Interview with A. K Kuykendall

Welcome to JBR! 

We are thrilled to have you visiting today. 

With the huge give away going on what item are you offering to our wonderful readers?

For the giveaway, I offer an autographed special collectors hardcover edition of The Possession, book #1 in the Writer’s Block trilogy; published by Felsen Press and imprint of Decent Hill Publishers, LLC.

ABOUT THE BOOK—

Gregory Stillingsworth, a world-renowned horror writer, an author who has already surpassed the greats, was destined to reach the top, surpassing Koontz, King, etc. Or was he? Was he destined; instead, to live the life carved for him by his cursed forebears? Instinctively, it has always been Gregory’s custom to write his books one after another. His wife, Jamie, who serves as his lawyer, critic, and business partner, gave up convincing him to slow down so to focus on starting a family. Gregory, though, is relentless in nourishing his career; that is until for the first time, he runs out of words, sending him into an uncontrollable rage that even his wife cannot comprehend. Is this unexpected rage an extreme reaction to the stresses of writer’s block? Or is it the unveiling of his true role among us, a scribe born into this world only to write of the coming Armageddon?

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Albany, Georgia, but grew up as a military brat on the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), and later at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. I’m married to Magdiel Kuykendall and I’m the proud father three sons: Felix, Kal-El, and Jor-El. I’m a corporate executive chef by trade. My true passion in life, however, is writing thought-provoking novels that blend the concepts of fact and fiction.

Influenced by the emotional and social strength of my mother, I have an infectious love of bringing women to the surface of my literature. My love and respect for women inspires me to write stories featuring strong female protagonists. To keep my literary skills sharp, I’m also a poet and an extremely passionate economic, political, and social blogger.

What genres do you like to write?

My genres are conspiracy, espionage, horror, and suspense.

What is your newest release?

My newest novel, which launched June 11, 2013, is The Evolution of the Patron Saint, book #1 in the Conspirator’s Odyssey series; published by IntoPrint Publishers, LLC.

ABOUT THE BOOK—

THE DAY WAS ROUTINE for Captain Kalista Flaker, but the order passed down to her the morning of October 3, 1998 was far from routine. This order created of her an assassin charged with performing an unthinkable act: killing her very own. The mission was simple and in the same difficult. She was to lead a team in a covert operation to South Vietnam. Their mission: Eliminate American POW's still being held captive since the Vietnam conflict. Yet the reasons behind this inhumane mission will prove to be literally out of this world as the nefarious meaning behind former President Dwight David Eisenhower's bold statement "Beware of the military's industrial complex" will be boldly revealed. Captain Flaker, this hard-nose Army Ranger of the 4th Battalion, 76th Ranger Regiment, could have never imagined what was possible within the boundaries of the nation she took an oath to defend.

What are you working on right now?

Currently, I’m working on book #2 in the Writer’s Block trilogy entitled Purgatory. The book trailer for the project will be available mid July.

Any future projects you can hint about?

I’m gathering pertinent US classified Intel as a stepping stone for the next book in the Conspirator’s Odyssey series entitled Origin.

As a writer can you give aspiring authors any advice or some of your wisdom?

First, I admire anyone who’d dare brave the waters of my chosen shtick and who’d step foot into an area of artistry that I find so fascinating. Your level of experience is of know concern to me as you’ve chosen to step into the same waters as us all. You’ve chosen to put brush to your canvas and I stand in support therefore you have my vote. I’m sure your painting’s [figuratively speaking] will eventually gain the admiration of many, but for now you must arm yourself with the strongest tool a writer could ever have at their disposal: and editor. Remember, you are the ideas craftsman, but an editor’s core objective is to bring said ideas into focus. Be smart when hiring an editor and learn from the editorial. Compare your original work to that of the editorial. This, I believe, will be the strongest path for any writer.

Last but not least, each of us has a duty to inform the masses about our chosen shtick because everyone needs to know why we love the written word. Why we write. Why we put ink to paper. Why we dare to proclaim ourselves storytellers in a world where books and reading are damn near second to the moving story. Why we covertly, overtly, and strategically attempt to journey all back to a time when the imagination was our collective muse. Books are inanimate objects and only animate when a reader lightly peels back that first page and allows the story to unfold—lighting a robust fire under the ass of a reader’s dormant imagination.

We are authors! We were once gods of villages at a time children and elders, nightly, sat at our feet anxious to lend an ear to our words. As writers we must make it abundantly clear to all, that supporting our efforts in every way is a noble undertaking. So as you take your next
steps as a writer wherever your career happens to be at present, stand tall and let the world know exactly who we are and why we deserve support.

If you could meet one character from your books who would it be and why?

If I could meet one of my characters it would have to be Captain Kalista Flaker—United States Army Ranger and platoon leader of the kick-ass 4th Battalion, 76th Ranger Regiment. She is my protagonist for the series Conspirator’s Odyssey. And in her debut novel entitled The Evolution of the Patron Saint, you too will see just how magnanimous she really is.

Are there any other people or authors that have inspired you or helped you along the way?

What inspires me is lengthy and convoluted as I’ve been inspirated by many factions throughout my life. The world is beautiful; lending so much to the cause of many artists from all walks of life and artistic shticks. My life has been one marred with complexities I’m literally writing my way through. Though I haven’t perfected this chosen path, I will continue to follow this invisible muse through to the end.

Inspirations are abundant!
Some of my favorites are Rod Serling’s 1959—1964 series the Twilight Zone to The Mercury Theatre’s October 30, 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio; where actor Orson Welles continues to frighten the hell out of me. What H.G. Wells created has been a huge inspiration for me. I’ve long been particularly fond the poetry of Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Robert Browning, John Ruskin, Sir Thomas Brown, and the novels of George Elliot, Charlette and Emily Bronte, Stephen King, Rick Hautala, Michael Marshall, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelly, Robert Louis Stevenson, James Patterson, Jack Higgins, S.E. Chase, and Nicholas Sparks to name a few.

How about some fun stuff?

This could prove to be fun and an intimate peek into my personality as it pertains to my family:
I’ve dedicated my life to my son’s [my supermen] Kal-El Price Kuykendall and Jor-El Price Kuykendall; both of whom are—just as superman’s father [Jor-El] thought as he sent his only son to earth to escape Krypton’s destruction—my greatest achievements and gifts to this world.
And yes, those have been my son’s legal names since birth!

What is you fav activity besides writing?

I spend as much time with my wife and children as I can. Life is so short, yeah?

Do you own any pets?

No pets at this time! My boys have proven to be quite a handful to feed, cloth, vaccinate, keep clean, pick-up after, etc.

Fav place to travel?

Anything having to do with the Southwest!

Fav author you can recommend to our readers?

My all-time favorite author is Mr. Dean Koontz—his work, not to mention, his career journey is one that I find fascinating.

Fav book?

With my all-time favorite author being Mr. Dean Koontz, it is only appropriate to mention that his project Mr. Murder holds a significant place within my cerebral cortex.

And finally where can we find you and your books?

Visit the site where truth reads through fiction @ www.thewriterofbooks.com

Thank you for coming to JBR. I enjoyed talking to you and we hope to see you again here on Julies Book Review.

Julie Ramsey
ADM JBR