Interview with Kenneth Eade, best-selling author of An Involuntary Spy and Predatory Kill

Alright, all you aspiring authors and newbies out there. Today I've got an interview for you from someone who knows what he is doing. Best-selling author Kenneth Eade is here to talk with us about his two spy thrillers, An Involuntary Spy (on 4 best-seller lists!!!) and Predatory Kill.

 

-Hi Ken! You are the author of An Involuntary Spy: A GMO Thriller and Predatory Kill. What was your inspiration for writing these novels?

KEN: My inspiration comes from my experience in my personal life as a traveler of the world, and my professional life, in which I have seen and attempted to correct many injustices in our society which impact negatively on the individual.  I have always loved political thrillers, but the genre has become mundane and patterned to the point of dumbing down the readership, which is an insult the their intelligence.  After writing the non-fiction book, Bless the Bees, describing the problem of their disappearance and what we can do about it, I thought to write an exciting, entertaining fiction novel that would not only entertain, but also teach the reader something important.

-Did you always have aspirations to write or is this something new?

KEN:I have always had aspirations to write, but had been too busy with my job and responsibilities.  Last year was the worse financial year of my working life, so I used the extra time to devote to this passion, and I’m happy I did.

-This blog is dedicated to providing new authors with advice about the publishing world. I myself am attempting to write my first book, a YA sci-fi novel. What advice can you give me as I make my way through my first draft?

KEN:Write it your own way, but get it proofread and edited.  Many people may interpret something as poorly edited, when it is really something the author intended.  For example, a character in my book is named “Natalia” but in Russia, her nickname is “Natasha.”  Many of my readers thought this was a mistake, so I eventually changed it to just “Natasha,” because too many reviews were coming in with negative comments about that minor point.

-Did writing your second thriller, Predatory Kill, come more easily after you'd already published An Involuntary Kill? Did you do anything differently the second time around?

KEN: Preadatory Kill is a legal thriller, which has the same movie-like action pace, but the hero is a lawyer, so it has a completely different flow.  But I am hoping that my readers will enjoy it as much as they enjoyed An Involuntary Spy.

-What has the response to An Involuntary Spy: A GMO Thriller been like? Are you already developing a following of fans who can't wait to read what you put out next?

KEN:The response has been very good, from professional reviews to readers.  Yes, I think many of my readers will come back for more because of the unusual nature of my books.  They fit within the genre, but are more real, because they are situations that are contemporary and could really happen.

Is it intimidating to put yourself out there for Amazon reviews and the like?

KEN:Not really.  Most of my reviews are good, but I get disappointed when I see the occasional one, two,  or even three star review and read the basis of it.  Nine times out of ten, the particular reader is polarized against the subject matter, or was expecting the “same old thing.”  Neither book is for everyone, and I’m happy that most people who have read An Involuntary Spy love it.

-Are you a serious planner who plots out every detail of the book ahead of time or more of a "let's just write and see what happens" kind of guy?

 

KEN: I know what is going to happen in the beginning, middle and end before I start to write a book, but each chapter takes a life of its own, so I guess you could say that, chapter-wise, it’s let’s see what happens.

 

-I always hear people say, "write what you know" or "write what you'd want to read". Are either of these statements true about you? Are you a really spy or will you have to kill me if you tell me?

 

KEN: No, I am not a spy, nor am I a scientist.  But I did draw upon my own experiences in writing the book, and the characters are composites of people I have known in life.

-What audience is your book geared toward?

KEN:Anyone who loves political thrillers

-Ok, here's your chance. Sell this thing to me (and to my readers). Why should we go out and buy your book(s)?

KEN: If you love spy thrillers, you will love this story of an ordinary guy, trying to do the right thing, who is forced into espionage involuntarily, in his attempt to bring a message to his own people.  The danger is real, which makes it all the more exciting.  If you love fast paced action, plot twists and turns, and a real entertaining novel with a real life message, then An Involuntary Spy is for you.

-Where can I buy these?

An Involuntary Spy:  http://amzn.com/B00GQPBLZ6

Predatory Kill: To be released this month.  Get a free preview on Bittorrent: http://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/21f8a73b21a999d1d8b489e8725f1a365075a698b7f6c9b7011d4db6d143c0c0

-Blurb/teasers for An Involuntary Spy: A GMO Thriller and Predatory Kill:

An Involuntary Spy
 Uncover the mystery, unleash the suspense, the secrets, and the excitement, and go where no spy has ever gone before in this action spy novel of international intrigue!

Jump into the action on the first page:

·         Be captured by this controversial political thriller that will pull you in and leave you breathless until the last page.  

·         Be captivated by all the action that you expect from a spy thriller; secrets, spies, power, assassins, CIA, Russians, FBI; but not how you would expect them, in this CIA story of corruption and conspiracy.

Become entangled in a situation of danger, corruption and espionage:

Seth Rogan was a shitty spy.  Actually, he wasn't a spy at all. Just a guy trying to do the right thing. As a biologist for the largest biotech company in the world, he had a great job, and thoroughly enjoyed all the perks.  But when asked to do some tests on the company's genetically engineered (GMO) foods, he became entangled in a trail of corruption, fraud and conspiracy that he wanted no part of, but could not escape from. In a story of mystery and intrigue so true to life it could almost be from today's newspapers, Seth, having bit the hand who fed him, is on the run from them, and the full overreaching power of the United States government, not as a whistleblower, but as a fugitive, charged with the crime of espionage, who finds temporary refuge with an old enemy of the U.S. But his peace is about to be broken as he finds himself in the role of an involuntary spy.  

Go with our hero on a roller coaster thrill ride of death games and cat and mouse espionage:

Seth follows his instincts and does what he thinks is right, but faces death and danger at every twist and turn.  Is this genetic engineering science or science fiction? Fleeing the country like Edward Snowden, Seth wages a game of wits against the CIA and double agents to bring the message of the dangers of genetically engineered Frankenfoods to the people.  

An Involuntary Spy rocketed to the top of these Best Seller Lists:

1. Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction: Political (#1 Best Seller)
2. Science Fiction and Fantasy, Science Fiction: Genetic Engineering (#1 Best
   Seller)
3. Literature & Fiction, Action and Adventure: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense:
   Mystery (#1 Best Seller) 
4. Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction: Metaphysical (#1 Best Seller)

Find out what readers already know:

·         "As good as any spy novel on the New York Times Best Seller List"

·         "Once you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down"

·         "Eade's skill with writing dialogue is brilliant.  His technique for propelling a story is second to none.  Bind a controversial subject about the environment, the unraveling problems of US government secrecy, and a good old fashioned thriller and you have Kenneth's next step into prominence in the public eye"

·         "If even a shadow of this is true, the world is not safe.  Read it."

·         "Russian rogues, the FBI, the CIA.  Bloodshed and murder trace his steps throughout Russia"

·          "It makes me wonder how much more the government and big business are keeping from the general public."

·          "Scientist turned whistleblower and involuntary spy is on the run from his employer and government agencies."

·         "It certainly opened my eyes as to what big corporations are doing in this country and their greed at the expense of our health."

·         "A Must Read"

·         "Storytelling Mastery"

·         "Couldn't put it down"

·         "Fast paced, action packed political thriller"

·         "This book is not for everyone, but everyone should read it"

Predatory Kill

Brent Marks had paid his dues as a lawyer, having taken his share of divorces and drunk driving cases over his 20 year career, but had finally reached a place in his life where he could take on cases of social importance. What he least expected was for April Marsh's predatory lending case against the big banks for wrongful foreclosure on her parent's home to turn into a murder investigation. April’s parents were brutally attacked in their Santa Barbara home; her mother murdered and the only witness to the crime is her father, who survived the attack but is completely incapacitated. The police have no leads, but April believes the predatory lender is behind it. Are banks really that above the law?