This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Khaled Talib will be awarding an Amazon Fire 7 8GB tablet to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. The prize is limited to U.S. and Canada only. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The first time I saw a critical review for my debut novel, I went ballistic. Then I asked myself, why should I feel this way? The problem is, I forgot to have faith in myself and my readers. I forgot that the book will be read by many people and each person will have a different opinion. For that reason, I should never get personal.
If you believe in your work, then you should have faith that things will balance out. It’s always me, me and me. To get rid of that self-centeredness, I read what other reviewers wrote about other people’s books. And you know what? I felt comforted knowing that everyone’s in the same boat. You’d be surprise that even topnotch authors get criticized.
You can’t control people’s opinions—they have the right to say what they want to say. Some will like your book, some won’t.
I never respond to a critical reviewer. If it’s the work of a troll, I might complain to Goodreads and Amazon, but even so, I trust my readers to be discerning. I do read the criticisms, and sometimes I ponder if there’s any truth in it. I take it in my stride.
At the end of the day, it’s just an opinion. One time, I had a reviewer who said she didn’t like one of my books because it was not her cup of tea. Instead of cutting her off, I kept in touch with her, and when my other book got published, I invited her to review the new one. She enjoyed it and even wrote that it should be made into a movie. So, there you go.
The secret is to embrace differences in opinions.
The United States media is abuzz with news of the mysterious disappearance of Hollywood movie star, Goldie St. Helen.
Ex-Delta Force Blake Deco receives a tip from a Mexican friend that a drug lord, obsessed with the beautiful actress, is holding her captive in Tijuana.
With the help of a reluctant army friend, Blake mounts a daring rescue.
What he doesn’t expect is to have feelings for Goldie—or that a killer is hunting them.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Clad in tactical black, Blake rested on his chest in the dark chaparral. He watched his curly-haired friend beside him maneuver the tiny dragonfly drone with his phone. The luminous screen showed its flight path toward Dai Lo’s hacienda in the northeastern outskirts of Tijuana, nothing around it for miles.
The drone sent back images of the 375,000 square feet compound, including some of Dai Lo’s men patrolling. It hovered in front of the three-floor mansion built with stacked balconies and double-hung windows. It then swooped down to a porch with three tall columns under a pediment. Finding no entry point, Jack raised it up again.
“I’m going to circle behind,” Jack said.
“Do that,” Blake responded.
“You going to kill Dai Lo?” Jack asked.
“Not unless I have to. I’m not an assassin,” Blake said.
“So why did you give Chavez the impression you will?”
“If Chavez knew what I was thinking, he wouldn’t give me the weapons. Then how are we going to save the actress?”
“You better know what you’re doing, Blake.”
“If you still want to go on that European tour, start thinking positive.”
The tiny drone went around the mansion and flew past a lit pool, buffeting over a garden and an annex connected by a sheltered catwalk. It moved sideways until it came to a lit corner window on the third level. The visual zoomed closer to the windowsill and sent back an image that left both men recoiling with gasps.
About the Author: 
Khaled Talib is a former journalist with local and international exposure. He has authored three thrillers since 2014.
The author’s works have been praised by NY Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, NY Times bestselling author Ruth Harris, USA Today bestselling author Jon Land, NY Times bestselling author Keith Thomson, K.J. Howe, and Jon McGoran.
His debut thriller, Smokescreen, was listed as one of the six “boundary-breaking indies” in 2016 by the IndieReader. His second novel, Incognito, won the Silver Award for the AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest 2017. Gun Kiss is his third novel.
Khaled, who is also a member of the International Thriller Writers, resides in Singapore.
Buy the book (on sale for only $0.99) directly from the author or at Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or iBooks.
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I am enjoying these tours and finding all the terrific books my family is enjoying reading. Thanks for bringing them to us and keep up the good work.
Thanks for hosting!
New author for me.
Have a great day, Kim.
The book sounds great.
I am new to Khaled Talib and his work. I look forward to reading this book and his other novels.
Thank you, Audrey. I hope you like my works.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following the tour for Gun Kiss and can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for sharing all of the great posts along the way 🙂
What is your favorite food?
Food? Pizza 🙂