I am really excited to announce that the Kindle version of my new mystery thriller, Spiral, is scheduled to be released on 22, December.
Spiral is my fourth novel and takes a slightly different tone from my previous works.
You are important to me and I wanted you to be the first to know that Pre-Orders are now available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH312VB
I had visited South Australia on several occasions during my days as the tourism board’s external PR. Kangaroo Island is one of my favorite places. It is an extraordinary place and seven times larger than Singapore. If you get a chance, go and have dinner there at Bella Cafe and Pizza Bar.
The Advanced Readers Copy of Spiral is also available on Booksprout in exchange for a review: https://booksprout.co/arc/54155/spiral
I would love your help in spreading the word. Thank you so much for all your help and support.
I look forward to getting my new book in your hands and appreciate you telling the world!
Happy Holidays,
KT
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.
Didgeridoo – Yigi Yigi by David Hudson
Photo by Alex Hockett on Unsplash
Whenever I used to travel to Sydney, I’d make regular visits to Bankstown, a suburban district. It had a nice Lebanese restaurant. My Australian friends would always discourage me from going there because of the town’s notorious reputation. If you google it, you’ll probably find lots of crime stories involving mob hits. The most recent involved a Vietnamese lawyer who was shot at point black range at a cafe.
If you are familiar with the old Australian TV series, “Underbelly” it is said to be inspired by the famous Muslim-Lebanese family in Australia — the Ibrahims. The most flamboyant of all is John Ibrahim (the king of Kings Cross) who recently had a book out about his life entitled, “Last King of the Cross”. His cousin recently married the sister of Salim Mehajer, another infamous figure, thus cementing the union between two of Australia’s most notorious families.
At one time, John lost his beloved macaw when it flew over the nearby cliffs at his seaside bungalow. The Rose Bay police, along with police rescue, abseiled down and retrieved the bird.
And then there was Mahmoud “Mick” Howie (deceased), who once headed the outlawed bikie gang, The Comancheros. Here’s a news clipping about Mick’s funeral.
The bikie gang was created a couple of decades ago by William G. Ross. He survived the Milperra Massacre in 1984, a shoot-out between rival motorcycle gangs. An innocent 15-year old girl died when a stray hit her.
What was once an all-white-gang, The Comancheros evolved to include several club charters across states. Members now make up different ethnic groups: Lebanese, Samoans, Maoris, Greeks, Italians, Asians, etc.
The Comancheros are not your regular beer-belching bikie gang. These guys are tech-savvy; members include trained military snipers and computer specialists.
So, I thought it’ll be fun to weave a new thriller about an ordinary guy working at a wine estate who finds himself embroiled with a bikie gang. It all begins when a reporter sent to do a feature story about the estate in Clare Valley in South Australia is found murdered.
I am familiar with South Australia, having managed the state tourism’s public relations account for a decade. The SA landscape is gorgeous that it’s hard to pick a favorite location as it changes from place to place. Well, there’s also going to be a bit of Sydney in the story along with other locations around the globe. Honestly, it never occurred to me that I could find more materials to write another novel.
Feeling lucky? Here’s your chance to win a signed paperback copy of Gun Kiss in the Goodreads Giveaway contest.
Good Luck!
KT
Between Stephen King and M. Knight Shyamalan, I can’t help but feel a bit wary each time I visit a small village. You know how it is with the townsfolk. They stare at you and you stare back at them with a smile. You’d be lucky if they greet you back.
So there was this one time I had to visit a small Australian town on a hill as part of a press familiarization trip. I didn’t go alone. There were three journalists with me: One other guy and two girls. And just like in the movies, we were invited to stay at a small manor. I know. The building was more than 150 years old and the interior was covered with large paintings, some of noblemen in century clothing with their eyes following you wherever you go.
Each one of us had a room to ourselves. The wood-paneled interior, with antique bed and cupboards and tall French windows looking out into the darkness, added to the eeriness. Imagine the castle bedroom that Professor Abronsius stayed in The Fearless Vampire Killers. But I didn’t care. I was tired so sleep was more important than whatever.
Around 2 a.m., I was startled by the shrill of the old telephone on the beside table. The panic-stricken voice at the end turned out to be the male journalist. He claimed to have seen a presence near the window. I tried to convince him otherwise. I told him he was seeing wind shadows. But he insisted it was a ghost and begged me to let him come over. After some hesitation, I allowed him to bunk in with me.
At about six in the morning I was awoken by the sound of whispering. The journalist was already awake and he was pointing to the window. I got out of bed and crept towards the window. The whispers grew louder with every step I took.
I opened the window to find two women sitting in the balcony. They were chatting to each other over coffee. Now I understand…
All rooms have a shared balcony, and when the journalist thought he saw something, he may not have been imagining things. He may have seen a guest from the next room. Possibly the person stepped out into the balcony around 2 a.m. through the connecting balcony doors. Sounds logical right? The only problem was the chambermaid said the room next to the journalist’s was unoccupied.
