BooksChatter: ℚ🎬 Eye For Eye: Talion [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author J.K. Franko to talk about Eye For Eye (16 March 2019, Talion Publishing, 434 pages), a Crime Thriller, book one in the Talion series.

Sometimes the system fails. Sometimes the guilty elude justice. Eye for Eye is about how a married couple approaches revenge, committing murder, and getting away with the perfect crime.

"The Sunday Times in London describes Eye for Eye as a new take on Strangers on a Train. It is that and more, a compelling thrill ride, full of twists and turns that grabs you at the Prologue and doesn’t stop until delivering its final surprise on literally the last page of the book. A great summer read!"

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to J.K. Franko; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Eye For Eye?

"Well, they say you should write about what you know. I know about the law. I know about how the legal system works, and sometimes doesn’t. And, I know about revenge—don’t we all? So, I set out to put all of those together into a story. t all boiled down to two key elements.

First, if what happened in the book happened to me, how would I react? And if I chose to take revenge on someone, then how would I go about it? What steps would I go through?

And second, what would it take to get me there—what would have to happen so that I would be willing to plot a murder? That was sort of the guts of it."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Expertise-wise, quite a bit. Before transitioning to business, I studied law and works for over a decade as a lawyer. A lot of that legal thinking and background shows through in the Talion Series. There is also a lot of dark humor and, I like to think, wit."

Can you tell us a bit about the infamous Chapter 19? What is the background on that?

"I think that’s gotten blown out of proportion. The short version is that, as I was preparing the book for publication, I was working with an editor—a very capable editor, a good person. We were progressing through the book, and then one morning I get up and I have an email from the editor quitting on me.

The gist of it was that the editor wasn’t comfortable with the direction the story was taking. The email stated that the morality of the story was questionable. And, apparently, it was the contents of Chapter 19 specifically that they said were just... went too far, I guess."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Eye For Eye - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"Eye for Eye is the first book in a trilogy—the Talion Series. A first cover design was created for Eye for Eye that was fantastic—I loved it. But, as I had three books in mind, I requested designs for Book II and Book III as well. The artist (Tony Marturano, an author in his own right), knowing NOTHING about the rest of the series, sent through some concepts, and his idea for Book II—with the knife on the lips— was drop-dead perfect for Book I (Eye for Eye). So, we re-organized things to use that as the design for Eye for Eye."

Cover initially intended for Eye For Eye

Covers for the three books in the Talion series

Why should we read Eye For Eye and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I love books that throw surprise twists at me that I could have, but didn’t, see coming. And, I hate books that leave loose ends. Eye for Eye is an intelligent read, and it’s challenging in the sense that all the clues are there, all the breadcrumbs are right in front of you. But, you won’t see the twists coming. I guarantee it. If you aren’t surprised by the ending, email me at jk@jkfranko.com and I will refund your money."

Can you tell us something quirky about Eye For Eye, its story and characters?

"As a part of the PR effort for the book, I bought a bunch of fish knives. (Once you’ve read Eye for Eye you’ll appreciate the significance.) Anyway, these are very nice knives, with wooden handles engraved with Eye for Eye on one side and JKFranko.com on the other.

Unfortunately, all of my PR people have been too skittish to use the knives for marketing. So, I have been giving them out here and there to special fans, people who have been really helpful with the project, etc."

Oh, wow, so cool, and original!

What is your writing process?

"I sit. I write. I edit. I edit. I edit. I edit. I edit. I edit. I edit. I edit.

I have beta readers and a focus group review and provide feedback.

Then I edit some more."

What is in store next?

"The next book in the Talion Series should logically be Book II—Tooth for Tooth.

However, when we launched Eye for Eye in London, rather than doing a typical book reading at a bookstore with boxed wine and stale cheese, we decide to put on a theatrical production—a trial—in an old courtroom in Covent Garden.

It was a HUGE hit. So much so that I took the script from the production and turned it into a novella which is a prequel to the Talion Series. It is entitled The Trial of Joe Harlan and will be coming out in the next couple of months along with a filmed version of the trial—a micro-series, if you will."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"We have six dogs and a cat. Here is a photo of me with two of the more adventurous ones in our backyard."

Oh, wow! I can't believe they do that with you, that's brilliant! Thank you for sharing, JK.
We have 17 cats, but six dogs and a cat is impressive, so much so that I have to also share this excellent picture of you with your six dogs :-)