Monday, January 12, 2015

Interview with Kevin B. Henry




Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

My name is Kevin B. Henry and I write Fantasy/Science Fiction. I don’t use any other pen names to write. Maybe if I change to some exotic genre like cooking or DIY someday I’ll create one. I have worked in the field of Education my whole adult life, mostly having to do with Technology. Yep, I’m a geek. I’ve read tons of books, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, non-fiction science and nature, trivia collections on subjects as diverse as politics to baseball. I currently live in the mid-west, working for a small college. Having moved into the Central time zone I have now officially lived in all four continental zones. I feel I may need to retire to Alaska or Hawaii to round out that series. I’m leaning toward Hawaii.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Currently on tour is Amber Gifts published by Champagne Books. It’s a tale of one man who is given the opportunity to travel through time. He is generous and willing to help friends or even fresh acquaintances solve their problems. Of course when the problem changes from a simple scavenger hunt to a more lethal game of cat and mouse Mitchell must do whatever he can just to stay alive.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

I did name one character after a good friend of mine and while I had promised or possibly threatened at one point to kill them off, I just couldn’t do it. I would love to get a tee shirt that reads, “Be careful or you might end up in my next novel”. I think people deserve the right to be properly warned.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?
I write for entertainment. I don’t have any specific cause or agenda that I feel I need to include in my writing. I enjoy history and trivia. That finds its way into my stories. Otherwise I just want to tell a story that I hope people enjoy.

Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?

Harry Potter, I would love to have more money than the Queen of England! Seriously I can’t think of a series I could have done any better than the original authors. My two current series that I consistently follow are Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz and The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Each time I read one of their new stories I know I need to ratchet up my games just a little bit more. The greatest writing compliment I ever received was being told I reminded this person of Heinlein. That made my whole month!

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

My next story being published is Amber Prelude. It’s the story of the first time Mitchell traveled in time. We meet Gil, his mentor and learn that the history we think we know is not necessarily the history of what really happened. Champagne Books will release Amber Prelude in June 2015.

The third story is Amber Legacy and continues where the first story leaves off. Without giving away too much it examines the motivation of a mass murderer and serial killer. What would cause a person to brutally slaughter over five women? The answer includes a trip to the opera. Amber Legacy will be available from Champagne Books in November 2015.

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

My current work in progress is as yet untitled, Amber Something or Other. It continues Mitchells story but in a completely different direction. I have set a good number of rules in motion throughout this time travel universe I’ve imagined. Now it’s time to change up all of those rules and see how everyone reacts. Mitchell is in for an amazing shock when he finds that the one truth he was told from his very first time experience is wrong.



Amber Gifts
Book One
Kevin B. Henry

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Time Travel

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of Publication: February 2013

ISBN:          9781771550048
ASIN: B00BAKB8B4

Number of pages:  99 pages
Word Count: 25,000 words

Cover Artist: Ellie Smith

Book Description:

After a decades long downward spiral, Mitchell is at the bottom of life’s rungs. A stranger hands him a simple, amber vial and tells him to drink it. With that one act, he is now a time traveler and when asked to help some new acquaintances, he gladly agrees. A simple request to find some items left scattered throughout time. How hard could it be?

But someone wants to stop Mitchell’s efforts and it will take more than luck for Mitchell to find all the items and survive long enough to complete his mission.

Champagne Books           Amazon       Barnes and Noble

Smashwords            Kobo
Excerpt:
I spun in the chair. My flight instincts kicked in and I dove for the floor behind the desk. My hand grasped the vial before I escaped the target that was once a comfortable chair. I felt the second shot miss my head by inches. I gathered the package to me on my way to the floor.
“Wait. Stop!” I stammered on the way to the floor. I didn’t believe for a second that he would.
I uncapped the vial with a flip of my thumb while securing the package in my inner coat pocket. I recovered the rubber stopper in midair. My dexterity surprised me. What circus had I escaped from where I learned these tricks? I raised the vial to my waiting mouth. As I sipped, I took a quick look at my assailant. I wanted to be able to describe him to the Wilsons when next I saw them. He had bon vivant written all over him. He sparkled for the entire world like a fourth of July firework. I needed to ask about the meaning of that if I lived long enough. He dressed in a burgundy velvet smoking jacket, white tombstone shirt with a brown medallion ascot.
His face appeared cold and insensitive, if that’s possible. His blond, short-trimmed hair seemed not to move, despite his trying violently to get through the door and in a better location for the kill shot. When his mouth opened I would have sworn I saw his teeth gleam like one of those Crest toothpaste commercials. A scowl of bewilderment appeared on his face as he rushed through the threshold. Perhaps he felt as amazed at my continued existence as I. He must have taken his first shot from across the hall and through the office entryway. I didn’t understand how he managed to miss the second shot.
“Sorry, mate,” he said with an Australian accent.
He had a gun in his hand, aimed straight at my head. It appeared to be a Remington Model 95Derringer. I tend to notice deadly items pointed at me with such professional accuracy. I wasn’t going to trust my life that it was only an authentic double shot model. He had the look of someone intent on firing again very soon. How fast could he pull the trigger? How fast could I dissolve? I hate life or death experiments.
“1643,” I spoke softly. Instantly, I lay on an empty, white, sand beach.






About the Author:

From an early age, Kevin B. Henry was a voracious reader. His collection of science fiction, fantasy and mystery books bring tears of envy to the eyes of many small community libraries.

Kevin has worked as an educator, technology specialist and day laborer most of his adult life. During all that time he lived the life of a frustrated author. That it took 30 years for him to piece together Amber Gifts is a testament that the best meals need slow cooking to bring out the flavor. He feels the best stories revolve around time travel and the problems that such ability could produce. It’s no surprise that his first published work revolves around that theme. All the classics have touched on the subject; Star Trek, Doctor Who, Babylon 5, The Big Bang Theory. He hopes Amber Gifts can be added to that list.

Kevin is a natural storyteller, so it’s logical that he lectures occasionally. Topics range from the implementation of cutting edge technology hardware to the creation, modification and use of e-books within education. He constantly pursues research to expand his range of possible topics. His most recent research revolved around the aerodynamic properties of reindeer. He’s been known to include little known facts and trivia into his presentations. Did you know just 146 years ago today the Union Army marched into Atlanta? It took longer than anticipated. They were delayed by a traffic jam on I-75 and the tollbooth on Ga. 400

During other times, he travels if he can, both in time and space, but mostly to any available amusement park. He is not as fond of roller coaster type rides as he used to be. He still loves a good parade.

He lives in the mid-west without human or domesticated mammal companionship.


Twitter:        @Kevin_Henry





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3 comments:

Hywela Lyn said...

Interesting interview - nice to learn more about you and your series, Kevin.I really enjoyed 'Amber Gifts' as I said in my review!

Kevin B. Henry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kevin B. Henry said...

Thank you. I'm just happy to be able to do writing that people seem to enjoy. This has been a wonderful experience so far. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Thank you for hosting this part of my tour. It is greatly appreciated.
KbH