Khaled Talib's Blog, page 11
October 4, 2017
October 2, 2017
Free Book
The Little Book of Muses (inspirational quotes for writers) is free to download on Kindle till 6, October. Don't forget to leave a review on Amazon. Thank you.
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Mu...
September 10, 2017
September 7, 2017
The first review of Gun Kiss. “Take a deep breath before reading Gun Kiss.”
Ask any author what’s it like to wait for their book’s first review, and you’ll probably get a nervous answer. But I’m excited that Gun Kiss’s first review is now out, from Midwest Book Review, and it’s a nice one. Take a peek:
“The mark of a superior thriller lies in its ability to seamlessly transcend borders, boundaries, and special interests to provide a series of interwoven subplots that all come together in a satisfying crescendo of intrigue designed to keep readers on edge right up to the end.
“Take a deep breath before reading Gun Kiss. Its special brand of activity and complex personal and criminal interactions makes it hard to put down, and highly recommended for thriller and crime readers alike.”
Temperature… stable.
September 5, 2017
Valorous Cats in History
Some famous wartime cats who performed above and beyond their duty.
Simon
Simon’s efforts for Britain’s Royal Navy didn’t go unnoticed during World War II. He first survived a brutal attack that killed his caretaker, and proceeded to annihilate rats and raise the morale of his crew. He became a national hero, which earned him the prestigious Dickin Medal. He is the only cat ever to receive the award.
Crimean Tom
In 1854, when British and French troops occupied the Russian port town of Sevastopol, Tom led the famished troops to caches of food beneath a rubble hidden along the waterfront by the Russians. Tom was adopted as a mascot by the grateful soldiers. He was later taken back to England when the troops were called back.
Tiddles
Born and raised a ship cat, Tiddles served a few Royal Navy aircraft carriers, including the HMS Victorious in the early 1940s as the official Captain’s Cat. He traveled over 30,000 miles during his naval service.
Faith
She made her home at Saint Augustine’s Church in London in 1936. On September 6, 1940, the mother of one apparently instinctively moved her recently born kitten from the warm upper floors to the basement. The church was bombed by the Germans a day later. Faith and her kitten, Panda, were rescued from beneath the rubble by Father Henry Ross. The cat was later awarded a special medal for “steadfast courage in the Battle of London.”
Pitouchi
The kitten was born in the Belgian trenches during World War I. After his mother was killed, Lieutenant Lekeux of the 3rd Regiment Artillery, decided to adopt Pitouchi, the only survivor of the litter. The Germans were up to something, throwing dirt near a thicket. Lekeux decided to investigate. With Pitoutchi on his shoulder, he left the trenches. He hid in a nearby shell hole to sketch their activity. He didn’t notice the enemy soldiers approaching. When he finally did, it was too late for him to run.
Lekeux hoped the Germans would not see him. When they came closer, he heard one of them say, “He’s in the hole.” Pitouchi jumped out of the shell hole. Startled, the Nazi soldiers fired twice at the cat, but thankfully missed. The cat managed to jump back into the hole. The Nazi soldiers laughed it off thinking they had mistaken the cat for a man. Lekeux returned safely behind the Belgian lines with his unharmed cat.
August 18, 2017
Gladiators Didn’t Always Fight to the Death
I guess this would be considered the boy’s locker room by today’s standard. While researching the Colosseum in Rome, I discovered plenty of things that I took for granted about gladiator fights. And then I realized how we’ve been duped by Hollywood.
Contrary to what the movies always show, not all gladiators were slaves nor did they always fight to the death. It’s too expensive to have a dead gladiator, especially after training and investing in these guys. It made no economical sense to exterminate the guy.
The “thumbs down” probably didn’t mean death even. Interestingly, there were also women gladiators.
These guys were even celebrities and icons.
Now we know…
August 13, 2017
Why I included Romance in My New Thriller
Anyone who has read my first two novels will know that the stories were devoid of romance. I just couldn’t do it.
Maybe it was me at that time or maybe it was how things went along as the stories progressed. Honestly, it bothered me to include flowers and chocolates when the scenes were full of gruff and grit.
With all the excitement and intensity (and no time to lose!), I felt squeamish about including scenes with birds chirping or lovers staring into each other’s eyes.
But when I thought my mind was fixed that I will write stories without characters watching the moonlight together, I went against my own word. So I included romance in my upcoming thriller, Gun Kiss. Obviously, the title is a dead giveaway.
Why the sudden turnaround? Well, a Hollywood actress inspired me. A blonde. Watching some of her movies put me in that atmosphere. You know, when you walk past someone and you get a whiff of a perfume she’s wearing that titillate your senses? Something like that. She inspired me.
Never say never, I guess. We think we know ourselves, but see how things turn out for me? I surprised myself. You know what else? I really enjoyed writing this novel. I was passionate about it, and it only took me six months to complete.
But don’t expect the conventional “Love is in the air” with this novel. This is a thriller, after all. Expect – well, I’m not going to say more – you’ll just have to read it.
I promise you an exciting read. Of course, there’s going to be some chocolates and flowers… but there’s also going to be lots of guns. Is it going to be a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang type of story? That’s for you to decide…
If you like to be included in my email list, please contact me and I’ll keep you updated.
August 6, 2017
Keeping a Gun: What are Your Thoughts?
My new Gun Kiss has a scene where it discusses the dilemma of a woman debating whether or not she needs a handgun when her life is put in danger.
I suppose, depending where you live, the question might pop up whether or not you need to keep one.
There are more than a dozen handguns out there designed specifically for women. They are easy to carry and concealable.
Here’s an example: The Ruger LC9s (9mm).
What are your thoughts about owning a gun?
Feel free to email me @ khaled_talib AT hotmail dot com
July 31, 2017
July 17, 2017
Escape from Syria
During the early days of the Syrian war I was monitoring a family friend who smuggled himself out of the country. I didn’t say anything to anyone because his safety was paramount.
In the course of his journey he was swindled, robbed, almost killed but he made it to Egypt then to Libya before reaching Italy. Some money was transferred to him.
He kept in touch with that “someone” I know through a cell phone at various stops. He’s safe now somewhere in Europe. His wife and family are with him.
