How Keven Newsome Made Me Cry

About a year after we moved to New Orleans a new couple--Keven and DeAnna--and their two children moved into our building. We lived on the same floor and their daughter was around the same age as Jathan so our paths crossed here and there, mainly on the playground. I was delighted when DeAnna invited me over for a play date along with some other mommies and their kids as a sort of I-need-to-talk-to-a-grown-up fellowship. Because I really, really need to talk to grown ups. Since then DeAnna, a budding photographer, has taken my and my kids' pictures and our families have hung out a little. Keven works for Campus Police so we faithfully nod at him as we pass the guard shack each day. You know, normal stuff.

Then I started hearing about Keven's book, some sort of Christian novel. Apparently, I learned, he's into writing and was trying to publish a book. I sort of dismissed the thought and there may or may not have been a slight eye roll involved because, c'mon, how many fancy pants published authors have I actually had over to my house for supper? But the talk didn't stop and now when someone asks me, "So, how many fancy pants published authors have you had over to your house for supper?" I can say, "Just one!"

Keven's first book, Winter, came out earlier this year. First, however, my living room got to play a supporting role in it's live action trailer. (Check out the trailer by clicking here. My living room is at 24 seconds, hee hee.) I have to admit: even after seeing the trailer, I wasn't convinced. Even after the book made it's debut on Amazon, I wasn't convinced. But then I started reading the informal reviews--aka Facebook comments--of friends who had read Winter and my interest was truly picqued. I went to Jackie who was tooling around on the Internet from the recliner one night and said, "I want you to order Keven's book." Two days later it arrived and, though I set to reading it right away, it's taken me a while to get through it because believe it or not things stay kind of busy around our house. I've grabbed moments here and there to read it and then yesterday I found myself barreling towards the end and you know what? I wanted to slow down. It's one of those books that I didn't want to end. I wanted it to somehow magically transform into a television show, perhaps, so that I could get a weekly dose of its plot and characters.

Today when nap time began I was mere pages from finishing the book at last. I sat holding Piper in one arm and griping the book in anticipation with my free hand (because multitasking is how I roll). And then...I teared up. Yes, Keven Newsome made me cry with the content of the last few chapters. And probably not just because I'm naturally a blubbering emotional weirdo--although I totally am--but because the book really gets to you. The plot effortlessly engages you and the characters become people you recognize--in yourself. Yes, the main character is a self-proclaimed "recovering Goth" but it doesn't take long before you realize that she's a lot like you because, as the back cover proclaims, "We're all freaks. It's just a matter of perspective."

So I felt as if I must encourage you all to snatch up a copy of Winter, which just happens to have 5 stars on Amazon, for yourselves. I can't wait for Keven's next book to come out. I certainly won't drag my feet buying it!