Twisted Threads received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Kaylin McFarren.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Twisted Threads – Published on November 19, 2018. This is the fourth book in my Threads series, but it was written to stand alone.
What’s the book’s first line?
Actually, I have two opening lines in this book. One is in the Prologue, “The watcher boarded a cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a full stomach and renewed appetite for revenge.” The second opening line is in Chapter One, “Blood streamed down the side of Akira Sato’s face at an alarming rate, mixing bright red against the white porcelain tub.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Akira Hamada, a beautiful Japanese geisha, failed at killing Kaito Mitsui two years ago—the same yakuza gang leader who destroyed her lover and forced her to become an assassin. Now, with his sister’s murderer traveling to the Caribbean on a cruise ship, Akira has ten days at sea to identify her target and complete her assignment as her penance, or face her own death. But falling in love with her target’s nephew was never part of the plan and may prove to be her undoing.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
My husband is an 8th degree black belt in karate and a recognized sword master. In addition, he is a successful businessman and has taken me with him to Japan on numerous trips, which allowed me the opportunity to interact with interesting people, including a mama-san, dozens of geishas, and even a former member of a Yakuza gang. Meeting these individuals was not only remarkable and life changing, but also provided me with creative ideas on how to utilize the knowledge I’d been fortunate to acquire.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If they are a fan of murder mysteries and thrillers, and have never been exposed to an unusual erotic story, they’ll discover that this book is definitely unique as it mixes these genres together and creates a satisfying result they won’t experience with other books.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Akira Hamada (formerly Sato) is a beautiful Japanese geisha who has been forced to live the life of an assassin. She has the toned skills and killer instinct of Beatrix Kiddo (aka The Bride in the Kill Bill movies), while possessing the ability to seduce her victims like Kathleen Turner’s character in Body Heat. However, she is also naive when it comes to romance and matters of the heart, as she has spent most of her life in controlled isolation.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Keiko Kitagawa would be the perfect person to play Akira. She’s a beautiful and incredibly talented Japanese actress. And Ryan Gosling would make a great Devon Lyons with his good looks and charming playboy manner.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Shortly after my father died, 18 years ago, I was compelled to write a story about our complex, exasperating relationship. It turned into a fictional story about a woman’s journey to find forgiveness and ultimately won numerous literary awards.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, my first book was titled Flaherty’s Crossing and was published by the Champagne Book Group.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m the President of a non-profit foundation, which raises money for children’s hospitals and cancer research.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Four to six hours a day.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Receiving reviews from major newspapers and from readers in general. Being an indie author also requires endless hours of self-promotion that eats into valuable writing time.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Stay focused on why you’ve chosen to write and publish books. Is it for your own pleasure? For family members and friends? Then relax and simply have fun. If you’re writing to become a successful author and have expectations of earning huge advances and noterity, I’m sorry to say this…but don’t hold your breath. Every day, thousands of new books are released in the marketplace, and unless you’ve written something extraordinary, created a storyline unlike anything that has been done before, or have a relationship with the “right” person (Oprah Winfrey for instance), the chances of being discovered and turned into a rock star author are incredibly rare. So just stay real and enjoy sharing those stories you love telling.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would probably take the bite because being an indie author means long hours of self-promotion despite having the freedom to make choices; it would be a nice change to have a team of employees to assist with marketing and basically getting the word out on newly released books.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
I honestly enjoy the gratification of seeing my work completed and a shiny new book on the shelf. And it sure doesn’t hurt to receive an occasional ego boost from unexpected book awards and positive reviews from readers.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
For the choice of a living author, I would have to say Jodi Picoult. She knows how to create clever phrasing and fascinating characters; plus she isn’t afraid of controversial subject matters. For a deceased author, I would pick Agatha Christie. She drew my interest in reading toward mysteries at a young age and, in my opinion, every successful mystery writer owes her a debt of gratitude.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Memoirs of a Geisha. I will always love this book, but then I’m also a huge fan of interesting cultural experiences.