Author: King Hurley

ISBN: 0977418804

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, King Hurley, author of The Interview.

Good day King and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Just out of curiosity, how did you get your name of “King?”

King:

I was blessed to receive the name, King, from my wife, Carole King. My pen name reflects my official last name.

Norm:

Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.
 
King:

I have been surrounded by a loving family and amazing friends my entire life. Early in my business career I was extremely fortunate to spend three years traveling around the world setting up business partnerships for a Japanese pharmaceutical company. I also was able to be the CEO of three great companies at a young age and to work with outstanding individuals. Many of the messages in The Interview are derived from these great experiences.

Norm:

What kind of research did you do to write The Interview, particularly the chapters where Michael travels to Thailand? (Coincidentally, as I was completing the reading of the novel, there was a coup in Thailand!)

King:

As I mentioned earlier, I traveled extensively to Thailand as an executive with a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company early in my career. Most of the scenes and details in The Interview come directly from my personal interactions with the country.

Norm:

How did you come up with ideas for The Interview? What methods did you use to flesh out your ideas to determine if it’s salable?

King:

The entire story of The Interview came to me over a glass of wine. I realized that I wanted to create a forum through which I could communicate important life and business concepts in a business thriller. A lot of business books tend to be rather dry and dull. I wanted to pass along business and personal insights, but to do so in a compelling novel. To be honest, I was more interested in telling the story in the right way than worrying about if the idea was salable.

Norm:

How much real-life do you put into The Interview? Is there much “you” in there?

King:

The book is definitely fictional but I was able to use life experiences to capture key elements of the novel. The issues faced by the characters in The Interview are issues I personally witnessed in my corporate life. The business world can at times be extremely brutal and I wanted to capture those elements for the reader.

Norm:

How do you approach the work of writing?  Do you have a writing mentor? Was there anyone who really influenced you to become a writer?

King:

I write while I am flying on airplanes since it provides a great environment without any distractions except for the occasional turbulence!  My mentor has been Mark Graham, who is a beautiful writer and a great philosopher. The book is really a creation in which I received feedback/help/guidance from my family and wonderful friends.

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

King:

The editing process was a more complex undertaking than I expected. I overcame this challenge by getting some great help--namely from a great editor, Melanie Mulhall. She has been absolutely a dream to work with on this project and on my second novel. The editing process is brain numbing and a very tedious process.

Norm:

I noticed that your book was published by Paandaa Entertainment. Is this a company for authors who wish to self-publish or is this your own publishing house?

King:

Paandaa is designed as an artist-centric publishing house and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Paandaa is looking for new authors to join the Paandaa family and is currently slated to launch four new novels in 2007. Mark Stevens is a wonderful Colorado writer and will be launching his first novel, Antler Dust, in March under the Paandaa label.

Norm:

I understand that you have another book in the works. What makes you want to write a new book?

King:

Mondai Nai will be launched in the spring and is a book I have wanted to write for almost 25 years. It’s based loosely on my business and personal dealings with the Japanese—dealings that have been extraordinarily positive. Mondai Nai is a business thriller that takes place in Japan, and I am excited to have it published next year.

Norm:

How do you intend to market The Interview?  Will you be using the Internet and if so, how?

King:

The Internet is such a powerful tool to communicate but also intimidating due to the complexity of getting your message correctly communicated. I am working with John Shors at GroundFloor Media in Denver to help me navigate the market. John has written a magnificent novel called Beneath a Marble Sky and has been a great marketing partner.

Norm:

How did you approach writing the characters of Michael King and Dr. Chu Zhong Liu? Did you plan them out or did they evolve as you wrote the book?

King:

Michael King was well established from the start of the book. Dr. Chu and his two beautiful daughters evolved into really fascinating characters…I wish they existed in real life!

Norm:

What is next for King Hurley?

King:

Mondai Nai is being published in the spring and I have started a third novel called The Little Kahuna.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

King:

Norm, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share the book with your readers. Enjoy!

Thanks once again and good luck with your books.

The above interview was conducted by:  NORM GOLDMAN:  Editor of Bookpleasures. Here are more of  Norm Goldman's Reviews       

To read Norm's Review of The Interview CLICK HERE