How
did you come up with the title for your latest book?
At first it had the lackluster working title of
‘Staging Life’ which my assessor hated straight away. So in the back of my
writer’s notebook I began jotting down new ideas. Some of the others along the
way include –
- Dramatic
Romantics
- Sex and
Subtext
- Love After
Life
- Lushes of
the Limelight
- Romance and
Other Dramas
- Sex Scenes
and Drama Queens
‘Drama Queens with Love Scenes’ was jotted down
shortly after that.
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
More than anything, I want readers to just have fun
with this novel. Leave your mind at the door and enjoy the ride. If you find a
message, let me know.
Is
the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone
you know, or events in your own life?
At one stage my assessor told me that I hint at things
in my writing, but never properly explore them on the page. I explained in
detail some of the events in real life that lead to certain scenes. She was
quick to explain that as an author, I didn’t need to bare my life for everyone
to see. I just had to take a pinch here and there and weave it into an engaging
story.
So there are events and people that have been
heavily shrouded in fiction, with just a trace of the real story buried under
the plot.
What
books/authors have influenced your life?
I’m not sure if it influenced my life, but George
Orwell’s 1984 did make me sit up and
take notice. It’s a book I always wanted to read since seeing the movie version
made in 1984. I finally did in the past 18 months, and was mesmerised from start to finish by a book that by its
nature is quite depressing. Regardless, it’s an amazing read.
Can
you share a little of your current work with us?
I’m keen to rework the sequel to my current novel,
which has the working title of Drama
Queens with Adult Themes.
This is a sample from the second draft –
“Wade, I love you.”
“I love you too,
babe.”
“Is this what a
midlife crisis feels like?”
“I don’t think so,
Adam.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We still love each
other.”
“So?”
“Think about it,
Adam.”
I gazed out from the
passenger side door at the appealing brick house we parked in front of. Someone
had spent their hard earned cash to buy it and maybe someone had spent more
money renovating it. Perhaps in old-world elegance or as an understated
minimalist designer statement. They would have argued under its roof. Possibly
committed illegal acts in the shed. Made love with the curtains open. Either
way, someone has built up a past in this house, just as we had in our
home. There was no chance in hell that I would give it all up.
“You’re right, we’re
still madly in love,” I said. “Neither of us is stupid enough to believe that
we’ve fallen for Mannix. We’re just going through a phase.”
“True, Adam. Remember
Simon and Jean. Now there was a midlife crisis!”
“Oh god, yes! I can
see why a trapeze artist would be a good catch to a man with an uptight wife,
but at least he could have stopped to think about what he was getting himself
into beforehand.”
“Two bratty kids to a
second marriage when he should’ve been thinking about retirement,” noted Wade.
“That Oscar and his
little peeing problem. A six year old shouldn’t still be wearing nappies when
they go visiting friends.”
Wade started the
engine.
“They claim it’s a
medical condition, Adam.”
“Medical condition, my
arse! He wants attention and Simon is past the parenting age. As for that
trapeze artist, well, there’s a circus short of a clown.”
Who
is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their
work?
One author I admire is Jonathan Tropper. An American
who writes with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, taking us through tales
of grief, family, and possible girlfriends.
His books are easy to read and hard to put down.
There’s a lot of humor, while poignant lines sneak up on you, hitting you
square in the face when you least expect it. Tropper knows how to entertain with
substance.
Do
you have to travel much to do research for your books?
I don’t, but I have a friend who does. So she’s
written books that take place in New York and Paris. I should think about
following her lead the next time I’m coming up with a book idea.
Do
you have any advice for other writers?
Start your writing day by re-reading aloud what you
last wrote. You will instantly notice spelling mistakes; sentences that could
be phrased better; and places you’ve either overwritten or underwritten.
Once you feel your draft is ready, bury it for three
months. You need to read it fresh so you can fix up what is wrong with it. And
you will find things. How much you find depends on which draft it is. Decide at
this point whether these fixes will make it ready for a publisher to read, or
if it will need another three months untouched.
Drama Queens with Love Scenes
Drama Queens Series Book One
Kevin Klehr
Genre: Gay Romance, Humour
Publisher: Cambridge Press US (division of Charles River Press)
Paperback ISBN 10: 1-936185-90-3
Paperback ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-90-0
EBook ISBN 10: 1-936185-91-1
EBook ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-91-7
Number of pages: 338
Word Count: 71,329
Cover Artist: Laurie McAdams
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/GhHlCK9J-jM
Book Description:
Close friends Allan and Warwick are dead. They're not crazy about the idea so to help them deal with this dilemma are Samantha, a blond bombshell from the 1950s, and Guy, an insecure angel.
They are soon drawn into the world of theatre - Afterlife style, with all the bitchiness, back-stabbing and ego usually associated with the mortal world.
Allan also has a secret. He has a romantic crush on his friend, Warwick, but shortly after confiding in his new angel pal, his love interest falls for the cock-sure playwright, Pedro.
Not only does Allan have to win the heart of his companion, he also has to grapple with the faded memory of how he actually died.
About the Author :
Kevin lives with his long-term partner in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia's own 'Emerald City,' Sydney.
He calls himself a bit of a 'media tart,' having worked both professionally and voluntarily in television, radio and online. His longest running passion is a weekly radio program he and his partner, Warren, produce for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander station, Koori Radio. Since 2005 they have been discovering music, both new and old, and interviewing local artists and community leaders. Every Saturday night, the Rhythm Divine is heard across Sydney and via the world wide web.
From an early age Kevin had a passion for writing, jotting down stories and plays until it came time to confront puberty. After dealing with pimple creams and facial hair, Kevin didn't pick up a pen again until he was in his thirties. His handwritten manuscript was being committed to paper when his social circumstances changed, giving him no time to write. Concerned, Warren snuck the notebook out to a friend who in turn came back and demanded Kevin finish his novel. It wasn't long before Kevin's active imagination was let loose again.
Kevin is currently at work on the sequel to Drama Queens with Love Scenes.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4298144.Kevin_Klehr
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1 comment:
Best of luck with it, babes, and congrats on the release ^.^
Erica (don't know if the other message came through).
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