Promising New Year

Hiya everyone,

First and foremost, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Indeed, 2011 is coming to an end, and as we all sit back and reflect on past events, I urge everyone to remember that though our past doesn't determine our future, it(past) helps in moulding our future. Cry, Laugh, Merry, Pray, Love. Because coming tomorrow morning, 2011 will be a thing of the PAST. 

Get now for Free

So now, what does Kelvin O'Ralph have in stall for the coming year. Honestly, my major goal is to attend the London Book Fair on the 16-18 of April 2012. Also, I plan on giving more exposure to my paranormal series. Kicking off with today, the first book in the 'LS' series is now FREE for the next FIVE days. Grab your copy by clicking on the caption below the cover art of 'LS: The Beginning'. 

Also, I'll be going a blog tour for the aforesaid book. The tour begins on the 2nd of January 2012, hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. Please refer to the Blog Tour Page to get the list of the stops and links to visit. 

Please, if you get a free copy of LS: The Beginning, share the word with your friends online and offline. 

Once again, have a joyous New Year. Wishing you the best as you crossover :)

A post on Christmas

As the title says, this post is on 'Christmas'. Why do people celebrate Christmas? What's so special about Christmas, and what's the main theme of Christmas? This post will answer all three questions.

Why do people celebrate Christmas? Christians celebrate Christmas as the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ. However, it has become more of a general tradition/festive period, even for other religions. They believe it's a season to be with one's family. That said, I agree with everyone who celebrates Christmas as the coming of Jesus Christ, and the reunion of loved ones.

What's so special about Christmas? In my own words, I believe Christmas is the most festive season of all. Why? One: it falls on the last few days of the year, which makes it unique and special. Loved ones can come together after a long year to share goals, accomplishments and setbacks. Two: It has a significant figure, which everyone loves - Santa Claus. Unlike Halloween (Pumpkin head/witches), this figure doesn't really have much of a contradicting nature. Parents of most religion, culture and ethnicity don't mind their kids sitting on Santa's lap. It's a classic tradition.

What's the main theme of Christmas? Other than coming together with loved ones to merry and celebrate, Christmas is also about 'Sacrifice'. The year has ended, what will you do to make everyone around you happy? For Christians, Jesus Christ sacrificed so much for his children. For others, Santa Claus sacrificed so much to make all the kids happy. He doesn't stay at home with his family, unlike everyone. He moves around giving out gifts and placing smiles on everyone's face. Oh, I loved this season; I feel it's a mixture of 'Valentine's day' and Halloween, considering the 'LOVE' and the use of 'COSTUMES'.

In all, this season should be a time to stay with loved ones and reflect on everything you've done, celebrate and share the love. Merry Christmas to all

Sloutenville, the main location of 'LS: The Beginning'

 

My paranormal romance series 'LS' is mainly set in a fictional city called 'Sloutenville', pronounced - slow-ten-ville'. This fictional city is located in northern USA, close to cities like Minneapolis, Wisconsin etc. In this post, I'll give a bit detail on Sloutenville as a contemporary city, and explain why I chose to use a fictional city.

Sloutenville

Abbreviation: SV

Capital: Genezel
Population: 301, 427 people
Timezone: CST (UTC-6)
Average temperature: 30.6 F
Language: English - 99.1 %
                   Spanish - 0.9%
Tourist Attraction: Atlantic Towers
Government - Mayor: Francis Lekinston
.

So why did I choose a fictional city?
As most of you know, I don't live in the states, yet. I reside in England, UK. Therefore, it seemed a bit hard setting the location of the book in a known US city. Most people would notice the difference in dialogue etc, and I wanted to avoid this, thus creating my own fictional city, Sloutenville. This was because, if a reader complains about a certain dialogue i.e 'People in New York don't talk like this.', I would bring to his/her attention that Sloutenville isn't a real city. Therefore, the way the characters talk might be slightly different to other states.

Where did you get such idea from?
Frankly, I got the idea of creating my own fictional city in a real country from watching 'Smallville' and 'One Tree Hill', two of my favorite TV series.

Are there going to be more fictional cities?
Yes, certainly. Read the book(s) to find out more :)

That's it for today. My question to everyone: do you like the idea of fictional cities? If yes, what's the name of your best fictional city?




Credit: Image: posterize / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Now free on Smashwords

The Enchanted Book

From now till the end of the year, my romantic/comedy novella, 'The Enchanted Book' is free on Smashwords. Anyone who loves a short read and wants to veg out between massive series, will love this book. The Enchanted Book is a humorous look at the original Cinderella story, but in a male's  POV and with a twist.

Blurb: Jimmy Evans has less than a year left to graduate from high school and move into his dream college, but relies on his stepfather's support to achieve his dream.
 
In his struggle to enter college, he comes across a special book, and a gorgeous girl. These two are linked in a way even young Jimmy doesn't know, until he finds himself in need of both of them.

Cover art: Hannah Sher
Manipulated by Kelvin O'Ralph

Behind the Chapters - LS: The Beginning

LS: The Beginning

This is going to be an unusual blog post, but a very special one. I'm going to list the first two chapters in the first book of my paranormal series, 'LS', and tell you a bit about the writing process behind each chapter. Also, if I'm going to give you insights on each chapter I choose. Beware, if you haven't read this book, you might be forced to read it after reading this blog post. :) Just kidding.

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the very-normal title it's given. I may be a very good writer, but naming stuffs isn't part of my talents. Even when I write computer programs, my boss complains I don't name them well. So don't judge a book by it's name. Then again, some people are compelled by the names of books. I promise to learn more about 'naming' stuffs, and hopefully the names of my future projects will be epic, or at least compelling.

Chapter One: The Day I arrived
It would interest you guys to know that I rewrote this particular chapter more than 15 times. Not because I'm a terrible writer, but I needed to make it as real as it could be. During the process of writing this chapter, I made sure I stayed without food or distraction, so i could channel my thoughts to writing. The Male MC, Stephen Wilson arrives at his place of birth, Sloutenville, after a long period of living in Africa. Now, most people want to know 'Why did he move to Sloutenville?' Well, the answer's elaborated in the last book of 'LS', though his main reason for leaving Africa was for a better education. Simple. Then people are annoyed that he is welcomed like a King as he arrives; however, this is so not true. He's just a bit fortunate to have wealthy relatives who love him. Personally, Stephen is a broke dude. One more thing I need to clarify, when Stephen reads his cousin's mind, he's totally not aware. This was the very first symptom he had because he moved into the same city with his soul mate. Nice right? There was a moment when Stephen and I hardly agreed on anything. He wanted to cut his long hair, but I told him NO. He didn't like his dress code, but I told him 'Deal with it'. It took a while for us to get on the same page; even then, he still moaned like a little baby. Meanwhile, Lisa was just an angel. She never complained about anything - and they say girls nag a lot.*laughs*

Chapter Two:  First Day at College
In this Chapter, I had to enter Stephen's head as he goes to college for the first time in Sloutenville. Luckily, his cousin, Stacy Ford,  helps him to settle down in college. Stephen happens to sit beside a girl with long hair, gorgeous body and a taste for skimpy wears, name Lisa Morgan. At that very moment, he began to feel stuffs he'd never felt before. To Stephen, he assumed it was a symptom of LOST(secular LOVE), little does he know he's being reborn into a new man, a man who can create ice from his bare hands. This chapter also introduces a special character in the book, the British young lady, Julie Hitchens. What is a love story without the jealous lover? We see Julie Hitchens as she tries to lure Stephen to become 'more than a friend'. She's certainly an entertaining character to read. I really enjoyed writing her character.


Well, that's it for now. I'm sorry if it's a bit short, I didn't want to give out away too many spoilers.If you've read 'LS: The Beginning', did you enjoy it? Do you have any questions you need answer to, concerning the characters/plot of the book? Just leave a comment below and I'll do my possible best to give you reasonable answers.

My review on Breaking Dawn (Twilight)

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and last book in the twilight saga. It's been split to two parts, just like Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. After I read a review from a newspaper here in UK, I was looking forward to see an awful film, but I WAS WRONG. Why? I'll explain thoroughly as I go on :)

In the review I read, they stated that the film was more of a photo album and nothing more. Also, I read in another review that apart from the wedding and the baby, nothing happens. I find these all to be unfair and quite biased to be honest. Movies are not all about action and fantasy, werewolves, vampires, witches etc, though, these adds some spice to movies, but every movie has its main focal point. I believe the part one of this movie was meant to be more of drama than action(happens as the review stated).

Firstly, I love the wedding part a lot; I could watch it again and again. It was amazing. We see Bella and her father walking towards the people in the garden. Bella is shivering as she walks, literally. I could see the emotion in her eyes as she feels frightened of becoming a vampire, of getting married at 18, everything. Then as she looks up and sees Edward, everything disappears; she becomes as strong as a horse. I think Producer 'n' Director did a brilliant job in this scene. Well done. Also, as they were saying their wedding vows, I loved the song in the background(Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine) I almost cried at this point. It felt so real. Anyways, as they spoke to each other, I noticed there was no one in the background; all the guest seemed to have disappeared. Some may think this was a flaw by the producers and director, but I'm sure it wasn't. They wanted to make it look like the two couples were in their own world as they said their vows, nothing seemed to matter to them at all. I loved that. Then, there was the comedic scene with Charlie, Emmet and Renee as they gave their toast. It was hilarious.

Sadly, I can't drone about the entire movie. I'm just going to list my best scenes. Okay, I love the part where Bella was seducing Edward, but he resisted. It was quite funny, and the people at the cinema would agree to this. Then the movie got hotter as Bella became pregnant. Jacob became involved in their lives and we see Taylor Lautner performing really well in some nice scenes. The action began with the wolves and all, most fans would enjoy this. I for one, think it was okay.

Lastly, I liked the scene where Bella gives birth. It was bloody, literally. Then the baby comes out and everything seems perfect for me. I love babies. She looks so cute as Rose, Edward's sister carried her in her arms. Then the fight scene takes place, and I expected at least somebody to get hurt, but everyone seemed fine after the fight. Not a big deal though. The ending just placed the cherry on the cream as Bella became a vampire.

My Rating

If you've watched Breaking Dawn Part 1, what do you think of it and what rating would you give it? Leave your comments below :)

On the edge: I guess this is where it ends

it's been a while I started writing. To me, I feel writing is my life and most of the time, I prefer writing to speaking. However, I'm at the point in my life that I have to make a vital decision, for me and my future family.

There are so many secrets behind my writing career. I hope in time I'll get to reveal them to the world. No worries, they aren't bad things. 'I don't do bad'.

So recently I got a review for the first book in my paranormal series, LS: The Beginning. It was rated 2 stars out of 5. To be honest, I felt a bit hurt at first, knowing how much I'd given into this book. I can clearly recall staying home just to write each chapters, while my friends went outing. I'd sacrificed a lot to become a writer. Does this mean I should get 5 stars every time? A big NO to that. I believe for one to become successful at anything he/she does, there needs to be three main factors: Passion, Skill and Luck.

Passion: As I aforesaid, I love writing and even if I never make it in the future, I'll keep writing for the fun of it. I had to buy a blackberry just because I want to be writing even when I'm on the bus, on my bed, anywhere.

Skill: I won't say I'm the best, considering my age. At the same time, I won't say I'm the worst, considering my age. haha :) I have gotten a few 5 star reviews, which means at least I must be a bit good at what I do as a writer: creating compelling stories and characters. There was a reviewer who rated the same book above 3 stars out of 5. Then she left a comment for me on Librarything. Thank you again for sharing your work with me. Keep at it Kevin and remember you have readers out in the world waiting for more of your books.

I had chills just reading this. To be honest, I almost cried. Although, why do most people call me Kevin; it's Kelvin :)

Luck: Now, this is the factor I seem to lack. Although, I think it's the least of the factor. if one doesn't have any of the two above, I doubt even the luckiest man could become John Locke or Amanda Hocking, just saying. I've read some paranormal romance out there on kindle, and I say to myself, this book's okay and it's doing really well. Why aren't mine? I believe that's the period of weakness. I try to compare my books with others, which to me isn't right. Every author has a unique voice, and I'm learning to understand that.

So right now, I'm preparing to release a new romance fantasy book, but I keep asking myself one thing. Will readers like this? or will they hate it like some did to the rest. As the bestseller, Melissa Foster said in a guest post, "bad reviews don't mean your book is not good, it just means if fell into the wrong hands." Also, John Locke said this as well in his amazing book 'How I sold 1 million eBooks in 5 months' If you're an aspiring indie writer you need to check out this book. It's just $2.99. That's just less that £2 in the UK, and it could change your life. It changed mine.

I read a post on Patti Roberts blog, an amazing Aussie writer. She said we should complete this...

Mark Twain wrote “Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.”

So how should this end: 'Write Like....."

In an agreement to Mark's quote. I'll add, "Write Like No One's Reading"

The funny thing about this blog is that I started with an intention to tell the world how I frustrated I am with my bad reviews and slow sales, but now I just realized something: THIS ISN'T THE END, IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING

P.S: Please do check out the blogs of the mentioned authors on my blog list at the side. They are amazingly gifted. Also, do leave your comments on how you battle bad reviews

Winners of 'LS' Giveeaway

Hiya everyone,

I've reviewed the entries and randomly selected the winners of the LS giveaway. I love being fair, so i didn't want to pick the winner myself. So I used a random picker tool online at this SITE. It's really nice. Also, below is a screenshot of the First Prize Winner.

Amy2011

Congrats Amy, I'll send you an email shortly. Now, the second Prize winner is:

Amanda

Congrats Amy. I'll send you an email shortly. Now, the last but not the least winner

Andra

Thank you so much for entering this giveaway, and to the people who weren't mentioned above, thank you for participating; remember, you're still a winner.

Thanks

Big Christmas Book Giveaway

Hiya everyone,

A friend of mine named, Wanda, is hosting this amazing Giveaway, titled, Big Christmas Book Giveaaway, and I need your support.

Read the description below and let me know if you're willing to join(Authors and Readers alike). You can send me a PM via my Blog, or send Wanda a message on Facebook: Wanda Hart. Giveaway ends on the 12th of December :)

Thank You.

Big Christmas Book Giveaway

All authors participating is donating at least two books.
One of the e books donated by each of the authors will go to the winner of the giveaway.
The second of these books will go to a randomly drawn contestant/s.
If authors should have more than two copies of e books available the same idea apply as before but the second book will then go to yet another randomly drawn contestant.
The aim:
Create an awareness of Authors and their books.
To make one lucky person very happy.
To make as many other people as happy as we can by giving them a book.

How do contestants become contestants?
Simple really. Leave a comment on this blog or on this facebook page, with your name, email and country.
The aim
Create awareness of Authors and their books

To create a sense of paying it forward on FB by giving a book as a present.
Books by authors in print which is not internationally available, will not be added to the winners books but will go to entrants in that specific country from the get go.
So in summery we will have people buying a copy of a book and giving it away as a present.
We will have one winner of overall big prize.
We will hopefully have enough authors and entrants to make sure that most if not all the entrants also get a little surprise gift.
If all the authors can make books that are free currently available even more entrants will walk away happy some with much more than only one book. These free books will be made available to all entrants including the winner.

Thanks Once Again

Kelvin

Time for another Giveaway!!!

I'm pleased to announce LS: Deception is now out on Amazon Kindle, and this brings me to today's main event. Following the release of LS: Deception, I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog to promote the 'LS' series. It's quite a unique paranormal series and contains a solid plot. if you haven't read LS: The Beginning, please I'd advice you to get a copy for just 99 cents on Amazon Kindle before you read LS: Deception.

This giveaway is going to be as easy as possible. All you have to do is: follow my blog and leave a comment with your best paranormal characters and your email, so I can contact you if you're among the winners. Winners? Yup, there're going to be more than one winner in this giveaway.

First Prize

One paperback copy of LS: Deception and LS: The Beginning, and an Amazon Kindle gift card.

Second Prize

One e-book of LS: Deception and LS: The Beginning in the LS series.

Third Prize

A free e-book of LS: Deception via Smashwords Coupon.

Giveaway ends on the 2nd of November, 2011. I'll use a random generator software to pick out the winners on the last day of the giveaway. Only US residents can win the first prize. No worries, everyone. I'll host an international giveaway soon

Looking for ARC reviews for LS: Deception

Hiya everyone,

LS: Deception is ready and will soon be released. Before the day of release, I'm looking for interested reviewers to review an Advanced Review Copy of LS: Deception. If you're interested, leave your comment below with your email addresses. I would be able to give PDF versions of this book to interested readers. You don't need to be a reviewer to read and review the book.

Blurb: Lisa and Stephen are back together as a new school year kicks off. This time, they're much stronger than they've ever been, plus their love life has moved to a higher level. Everything seems perfect as they learn about Lisa's new abilities, until Lisa's father, Ben Morgan is attacked while receiving an award.

In this instalment of LS, the two lovers face what seems to be their greatest challenge. As they uncover the mystery behind the attacks on their lives, they are left to make a final decision. It's time to fight back.

P.S: You need to read LS: The Beginning to understand every bit of LS: Deception.

Thanks everyone,

Kelvin

Upcoming release!!!

Hiya everyone,

The sequel to LS: The Beginning is almost ready, and so I decided to show everyone who are expecting its release the decided cover art and the blurb(prototype) i hope you like it. Please, leave your comments below

Blurb:

Lisa and Stephen are back together as a new school year kicks off. This time, they're much stronger than they've ever been, plus their love life has moved to a higher level. Everything seems perfect as they learn about Lisa's new abilities, until Lisa's father, Ben Morgan is attacked while receiving an award.

In this installment of LS, the two lovers face what seems to be their greatest challenge. As they uncover the mystery behind the attacks on their lives, they are left to make a final decision. It's time to fight back.

A tribute to my mom

I'm going to start off this post with the sentence. I LOVE MY MOM. After my heavenly father, God, my mom is the main reason I'm where I am today. Being the last of four kids, one would expect a mother to spoil her child with gifts of the world, but my mom didn't. She gave me a little and showed me how to get the rest. Isn't she an angel?

When I went off the right trail, she brought me back again. She's always believed in me and till date she believes in my writing. I know the cliche stigma about how children love their mothers, but mine is quite different. I have seen so many families and how kids' mothers treat them. It's really appalling. Some mothers spend all their money in buying jewelries to beautify themselves, but my mom prefers to go naked just to make her children comfortable. To her, our happiness/success is all she needs in life.

Even when my dad didn't agree with certain decisions we made, my mom would try her best to back us up both financially and psychologically. then when my father sees our decisions are fruitful, he would join my mom to support us. He's awesome as well.

Even in death, nothing would separate me from my mom. She lives within me wherever I go and whatever I do. Tear drops trickle down my cheeks as i reminisce about all she has done for me. My only hope is that she lives to reap the fruits of her labor. (By God's grace)

Lastly, I'll end this post by adding a very special quote by me. "Unlike most celebrations: Christmas, Birthdays etc., I celebrate Mother's day everyday of my life because without my mom, I wouldn't be me"

Why I Started Writing

Hiya everyone,

On a sunny afternoon, I was discussing about my book with a collegeue at work. She asked a question that drove me down memory lane. "What made you become a professional writer?" she asked.
After elaborating the enitre story behind my writing, she smiled and nodded. "I hope your dreams come through," she said. Now, what did I tell her that made her give such a response? This is what this post is all about.

Firstly, I've been writing for a while now. Though they weren't full stories or plots, I just loved expressing myself with a paper and pen; nowadays with Microsoft Word. So during September 2009, I was watching a fan video on youtube on the two twiligjht stars, together called 'Robsten' and a mind blowing idea hit me. "Why don't I write a different kind of paranormal romance?" I said to myself. At that moment, I had deep feelings towards a friend and former high school mate. I channeled my entire energy in writing a book which would be dedicated to her.

First trial
One morning I called a friend who then informed me about the girl I liked and they guy she'd started dating. it felt like a stake had been pierced through my heart. I could hardly breath for a long minute. Instantly, I switched on my laptop and deleted the book I'd started writing (I was already half way throught the book) Then I went to my university account and deleted the back-up copy from a college's PC. I was really devistated. During the next few days, I was a mess. My life had taken a complete U-turn. I could barely eat or even attend lectures.

Second trial
Still depressed, I went over to my elder sister's crib hoping to cheer up. When i told her about my passion in writing and that I'd like to be a full time writer, the respond my sister gave me was heart breaking. "What makes you feel you'll be any better than the millions of people who write?"
This was a wake up call for me, and I left her place more determined than ever. I finsished my novel in less than two months and began editing. However, it took a great deal to forget about the girl I'd lost. I guess what won't kill you can only make you stronger.

Now, I'm at the verge of releasing the sequel of that book(LS: The Beginning) and also a new project I've been working on as well. My sincere hope is that one day, my books will be read and my voice would be heard.

Character Teams

I'm so sorry that it took me a while to post this blog. The last few weeks have been hectic and I seldom get time to be online. It's either online or asleep, and trust me it's difficult to make such a decision.

Today, I have something special for you. You know how twilight started the...hmm, what word should I use to describe it...hmm, the division of fans into teams i.e Team Jacob and Team Edward. In this blog, I will attempt to do the same for my new book, LS: The Beginning.

TEAM LISA

Lisa Morgan is the female MC of LS: The Beginning. She's a young college student and the daughter of rich parents. Lisa has only one a sibling, Calvin - her younger brother. In her spare time, Lisa loves playing with puzzles and sitting under the sun. She meets Stephen Wilson as a sophomore and they become connected in the strangest way unknown to man. Unlike Julie and Sharon, her classmates, Lisa doesn't fall for Stephen at the first instance. She already had a handsome boyfriend who was a junior at that time. Lisa has a thing for red and yellow colors. You can never find her wearing a different color. Her phone's red, her car's red; even her room has a touch of red. Strange, right? Also, she has a phobia for water; cold water to be precise. The worst thing you can ever do to her is to throw her into a swimming pool. It's a bit weird how she loves the cold weather but not cold water. Lisa loves wearing skimpy outfits, because she gets hot easily, especially during summer. Although, you won't see her dressed in a bum-short and bra to college.

Why is Emma Watson's picture there? One would ask. Well, my preferred cast for this character is no other than the girl who played the role of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. I like facing challenges, and I want her to do so as well. I've seen an intelligent young witch side of her, and I'd like to see a different side on her next film. She'll have to be a little more romantic than she was in HP as Lisa ends up dating Stephen. Also, Lisa is an American girl from the fictional town, Sloutenville. Luckily, Emma can make her own American accent as this isn't a know city like the likes of LA, Tennessee etc.

TEAM JULIE

Julie Hitchens is Stephen's course mate. She's a British blonde girl who lives alone in her parents' house in Sloutenville. Her parents seldom come over to the states, so she has the house to herself most of the time. Julie has a crush on Stephen the moment he arrives at college. Being bestfriends with Stephen's cousin and house-mate, Stacy Ford, Julie is able to get in touch with Stephen. Sadly, Stephen doesn't like her the way she likes him; even with her gorgeous features and thundering accent, she can't get him to fall for her. Although both parents are still alive, Julie loves wearing black outfits and drives her father's black convertible Mercedes.

Why Dakota Fanning? Again, it's the same reason why I chose Emma. Dakota is an amazing actress, who's stared with one of the world's best actors and actresses, including Tom Cruz, Julia Roberts etc. I would like to see her take on a more challenging and different role. Also, since Julie Hitchens is British, Dakota would have to learn how to speak like one. I believe she'll be up to the task.

Well, these are the two teams. Which of the teams would you prefer to be in, Team Julie or Team Lisa? Leave your answers below and your emails if you'd like to win a smashword coupon of the new edited version of LS: The Beginning

P.S: You don't need to enter your emails if you don't wish to participate in the giveaway.

Winners of Lisa & Stephen 500 Giveaway

Hiya everyone.

Lisa & Stephen's 500 giveaway ended yesterday. Although its aim was far from being accomplished (500 followers), I thank everyone who participated in this giveaway. I hope one day I'll secure this once strived goal.

So the winners of this giveaway are listed below. Please do join me and congratulate the two winners:

Catherine Bell

Suzanne Kilmer

The winners are going to be contacted and sent their prizes via any means they require. Once again, thanks for entering this giveaway. D0 subscribe to my blog and learn more about me and my wonderful books.

Winners of LS: The Beginning Blog Tour

Hiya everyone,

So my first blog tour is finally over. Although, I'm yet to post the final stop on my blog, which will be a character team discussion. You know, Team this, Team that. It'll be quite interesting. So do stop by this time tomorrow and check it out. Sadly, I've been so busy with work and so there's limited time to be online. Sigh. No worries, you can always find me on twitter 24/7, thanks to my blackberry.

If you didn't participate in the blog tour. You can always check out my Blog Tour Page, and see the stops(posts) hosted during the tour. It was really a nice experience. Not so much sales. Still, I do hope for the best.

So here are the winners of the blog tour, and they'll be receiving an e-copy of LS: The Beginning via Smashwords coupon or any means of their choice. These winners will be contacted shortly with their provided email addresses.

Faith Hope and Cherrytea

Natalie(Bookworm)

Darlene

Jessica(Peace Love Books)

Thanks for reading

Yours Truly

Kelvin

Cover design for my upcoming book

Hiya everyone,

So I recently finished the first draft of my upcoming book, LS: Deception. It's the second book in the LS series. Please do give youe opinion on this cover below. Also, my blog tour ends today. You can check the "BLOG TOUR" page on this blog, and leave your comments. I'll be doing a giveaway of one paperback version of LS: The Beginning later today. Do stop by later and enter the giveaway.



Thanks
Kelvin

Paperback now available

Hiya everyone,

Finally, the papeback format of my book, LS: The Beginning is now online. Since I approved it today, it would take five to seven days to be listed fully on Amazon.com However, it's on sale on Createspace for now. The hard copy looks way better than I'd expected, so please don't hesitate to grab a copy.

Curious to know how it looks? This is it?















If you're interested in getting a copy please click HERE

Many thnaks
Kelvin

First ever blog tour

Hiya everyone,

I've finally decided to create a blog tour for my new release, LS: The Beginning. It's slowly gaining readers and I'd like to keep the awareness. Since I'm fairly new to this development, blog tour I mean, I have decided to start of with a one week blog tour. Starting from 20th June 2011, the blog tour will begin and end 27th June 2011. During those days, I will be online almost every single hour of the day, and when I'm away, I'll have a notifier on my blackberry.

Please, if you're interested, leave a comment with your proposal and the date you'd like to feature during the blog tour. Also, what you'd like your feature to be about; interview, review, special post etc. Anything you want. I would be giving away two free e-copies to people on each stop(blogsite) So the owners of the blog will pick the two winners from the people who comment.

At the last day, 27th, I would do a special post on my blog and giveaway a free hardcopy of my book to one lucky winner who comments. US residents only :)

P.S: There can be more than one stop in a day

Dates
June 20th - Laura Vosika - (Blog post/Interview)
'' 21st - Veronica Massey - (Excerpt/Interview)
'' 22nd -
' 23rd - J. A. Beard (Interview)
'' 24th - Charlie Fey (Interview)
'' 25th - Eva Coppersmith - (Interview) and Shaina Richmond - (Excerpt)
'' 26th - Georgina Young-Ellis - (Character Interview)
'' 27th - Kelvin's World(Character Teams)

Thanks for reading
Kelvin

Week one results

Week one of Lisa & Stephen's 500 Giveaway is over, and as promised, I would bring you the top 5 names with their points. However, if you've entered the giveaway and don't see your name, it doesn't mean you won't be a winner. As of today, there are two contestants with 6 points, and the rest have 3 points. If they competition ends like this, the two people with 6 points will be the winners, then I'll use a random picker to pick the first and second winner out of the two.

So far, I've gotten over 10 contestants, 19 extra followers and over 20 likes on Facebook. I do hope these numbers increase as time progresses. If you haven't entered the giveaway, and you'd like to, click HERE

Thanks for reading

Kelvin

The story behind my new release, LS: The Beginning

Hiya everyone,

I made a covenant with myself to tell the world the story behind the books I release, starting from LS: The Beginning. There's little to tell, but as a writer I'd like to expatiate. By the way, I just released a book trailer for LS: The Beginning, check it out HERE

It all started during the last few months of 2009. I wanted to write a book for the girl I loved, expressing and showing my feelings the best way I could - via writing. Now this is the funny bit. When I got to the fourth chapter of the book, I was tired and worn out of writing a romance scene on each chapter. So, it took me over a week to think about what to do with the book. Then I watched the first instalment of the Twilight Saga, and it inspired me to turn the book into a fiction one. I began creating an outline for the book. Wait a minute, I still have the paper I used to outline the book. This is it.

If you can see, I had only nineteen chapters then. But after re-writing over the years, it's now twenty-two chapters - 3 extra chapters.

Also, I changed the form of writing chapter titles. For example, the first chapter was once, "ARRIVAL". After the numerous edits, it's now "The Day I Arrived", and I did the same thing for the subsequent chapters.

I wrote the first draft of this book in 3 months. During those months, I was really stressed out. First of all, I was going to the university/college, and I had a pa rt-time job, couple with the writing everyday. It was really hectic.

Like most writers, I envisioned my book being adapted to the big screen, and this helped me in creating the scenes. There were few things I got from my life and added it onto the story. For example, when the male MC, Stephen, wishes the female MC, Lisa, a happy birthday. But because they share the same day of birth, she responds "Same to you". This is exactly what the girl I loved told me any time I wished her a happy birthday. So I added that to the book.

Getting the book ready for release wasn't an easy task. I received so many feedbacks from critiques and professionals, and so I was confused on what to change and what to keep in place. Luckily, I sailed through.

In all, I enjoyed writing this book, and I'll enjoy writing the sequel more. Oops I just spilled out. Although, there might not be any sequel. The only way to know that is to get a copy on Amazon Kindle store and read the book. Below are the various links were you can buy the book.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Thanks for reading everyone.

Kelvin

Sorry I'd forgotten about this little detail. As an indie author, I am my own brand, or at least I think I am. So, I decided to create my own logo. However this logo may only be found in the print version of my book, which will be available very soon. Take a look at this. By the way, I made it :)

Book trailer live

Hiya everyone,

So, I've been contemplating on where and how to start with the book trailer for LS: The Beginning. It took me a while before I decided to create the one below. I hope you all enjoy it. Please leave a comment if you like the trailer.

Thanks

A special post featuring the author of Murderson, Mark Yarwood

Title: Murderson (Have put my next book Spider Mouth on Amazon now)
Author: Mark Yarwood
Genre: Mystery and Thriller
Blurb: London and the South West of England are the hunting ground of a serial killer. The brutal killer, nicknamed The Clock, hunts young men in their thirties, kills them and turns their bodies into macabre clock faces at each crime scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Webb, a tired middle aged policeman with a failed relationship still haunting him, investigates the series of murders with the help of Dr. Kirill Fedorov, a man who believes he can spot potential serial killer behaviour in children and cure it. Webb also persuades the now fully-grown Luke Wind, the only British boy that Dr. Fedorov cured and treated like a son, to help him find the killer. Fedorov convinces Luke that he should still be able to understand a serial killer's mind, but when Luke looks into himself he begins to doubt that he has been cured after all, especially when the killings begin to look personal.

Links to buy book

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Smashwords

Give away: I will be shortly doing a giveaway of my new thriller Spider Mouth on Smashwords. Keep an eye on Twitter for details. My Twitter name is: @MarkYarwood72

What inspired you to become a writer?

Hmmm, that's a good question. I've been pretty much writing since an early age, sometimes just weird little stories, which were about my teachers and were very cheeky. Eventually I began writing my own comic book stories. I would copy drawings out of Spider Man or Superman and then make up my own stories. Years later I ended up editing, writing and drawing comic stories along side a guy called Lee Davis. We had some great, but very drunken times back then. Of course I began writing short stories, but only Because an Australian girl called Michelle lent me a book called War Crimes by Peter Carey. I read all the short stories in the book hundreds of times over and they inspired me to write my own. I put together a short story collection together called The Regretful and The Drunk. I might put it on Amazon one day, but I'm sure the stories won't stand up today

One day, when I was working for my father, I decided to write a book. I did not know how to go about it, but did it anyway. Of course, it was terrible, but I learnt some valuable lessons on that book. I read up on novel writing, wrote another book, and then another...until I'm now publishing them on Amazon Kindle.

Why would people want to read your book?
Well, they should read Murderson because it's a thriller with a difference. I've read my fair amount of thrillers, even though I have a very varied taste in books, such as Peter Carey, who I mentioned above. The thing with thrillers is they can be the same thing time after time. It's hard to be unique. I see a lot of writers now on Amazon Kindle trying and succeeding to stand out, to be different. Murderson is based on a documentary I saw about a Russian doctor that believed he could spot serial killer behaviour in children and cure it. I've never been able to find the documentary since- so if anyone has seen it, please let me know the title. I thought having a main character that has been cured or prevented from being a serial killer would be interesting. I think it works. Funny thing is, I got a bad review from one reader, who thought the whole premise was unbelievable, even though it was the only true part of the book!!

Can you relate to any of the characters and why?
That's tricky. If I say Luke, then that makes me look like a serial killer...but I'm not, honest...even though if you watch my trailer for Murderson, you can see me with a knife and gloves! I think DCI Webb is the one character I can relate too, because of his relationship problems. We've all been there and we've let it rule our lives. Happily I don't have that problem any more.

Tell your readers something personal about you?
Something personal about me? Hmmm...Okay, and this is something people will think weird. I hate shorts...and you'll never see me in a pair or flip flops! My mother used to make me wear them on holiday when I was a kid and I'd always lose them. When you're a kid, you're always running around or kicking your legs about...flip flops do not stay attached long! Oh, and I don't like football. That's always a weird one for a man to admit. Feel like I've exposed my self to the world now...not in an illegal way though.

How can one contact you?

I can be contacted through facebook, or my Murderson facebook page or through my website: www.markyarwood.co.uk and also my twitter account listed above.

Note: Spider mouth is now available on Amazon Kindle Store. Do stop by and get a copy here at Amazon

New and exciting giveaway

Hiya everyone,

I recently created a new giveaway to launch the release of LS: The Beginning. It's called, "Lisa & Stephen's 500 Giveaway" I hope to secure over 500 followers by the end of this contest, but then again that's just a rough estimate. It all depends on the readers who are drawn to enter the contest, and like my blog.

There are exciting prizes to be won, and all you need to do is follow my blog and twitter account, which can be done by clicking thr necessary button on the right hand side of the page. No need to open a new page and navigate to twitter. Please, spread the word by letting your friends and family know about the competition, so then can enter as well. Who knows, if you don't win, they might win and you get to share the prizes - just saying :)

To join the contest, click HERE

As for my new book, it's doing pretty well. I've already got 3 good reviews on Amazon, 2 on Goodreads and 1 on Smashwords. Well, the sales aren't that good, but fingers cross :) You can find more about this book by clicking on the image on the right hand side.

Thanks for the support

Kelvin

Book is released at long last

Hiya everyone,

Finally, the long anticipated fantasy novel is out. Hmm, should I say, almost-out. I uploaded it onto Amazon's platform earlier on today, and it's already posted on Amazon Kindle Store. Sorry, new update; it's now available on Amazon.

I'm so excited to see how this book does on Amazon Kindle Store. Right now, I'm marketing and promoting the book, hoping it would capture the eyes of potential customers. What other way to start off than hosting a giveaway. Yes.. I have a giveaway to host this month. I'm still gathering details, and I'll be listing the giveaway on my GIVEAWAYS page. Stop by sometime tomorrow to enter the competition. Trust me, it would be worthwhile.

For those willing to post review on this book, please you can do so in the following links:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Goodreads

Please, join me in the release of this great story, and help support by getting a copy for yourself, family and friends.

Much Love

Kelvin

C for Cinema

So sorry it has been a while I filled you in on my personal life and interests. It is because I have preparing to release the first book of my fantasy series, LS: the beginning. Oh, I did it again. I can't write a single line without added this book to it. That's how much I am so excited about the release. I know it may not be all that, but come on it was written by ME. That surely is a pass mark. Haha. Just kidding. So back to the topic of the day. Could you believe I woke up this early morning (3am) to be exact, to write this blog post. When I thought of the letter C, the second thing that popped in my head was Cinema. Why second? Well, because the first was Church, and I didn't want to drone all about the benefits of church and sound too bias. There are so many religions in the world, and I like the idea of equality and diversity.

To remind you all who didn't read my last "LETTERS POST" click on this LINK. Hint: it's on the football club Barcelona. Okay so now, why did I choose to write about Cinema as an interest field? In my own opinion, I feel this is the best place to watch a movie. Even with the increasing HD flat screens, blue rays, and even 3D, the cinema is still epic. It's huge screen and well built rooms plus its sound system, helps deliver the perfect movie experience. I have been going to watch movies at the cinema ever since I was a kid, and till now, I watch all my favorite films at the cinema. Although, I missed "Just Go With It", but hey you can get all you want. You've got to loose few and win many :)

Also, the cinema I always go to is called "Cineworld". I'm not really sure people outside the United Kingdom has heard of it, but yeah, now you have. There's something really nice about this brand of cinema, they offer with is called an unlimited card to customers who are willing to pay £14.99 a month via direct debit. This card allows these customers to watch UNLIMITED films during this month, hence reducing the considerable amount of money spent to go to the movies every week. However, I believe it's for over 18s alone, not sure though. Also, they have different kind of tickets like most cinemas i.e. family, student, senior, child etc.

Sadly, I haven't taken a picture of my current Cinema, but I'll do so and add it to this post as soon as possible. The problem is, I hardly take photos of places, but all that is about to change thanks to you all. This right HERE is the link to cineworld.

So I have told you what I like about the cinema, and which cinema I go to. Now it's your turn. Do you like going to the cinema to watch your favorite blockbusters? If yes, what's your reason?

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Very recently I was seated in the living room watching an episode of Friends(the one with Jennifer Aniston). So a childhood friend of mine entered the room, and shook her head as she caught me watching the episode.

Friend: I can't believe you still watch this old television series.

Kelvin: Wow, that's true. I can't believe we are still friends...haha

Giving out AReC of my upcoming book

Hiya everyone,

I'm counting weeks before I release the first book in a Romance Fantasy series. It's one of my favorite projects and I can't wait to share it with the world. Already, I have been giving a 5 star review for this book (Yay Me), and I'd like to receive more honest reviews from readers, writers - everyone. Below is the cover art of the book and its blurb. Feel free to follow this blog and leave a comment on this post, stating what you think of the art and the blurb, and also leave your email addresses if you're interested in doing a review.

Blurb: A handshake between strangers has never held so much promise for discovery.

When Stephen Wilson meets Lisa Morgan at his new school in Sloutenville, it is the simple act of extending his hand in greeting that flips both of their worlds upside-down. With the gesture, both discover that in some way they are connected, and that they share the ability to manipulate the elements, fire and water. Though their abilities vary, they share the gift of telepathy allowing them to communicate without words, which creates a bond between them stronger than either had expected.

As the two begin to spend more and more time together David, Lisa’s ex, becomes wild with jealousy, lunching multiple attacks on Lisa. In the fight against the dangers that await them around every corner, Stephen and Lisa soon discover that they are up against much greater odds than they had originally known, and that their struggles are far from over.

I look forward to your reviews and comments

5 Star Review for my upcoming book

LS The Beginning Review

LS The Begining Review

LS The Begining is a powerful story about young man, who, upon coming to America, learns his parents have bought him gifts: a house, a fararie, and over a million dollars. But these are not the only gifts he has unexpectently recieved.

He has also been given the gift of power. A power in which he can freeze anything he chooses to freeze. He shares his gift with a beautiful young woman, who also has recieved a gift of her own. A gift that reflects off of his own. The gift of fire.

Now, the two of them must learn why they have been bestowed with such powerful gifts.

I found myself drawn in with this story, back to a time, with the characters, when I knew rhe same up and down emotions of high school, and all the feelings that come with this time in each of our lives when we are experiencing a kelidoscope of emotions, and learning what defines our life as our own.

The two young people are drawn down a path, where the must, not only define thmselves and their future, but how their powers fit in this future as they are tumbled, head long, into a spectacular adventure.

I give, LS The Begining five stars, and highly recomemend reading it

Lenore Wolfe - Source

Contest Ended

Hiya everyone:

Finally, the giveaway for two signed copies of Fast Forward: Into The Future is now over. I'll be announcing the two lucky winners by the end of the week, and I'd like to thank everyone who entered the contest. Thanks a lot.

Kelvin

Poem!!!

ME

Everyone makes mistakes
but I learn to float on the correction lake
allowing my mistakes to guide ME

Most people want fame/fortune
but I don't flow with the same tune
I want fortune/fame to want ME.

Most people hustle around
but I still remain on the same ground
knowing my Lord is with ME..

Some people are never fulfilled
but I'm grateful to God, for not being killed
And I know he'll never leave ME

Some people find it hard to love
As for me, I find it hard to be loved
Then again that's just ME

Most writers are talented, few are blessed
I hope one day my skills would be put to the test
Till then, I'm left with being ME

Lastly, it takes a great deal of perseverance to be successful
Most people fail to comprehend this important tool
Remember I said most people, not ME

B for Barcelona football club

From a very young age, I have supported the famous Football/Soccer club, FC Barcelona. It's a Spanish football club suited in Barcelona. From the days of Rivaldo to the days of Lionel Messi, I have been a loyal fan of the club. So when it came to the letter "B" this was the only word I could think of.

Not only do they win trophies and games, they play excellently well, entertaining their fans and mostly - enemies as well. Presently coached by Pep Guardiola, Barcelona has become one of the greatest football clubs in the world. They have over 10 European cups, 21 La-Liga titles and 25 Spanish cups. They have never been relegated in history. Indeed, they are simply brilliant.

I love their game play, and how they move with the ball. Even though they lose a match, I still enjoyed how they played. I began liking their game play the moment they signed Ronaldinho. the Brazilian mid-fielder. Then I fell in love with the club the moment they signed Lionel Messi, the Argentine supporting striker. These two players brought out the best in the club. Ronaldinho helped them to win the UEFA Champions League in 2006, while Lionel Messi helped them to win the same title in 2009. scoring the second and finishing goal in the second half.

Barcelona brings out the best in players as well. If you take a look at all the Fifa World Best Football Player till date, most of them where in Barcelona during the time they won the title. Also, in the present competition, Barcelona broke history by having the first three positions of the Fifa World Player of the Year filled with their players alone. What can I say? They are awesome.

I know this post has been a bit one-sided, but I just wanted to share with you all my interest in sports. So the question for the week is:

What is your favorite sport, and what club/team do you support?

Books arrived!!!

Hiya everyone:

Been a while a posted a blog on this site. I'm really sorry, been so busy. No worries, you didn't miss much. I'm still looking for reviewers for my new and upcoming Fantasy book. I have gotten few people to begin reading, and I'm looking for more. If you're interested, leave me your email and when you're free to do the review, and I'll get back to you. Check out this page for more on the book.

Anyways, I arrived home this night to meet a parcel waiting for me. Instantly, I knew what it was and where it came from. I opened the parcel and smiled at the hardcopy of my new book. Just to share the joy with everyone, I took a few photos of a copy of the book.

There are still two signed copies of this book to be won. All you have to do is enter your name and email in the form HERE Don't miss out. Entry closes 20th May 2011.

Also, it's now on print. Click HERE to buy a copy.

New book waiting to be released

Hiya everyone:

I'm preparing to release the first book of my fantasy series. At this moment, I'm gathering as much reviews I can get before releasing the book. It's really intriguing. The two lovers have the powers to create and manipulate the two elements; fire and water. Don't miss an interesting read. I'm so excited about this book. I feel it will go somewhere, but then it's up to you - my readers :) To read more about the aforesaid book, click HERE for the pitch and HERE for the excerpt.

If you're interested in doing a ARC book review, leave me a comment below with your email. Just to remind you all. It's only on ebook format for now.

Thanks

Kelvin

Fast & Furious Five ... my review

Released on April 29 2011, Fast & Furious Five also known as Fast Five is the fifth in the Fast and Furious franchise, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludachris" Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang - amongst others.

Firstly, I read that the events in the film was carried out between Fast and the Furious: Tokyo drift and Fast and Furious. I really don't get that though, but yeah, thought you all might want to know. So far it's been doing well in the box office, but here's my personal review.

Three words. I loved it. Yeah, I really loved almost everything about it and I'd let you know why as we go along. For everyone's sake I won't do too much of the name calling. I guess their first name''s enough. So the film kicked off with former FBI agent, Brian and his girlfriend Mia staging an attack on a prison transport which held Dominic, Mia's brother. I liked this bit of the film.

Soon, I got to see Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs. I liked his first scene with the sarcastic comment he issued to the police officer about the lady's smile. There's something unique and good about this film. At the starting the actor and villain were both popular actors, and this is very intriguing. Who're the writer's going to kill off. The popular wrestler and actor, Dwayne Johnson or the popular actor, Vin Diesel. Very interesting, Then, the shooting began as Luke and his men tracked down the two wanted men, Brian and Dominic. Right then, I noticed something about this film. They chose to act it in Rio, Brazil. Why? Was it because "The Expendables" was shot in Brazil as well, with the jumping of roof tops and all that. I kinda let that slide and continued to enjoy the film.

I liked when Dom and Brian form a team of experts to get do away with the dealer's money. As Tyrese, aka Roman in the film heard about the plan he opted out immediately, but hearing the amount of money to be made, he retraced his steps..LOL. There were some moments I'd have loved to see, like how they won the blue car. Maybe they'd cut it off :( Also, I was expecting Mia to react due to the baby in her. Although she did at first, but she seemed normal throughout the remaining scenes.

Then the best part of all, the ending. After forming an alliance with Luke, Dom and his team attach THE POLICE STATION, and took away the vault. That scene must have cost a lot. Too many damages were occurred, but I guess I've paid for them by watching the movie at the cinema...LOL. At that moment, I was seating at the edge of my chair, clenching my teeth in suspense. Was Dom really going to die? Gladly, he didn't and Luke ended up killing the dealer, after all his team mates had been killed. Sadly, Vince had to die, but hey, someone's gotta die considering what they were doing.

The con at the end of the movie was unexpected, and I loved it. Although, I had seen the duplicate vault earlier on, but my mind had drifted from it while focusing on the rest of the movie. The team split the money between them and departed to enjoy their lives. It was more of a fairy tale.

All in all, I enjoyed watching this movie. It deserves the hype it's given.

Rating: 4/5

What did you think of the movie? Please leave your comments below.

Giving out smashword coupon...Hurry!!!

Hiya everyone:

I am giving out smashword coupon for my book, Fast Forward: Into The Future. It's a romantic sci-fi of over 33K words. To read the description and see the book trailer, click HERE

All you have to do is follow my blog or my Facebook Page, and leave me a comment on either sites with your email address.

This offer lasts until 10 May 2011.

So hurry.

Thanks for reading

Kelvin

A special post featuring the author of Each Angel Burns, Kathleen Valentine

Title: Each Angel Burns
Author: Kathleen Valentine
Genre: Contemporary Adult

Blurb: “The story of a tormented priest and an abused wife, along with a cast of believable and capitivating characters. Throw in a mysterious old abbey with a storied past, a string of murders, and a globe-trotting villain and you have an engaging and entertaining read...This is one of the best independent novels I have read. Highly recommended.” - Barry Yelton, Scarecrow in Gray

Links to buy book: EachAngelBurns.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Each-Angel-Burns-Kathleen-Valentine/dp/0978594037
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Each-Angel-Burns/Kathleen-Valentine/e/9780978594039/

Any giveaway? If so, please give details:
I'll give a Smashwords coupon to the first three people who comment on your blog and ask for it.

Author Bio:
Kathleen Valentine is the author of two collections of short stories My Last Romance and other passions and love, murder, etc. as well as two novels, The Old Mermaid's Tale and Each Angel Burns. She has also written Fry Bacon, Add Onions: The Valentine Family & Friends Cookbook - five generations of good eating, a memoir/cookbook of memories and 400 recipes from a Pennsylvania Dutch childhood, and The Mermaid Shawl & other Beauties: Shawls, Cocoons and Wraps, a collection of her own lace knitting designs. She currently lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, America's oldest seaport, and is writing another novel, Depraved Heart. More information on her work is at KathleenValentine.com.

Questions:

What inspired you to become a writer?
I don't think I ever even thought about it, I just started writing. I grew up with two parents who were avid readers an from the time I was little I thouht books were the most magical things in the world. Writing was just a normal progression from reading.

Why should people read your book?
I think it is a beautiful story about three people at a place in their lives where they are questioning all the sacrifices made to be good people. Gabe has devoted his life to being a good husband and father. Maggie has been a good wife, Peter has been a good priest. Now the circumstances in their lives are changing and they suddenly begin to wonder if their sacrifices have been worth it – and whether they want to live with them for the rest of their lives. It is something I think a lot of people can relate to.

Can you relate to any of the characters and why?
Of course. In some ways I can relate to all three of the main characters. I especially relate to Maggie. Creating her was difficult at times because, like her, I've made some unconventional choices in how to live my life and now, past fifty, I wonder if I would do the same things again.

Tell your readers something personal about you?
Personal? Goodness, that's leading. Well, I am something of a hermit. I live on an island along the coast of Massachusetts and almost never leave it. In my younger years I moved around a lot but now I love leading a quiet, simple life where I can devote most of my time to designing (I'm a graphic designer) and writing.

How can one contact you?

kathleen@parlezmoipress.com