So, what’s in store for me in 2020? Well, for the things that I can see in the near future, is the release of my new crime thriller, Spiral, which is set against the South Australian backdrop.
Meanwhile, I’m working on the sequel to Gun Kiss. Same characters: Blake Deco, Hollywood movie star Goldie Saint Helen, and Jack, a character that many readers tell me they love.
I don’t know how long it will take me to finish the manuscript, but I hope to make the story longer than my previous one. After that, I might try my hand at a historical thriller set in Singapore during the Japanese occupation. The idea of a historical thriller came about after I posted a photograph on Facebook, and fellow Carmen Amato was quick to suggest it. Let’s see how it goes.
I do have characters and the setting in mind, but what I don’t have is a plot. I’ll need to get out of my mind for a while to find it, and I expect a lot of research effort. Now, where can I get some powerful vitamins to get me going?
Random Thoughts
Speaking of movie stars, Singapore, and its history, here’s a photo of Hollywood movie star Ava Gardner at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The photo was taken in the 1950s. She visited for the Asian premiere of her film The Barefoot Contessa and stayed at the Raffles Hotel. But where else?
Ava Gardner at The Raffles Hotel.
Other famous names who visited the island included Elizabeth Taylor (1957), Roger Moore (1969), Jack Lord (1979), and Charlie Chaplin (1932). I was 14 in 1979 when Jack Lord came to shoot an episode of Hawaii Five-O. Everybody wanted to meet Jack Lord.
Singapore is no longer exotic
But the Singapore of yesterdays is different from Singapore today. Truth? It’s less exotic and charming and somewhat of a tight-ass environment compared to the previous nonchalant, breezy atmosphere. Excuse my candor, but that’s how I feel. Anyway, I want to make this piece an enjoyable read — shoo away the bad energy, embrace the positive.
Well, let me think this through and see what kind of plot I can come out with for a new book.
The new book trailer forSmokescreen, my debut, published in 2013/2014. Thought I give it a fresh coat. Hope you like it. The novel is available at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. You can start atAmazonor get it at the given links at my store.
Praise for Smokescreen
“Boundary-Breaking” Indie Reader (2016)
“A well written and totally absorbing political spy thriller” – Midwest Book Review
“Original and Bold Plotting” – The Examiner
“Authentic and Compelling”e-thriller.com
“An intriguing international thriller of conspiracy and espionage” – Crime Thriller Hound
“Bourne-like” – Times of Israel “A Must Read for 2014”- Digital Journal “Ample Adrenaline” – Millennium Post (India) “International, Realistic, and Above All Intense ” – Book to the Future “Extraordinary Thriller” – Expat Living Singapore
“Talib’s skill with settings was reminiscent of Barry Eisler’s fabulous John Rain series.” – Rabid Reader’s Review.
So, I watched Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. This is a movie where you take a sip of the drink then decide to down the whole glass. I’ll definitely want to watch it again.
However, I don’t think this movie will be popular in Singapore. Moviegoers will watch it for the sake of watching because it’s Tarantino.
I dare to say what happened on 9, August 1969 in Cielo Drive L.A. is not known to 99.9 percent of the populace here. Charles Manson is not a familiar name even though the movie isn’t about him. If one doesn’t know who he is or what happened on that hot August night in summer, they’ll miss the point, I feel.
But if I were to remind the older generation of the songs by The Mamas and The Papas, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Neil Diamond, Los Bravos, I am certain it will rekindle memories of that time. They were still playing all those 60s songs back in the 70s here.
OTH is Tarantino’s fairy tale. It certainly feels like one. Maybe even an Ode.
A relative came over with a box of meat pastry. It’s a recipe we learned from my grandmother who was born and raised in Indonesia.
When my domestic helper, who happens to be Indonesian, saw it, she kept saying “Risol.”
I wasn’t sure what she was talking about; I had expected her to describe the pastry using the same word as the Malays (being part of the archipelago), which is “Dadar.” And the way she pronounced Risol made it more difficult for me to understand her.
It took a while to realize what she was trying to say.
Rissole!
So I googled the word vis a vis Indonesia – and what do you know? It’s a common word over there.
How on earth did the word Rissole end up becoming part of the Indonesian language?
But of course… their Portuguese and Dutch heritage/history (16th/17th Century).
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]
Personally, my life wasn’t upended because of Trump and Kim. But I did receive a call from a relative asking me if he could drop off some stuff at my place for another relative to pick up. It seems he couldn’t get to this other relative who was staying near the hotel where Trump resided. The area had been cordoned.
They’ve blocked some roads starting from the airport from the day the two world leaders arrived, and also created a radius of cordon around the two hotels where Trump and Kim are staying. Apart from heavy police presence, they’ve also got the military out to protect the two big shots, with some stationed on Sentosa Island where the summit is being held.
The doctored image shows local sentiments. “Rojak” is a delicacy of deep-fried dough with chili while “Tek Tarik” is tea with milk made by pouring and pulling between two mugs. You can see how the tea is done here on YouTube. The servers in the cartoon are the PM of Singapore and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
And of course everyone seems excited about the court jesters (Trump and Kim impersonators, I mean) who are also here.
The weather has been topsy-turvy these days. I wish it was snowing.
From a primary school principal in Singapore after I gave a one-day guerrilla workshop in English some years ago.
No syllabus, no books — nothing. After all, what do I know about grammar and English? I’m not a trained teacher nor am I a language expert.
I just told these kids to use the power of the imagination and taught them some basic writing skills. I was told they all did well in the finals overall.
p.s. ignore the Ikea postcard. Only card they could find at the last minute.
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.
A report from my publisher revealed that Gun Kiss is one of the Top 5 selling ebooks for the month of January 2018. It kinda feels like a pop singer trying to climb the music charts. This was a fun book to write, and thankfully my sentiments are shared by readers. The novel also comes in a paperback version, available at your usual stores.
