Interview With Kenneth Hoss, Author of Storm Rising

I am honored to have my friend Kenneth Hoss with me today.  He wrote Storm Rising, one of my favorite novels.  We met about a year ago in a place on twitter called #pubwrite and we keep in touch ever since then.  He is a great writer and I hope you will read on about where he gets his inspiration and tells us a little about his novel, and as a teaser I asked him to tell us about the sequel he is working on. If you want to, you might find him quaffing down a cold one at #pubwrite, and chasing some of the young female writers who hang out there.
Here is my review I posted some time ago on http://amazon.com/

I enjoyed reading Storm Rising. I really got into the character Kelly Storm who is sort of a loose cannon on the police force. She doesn't follow rules and has a gritty edge. She is like a dirty Harry, but a female detective. The story weaves current events into the past. Much of the drama takes place while she is wrestling with how to take care of her mother who has Alzheimer's. She is driven to find her father's murderer. She also is enlisting the help of her ex, who is also a cop. Someone is out to kill Detective Kelly Storm and anyone associated closely to her. This sets up a string of murders, kidnappings and intense drama which will keep you turning pages and wanting more. Looking forward to the sequel and Kelly Storm adventures. Great debut thriller from a new writer who writes from the hip and doesn't hold anything back.

Here is a pic of Kenneth and the cover of Storm Rising.  If you like the cover art you might want to contact George Arnold at WGA Designs.  http://wgadesigns.blogspot.com/p/about-me-and-contact.html
George also did the cover for my novel In The Midnight Hour and my new novel Moon Shadow which should be coming out soon if the stars all align. You can view the covers here on my blog.  George is married to the talented Carolyn Arnold. A prolific author I admire.  You can find her on her web site at. http://carolynarnold.net/

Thanks again for hanging out with us today and I hope you enjoyed the interview.  If you would like to have me interview you if you are a published writer and give a short review of your novel here on http://charachterswellmet.blogspot.com/  ,leave a comment below and I will get back to you soon.

1. So Kenneth. Love your last name Hoss. Fitting, especially since you live in Texas. Now that you live in Texas, are you considering writing a novel about cops who live in Dallas or Houston?


I have another series in mind, though it’s still in the beginning stages. The story is set in San Antonio and the idea is to have my MC, a local Sherriff’s Detective, trying to catch a killer on the River Walk, which as anyone who has ever been there knows is a very busy place during the nicer months of the year. Tourist equal targets.

2. I couldn't help but notice your novel is pretty accurate with police procedures. Did you derive this knowledge from personal experience?

Some of the book is taken from real world experience, between my travels and being an ex-cop. I was lucky to connect with an ex-NYPD Detective on a Police Forum I belong to and he kept me straight on the NYPD procedures and the small details.

3. You have a significant presence on social networking sights like Twitter (where I met you) and Facebook, and your blog. Where do you find the time to promote, what with writing a sequel and your day job?

I make time, when I can. For Twitter, I currently use HootSuite to do my tweeting. It works fairly well and you can schedule your tweets. As for the blog, it’s not a daily thing. I add post to it when I have something to add, such as when I do the Indie Author Spotlight or Author Interviews. I’m all about promoting other Indie authors and believe that we Indies have to stick together.

4. Your debut novel was self published. Did you attempt trying to go the more conventional Legacy publishing route or did you try to seek out an agent? Also on that same vein, would you recommend the self publishing route?

I did try the Traditional route first, and after some time came up with a query letter and the book blurb. I researched agents and publishing companies to see which ones were interested in Police Procedurals. I sent out fifteen letters via e-mail the first month and waited two weeks for any kind of response. Out of the fifteen, I received three replies, all of which were basically “Thanks, but no thanks.” I didn’t let that stop me, and sent out another fifteen, this time receiving five responses, and though all were encouraging, they nonetheless were not interested at this time. I continued sending out queries and even partials for the next six months. One day, while on Absolute Write, I noted that several of my fellow writers were talking about Smashwords. They talked about how easy it was to self-publish a book. I checked out the site and the rest as they say is history.

5. What advice could you give new authors who need help promoting their first novel with social networking? (me for instance)

Just keep pushing it. Tweet, blog and Facebook as much as you can. I have had minor success with social media, while others have had great success. The bottom line is, you need to get the word out.

6. Your novel takes place in an urban setting and then your main characters ended up in Mexico. Did you have first hand experience in these locals?

I have had experience in Mexico, especially in El Paso and Juarez, though it was years before all of the violence that is taking place there now. Once upon a time, shortly after 9/11, I was laid off from a very good IT job. As most know, it was not a good time to be out of work. In order to make ends meet, and they seldom did, I took a job driving 18-wheelers cross-country. A lot my trips took me to the El Paso area, and a few times when I was laid over, I would make an excursion across the border to Juarez. It’s a whole different world down there.

Last question and don't laugh.



7. Did you find it difficult writing a female protagonist? Do you have a female mentor who could give you feminine advice about how they think and handle themselves in personal situations?

I promise not to laugh. I was told when I started writing Storm Rising, that a man writing a female main character would never work. After I had completed the first draft and sent it out to betas, I proved that I could write a female character. (Just check out the reviews.) Kelli is a composite of several women I’ve known over the years, some good, some bad. I would also have to add that she has some of my traits thrown into the mix. She is loosely based on one woman in particular, someone I knew a long time ago, and she broke my heart. I guess in a way, writing Kelli was my own brand of therapy, because to this day I still think about her.





You can find my book on Amazon, in both eBook and paperback. It is also available on Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Smashwords.

Amazon Links:

http://amzn.to/AhvE5X

http://amzn.to/yDvcdT

Barnes & Noble:

http://bit.ly/GMDUXO

iTunes:

http://bit.ly/zkTyWG

Smashwords:

http://bit.ly/kCg52y



You can also follow me on Twitter - @kennhoss

My blog is: http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/





Reggie, here is the bio, blurb and teaser.

Kenneth Hoss was born at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 to Albert and Mary Hoss. He served a combined total of fourteen years on active duty from 1974 to 1987 in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. His tour in the Army took him to Frankfurt, Germany where he had the opportunity to travel around Europe. While in the Navy, Kenneth spent most of his time stationed in San Diego and Long Beach. His Navy travels took him to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Okinawa, Thailand and Pakistan. He has lived in several States, including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington and California. Kenneth began writing while in High School, mostly Sci/Fi and Fantasy. It wasn’t until May 2011 that he realized his dream and published his first novel, Storm Rising – A Kelli Storm Novel.



When a murder investigation turns Detective Kelli Storm’s attention to a drug kingpin, the last thing she expected was to find a link to her father’s killer from twenty years earlier.



Detectives Kelli Storm and Bill Hayes are investigating multiple homicides in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood.



When a young woman is murdered, Kelli tracks the killer to a Gentleman’s Club in Manhattan. There she locates an unwilling witness. When the woman is assaulted and left dying, the investigation takes a new twist. The DEA steps in and takes over, forcing Kelli off the case.



Kelli decides to take a different approach. Working behind the scenes, she pulls out one of her father’s old case files and finds a connection between the killer and his murder.



Teaser from Storm Warning – A Kelli Storm Novel



Three shots rang out and Detective Kelli Storm ducked behind the unmarked sedan, gripping her Glock 19. Her partner, Eric Ryder, lay in the street a few feet away, blood staining the left shoulder of his jacket.

She peered over the trunk lid to locate the shooter. The shots had come from the bodega on the corner. Bystanders ran past looking for cover as she edged toward Eric. She grabbed his right arm and pulled him out of the line of fire.

She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled her cell out. “Central, this is Detective Storm, badge number three zero two zero, requesting an 85 forthwith to my location for a 10-13, officer down.”

Eric looked up at her and mumbled. “What the hell happened?”

“Just stay still, backup is on the way. This son of a bitch just made a big mistake.”

 http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/

Sounds like a great new page turner.  Thanks again Kenneth for dropping by and also for spotlighting me on your blog.