Ask the Author: D.S. Kane
Answered Questions (11)
D.S. Kane
He became partially conscious and noticed the stench of bodies rotting, and the sound of a a meat cleaver chopping something soft. The sudden pain brought him fully into the moment and his eyes popped open to the sight of his own right arm being falling off the metal table.
D.S. Kane
During the summer, when I have time to read for pleasure while my own deadline for completion of my next book approaches, I read other thriller writers who write what I write: Barry Eisler, James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Brad Thor, and writers in my critique group who've publish their novels: Ned Huston, Diana Paul, Dennis Phinney, and Judy Whitmore. I also read science fiction, and am hooked on David Weber's Honor Harrington series.
D.S. Kane
In my own life, there's a lot of material from my decade as a covert asset for the Fed. From the "how I got there" to the "why I left," there's enough in most of that time. But there was one set of events...
I obtained a bank as a client. This bank was partially funded by one of the American super-banks, and operated in Europe and the Middle East. From top management of the bank down through every operating department, my handler claimed the bank was facilitating funding of terrorism. My cover was my own identity as a management consultant with a specialty in global banking. I met the President of the bank, then all of the senior managers. My cover assignment was to determine the efficacy of their current banking practices and recommend new software that would match and bring them up to date and competitive. The government wanted paper copies of ALL their files.
Two unexpected things happened. First, my cover was broken. Not sure how, but my only alternative was to exit the country using a different passport. But the other thing was what I discovered in those files. It's why I disappeared and moved 3,000 miles from where I used to live (MId-Town East, Manhattan) to California's Bay Area.
This was 27 years ago.
I obtained a bank as a client. This bank was partially funded by one of the American super-banks, and operated in Europe and the Middle East. From top management of the bank down through every operating department, my handler claimed the bank was facilitating funding of terrorism. My cover was my own identity as a management consultant with a specialty in global banking. I met the President of the bank, then all of the senior managers. My cover assignment was to determine the efficacy of their current banking practices and recommend new software that would match and bring them up to date and competitive. The government wanted paper copies of ALL their files.
Two unexpected things happened. First, my cover was broken. Not sure how, but my only alternative was to exit the country using a different passport. But the other thing was what I discovered in those files. It's why I disappeared and moved 3,000 miles from where I used to live (MId-Town East, Manhattan) to California's Bay Area.
This was 27 years ago.
D.S. Kane
Nick and Nora, from the 1940's series, The Thin Man, are my favorite fictional couple. I love the way Nora manipulate Nick and he somehow never catches on to her.
D.S. Kane
My cover was blown and I was no longer valuable as a covert operative for my intelligence service. I no longer felt safe, and believed my family might be in danger as well. Lots of big changes in a short period of time. I moved 3,000 miles away and resumed working as a financial analyst, a much safer way to make a living.
D.S. Kane
I've never had writers block. My curse is not being able to find enough time to work. It drives my wife crazy. She has to drive the car while I type, whenever we travel locally.
D.S. Kane
I have lost the ability to be bored. Everything excites me. I'm always thinking, would this work in the book I'm now working on?
D.S. Kane
Read the best writers in your genre and ask yourself, what works well about this book? Join a critique group, to learn how to self-critique your work. Since you're writing, ask yourself questions about plot whenever you find yourself in an interesting situation. Ask yourself about character whenever you meet someone new. What makes this situation or this person interesting? What could b hidden underneath the surface. Keep asking yourself questions.
D.S. Kane
Wit the first three books in the series now available and books four and five in final critique for next summer's release, I'm not working on a technothriller set in Shanghai involving a battle between two enemy hackers and the military forces of the countries they work with. William Wing will be the protagonist, with Jon Sommers and Avram Shimmel helping him. The rest of he gang, including Betsy Brown, Cassandra Sashakovich and Swiftshadow Group mercenaries will make appearances.
D.S. Kane
Doesn't take much. I love to read fiction and I love to write it. I've never had "writers block;" it's what happens when you're writing the wrong thing. As I've said before, my best inspirations come from the evening news.
D.S. Kane
I get my best ideas from watching the evening news on television and asking, "what's missing from this story? What's the worst hat could happen next? Could there be someone pushing this to cover up a more disastrous story?"
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