Ken Malovos has been practicing law in Sacramento
for over forty years. He spent twelve years with the Public Defender’s Office
and twenty-five years as a business litigator. He now serves full-time as a
mediator and arbitrator. Ken has written two previous Mike Zorich novels and
both have been recognized by Chanticleer Book Reviews. Contempt of Court was a
First Place Category winner in the legal genre of the Mystery and Mayhem
competition in 2014. Fatal Reunion was a finalist in the
Thriller and Suspense competition in 2016. Ken and his wife live in Sacramento.
His latest book is the legal mystery, ONE
NIGHT IN AMBOISE.
Visit his website at www.malovoslaw.com.
As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always
curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. How did you come up with the idea for your
book?
I thought of secrets that we all have and how we try to keep
them hidden. For example, the former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert kept
a secret for many years, that he was involved in improprieties with young men
when he was a wrestling coach. Yet, he ran for Congress and was third-in-line
to be President before anyone found out. How does someone keep something like
this a secret? What goes through his/her mind? What is his/her emotional state?
Can you tell us what your book is about?
It is about an allegation of rape that took place in Amboise,
France, thirty years ago.
I follow the lives of the man and the woman and how each of them copes with the
initial event. The man becomes a lawyer and then a judge and is now on trial
for murder of someone else and he must revisit the rape in order to defend
himself.
Can you tell us a little about the main
characters of your book?
The main characters are the man and the woman. The woman has
much trouble coping with the rape and
telling anyone or even admitting that she is not sure if she was raped.
Many people might find this all hard to believe, but it is a reality, as many
studies have shown. As I said above, the man becomes a judge and is accused of
the murder of someone else. He must finally confront the secret of his life in
his trial.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would that be?
Read. I did not read much fiction as a younger person but
now I love fiction and I am catching up with my reading, while I am writing. I
wished I had read a whole lot more.
What would you say is one of your interesting writing
quirks?
I am a half-outliner and a half-pantster. I try to outline
the initial thoughts and plot ideas and then just write and see what would
logically happen next, what the next decision of this character would most
likely be.
Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?
I do. I have received some nice reviews, which I love. But I
doubt that many people are going to take the time to tell me the book was
lousy.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I need to “show not tell.” This is the classic writing rule
and it is sometimes hard to follow. I think I am showing, through dialogue, but
then I lapse into more telling than is necessary.
What has been your best accomplishment?
As an author, I have received awards from my first two
novels from Chanticleer Book Review Book Competitions. This has validated my
writing from an objective third source, which has been very rewarding.
Do you Google yourself?
I do. Not often, but I do. I read what others have written
but usually I already have seen their reviews on Amazon.com.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have a total of three published novels and a whole bunch
of partial writings. Everything else is just an idea in my mind. I am still
debating on what my next project will be.
Fun question – if you were princess or prince,
what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?
Get rid of guns of all types, except legitimate hunting
rifles and shotguns. I see absolutely no need for guns whose purpose is to kill
people.
Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to
your readers?
I just hope that they enjoy this book. It was a lot of fun
writing it and I want all my readers to have a fun time with my books.
About the Book:
JIM HANSEN AND CORINNE LARSON are overseas college students
at Amboise, France.
After meeting at a local bar they leave and encounter a drunk. JIM hits him and
the man may be dead. At the manor house where they live, they kiss and make
love. The next day she accuses him of rape but does not formally charge him. He
denies the charge. The police investigate the killing of the drunk.
After they return to California,
CORINNE struggles with the whole incident, wondering if she was at fault. She
talks to her sisters and then seeks professional help after turning to
alcohol. JIM goes to law school and
becomes a deputy district attorney, always wondering if the allegation of rape
will surface and whether he did the right thing. He marries another overseas
student from Amboise.
ALICIA OBREGON contacts JIM and asks him to dismiss the
criminal case against her husband. She informs JIM that she knows all about Amboise
and threatens to expose him. He throws the case, thereby allowing a guilty
person to go free. Over time he pays her money.
JIM is appointed a judge and ALICIA continues to blackmail
him. CORINNE’s husband comes to Sacramento
and confronts JIM in his chambers. JIM says he is sorry about the whole thing.
JIM goes to a rehabilitation facility but in a few weeks he leaves, feeling he
has resolved all of his concerns.
ALICIA is found dead. ALICIA’s husband is charged with her
murder but he implicates JIM because he knows all about the blackmailing scheme.
JIM then is arrested and must stand trial for the murder of ALICIA. The
prosecutor focuses on JIM’s motive. JIM asks noted trial lawyer MIKE ZORICH to
represent him. JIM turns down a plea
bargain and a sensational jury trial follows. JIM is not truthful with his
wife, his attorney or the jury. CORINNE’s husband testifies. The jury cannot
reach a decision and JIM must live with a tarnished reputation amidst unsettled
questions whether he killed ALICIA and raped CORINNE.
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