khaled: Do you ever get tired of the fame game?
Goldie: I hate the attention… but I love my fans.

Khaled: What makes you happy?
Goldie [smiling]: Myself, friends, family, and desserts.

Khaled: Is the future beautiful?
Goldie: Que Sera Sera. Maybe I’ll start a family… I still want to work. I love my job.

Khaled: Chocolate or cookie?
A: Chocolate.

Khaled: A handsome face or a good-heart?
A: A good heart.

Khaled: Love or money?
A: Love.

P.S. I’ll be hosting a Facebook party in December with lots of prizes to be won. I hope to see you there. Sign up for my newsletter at the CONTACT PAGE to know when. 

Today is Incognito’s Pub Day

When I set out to write INCOGNITO, I was told by industry people it was impossible to kidnap the Pope.
You can’t just write a novel and create a scene where he gets kidnapped. It has to sound believable, even though the premise is fiction.
But I found a way that sounds plausible after researching everything about the Vatican. Now, advanced readers, including one known industry personality in the United Kingdom, has this to say after reading the novel:
“The premise of such a kidnap is really darkly entertaining and sometimes I think almost highly likely!”
“Dark” seems to be the keyword as another reader left a review on Goodreads that reads, “Definitely the darkest intellectual thriller novel I’ve read this year!”
Incognito is a story about religion and politics, particularly Islamophobia, Christianity, the refugee crisis, the sudden rise of fascism in parts of Europe and NATO’s fear.
The protagonist Ayden Tanner does not believe in God. But he is assigned to find the Pope who is missing.
The question is, how much effort will he put in this mission? Will he risk his life to save someone who has nothing in common with him? 
Today is 15, May. INCOGNITO is out. I hope you enjoy the read.

Saint Peter’s Square: Reworking it from the Author’s Eye

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Saint Peter’s square, Vatican City. Almost every religious thriller novel and movie about the Vatican will have an image of it. It has become the standard.

In fact, authors have covered almost every inch of the Vatican that’s its really tough to produce original scenes and ideas.

But I had a good creative director when I used to work a short while at an ad agency. I noticed how he saw things differently even if something had been overused. It took me a while to see how he sees things, and then an idea hit me.

I saw something at the square that jumped out at me. I realized how this could work for INCOGNITO. As with my first novel, Smokescreen, expect the unexpected.

How Uncanny

All these years while I was writing and rewriting my manuscript, that small coffee cup kept me company. I never noticed it until now. I swear, I had nothing to do with the book’s cover design. It was all the publisher’s idea, and I never saw it until the last minute. Spooky.IMG_5092