KIMBERLY HOWE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BESTSELLING & INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR, K.J. HOWE

What would you like our readers to know about yourself? This could be a previously prepared bio; however, something customized exclusively for TopShelf Magazine would be greatly appreciated.

I lived internationally while growing up, including years spent in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. My father worked in telecommunications, so we were always on the move. Adventure and travel—and books—figured prominently as we traipsed from place to place. Experiencing this eclectic education offered unique insights into some of global hotspots in the world. I loved reading, especially international thrillers, and dreamed of one day becoming an author. While I developed my craft and storytelling skills, I also held down two jobs —medical writing and becoming the executive director of ThrillerFest. And now THE FREEDOM BROKER is out in the world.

What have some of your most memorable achievements been thus far in your writing career?

One special moment is the day I received a call from my talented agent Victoria Sanders telling me that we had sold in the U.K. and US. It took time for it to sink in. Another achievement dovetails with the news of my sale. When I first read THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE by David Morrell, I wanted to become an author. If I could ever provide that delightful respite that David provided for anyone else, it would be a very special accomplishment. Years later, I pursued my Masters in Creative Writing at Seton Hill University—where David Morrell was a guest speaker. I met my hero, and he inspired me to keep working towards my dream. Fast forward to the ThrillerFest, the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers, co-founded by David Morrell and Gayle Lynds. I attended the first conference and started volunteering. A couple of years later, I was the executive director of this wonderful conference, and now I’m proud to call David a friend and mentor. Looking back at that moment when I read his phenomenal book, I’m honored that THE FREEDOM BROKER is published. It took time, hard work, and sacrifice, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Please tell us a little about your thriller, THE FREEDOM BROKER.

There are twenty-five elite kidnap negotiators in the world. Only one is a woman. And she’s the best in the business. Thea Paris. She will do anything to bring hostages back home. In THE FREEDOM BROKER, Thea faces the toughest case of her career, with a very special client: her father.

What inspired you to write this dark, yet inspiring novel?

Kidnapping fascinated me. It’s a purgatory of sorts where you’re alive, but not really living. Hostages have to rely on their captors for anything and everything, and their life is frozen in a nightmare bubble. The day hostages come home is a tough one. Everyone expects to see the same person, but the kidnapping has forever changed the former captive. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Peter Moore, the longest held hostage in

Iraq (almost 1000 days), and his story touched me deeply. Peter was taken with four British military gentlemen, and sadly, Peter is the only person who returned home. I’ve researched kidnap and ransom intensively for the last three years, interviewing kidnap negotiators, former hostages, reintegration experts, and the Special Forces soldiers who deliver ransoms and execute rescues. I hope that people who read THE FREEDOM BROKER will learn about kidnapping while escaping into an international thriller.

The protagonist is fantastic, well-developed, strong-arm female heroine. What (or who) inspired you to write this character?

Thanks for your kind words about Thea Paris. I always wanted to write an alphafemale character. We have many strong male protagonists, like Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, and James Bond—but a female hero offers something fresh and new. Thea is feminine, intelligent, and has type 1 diabetes, and she can handle herself with great skill during tactical missions. I hope readers will connect with her. When she was eight years old, she watched her brother being kidnapped. Frozen in fear, she wasn’t able to help. Her brother returned home after nine months in captivity but was never the same. That experience shaped her dreams and goals. She wanted to become a freedom broker and spend her life bringing hostages back home.

I have to assume this won’t be the last of its kind. Please, do tell, when can we expect to see part two?

I was fortunate to receive a two-book contract, so SKYJACK is almost finished and will be coming out in early 2018. Thea is shepherding two African orphans to their new home in London when the plane they are on is hijacked. The action kicks off from there. Secret stay-behind armies from WWII, the Vatican, and the CIA figure prominently in this new adventure, spanning the globe from Libya to Bosnia to Austria— and the not-so-friendly skies.

Read our interview with K.J. Howe at: www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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