SYNOPSIS:In this tumultuous, distinctive memoir, Kersten L. Kelly looks back on the most influential individuals that she encountered while flying through the clouds. Confined in a small vestibule for hours, Kelly identified an opportunity for learning and growth by chatting with the fellow passengers around her. After a few life changing conversations and unforgettable emergencies, she put the in-flight magazines to rest and never looked back. She recalls life lessons from perfect strangers about love, family, perseverance of dreams, and humility through a series of brief anecdotes all taking place on airplanes. Selfless philanthropy was discovered, long-term friendships bonded, and talents unveiled. The book proves the phrase “you never know what you will learn on an airplane” over and over again. Every chapter will capture the mind and sometimes the heart of anyone who jumps into this collection of humanity at its best. The personalities present in this book assimilate with the intrinsic characteristics all readers can relate to. With a raw authenticity stemming from old notes in a ragged journal, Kelly delivers a personal reflection of unique tales from a mile high.
CREATESPACE - AMAZON - B&N
About the Author:
Kersten L. Kelly is a self-published author of narrative nonfiction and semi-fiction books. She grew up in Munster, Indiana and currently works in a sales role based out of Chicago, Illinois. She started writing at an early age and graduated from Indiana University with a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and communication and culture. She then went on to earn a master’s in business administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She has a passion for learning, teaching, and writing. In her spare time, she enjoys international travel with her friends and family and training for running events of various distances. She likes the outdoors, social media, pop culture, and any new technologies that draw the people of the world a little bit closer together.
INTERVIEW:
1. In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
There are many characteristics that make a book great, but I would say the single most important is that it has a great theme throughout. There are many books that tie together the overall theme so well which makes the concepts and ideas easy to follow. This also shows that the author is cognizant of keeping the reader engaged and organized in their thoughts.
2. Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
Honestly, I would have to say the Dr. Seuss series. Those books had such great messages, illustrations, and great memories attached to them for me. I loved to read them over and over again.
3. Are the names of the characters in your books important?
Yes, in this book, they are exceptionally important. Since the chapters and characters are based on real stories, I changed all of them to reflect the person that they were to me. I did not use any of the people’s real names to protect their identity and privacy.
4. Which of your characters is most like you?
I would say the character that is most like me is Estelle. When you learn more about her, you might think “how are they anything similar?” The answer to that question is simple. Estelle was driven to live for her family. She devoted countless hours to their happiness, and I find it rewarding to do the same for my own family.
5. Worst habit you have?
The worst habit that I have is probably overthinking things. I tend to overthink a lot of insignificant things in my life, and I would probably be better off not doing that. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I think this is attributed to that characteristic.
6. How much research did you do before and during writing?
I did not do much research for this book. Since the premise is more about experiences I had, most of the information that I wanted to include was already written in my notebook. It took a little research for some of the factual information I included, but it was minimal.
7. What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?
I think it's most important to have goals and a timeline of when you plan to get specific work done. Since this is a hobby for me, it's easy to get distracted with other things in my life. I think timelines, calendars, and my goals help to keep me focused on the project that I am working on.
8. How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?
I learn from them. Honestly, it's disappointing when a reader gives a bad review, but there is nothing I can do about it. I strive to make the best out of it by applying any constructive criticism and making revisions to help the book get better.
9. Is there anything you cut from your book that you wish you hadn’t?
I moved one chapter around from feedback of readers, but I did not cut anything from original copy.
Thank you for stopping by K!
Interesting cover :)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. Simple yet piques my interest cover.
ReplyDelete