I am pleased to unveil the book covers for my novel in translation in Spanish and Portuguese.
Smokescreen will be available in Spanish and Portuguese. The original English version was published in 2013 by Typhoon Media (Hong Kong).
The protagonist, Jet West, was contrived during my days working as a magazine reporter for Singapore Tatler. But the inspiration for the story came about much earlier and included observations of Singapore society and my stint in Cairo, Egypt.
En una antigua cafetería del Cairo, dos espías veteranos planean una misión secreta para resolver, de una vez por todas, el conflicto entre Palestina e Israel bajo la promesa de que Israel hará una gran concesión como parte de un tratado de paz.
En Singapur, Jethro Westrope, un periodista de una revista de sociedad, tropieza con una escena del crimen: En sus últimos momentos, la hermosa Niki Kishwani le da una grabadora digital, una evidencia que pone en peligro la vida de Jethro. Por si fuera poco, el periodista es incriminado por el homicidio de Niki.
Ahora Jethro tendrá que encontrar al asesino de Niki mientras se adentra cada vez más en una red de conspiraciones e intriga que involucra a miembros de los gobiernos de Singapur, Israel y Estados Unidos, cada uno con una agenda compleja, competitiva y potencialmente mortal.
En este contexto trepidante, Jethro tendrá que encontrar respuestas y salvar su propia vida, pero nada es lo que parece. De pronto se halla en el centro de un complot político diabólico y apabullante con grandes implicaciones globales.
Jethro se sorprende al descubrir que no sólo lo han incriminado por homocidio, sino también por asesinato político. En sus manos recae una responsabilidad que se vuelve más grande que su propio destino.
Cortina de Fumaca
Em um antigo café no Cairo, dois espiões veteranos planejam uma missão secreta para resolver – de uma vez por todas – o conflito israelo-palestino. A promessa: Israel fará uma concessão importante como parte do tratado de paz.
Em Cingapura, Jethro Westrope, uma jornalista de revista, tropeça na cena de um assassinato: a bela Niki Kishwani o dirige, em seu último suspiro, a um gravador digital, evidência que coloca a vida de Jethro em sério perigo. E, muito pior, ele é enquadrado pelo assassinato de Niki. Jethro sai em busca do assassino de Niki e é atraído para uma rede de engano e intriga envolvendo funcionários dos governos de Cingapura, Israel e Estados Unidos, cada um com uma agenda complexa, competitiva e potencialmente mortal.
Contra esse pano de fundo pulsante, Jethro corre para encontrar respostas e se salvar – no entanto, nada é o que parece. Ele se encontra no centro de um enredo político tão diabólico e abrangente em suas implicações mundiais que fica surpreso ao descobrir as manchetes de amanhã de hoje.
Ele está sendo criado não apenas como um assassino, mas como um assassino, e algo muito maior do que seu próprio destino está em suas mãos.
I went to a mall here in Singapore to get a new coffee set.
I couldn’t decide between the two sets that I liked. So, I asked a young salesman for his opinion. He suggested this one.
I started using the cup to drink coffee every day as I wrote Smokescreen. When the publisher finally showed me a sample of the book cover, I was taken aback!
What are the odds of having your debut book cover the same color as the coffee cup that accompanied you daily grind?
In conjunction with the Jewish new year today, and Islamic new year, here’s an interesting trivia in relation to Star Trek, which may come as a surprise to you.
I am sure many of you already know about how the late Star Trek actor, Leonard Nimoy, derived the famous Vulcan salute, “Live Long and Prosper.”
He first saw the gesture ss a child at a synagogue service in Boston. He learned it was derived from the Hebrew alphabetical letter “Shin.” So, he borrowed it as Spock.
“Shin” in Arabic
The letter “Shin” corresponds to the Arabic letter “Shin.” The font is the same in both languages (three upward strokes) though with a slight variation in writing style.
The connotations of the letter have a different meaning for both faiths. But the central key message is the same – it’s godly.
Live Long and Prosper
So, Star Trek fans, the next time you make the sign, remember, you’re making a sign in Hebrew and Arabic. Interesting, isn’t it?
Pig came to the barn one morning and addressed all the animals.
“From today onwards, I’m going to eat more than my usual share because I’m not mediocre,” said Pig. “I want all of you to give me half of your food.”
The horse snorted. “This is not fair. I will starve.”
“Well, you can learn to fast,” said Pig.
The cow shook its head. “I can’t live on half a meal. I will die.”
“No, you’ll just be thinner than me, that’s all,” said Pig.
The donkey brayed. “You’re greedy.”
Pig smiled. “So I am.”
The ducks quacked in protest. “No, no, no, no!”
“You don’t have a choice. Remember, I’m your leader,” said Pig.
“I hate you, Pig,” said the goat.
Pig shrugged. “Join the line.”
The tuxedo cat and the white mouse looked at each other then stared at Pig.
“If the cow becomes malnourished, where do I get my milk?” the tuxedo cat asked.
“And no goat cheese for me,” said the white mouse.
“I don’t care,” said Pig.
A year past and every animal in the barn became malnourished and sick while Pig grew fatter and fatter. Eventually, all the animals died except for the tuxedo cat and the white mouse who decided to migrate for greener pastures.
Meanwhile, the farmer had been monitoring the affairs of the animals in the barn. He could not understand why they were losing weight and dying though he noticed the pig growing fatter.
One day the farmer’s land was hit hard by the worst drought in history. He decided to tighten his belt. Seeing the fat pig, he realized he could survive on it for months while he waited out his bad luck. So he dragged Pig out of the barn and slaughtered it.
Miles away in the barn on the next farm, the tuxedo cat was having a bowl of milk while his friend, the white mouse, was having cheese. A bird flew into the barn through a window and told them what happened to Pig.
“I wonder if there’s a moral to the story,” said the white mouse.
The tuxedo cat looked up. “Yes, there is … a pig will always be a pig just like a scorpion will always be a scorpion.”
This is the photo of my first Italian pizza. I tried it on the second night of my first trip to Bellagio in Lake Como.
I savored the pizza during dinner at the Bellagio Sporting Club after receiving a complimentary dinner voucher from the motel I was staying in. But I forgot what I ate; I don’t know the name of the pizza. I do remember, however, ordering a vegetarian one from the menu. Perhaps from the picture, you can tell me what it is. The waiter claimed it’s the best pizza in Lake Como. I almost believed him but after trying a few more pizzas here and there, well, I have to reserve judgment.
Truth be told, I was more interested in what I was seeing rather than what I was eating. Around this time I was working on my thriller novel Incognito, and taking mental and physical notes of places: parks, museums, monuments, boat rides on the lake, bazaar, cafes. I was soaking up and absorbing everything around me. Some of the characters I met were also interesting.
During this trip, I lost my pocket camera but a waiter at a Bellagio cafe found it and returned it to me. You’d be surprised the number of times I lost my belongings during the trip. Yet each time, I met a kind soul who returned them.
The visit also included visits to Venice, Rome, and Saint Moritz. I was tempted to learn how to ski in Saint Moritz but I think it takes a long time to master the sport, so I did the next best thing: I went mountain trekking.
Mountain trekking is therapeutic, and I understand why many people do it. I’d like to describe it as being a land astronaut. The higher you go, the more peaceful it becomes.
It was on Muottas Muragl (Mount Muragl) that I met a Swiss woman who gave me the idea to incorporate the Vatican angle for my manuscript. She was pointing vehemently towards Italy and ranting about the Vatican. It was a chance meeting after stopping her on a slope to ask for directions. For a moment, I thought I was in Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park. Well, everyone is entitled to an opinion. But I have to thank her for helping me complete my manuscript.
By the time I was done traveling, I had enough ingredients to write my thriller. The novel was based on two separate visits to Switzerland. The second visit included various regions of Italy and provided the toppings.
I look forward to doing it again… and this time around, I’m going to be sure to remember what kind of pizza I ate.
Before the protagonist was Blake Deco, he was Drake.
Initially, the idea was to steal King Tut’s dagger, not the Deringer.
The story is inspired by a real-life actress.
I couldn’t decide on a title for the book. “Sun Kiss,” “Gun Boulevard” – the list went on. I finally decided by playing with the Californian orange brand, Sunkist and came up with Gun Kiss.
After changing the protagonist’s name to Blake, I contacted an expert in San Diego on skydiving who coincidentally is Blake.
The cat in the story is based on my tuxedo cat.
The Besame Mucho scene is based on my own experience with someone as we were driving to Malaysia.
If you’re ever in Singapore and want to experience the remnants of old world charm, check out these places:
Jubilee Coffee in Changi (1960s theme).
Cafe Coldbar at Wessex Estate, 9A Whitchurch Road (British army days). Photo by @sgfoodonfoot
Saddle Club (members-only, but the cafe is open to the public).
Some parts of Singapore are still green; the rest of the island I’m sorry to say is mostly cement and glass. Yes, I’m sorry.
I was born here in 1965. It was more exotic before I came. American journalist Nellie Bly must’ve have found it more exciting when she arrived in the 1800s.
Let me just give you an idea of how it was: when I was a kid, whenever I followed my mother to the bank along Scotts Road/Orchard Road, there was a snake charmer sitting outside the building. Imagine that.
Well, I just thought I give a residual taste of the past, or at least what’s left of them.
Nowadays, people are rushing to who knows where. If you ask me, l find it boring.
[I don’t own the photos; they may be subject to copyright]
Just wrote “The End” on the first draft of my South Australian thriller, SPIRAL. One protagonist Wadjela, two Nungas, two SAPOL (police) boys in blue, a biker gang, Australian intelligence Services (ASIS) and a Russian assassin. Here’s a song to celebrate. Once the honeymoon ends, the tough part begins…rewriting, rewriting, and more rewriting. May the Rainbow Serpent give me strength.
