Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Kenneth Eade - An Author Interview at the HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Bestselling top 100 political and legal thriller Author Kenneth Eade. He is the author of the Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series and the Involuntary Spy Espionage Series. Kenneth writes Thriller and Mystery novels.



Author Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

Website: Kenneth Eade Best selling author
Author's Blog: The Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series
Twitter: @KennethEade1
E-Mail: info@kennetheade.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest

Amazon Author Profile



Author Description:
Described by critics as "one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene," author Kenneth Eade, best known for his legal and political thrillers, practiced law for 30 years before publishing his first novel, "An Involuntary Spy." Eade, an up-and-coming author in the legal thriller and courtroom drama genre, has been described by critics as "One of our strongest thriller writers on the scene and the fact that he draws his stories from the contemporary philosophical landscape is very much to his credit." He is the author of the "Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series", the fifth installment of which, Killer.com, won best legal thriller in the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards, and the "Involuntary Spy Espionage Series".

Said Eade of the comparisons, "Readers compare me in style to John Grisham and, there are some similarities, because John also likes to craft a story around real topics and we are both lawyers. However, all of my novels are rooted in reality, not fantasy. I use fictional characters and situations to express factual and conceptual issues. Some use the term 'faction' to describe this style, and it is present in all my fictional works."

Eade has written twelve novels, which are now in the process of being translated into six languages. He is known to keep in touch with his readers, and offers a free Kindle book to all those who sign up at his web site, www.kennetheade.com.


SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Congratulations on your book: Decree of Finality. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Beyond All Recognition. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Beyond All Recognition" is scheduled to be released July 18, 2016 and is available for pre-order at: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-All-Recognition-Thriller-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B01ELUCTVC.

The story is about a young man who went to West Point on a scholarship and repaid the favor to his country by doing four tours in the Middle East as a Captain in the various phases of the never-ending Iraq war. When he comes back to the States, he succeeds in fighting his demons (and his PTSD) and manages to build himself a seemingly normal life. All that comes crushing down when the Army begins court martial proceedings against him for murder for an incident which occurred during combat. Court martial defendants are entitled to civilian counsel, so he hires Brent Marks, the series protagonist.

You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?

I can't really quantify the degree of success from social media, but I know there have been some followers who have converted to readers. To build the following, I visited other author's pages whom I support and followed their followers. A percentage of them followed back. I also tweet things about books as well as other subjects I am interest in, which also builds the following. Most of the followers are authors, readers, or both. I work social media in to all of my promotions, but mostly use Twitter.

Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I live outside the United States, so most of my signings and talks are in Europe. Some US venues have been proposed, but not enough to build an overseas trip yet. Every event usually has a press release and is posted on my website.

You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Does your wife, Valentina, help in your cover photography and design? (Valentina Eade is an international portraitist and fine art photographer.)

Thank you. I am still using a hands-on approach. I look at other covers in the genre and particular subject which look appealing, and try to get inspiration from them. Valentina helps me with consultation. I have a cover designer who takes the suggestions from us and gives us several examples to choose from. Then we fine tune the one we like the best.

You have several great book trailers. (See links below.) They look very professional. Do you know how much impact they have had on your book’s success? Tell us about the process that you used to create your trailers? Do you use the trailer in your character development? Are the pictures and background the way you see your characters and scenes?

In my opinion, trailers don't translate to success, which means sales. I give the trailer artist a script and the idea of what types of images to use and she locates them and makes a draft for my approval. I found her on Fiverr, so her costs are very reasonable. They are not used in character development because we do the trailers after the book has been done.

Several of your novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience for you?

The audio books are selling, but at a lesser rate than ebooks. I would estimate that they sell at the rate of about 20% of paperbacks, so I'm glad I did them. The audience seems to be completely different.

I like the idea of bundling a series of novels. You have put together a couple sets of your novels. (Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series and An Involuntary Spy Series) What was the impact on your other sales? What was your main objective in bundling your novels?

The objective started with building a loyal readership, but since my career was in law, I began to enjoy doing the Brent Marks series because it gave me the opportunity to explore and express ideas in more depth that one can in a busy law practice. "An Involuntary Spy" was my first novel. "To Russia for Love" is the sequel. They both involve two subjects I am passionate about: genetically engineered foods and Russia. So, that series had a completely different objective.

My books tread the fine line between fiction and faction. They are fictional, and the stories move along at an exciting pace, but they also impart knowledge and my point of view about a particular subject. A few readers have been offended by my point of view, but what is the reason for writing (or reading) without having one? It then becomes empty entertainment instead of literature. For example, one reader commented that he loved "Absolute Intolerance" until he got to the Afterword, which had statistics about gay people being targeted for hate crimes. I guess it then became a "gay book" for him and ruined the entire story. I don't understand that.

Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?

I do have a list, which is supported by Twitter invitations to join the list and giveaways. I give away a book to everyone who signs up and offer a Kindle Fire giveaway about every month.

Living in France creates a unique selling and marketing situation. Where is your biggest audience? Does marketing online help in this situation?

My largest audience is in the United States, followed by the UK and Australia. Marketing is done almost exclusively online, so it can be done from any location.

You have published your books in other languages. How is your audience abroad? Does marketing online help in this situation?

The online audience is slowly building. Marketing online is really the only way to go, but it involves identifying the online bloggers in the particular country or countries. It is an ongoing learning process.



Author's Book List
Decree of Finality - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Series Book 8
Divorce can be murder!

Experience the suspense and mystery of the latest in the best selling legal thriller series from the award winning author critics hail as: "One of the strongest thriller writers on the scene."

Lawyer Brent Marks suffers a setback in his practice, and now must take divorce cases to make ends meet. Now a case of foul play has him questioning his role in the case he has just taken on.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


The Spy Files - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Series Book 7
A lawyer up against the FBI in pursuit of justice:

Attorney Brent Marks takes a Freedom of Information Act case for a journalist accused of espionage, and finds himself the target of an abusive federal investigation that strains his relationship with his fiance, who happens to be an FBI Agent.

An innocent man, wrongfully accused

Now in the role of the client instead of the attorney, can Brent find justice and come out on the other side of the case with his own liberty intact? Where privacy and government collide, Brent must find a way to win the case, and, at the same time, prove his innocence and save himself.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


Absolute Intolerance - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Series Book 6
Lawyer Brent Marks advocates a case for a gay couple's marriage. After victory, the clients are found in their home brutally murdered, the first victims of a notorious serial killer who targets gay couples.

An ethical quandary for a lawyer:

All the evidence leads to a religious zealot who is outspoken against gay marriage, who requests Brent to be his criminal defense attorney, but Brent is not entirely convinced he is dealing with an innocent client. Can Brent bring himself to defend the only suspect in the case whom the police are sure is responsible for the murder? Will an innocent client go to his death or find justice? In order to form a viable criminal defense, Brent must solve the murders, leading him and his team straight into the path of the killer.


Book Trailer: Absolute Intolerance

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


Killer.com - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Series Book 5
What if murder was as easy as clicking a button and nobody would ever know?

A mob of anonymous cyber stalkers torments lawyer Brent Marks with defamatory posts on the Internet in this fifth novel of the legal thriller series. Marks sues to enjoin their libelous publication, the stalkers hide behind the immunity of the Communications Decency Act.

What if the attorney becomes the accused?

When a mysterious anonymous killer for hire strikes, Brent finds himself accused of the murder, in a desperate race to prove his innocence.


Book Trailer: Killer.com

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Audible


Unreasonable Force - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Series Book 4
African American attorney William Thomas grew up with a distrust of contact with the police. However, he worked hard and made a name for himself as a successful lawyer. After leaving a ball game with friends, William is assaulted by police and one of the officers is killed. Accused of murder, William calls his colleague, lawyer Brent Marks, to defend him. Can Brent convince the jury that the police have crossed the line between keeping order and police brutality? Can he formulate a defense for a client who believes himself that he could be guilty? This modern day To Kill a Mockingbird mystery and suspense novel confronts the contemporary reality of tolerance, racism, prejudice and violence in American society.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


HOA Wire - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Book 3
The president of the Orange Grove Homeowners Association is murdered and there are plenty of suspects - in fact everyone who lives in Orange Grove. Attorney Brent Marks thinks he is dealing with a routine foreclosure defense until his client is implicated in the crime and calls upon Brent to defend her. Brent is not normally a criminal defense attorney, but takes the case because he believes he is dealing with an innocent client. To make matters worse, another client's destiny is about to cross their path. Is Brent's client really innocent or guilty? Can justice be done? At the crossroads of morality and ethics, the courtroom drama explodes, while the action outside the courtroom spirals out of control.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


Predatory Kill - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Book 2
2015 RONE Award Nominee in Thrillers and Suspense

Rocketing to the top of five paid best seller lists, Book 2 of the Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series has been called a "wild ride" by critics. In it, Kenneth Eade delivers another solid and intricately plotted financial thriller.

A maniacal killer is on the loose. April’s mother is brutally murdered and her father beaten within an inch of his life. Attorney Brent Marks has already paid his dues as a lawyer, having taken his share of small cases over his 20 year career in law, but has finally reached a place in his life where he can take for justice and principle. What he least expected was for April Marsh's predatory lending case against the big banks for wrongful foreclosure on her parent's home to turn into a murder investigation. Can the court delver justice before the action outside the courtroom spirals out of control?.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


A Patriot's Act - Brent Marks Legal Thrillers Book 1
Death, law and in that order at Guantanamo Bay.

When a naturalized American citizen turns up missing in Iraq, Attorney Brent Marks fights the Goliath U.S. Government's Patriot Act. Santa Barbara accountant Ahmed Khury responds to the plea of his brother, a suspected money launderer in Iraq. Before Ahmed realizes what has happened to him, he is sent to Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp as a suspected terrorist, and is subjected to torture to extract information that he doesn't have. The courtroom drama mounts as the drama outside the courtroom explodes, and when murder, corruption and cover-up enters the picture, nobody, including Brent, is safe.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


To Russia for Love - Involuntary Spy Espionage Thriller Series Book 2
Ukraine is perched at the beginning of a bloody civil war. Involuntary spy Seth Rogan finds himself back in Russia when his Russian secret agent girlfriend disappears while on an undercover assignment in Ukraine amidst the political upheaval and unrest. How does his former employer, the giant chemical company and GMO seed king Germinat, stand to benefit from the war and how involved is the company in her disappearance?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


An Involuntary Spy - Involuntary Spy Espionage Thriller Series Book 1
Seth Rogan was a bad spy. That’s because he wasn't a spy at all. Just a guy trying to do the right thing. As a biologist for the largest biotech company in the world, he had a great job, and enjoyed all the perks. But when asked to do some tests on the company's genetically engineered (GMO) foods, he uncovered secrets that entangled him in a web of corruption, fraud and conspiracy that he wanted no part of, but could not escape from. In a story of mystery and suspense that seems too true to life to be fiction, it could almost be from today's newspapers, Seth, having bit the hand that fed him, is on the run from CIA, the FBI, and the full overreaching strength of the United States government, charged with espionage, and finds temporary refuge with an old enemy - Russia. But his peace is about to be broken as he finds himself in the role of an involuntary spy.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


Terror on Wall Street
The crash of the stock market has created a rippling effect of disastrous proportions. Banks have failed, and people are rioting in the streets of the cities, which are on fire. Rolling blackouts have given way to entire system failures. University of Chicago Economics Professor Harry Mason, advisor to U.S. presidents and the Treasury Department, has gathered his dream team of "whiz kids," the brightest and the best graduate students in Economics, for a special laboratory class. Their mission: to save the world. But is it too late?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Audible


Self-Publishing Book Marketing Essentials
Everything you need to know about marketing your self-published book to become a best seller on Amazon is here, from the best-selling author critics hail as "one of the strongest thriller writers on the scene.

You've written a great book. Now how do you sell it?

The title of this book is: Self-Publishing Book Marketing Essentials. Its subtitle is: How to Market Your Book Before and After Writing. That subtitle actually should be "How to market your book before, during and after writing" because your cover and title are not the only marketing items that need to be incorporated in your book. I have become a best-selling author from zero to banking five figures a month in just two years. In this book, you will learn everything that you need to know (and that I learned the hard way) to market your book and make it a best seller in its category on Amazon.

The only book marketing bible for self-publishers that you will ever need. A complete book marketing checklist.

When I say everything you need to know, I have left out all of the stuff that doesn’t work. How do I know? I’ve tried everything. You probably already know that no agent is going to discover you, no matter who and what you pitch, and that you are not going to sign with a publishing house, even if you have written the next Harry Potter. The publishing business is a tough one, it has not changed with the times, and the Ebook is where it’s at, no matter what you may have heard. All the self-publishing with Amazon secrets are in this book.

Become a best-seller on Amazon

Using the methods in this book, for less than $1,000, you will:

1. Publish a best-seller on Amazon.
2. Know what marketing methods to use and which to avoid.
3. Sell more books on Kindle.
4. Establish and improve your Kindle sales rank.
5. Sit back and bank the money every month.


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
HBS Author's Spotlight
eBook Author’s Corner
Top Shelf Author Advice
Mystery Reader’s Circle

Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

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