It's been approximately 2 years now that I have been part of this wonderful community of book blogging and I can honestly say that I still enjoy it as much as I did when I first started. I can also say that when an author contacts me, I am still amazed an honored. As I am with today's guest. I don't even know where to begin because he is throwing a party to launch his newest book. So let's get started!!! Please help me welcome Mr. Larry Kahn.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Larry developed a keen interest in social issues while attending Yale Law School, an idealistic spirit that continues to spice his novels. The vision of a colorblind America in his political thriller The Jinx led to endorsements by leaders of the ACLU, National Urban League and Artists Against Racism. And as the Baby Boomer generation scatters about the country, King of Paine envisions a renewed emphasis on family and tradition in which Americans create for their venerable elders, and ultimately themselves, a peaceful place to die.
You can visit Larry at the following places: website, Facebook, GoodReads, Twitter
GUEST POST
My Inspiration For King of Paine
I'm often asked about my inspiration for King of Paine because the story melds two wildly different story lines. In one, Special Agent Frank Paine hunts an online stalker who's taunting him with crimes hinting at the agent's own kinky past. At the same time, reporter Roger Martin is guided by an angelic woman to investigate missing senior citizens across the country. Naturally, the two plot lines connect in a shocking way.
Many authors look to their characters for inspiration; I tend to become intrigued by a plot point or theme first and then build characters around that. Given King of Paine's split personality, it's not surprising that it was inspired by two distinct ideas.
After receiving nice feedback about the sex scenes in The Jinx, my mind was predisposed to pursuing an erotic theme in the next book, and a case study in Psychology Today piqued that interest. The details escape me, but my recollection is that a woman had met a man in an online sex chat room and, after establishing a relationship, agreed to reenact a bondage fantasy in a live meeting. During the encounter she attempted to withdraw consent. The article examined the effectiveness of prior consent as a legal defense when the ability to withdraw it is impaired.
That case study led me to build a plot line around the world of online BDSM chat and the mix of ordinary people and devious predators who inhabit it. Even the wary may find it impossible to distinguish an innocent geek exploring his or her dark fantasies from a warped freak intent on doing harm. It made me wonder where that line could be drawn, and Frank Paine navigates that issue as he sorts victims from suspects.
My second inspiration derived from musings about personal accountability of the terminally ill. It's natural to have a violent urge from time to time, but fear of God or imprisonment prevents most of us from acting on it. I questioned what moral forces would keep a desperate patient in check when the law and religion were less motivating. Consider this snippet from a conversation between Frank Paine and his FBI colleague, the cyber agent Jeronimo Reyes:
Jero sipped his coffee, contemplating his response. “I think we rely upon the good faith of strangers for our survival every day. I’m less comfortable when strangers don’t believe in the salvation of their soul, and the law fails to act as a backstop. And, for all the wonderful things people say about Simone Perlow, until we have the chance to interview her, she’s still a stranger to me—as is your new girlfriend, by the way.”
Several characters stricken with cancer figure prominently in the story, including Simone Perlow, the co-founder of an organization called Doctors With Cancer. This gave me an opportunity to experiment with how different people react to the same stressors. An FBI profiler can analyze a crime and predict with some statistical accuracy many of the demographic and psychological qualities of the perpetrator. When faced with a stressful change in life like loss of health, employment, or a loved one, some people snap.
Yet the predictive quality of these triggers runs only one way. No profiler can foretell how any particular person will react. Like my characters in King of Paine, some snap, others take courageous action. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
I'll be responding to your questions tomorrow on my Goodreads Q&A, live from 1PM to 2PM and from 7PM to 8PM (you can leave questions any time). On Wednesday, Natalie at Purple Jelly Bean Chair Reviews will wrap up the tour with a review, author interview, and book giveaway. Don't forget to submit your entry for theKing of Paine Kindle Giveaway Contest by midnight on Wednesday. Good luck and my sincere thanks for your interest and support! The warmth with which I have been embraced by my tour hosts and readers inspires me.
King of Paine Kindle Giveaway Contest Details
Eligibility: The drawing for the grand prize will be limited to residents of the US and Canada, but there are no restrictions on eligibility for other prizes. No Purchase Necessary.
Dates: All entries must be submitted on the official entry form by 11:59pm Eastern Time on December 21, 2011.
Selection of Winners: On December 22, 2011, the author will use an online random number generator to select prize winners from among all valid entries. Prior to selection, each participant will be assigned one chance simply for entering the contest plus additional chances for helping to promote King of Paine as follows:
BUY a copy of King of Paine--25 chances for each copy.
REVIEW King of Paine
and post it on any popular book website, your blog, or social media—10 chances
for each site (up to 10 sites).
BLOG about King of Paine
(including hosting a guest post or interview) and/or this contest and link to Larry's
website—25 chances.
SHARE the contest announcement (or Larry's King
of Paine post) on Facebook and Twitter--10 chances each.
ASK a question on Larry's Goodreads
Q&A--10 chances.
COMMENT about King of Paine
on Larry's website or a blog on the King of Paine Blog Tour—5
chances for each blog (one comment per blog).
JOIN Larry's website using Google Friend Connect--5 chances.
SUBSCRIBE to Larry's newsletter--5 chances.
LIKE/FOLLOW Larry on social media—5 chances each.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A desperate patient. A rumored cure. How far would you go to find the fountain of youth?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/King-of-Paine-ebook/dp/B005E1K0QO
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-of-paine-larry-kahn/1032042906
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/72217
THANKS TO AUTHOR, LARRY KAHN,
I HAVE ONE (1) AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF
THIS FAST PACED SUSPENSE TO GIVE AWAY.
*OPEN TO ALL*
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.
DISCLAIMER
No items
that I receive
are ever
sold...they are kept by me,
or given to
family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not
have any affiliation with Amazon.com,
Barnes
& Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale
outlets
either online and/or elsewhere.
I am
providing this link solely for visitors
that may be
interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
I do not
receive any monetary compensation from any parties
2 comments:
This is my first visit to this blog and I am very pleased to have found it (thanks to Larry Kahn)!
I read Larry's novel KING OF PAINE a couple of months ago and loved everything about it. Having two very different plot lines in the novel only enhanced the story. The comfort of reading Larry's style of writing couldn't be better and the novel included many thought-provoking ideas which I love about a novel. It also offered a cool mystery so this suspense thriller has that added spice (mystery) as well.
I loved reading what Larry's inspirations were behind the two plot lines and I loved his answers. Very intriguing and personal for me too!
I like this book so much that I am going to read it again. For any readers here who have not had a chance to read it... please don't pass it up with it being such a great deal at $.99. In my opinion it is worth so much more as a good read!
Lori in Arizona
Wonderful review on a wonderful blog. I enjoyed reading your thoughts about Larry's book. Thanks for writing.
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