interviews
First off, please tell our readers a little bit about
your new thriller, The Freedom Broker.
There are twenty-five elite kidnap
negotiators in the world. Only one is a
woman. And she’s the best in the business.
Thea Paris. She will do anything to bring
hostages back home. In The Freedom Broker,
Thea faces the toughest case of her career,
with a very special client: her father.
What inspired you to write this dark, yet
inspiring novel?
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The protagonist is fantastic, well-developed,
strong-arm female heroine. What (or who)
inspired you to write this character?
Thanks for your kind words about Thea Paris.
I always wanted to write an alpha-female
character. We have many strong male
protagonists, like Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher,
and James Bond—but a female hero offers
something fresh and new. Thea is feminine,
intelligent, and has type 1 diabetes, and she
can handle herself with great skill during
tactical missions. I hope readers will connect
with her. When she was eight years old, she
watched her brother being kidnapped. Frozen
in fear, she wasn’t able to help. Her brother
returned home after nine months in captivity,
but was never the same. That experience
shaped her dreams and goals. She wanted to
become a freedom broker and spend her life
bringing hostages back home.
I have to assume this won’t be the last of its
kind. When can we expect to see part two?
I was fortunate to receive a two-book
contract, so Skyjack is almost finished and
will be coming out in early 2018. Thea is
shepherding two African orphans to their new
home in London when the plane they are on is
What have some of your most memorable
achievements been so far in your career?
One special moment is the day I
received a call from my talented agent,
Victoria Sanders, telling me that we had
sold in the UK and US. It took time for
it to sink in. Another achievement
dovetails with the news of my sale.
When I first read The Brotherhood of the
Rose by David Morrell, I wanted to
become an author. If I could ever
provide that delightful respite that David
provided for anyone else, it would be a
very special accomplishment. Years later, I
pursued my Masters in Creative Writing at
Seton Hill University—where David Morrell
was a guest speaker. I met my hero, and he
inspired me to keep working towards my
dream. Fast forward to the ThrillerFest, the
annual conference of the International
Thriller Writers, co-founded by David
Morrell and Gayle Lynds. I attended the
first conference and started volunteering.
A couple of years later, I was the executive
director of this wonderful conference, and
now I’m proud to call David a friend and
mentor. Looking back at that moment
when I read his phenomenal book, I’m
honored that The Freedom Broker is published.
It took time, hard work, and sacrifice, and
I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Kimberley Howe lived internationally while
growing up, including years spent in the
Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the
Caribbean. Her father worked in tele-
communications, so her family was always
on the move. Adventure and travel—and
books—figured prominently as she traipsed
from place to place. Experiencing this eclectic
education offered unique insights into some of
the global hotspots in the world. Kim loved
reading, especially international thrillers, and
dreamed of one day becoming an author.
While she was developing her craft and
storytelling skills, she also held two jobs—
medical writing and the executive director of
ThrillerFest. The Freedom Broker is Kimberley’s
first major book release, and it is terrific! Now
onto our conversation:
hijacked. The action kicks off from there.
Secret stay-behind armies from WWII,
the Vatican, and the CIA figure
prominently in this new adventure,
spanning the globe from Libya to Bosnia
to Austria—and the not-so-friendly skies.
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH K. J. HOWE, AUTHOR
OF THE FREEDOM BROKER
Kidnapping fascinated me. It’s a purgatory
of sorts where you’re alive, but not really
living. Hostages have to rely on their
captors for anything and everything, and
their life is frozen in a nightmare bubble.
The day hostages come home is a tough
one. Everyone expects to see the same
person, but the kidnapping has forever
changed the former captive. I’ve had the
privilege of getting to know Peter Moore,
the longest-held hostage in Iraq (almost
1000 days), and his story touched me
deeply. Peter was taken with four British
military gentlemen, and sadly, Peter is the
only person who returned home. I’ve
researched kidnap and ransom intensively
for the last three years, interviewing kidnap
negotiators, former hostages, reintegration
experts, and the Special Forces soldiers
who deliver ransoms and execute rescues. I
hope that people who read The Freedom
Broker will learn about kidnapping while
escaping into an international thriller.
INTERVIEWS
Do you have advice for independent bookstores
on how to organize successful in-store events?
During my recent book tour, I was very
impressed with the way each bookstore had
its own approach toward its events. Probably
the best way to organize events is to create a
group of interested readers who enjoy
meeting authors and encouraging those
people to bring friends to the event. Then
again, cookies and wine might help!
Read more of our interview with K. J. Howe at:
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
TOPShelf magazine
JUNE2017 15