SSTN Interviews Author Coy Kissee

We are here with Coy Kissee, author. We are so glad to have you with us today here at Start Spreading The News.

Thank you so much for taking the time to allow me to talk about our books with your audience. My partner, Geoff Habiger, and I truly appreciate the opportunity. (Editor’s note – The interview with Geoff Habiger was published on SSTN on June 4, 2020.)

Please begin by telling us a little about your books.

We have two series currently in print. I believe that you have interviewed Geoff about our fantasy police procedural series, the Constable Inspector Lunaria Adventures, so I’ll go into detail about our supernatural historical fiction series. It is known as either the Saul Imbierowicz series (after the main character), or the Unremarkable series (after the title of the first book).

In the series, which starts in Chicago in 1929, our main character, Saul Imbierowicz, is an everyman whose girlfriend is killed during the events of what becomes known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Still reeling from this tragedy, he is accosted by both of the city’s most powerful gangsters, Bugs Malone and Al Capone, in addition to a pair of federal agents, all of whom want him to get something for them. As if that weren’t bad enough, Saul then finds out that vampires are not just the stuff of legend.

The first two books in the series, Unremarkable and Untouchable, are currently available, while the third book in the trilogy, Unavoidable, is in the process of being edited and should be available early next year.

Where can readers purchase copies of your books?

Our books are available online at all major retailers as physical and ebooks. They are also available at independent and chain retailers or ask to have them ordered if they don’t have it in stock.

You can also find links to buy our books at our website: https://www.habigerkissee.com/books

You write in the genre of supernatural historical fiction. Have any of the characters in your books been sports fans?

Yes, in fact, Saul is a fan of both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Cubs. He’s more of a baseball fan than a hockey fan, however, and is a big fan of Rogers Hornsby. He loathes the White Sox, which he learned from his father always calling them the Cheap Sox after they got paid to throw the 1919 World Series.

Have you ever considered writing a novel about a baseball player within that supernatural historical fiction genre?

Not until now. I can certainly see how being a vampire could pay off on the diamond.

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of writing a book?

Writing a book. You can come up with ideas in your head, and even put them down on paper, but when it comes to writing a story that is the length of a full-blown novel, it requires a lot of effort and dedication in order to even just get that first draft completed.

I find it fascinating that you collaborate on your books with your childhood friend Geoff Habiger. What is it like to write books together? How does the collaboration work?

Typically, we work through a rough outline of the story together, putting in what details we think are critical, and then Geoff goes off and writes the full text. We then get together (usually on FaceTime, since we don’t live anywhere near each other anymore) to do editing and polishing.

Do you have any other works in process?

Absolutely! Not only Unavoidable, but we also have the third Constable Inspector Lunaria Adventure in progress, and we are working on a few other projects that range from a fantasy spy series to a fantasy cozy mystery series.

I know you have always enjoyed fantasy and such, but I also know that you have been a baseball fan your entire life. In the book and the movie The Natural, the main character wants nothing more than to walk down the street and have people say, “There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was.” You have been a baseball fan since the 1970’s. Who was the best player you ever saw?

Hands down, nobody was better than Nolan Ryan. He was an absolute workhorse on the mound, and you just couldn’t catch up to the fastball.

Our final question is really just a collection of short answers:

What was your favorite baseball team growing up?

The Kansas City Royals. Being born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas, they were the closest MLB team to home, and were very successful in the late 1970’s, which was when I first started watching baseball.

Who was your favorite player?

Overall, Nolan Ryan. On the Royals, it was George Brett.

What is your most prized collectible?

A signed 11×14” picture of Stan Musial that I got signed at a baseball card show that he was attending on his birthday. I actually got to tell Stan Musial happy birthday. I’ll never forget that.

Who is your favorite musical group or artist? Meat Loaf. It’s all about Paradise by the Dashboard Light, which, as you know, has a “baseball broadcast” by Phil Rizzuto in the middle of the song. I actually won a contest and got to perform that broadcast on stage during the song at Sandstone Amphitheater on the Welcome to the Neighborhood tour. Another thing I’ll never forget.

What is your favorite food (if it is pizza, what is your favorite pizza restaurant)? I will never turn down Mexican food. It’s by far my favorite.

Please share anything else you’d like with our audience – Please be aware that reviews of books go a long way toward getting the word out about them. If you read a book and like it, post a review. Even if the entirety of the review consists of a rating of certain number of stars, it can really help.

That’s great advice Coy. I know I love when I see great reviews about my books. It always makes my day.

Thanks for joining us. I wish you continued success in writing!!!

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