INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Fateful Night
(What She Knew Trilogy, Book 1)
by K. R. Hughes and T. L. Burns
Fateful Night is the first book in the What She Knew trilogy. It is ON SALE for only $0.99 to 30 September. Get it now before reading the sequel, Darkest Day, which has just been released. You can read my interview with author K. R. Hughes below and enter the giveaway for your chance to win an ebook copy of Fateful Night. The authors are currently working on the final book in the series.
Description
Did Marilyn Monroe commit suicide? Did someone get away with an elaborate plot to murder the famous sex goddess? On that "Fateful Night" in August 1962 find out what may have happened to her and why she was killed. Many argue that she was involved in way too many secrets from different factions of the world. She was a smart woman who could play the dumb blonde to attain her stardom yet she unwittingly learned of conspiracy plots and political threats that would not only end her life but that of the current president, John F. Kennedy.
In this fast paced suspense every major player of the early sixties is involved, from the world politicians, to the Rat Pack, to Hollywood, and the mafia. What if Marilyn Monroe had lived and what if what she knew could have saved JFK?
Fact or fiction? What if....
Excerpt
With an almighty kick the door crashed open and Peter ran into the bedroom. “Shit! Marilyn!”
Kneeling beside the bed the stench of vomit assailed his nostrils even before he saw it, staining the sheets and pillow around the woman.
“Marilyn, wake up.” He shook her hard enough to force her to stir.
Sighing in relief, he scooped her up, carried her across the room, and out of the house unconscious in his arms. Pushing her into the backseat of his sedan, Peter jumped in and sped away.
“Hang in there, Marilyn. We’re almost there. Don’t die now.”
Book Trailer
Please note this book has been reissued with a new cover and other changes since this trailer was made.
Review
I cannot imagine attempting to change the death and life of a historical figure. Thankfully, K. R. Hughes and T. L. Burns can. Fateful Night is a well-researched account of what if. What if Marilyn Monroe didn't actually die of an overdose? What if she instead survived a murder attempt? Who was out to silence her and who would protect her?
I found myself transformed into the past, sometimes questioning if the events were real or part of the story. And honestly, I'm still not certain about some of them. To me that is the beauty of a well-crafted book.
Interview With the Author
Welcome K. R. Hughes (Kymber Lee Hughes). Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me about the What She Knew trilogy and your co-author T. L. Burns (Tamy Lee Burns).
Where are you from?
I'm from Amarillo, Texas.
Burns is from Ridgecrest, California.
Please tell me a little about yourself.
I have an English degree with a minor in Journalism and currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia, where I co-author with Burns. I have written two historical romances, Treasured Love and Lord Tristan's True Love, under the name Kymber Lee.
Burns taught at a private school and enjoys mentoring and teaching. She is married and has two grown children. She's currently researching and writing the next sequel with me.
What's your latest news?
Our novel Fateful Night was published in May 2013 and the sequel, Darkest Day, has just been released. Our agent has had us busy with book signings, speaking engagements, and a book tour.
I have always loved writing and journalism. I've written five historical novels set in the Regency Era of 1811.
Burns was dragged into the business after I took a class with a well-known published author. That is where we came up with the idea for What She Knew and we wrote the first chapter. The teacher loved it and persuaded us to write the full novel.
When did you first consider yourselves to be a writer?
After our first book signing. LOL – but it's true.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My grandmother has always been my biggest fan and she's the one who thought I could write the Regency Romances as well as some of the other published authors.
As for Burns, she was brought in as chief researcher and has done a terrific job on all of the scripts that have been done from the novel version.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Our novels are sparse in detail and rich in action and speech. We believe everyone knows what an Italian restaurant looks like or the White House lawn. People don't always need a lot of flowery details to get the image in their heads.
How did you come up with the title?
That was a tough one. We struggled with it for a long time and then one day it just popped. Marilyn Monroe was in the forefront of every known circle; political, Hollywood, and even the mob. She knew all kinds of secrets. Perhaps it was "what she knew" that caused her death. Just sayin'.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Not really, but if they do happen to wonder if Marilyn Monroe was really murdered, well, we can't help that now can we?
How much of the book is realistic?
It is historically extremely accurate. Burns took great pains to make sure that the dates and places were correct in every sequence. We love that it feels so real for a fictional novel.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Our pat answer here is that everyone either wanted to be Marilyn Monroe or be with her. She is a beloved Hollywood star who was unfortunately treated like she was a dumb blonde. In reality she was extremely intelligent and kept a close eye on what was going on around her.
What types of books have influenced your life most?
Mystery, conspiracy, and drama.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Burns loves Agatha Christie and I second that.
What book are you reading now?
Numerous research novels from the Johnson era.
Are there any new authors that have grabbed your interest?
There are several from Master Koda that we have grown fond of. No names please, we love them all.
What are your current projects?
We have just released the second book and are currently working on the last book in the trilogy. Then we are going to take some time to rest after our book signing tour.
Name someone you feel has supported you, outside of family members.
Our manager William Chelafas and our literary agent Janet Espy.
Do you see writing as a career?
We both do now.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your first book?
Funny you ask that. We actually got a do-over. We wrote the pilot episode for J. J. Abrams, and decided we liked some of the action scenes in the script and added them to the re-release of the novel. How blessed are we?
That's great! Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Not having enough time in the day to write all we'd like. People don't understand that career authors have to research, discuss with the co-author and work out details. It isn't instant and we don't have tons of time to just lay around eating bons-bons or watching TV.
Do you have to travel much concerning your books?
Yes, on our book signing tour we traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, to Dallas, Texas, to New York City and Hollywood, with everything in between.
Who designed the covers for the What She Knew books?
Kenny Burns from Amarillo, Texas – he truly rocks the cover art.
What was the hardest part of writing these books?
Finding time to write together; with family and jobs writing the first one was mostly scheduling issues.
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
Of course we did. We learned lots about the Kennedys, Marilyn Monroe as a person and the mob. We also realized a truth we'd instinctively known for a long time. Not only are we best friends - ying-yang- but also an excellent writing duo. We absolutely love spending time together and we have a rhythm that is natural and easy to our writing.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write, write, write! Write something every day. Give yourself a goal of one page or ten pages but WRITE! Why do you think we're called writers? It's because we WRITE. Don't give up on writing, all right? LOL.
Great advice. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
It's FICTION – she died. Please don't contact us and ask us where we've hidden her and what she's doing now. Marilyn Monroe died in 1962 – really.
If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
I probably would have been a critic! LOL.
Thanks for the chat and best of luck with your book tour.
About the Authors
K. R. Hughes
Hughes is an English major from Amarillo, Texas. She now resides near Atlanta, Georgia. Hughes enjoys working with budding writers and tutoring English. Her passion is for at-risk teens. She volunteers to help teens realize their potential and find their passion. Hughes has two grown children, Justin and Kayti, and two four-legged girls, MayZee and Ruthie.
Hughes enjoys writing with her co-author T. L. Burns. Fateful Night is the first novel in the What She Knew trilogy; Darkest Day is the second book. They are currently working on Book 3 of the What She Knew trilogy, the fast paced novel that finishes telling the story.
You can find other works by this author, under the pen name Kymber Lee, in the Historical Romance section. Treasured Love and Lord Tristan's True Love are fun romps set in 1811 in Regency England. Lee (Hughes) wrote these novels for her grandmother, who is a huge supporter of her work.
T. L. Burns
Burns is originally from California (desert region, with mountains), spent nearly 20 years in the panhandle of Texas (again, desert region only without the mountains), then two years near Atlanta, Georgia. In her words, "Trees and flowers everywhere!! Even the weeds are green and lush! I feel like I'm living in a postcard!! And, no wind! The desert regions are sooooo windy." Only to find herself back in the desert, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Burns passion is for at-risk families. She volunteers her time to help the needy, not with a hand-out but with a hand-up. She is married and has two grown sons (best sons in the whole world) and one 4-legged son, Digby!
Burns and Hughes work hard to write and network over the long distance that separates them. As Burns' co-author puts it, "She is the foremost researcher and historical guru for our novel the What She Knew trilogy." Book 1, Fateful Night, was released May 2013 and Book 2, Darkest Day, has just been released. They are busily working on Book 3.
Giveaway
The authors have kindly donated an ebook copy of Fateful Night for one lucky winner. Please show your appreciation by entering.
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