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Above The Fold - May 17, 2010
J. KENT HOLLOWAY
Exciting New Author With
A Penchant For Paranormal Sci-Fi Thrillers
J. KENT HOLLOWAY is an exciting new author with a passion for edge-of-your-seat, thought-provoking, paranormal thrillers and sci-fi/fantasy adventures laced with deep spiritual truths. He is a graduate from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master’s degree in Christian Studies and serves regularly in his church in Saint Augustine, Florida, as Discipleship and Evangelism Minister. He also works full time as a forensic death investigator.
Kent has published the paranormal adventure series, The ENIGMA Directive, which chronicles the adventures of a smart-mouthed cryptozoologist and his team as they track down some of the world's most dangerous creatures. His first novel in the series, Primal Thirst, has been a huge success, and a second edition was released on March 17, 2009.
Besides the ENIGMA Directive series, Kent is also working on two other novels: The Djinn, a historic fantasy set in Jerusalem during one of the final crusades of the Middle Ages, and a paranormal detective novel called The Deadtective's Dilemma.
www.kenthollowayonline.webs.com
BOOK VIDEO TRAILER:
Primal Thirst
(Kent Holloway)
Primal Thirst
(Kent Holloway)
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Kent Holloway (Primal Thirst)
Apex Reviews: Kent, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book and other efforts with our readers.
What inspired you to craft such an imaginative suspense thriller?
Kent Holloway: I'm actually a huge fan of the SyFy reality show Destination Truth...a show that features Josh Gates and his team as they travel the world searching for cryptids and strange phenomenon. One night, while watching the show, I thought to myself how great it would be to read a novel about a team like the Destination Truth crew. The next day, I started looking for any book closely resembling the show and couldn't find anything. I realized at that time that if I wanted to read such a story, I'd have to be the one to write it myself. So, I did.
AR: How did you come up with Obadiah "Jack" Jackson's quite unique character?
KH: Jack was definitely a fun character to create...but then, it didn't take a lot of imagination. He's actually an amalgamation of several people. First, he's modeled loosely on Josh Gates, the host of Destination Truth. I guess you could say he's the skeletal structure of the character that all Jack's other characteristics hinge upon. I also added a bit of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell (best known for Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series). Jack's sarcastic and witty retorts, as well as his not-so-graceful approaches to getting himself at a jams comes directly from Mr. Campbell. Finally, Jack is modeled after an exaggeration of my own worst qualities. I've heard for so long that authors often put a "little" of themselves in their characters. For my debut novel, I decided that I would go all out. Every hero needs flaws. Good flaws. Believable ones. So, upon some painful and often embarrassing self-reflection, I came upon several of my less than favorable traits and came up with a hero that was brash and would often leap before he looked. Someone who didn't always think things through before he acted. At the same time, he's a hero who doesn't always know the right thing to do...and doesn't always know how to do the right thing even if he knows. All those characteristics just makes Jack an interesting character.
AR: Are the jenglots based on real life legendary creatures?
KH: The jenglot are kind of based on real legendary Malaysian creatures. They aren't real "cryptids" in the sense that scientists would go off in search of them in a jungle somewhere. It's rather hard to explain. You see, the jenglot in Malaysia and Indonesia represent an age-old adherence to superstition and myths. Jenglot are described as tiny, doll-like creatures...typically, no larger than 12 inches tall. They are said to be inactive whenever people are around and only come awake when people are sleeping. They then are supposed to feed on the blood of their slumbering victims. If you travel to Malaysia today and scour the local shops, you will find several that have supposed jenglots on display or for sale to tourists. They kind of look like crude voodoo dolls than actual living creatures. And they're also the Indonesian equivalent of a tourist trap.
For Primal Thirst, I decided to take these creatures and give them real teeth. They don't slumber often. They lurk in shadows. And they are much larger than 12 inches tall (most standing around three to four feet in height).
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the books thus far?
KH: So far, the reaction has been exceptionally good. The reviews have been phenomenal and I have more and more people friending me on Facebook after reading it. I'm constantly being asked when the sequel will be released, which is something every author enjoys hearing. There have been two reactions that I've treasured the most, however. First, I've had a number of women writing to tell me how much they thoroughly enjoyed the book. Though I never intended the book to be solely for men, I had been concerned that women might not like such an action-packed book. My fears, however, were unfounded. There doesn't seem to be a problem with women liking the book at all. Second, I've had several parents tell me how much they appreciate the fact that their pre-teens and teens can read Primal Thirst with no problem and that the fact that there's no cursing or sex in it is a refreshing change of pace. These concerned parents was ecstatic that they had a book that the entire family could read and discuss.
AR: What can we look forward to in future installments of the Enigma Directive series?
KH: The next ENIGMA Directive novel, Sirens' Song, will be released in July. This time, Jack and the gang travel to the Greek islands to track down a school of man-eating mermaids that have been terrorizing local fishermen and vacationing tourists. But like Primal Thirst, Sirens' Song throws out twist after twist, and neither Jack, nor the reader will have any clue just who the true monsters really are.
As the series progresses, Jack will begin having major doubts about his involvement with ENIGMA as the secret conspiracy that has plagued Jack from page one grows. More and more cryptids will be disappearing off the face of the earth, making Jack question the loyalties of his employers. Even Jack's most trusted friends and confidants will become suspect, ushering our hero into a place in his life where the only people he can turn to are the very people he thought were his enemies.
AR: Who are some of your chief writing influences?
KH: In reality, I have two major writing influences...both relatively new, but highly prolific authors: Jim Butcher and Jeremy Robinson. Jim Butcher, author of the wisecracking wizard private investigator Harry Dresden, typically tells his stories in classic noir-style first person. This style works so well, in my opinion, because it allows you as the reader to really get into the head of the protagonist. To grow to really know the character--his quirks, feelings, habits, and mannerisms. When deciding how to write Primal Thirst, I chose a similar style for the exact same reason.
Jeremy Robinson is known for a completely different style of book--thrillers with a scientific/mythical edge. Jeremy writes big, globe-spanning adventures where the protagonists are usually hunting for some object (whether it's a monstrous leviathan off the New England coast or a strange, underground laboratory experimenting with the DNA of the mythical Hydra). I've always loved stories like that, and used his scope and style a great deal in my own writing.
AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, Seven Realms Publishing.
KH: Seven Realms Publishing is a new small press that was started for the sole purpose of giving new authors a chance to be heard. The publishing industry has never been easy to break into, but in the last decade, it's become near impossible. The larger companies have pretty much given up on finding new, undiscovered talent and have focused their attention on "sure" sellers by previously published big-names or celebrities from other venues. This leaves the aspiring author out in the dark. With that in mind, Seven Realms came into existence.
But I should tell you, just because they started to help struggling writers get published, it still isn't a cake walk for them to publish someone. They have a very high standard. Their philosophy is that each new book and each new author reflects heavily on all the other books and authors that have become before. As they strive to develop their name, they are fully aware of how reputation effects the success of each author. One negative can bring disaster to all the other authors that have come before. Because of that, they only publish the books that truly excite them...that lights a fire under them.
By the way, they're called Seven Realms for the seven genres they specialize in: action-adventure, romance, suspense/thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, contemporary paranormal, and Christian. You can learn more about them at www.sevenrealmspublishing.com.
AR: In addition to being an author, you're also actively involved with your church as a Discipleship & Evangelism Minister. Please share more with us about your endeavors in that field.
KH: Well, my first love of Jesus Christ. He is my redeemer and my savior and I'm proud of that fact. A few years ago, I felt called to the ministry and went to seminary to get a degree. The problem was that after graduating, I had no idea what "ministry" God had called me to. In my mind, you only had a handful of ministries one could do...pastor, youth minister, or worship minister. And sometimes, you could be a missionary. But I felt no special pull to any of those things (and let's face it...music was definitely not something God gifted me with ). So, I wandered and struggled, looking to find my place in ministry. Somewhere along the way, I discovered I had been doing it all along...wherever I went, whoever I was with, I told people about Jesus and what He did for me. I told them how He forgave me of all the horrible things I'd done and had adopted me as His own child. When I wasn't sharing my faith, I was teaching others how to share it...teaching them that first, they had to earn the right to share. Teaching them that they had to show their faith before they could speak it. And finally teaching them how to share their faith in ways that weren't pushy or demeaning to those that listened. And one day, I realized...this was what God had called me to do. Share my faith. And teach others how to share theirs. And that's what I've been doing ever since...including in my writing (though I should say, I don't consider Primal Thirst or any of my books "Christian" per se. They still, however, will always demonstrate the truth).
AR: What's next for you?
KH: I'm doing the final touches on Sirens' Song right now. After that, I'm breaking away from the ENIGMA Directive for two completely unrelated projects. One is a historical fantasy known as The Djinn that is set in Jerusalem during the third Crusade. When describing the Djinn, I usually ask people to visualize the movie Kingdom of Heaven and throw in a darker version of Batman or Zorro. You'll get a pretty good idea of what the book's about.
After that, I'm planning on doing something that I call a "rural fantasy." Everyone's heard of Urban Fantasy (it's one of my favorite genres)...where you take all the folklore and myths of classic fantasy and drop them onto a backdrop of a modern city. Well, with Rural Fantasy, it's the same concept...only set (for my book) in the Appalachian Mountains.
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
KH: I have a facebook page under Kent Holloway. I'm always open to new friends there. I also have a blog at http://kenthollowayonline.blogspot.com where I feature a different author every Wednesday and the books they write. This blog usually contains a mini-book review, as well as an interview with the featured author. And finally, I have a website at www.kenthollowayonline.webs.com.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
KH: I would say the best way readers can contact me is through Facebook. I spend a great deal of time there and find that it's the best and quickest way to get a hold of me. Other than that, they can always contact me at meo15@hotmail.com.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
KH: Just that I can't wait for the opportunity to share more of my words, ideas, and stories with everyone. There are so many exciting adventures to be told and just not enough time to get them written down. But I truly hope that you, the reader, will be with me every step of the way. I promise, I will strive with each book to curl your toes with nothing but the best fiction I can possibly provide.
AR: Thanks again, Kent, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
Apex Reviews: Kent, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book and other efforts with our readers.
What inspired you to craft such an imaginative suspense thriller?
Kent Holloway: I'm actually a huge fan of the SyFy reality show Destination Truth...a show that features Josh Gates and his team as they travel the world searching for cryptids and strange phenomenon. One night, while watching the show, I thought to myself how great it would be to read a novel about a team like the Destination Truth crew. The next day, I started looking for any book closely resembling the show and couldn't find anything. I realized at that time that if I wanted to read such a story, I'd have to be the one to write it myself. So, I did.
AR: How did you come up with Obadiah "Jack" Jackson's quite unique character?
KH: Jack was definitely a fun character to create...but then, it didn't take a lot of imagination. He's actually an amalgamation of several people. First, he's modeled loosely on Josh Gates, the host of Destination Truth. I guess you could say he's the skeletal structure of the character that all Jack's other characteristics hinge upon. I also added a bit of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell (best known for Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series). Jack's sarcastic and witty retorts, as well as his not-so-graceful approaches to getting himself at a jams comes directly from Mr. Campbell. Finally, Jack is modeled after an exaggeration of my own worst qualities. I've heard for so long that authors often put a "little" of themselves in their characters. For my debut novel, I decided that I would go all out. Every hero needs flaws. Good flaws. Believable ones. So, upon some painful and often embarrassing self-reflection, I came upon several of my less than favorable traits and came up with a hero that was brash and would often leap before he looked. Someone who didn't always think things through before he acted. At the same time, he's a hero who doesn't always know the right thing to do...and doesn't always know how to do the right thing even if he knows. All those characteristics just makes Jack an interesting character.
AR: Are the jenglots based on real life legendary creatures?
KH: The jenglot are kind of based on real legendary Malaysian creatures. They aren't real "cryptids" in the sense that scientists would go off in search of them in a jungle somewhere. It's rather hard to explain. You see, the jenglot in Malaysia and Indonesia represent an age-old adherence to superstition and myths. Jenglot are described as tiny, doll-like creatures...typically, no larger than 12 inches tall. They are said to be inactive whenever people are around and only come awake when people are sleeping. They then are supposed to feed on the blood of their slumbering victims. If you travel to Malaysia today and scour the local shops, you will find several that have supposed jenglots on display or for sale to tourists. They kind of look like crude voodoo dolls than actual living creatures. And they're also the Indonesian equivalent of a tourist trap.
For Primal Thirst, I decided to take these creatures and give them real teeth. They don't slumber often. They lurk in shadows. And they are much larger than 12 inches tall (most standing around three to four feet in height).
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the books thus far?
KH: So far, the reaction has been exceptionally good. The reviews have been phenomenal and I have more and more people friending me on Facebook after reading it. I'm constantly being asked when the sequel will be released, which is something every author enjoys hearing. There have been two reactions that I've treasured the most, however. First, I've had a number of women writing to tell me how much they thoroughly enjoyed the book. Though I never intended the book to be solely for men, I had been concerned that women might not like such an action-packed book. My fears, however, were unfounded. There doesn't seem to be a problem with women liking the book at all. Second, I've had several parents tell me how much they appreciate the fact that their pre-teens and teens can read Primal Thirst with no problem and that the fact that there's no cursing or sex in it is a refreshing change of pace. These concerned parents was ecstatic that they had a book that the entire family could read and discuss.
AR: What can we look forward to in future installments of the Enigma Directive series?
KH: The next ENIGMA Directive novel, Sirens' Song, will be released in July. This time, Jack and the gang travel to the Greek islands to track down a school of man-eating mermaids that have been terrorizing local fishermen and vacationing tourists. But like Primal Thirst, Sirens' Song throws out twist after twist, and neither Jack, nor the reader will have any clue just who the true monsters really are.
As the series progresses, Jack will begin having major doubts about his involvement with ENIGMA as the secret conspiracy that has plagued Jack from page one grows. More and more cryptids will be disappearing off the face of the earth, making Jack question the loyalties of his employers. Even Jack's most trusted friends and confidants will become suspect, ushering our hero into a place in his life where the only people he can turn to are the very people he thought were his enemies.
AR: Who are some of your chief writing influences?
KH: In reality, I have two major writing influences...both relatively new, but highly prolific authors: Jim Butcher and Jeremy Robinson. Jim Butcher, author of the wisecracking wizard private investigator Harry Dresden, typically tells his stories in classic noir-style first person. This style works so well, in my opinion, because it allows you as the reader to really get into the head of the protagonist. To grow to really know the character--his quirks, feelings, habits, and mannerisms. When deciding how to write Primal Thirst, I chose a similar style for the exact same reason.
Jeremy Robinson is known for a completely different style of book--thrillers with a scientific/mythical edge. Jeremy writes big, globe-spanning adventures where the protagonists are usually hunting for some object (whether it's a monstrous leviathan off the New England coast or a strange, underground laboratory experimenting with the DNA of the mythical Hydra). I've always loved stories like that, and used his scope and style a great deal in my own writing.
AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, Seven Realms Publishing.
KH: Seven Realms Publishing is a new small press that was started for the sole purpose of giving new authors a chance to be heard. The publishing industry has never been easy to break into, but in the last decade, it's become near impossible. The larger companies have pretty much given up on finding new, undiscovered talent and have focused their attention on "sure" sellers by previously published big-names or celebrities from other venues. This leaves the aspiring author out in the dark. With that in mind, Seven Realms came into existence.
But I should tell you, just because they started to help struggling writers get published, it still isn't a cake walk for them to publish someone. They have a very high standard. Their philosophy is that each new book and each new author reflects heavily on all the other books and authors that have become before. As they strive to develop their name, they are fully aware of how reputation effects the success of each author. One negative can bring disaster to all the other authors that have come before. Because of that, they only publish the books that truly excite them...that lights a fire under them.
By the way, they're called Seven Realms for the seven genres they specialize in: action-adventure, romance, suspense/thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, contemporary paranormal, and Christian. You can learn more about them at www.sevenrealmspublishing.com.
AR: In addition to being an author, you're also actively involved with your church as a Discipleship & Evangelism Minister. Please share more with us about your endeavors in that field.
KH: Well, my first love of Jesus Christ. He is my redeemer and my savior and I'm proud of that fact. A few years ago, I felt called to the ministry and went to seminary to get a degree. The problem was that after graduating, I had no idea what "ministry" God had called me to. In my mind, you only had a handful of ministries one could do...pastor, youth minister, or worship minister. And sometimes, you could be a missionary. But I felt no special pull to any of those things (and let's face it...music was definitely not something God gifted me with ). So, I wandered and struggled, looking to find my place in ministry. Somewhere along the way, I discovered I had been doing it all along...wherever I went, whoever I was with, I told people about Jesus and what He did for me. I told them how He forgave me of all the horrible things I'd done and had adopted me as His own child. When I wasn't sharing my faith, I was teaching others how to share it...teaching them that first, they had to earn the right to share. Teaching them that they had to show their faith before they could speak it. And finally teaching them how to share their faith in ways that weren't pushy or demeaning to those that listened. And one day, I realized...this was what God had called me to do. Share my faith. And teach others how to share theirs. And that's what I've been doing ever since...including in my writing (though I should say, I don't consider Primal Thirst or any of my books "Christian" per se. They still, however, will always demonstrate the truth).
AR: What's next for you?
KH: I'm doing the final touches on Sirens' Song right now. After that, I'm breaking away from the ENIGMA Directive for two completely unrelated projects. One is a historical fantasy known as The Djinn that is set in Jerusalem during the third Crusade. When describing the Djinn, I usually ask people to visualize the movie Kingdom of Heaven and throw in a darker version of Batman or Zorro. You'll get a pretty good idea of what the book's about.
After that, I'm planning on doing something that I call a "rural fantasy." Everyone's heard of Urban Fantasy (it's one of my favorite genres)...where you take all the folklore and myths of classic fantasy and drop them onto a backdrop of a modern city. Well, with Rural Fantasy, it's the same concept...only set (for my book) in the Appalachian Mountains.
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
KH: I have a facebook page under Kent Holloway. I'm always open to new friends there. I also have a blog at http://kenthollowayonline.blogspot.com where I feature a different author every Wednesday and the books they write. This blog usually contains a mini-book review, as well as an interview with the featured author. And finally, I have a website at www.kenthollowayonline.webs.com.
AR: How can they contact you directly?
KH: I would say the best way readers can contact me is through Facebook. I spend a great deal of time there and find that it's the best and quickest way to get a hold of me. Other than that, they can always contact me at meo15@hotmail.com.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
KH: Just that I can't wait for the opportunity to share more of my words, ideas, and stories with everyone. There are so many exciting adventures to be told and just not enough time to get them written down. But I truly hope that you, the reader, will be with me every step of the way. I promise, I will strive with each book to curl your toes with nothing but the best fiction I can possibly provide.
AR: Thanks again, Kent, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!