Kevin My Military Man: 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

kindle is RECOMMENDING Kevin

kindle is RECOMMENDING Kevin
this is wonderful news. thanks naomi for letting me know !!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

kevin - now available as an .epub

Kevin is now available as an .epub [ $1.00 - the least amount that can be listed with distributors]
Kevin is Now Revised !

Marcus Stringer from Australia, has helped with the final stages of the .epub.
I owe him great thanks.

Why is Kevin different than other contemporary fiction novels ?

there is not a mystery in kevin.
there is not a murder to solve.
there is not corruption to fight.
there is not a tragedy with a very happy ending.
when i say this, it is not to impugn or lessen the above genres.
they are wonderful. they are page-turners. they are inspirational.
my book is going into a completely different world. the 'real' world of many ordinary, 'real', people.
and still - most of us do not have simplistic lives. most of us have not achieved super-status.

it is about what happens or has happened to many of us as we transitioned from young adults to mature individuals.
i have heard from individuals who are in their 20's and 30's. they can relate to the story.
i have heard from individuals in their 60's, 70's and 80's. they can relate to the story.
i have heard from individuals in there 40's and 50's - the age range of kevin and gina as the story concludes. they can relate to the story.
i've met one goal. the story crosses generations and people can relate in many different ways to the story of kevin and gina.

please give kevin a chance !

Thursday, July 22, 2010

'Kevin' is showing up on Websites around the Earth. We are a Global Community.

Kevin is showing up on websites around the Globe ! Thank you !
http://www.amazon.co.uk/whales-Romance U.K. My Favorite !
Kevin My Military Man by Shane Kaelle (Paperback - Nov 2009) Buy new: CDN$ 16.81 Europe

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Why you should read 'Kevin'.

The list author says:
"The story depicts 'contemporary history' if you will. What life was like for the young adults making decisions in the late 1970's and following through to the 21st century where priorities, ethical concerns and eventually being true to one's self completes the circle...."

Thursday, May 13, 2010

'Kevin' ranked 6 behind Jamie Oliver in Japan

Well I am definitely in 'writing mode' but I must not neglect 'Kevin'. Following up, continuing to communicate with 'those who have become my friends....' etc. etc.

Today, I came across this and I found it interesting. And possibly encouraging.

No. 421 ranking of the sellers

Jamie Oliver P43 売れ筋ランキング|PLAYTABLE - [ Translate this page ]

￥1578 ￥1672 （税込）今なら送料無料！！※一部商品除く · 商品詳細へ. 平均評価. star rating.

No. 428 ranking of the sellers

Kevin My Military Man の関連商品 ...

shop.playtable.jp/list/ForeignBooks/key/Jamie%20Oliver/43/ - Cached

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Things People Are Telling Me About 'Kevin'

This following are partial excerpts of the feedback that I have received about 'Kevin'.
I am greatly indebted to these individuals. They know !! We've shared more than one email.
I've highlighted some things in green. I've added some notes: in this blue ....
It sounds so pretentious but what I want to say - to call out - is that Kevin is 'worth' reading ! I have to believe that. It's 'not' perfect though, as you will note in some of the comments below. Nothing and no one is.
I am as humble as they come. Read about me at shanekaelle.com.
The time has come. There are so many different people in our world with different likes and dislikes. I've got to branch out - go for it. Time to take advantage of the social networking that is prevalent in the 21st century. So - off to find some of these virtual connections !!!!

2.09.2010
Jonquil
Jonquil says, "I am enjoying your book to the point where I am sacrificing sleep! :).".

March 2010
Joanie
"So far very good!"

Alicia rated it:

Read in March, 2010 This is not something I would typically pick up but I won it through first reads and I am glad I did. I loved this book. It was very entertaining and insightful. I received the book in the mail wrapped in recycled packaging which was an awesome first impression that actually ties into the story.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style. I found it very easy to read. The story was well thought out. It would be exciting to see it turned into a movie at some point!

On the surface this seems to be mostly a romance but it really is a lot more. Much of the story is about life-long friendship not just romance. There is a ton of other stuff tied into the characters as well. I really enjoyed a lot of the facts thrown into conversations throughout and thought this added another dimension to the characters. I especially enjoyed the references to reading/books, astronomy, nature vs nurture, and various medical references.

I just finished reading the book and will probably come back to add more to this after I think about it for a bit. Overall, I loved the story and would definitely recommend checking it out.

Joanie rated it:

March 5, 2010

Excellent reading at the beginning then there was a lull and now we are heading uphill again. I am not a chess buff so I skipped over that but otherwise it was an excellent novel! Yes, you will only find one "soulmate" in your life. What a story and very true to life. It is good reading for the teen to the senior citizen! I truly enjoyed it! #3 firstreads won.

Jonquil March
I think it's a great love story, so believable. And I think the characters did grow over all those years, which felt real. I liked Gina's strength and I liked the times when she showed her emotions and confusion, even if she ended up making the right decisions to keep studying even if she was hurt. But I would have liked to see even more emotions from her (note: truncated jonquils remarks here as to prevent giving away the story.)
....At other times her emotions came through and you could see her passion - like when she and Kevin were getting in the shower and she suddenly turns to him and says she loves him with such passion after a companionable but not passionate day together. It's so true that when you're with someone for awhile and the ardor is less intense but the love and the friendship is there, the passion ignites again out of nowhere...or rather over the sudden awareness that what you have is so amazing and lucky.
....You captured the eras so well! I felt like I was right back there in the late 70's/early 80's! The high school felt real. And then the college felt real and very accurately different than the high school. The closeness of the group and how the friendships built, then ebbed and flowed over the years was believable.
....But the relationships were strong and well developed. [from me to jonquil: thanks. most important to me.] And the way that some people went off to study abroad, came back at different times, graduated before others, all of that was done well. And the friends are all so likable, even for their flaws - they were human.
....I was pulled in by the story, loved being part of its unfolding and definitely plan to read it again someday. It's hard to believe it's your first book - the talent and dedication it took, imagination, and attention to and weaving of the detail is amazing. [note: from me to jonquil: what kind words !] I'm going to ask you to autograph my book the next time I get to see you! [very funny but i am humbled and honored]

March 25, 2010
Alicia
I am about 50 pages into your book at the moment. I love it.
....
I just quickly generalized the book as romance. I am also not very good with categorizing things into genres. I like "contemporary fiction." I think that fits better! I read quite a bit today and am still enjoying the story!
....So, last night when I responded to your post I mentioned my take on nature vs nurture and inquired more into yours. When I wrote that I had not yet reached this discussion in the book. I have to say I loved that part. The part with Gina's sons and their math class almost exactly sums up how I feel about that sort of thing. Very interesting!

More from Alicia after she completed 'Kevin'.
Edited so not much is given away. These questions are on the website.
My questions:Did you like the dialogues between Kevin and Gina ?
Were they believable ? Can you imagine that people speak to one another like this ?
Alicia's responses:
I enjoyed the dialogues and thought they were believable. I especially loved the parts included in other languages. Not only was it cool to read other languages throughout the story I also thought the French (and the scene where Kevin answers Gina in several different languages) shows another side to him and, as stated in the book, shows how much he loves her without totally opening up. I thought this was ....
....
My question: On that note - what about the on-line chats ?
Alicia response: I thought those were believable !
My question: How about the secondary characters: Ellen, Jeannie, Tav and Tim etc. etc. ?
Alicia response: I personally loved the characters. I loved all of the extras facts and stuff thrown in, it added a lot to the depth of the characters. I liked the part about Gina being conscience of germs because of her field. I am like that to a certain extent but have several friends in the medical/nutrition fields that are exactly the same way so it was easy to relate. I also really enjoyed Jeannie and her environmentally friendly advice as well as the recycling theme. Overall, I thought the characters were developed really well, even the characters introduced later in the story (the kids, etc.) (note: to alicia from me: thank you. i didn't want this two be just about two people. our world is so diverse. we are all so different from one another. we can learn so much from others....)
My question: And all the information about military career paths, training, education, life style and dedication ....
Alicia's response: I enjoyed this aspect of the story. It all seemed reasonable to me although I have not had any firsthand experience with it.
My question: The other extraneous subject matter ?
I enjoy learning [something new]while reading the story and also felt it easier to relate to the characters with these extra pieces. [note: to alicia from me: i was trying to develop their personalities. you know - we sort of have different types of conversations with the different people in our lives.]
My question: What about the 'touching base with nature' at times ?
I LOVE nature, especially the beach/ocean, so this was a really great part of the story for me. I found it totally believable and I could very easily relate to the ways Gina described being at peace when near the water. Overall, I loved that nature played a role throughout the book!
....**Overall, I loved the story and can’t wait to read the next one! I also thought it was cool that you made the effort to put a personalized letter in the book and to get in touch. I have won a couple books through first reads and seeing your efforts influenced me to read your book before some of the others I have had longer. I don’t know if you have considered this but it might be cool if you signed the copies you sent out. Keep up the good work! [note: to alicia from me:you are very kind !]

Mar 08, 2010

Teresa rated it:

click her name for full review ! Read in March, 2010

I was compelled by the summary on Goodreads to read this book. I don't recall seeing another work in which the military plays such a role. The first 16 years of my life were spent moving around North America with my military family. From talking with friends, I know how different military life can be from that of a civilian. I was interested to see how this story would play out.

I think the story itself was pretty good. There were a lot of footnotes and extra information included in the story which I believe was present to educate the reader. (my comment: i hope this doesn't make me, shane, sound pretentious) Occasionally I did get lost in some of the extra material. For example there are several instances when the are playing chess and the author spells out the particular moves they were using. I don't play chess, so I'm not sure how this added to the story.

The story makes the transition from a teenagers life in the 1970's to an adults life in the 2000's in a believable manner.

I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads Program
This is the first time I've received a book directly from an author. When the book arrived it had a note from the author and several pages marked. I can't imagine the work that must be involved in writing a novel and publishing it yourself. I commend her on her effort.

I would recommend this book to a reader who doesn't mind sorting through the extra material to find the heart of the story.

03.10.2010
Elizabeth rated it:

Read in March, 2010
note: Elizabeth downgraded this rating :( ; she also posted comments that she had trouble with her goodreads account so I don't really know what the status is....
I won this On Good reads and it came directly from the Author.
So far this book is a very good read. I really am enjoying this book. I also think that it would be a very good book for young adults to read also! Some very good insight in the book. Also it is all so seems so real due to the fact it is so true to life.
Will keep you posted on more!
Also Thank you to the Author who took much time in book marking key points and writing a direct letter Thanking me. Thank you for your book and Thank you for the time and effort put forth within the book for my reading pleasure!

03.19.2010
Joy
Sorry I didn't get to reading your book right away, but I was in the middle of reading another book. I am reading "Kevin My Military Man" now. I am on page 373. I must admit it isn't the type of book I usually read. I am an avid reader and read several books each month. My preference is mystery books, but funny, just last week I told my son I getting burned out on mysteries and was going to start reading some other genre. Then here comes your book!! I have been enjoying it very much. I was so distressed when Gina and Kevin got married to someone else but now they are back together and I am hoping they stay together!
I think your writing is terrific. If I was to find one fault it would be that it went into too much detail on small mundane things, such as pages of the online chess games, the Yoga session in college, Kevin's going on and on in his letters about the marines, etc. There was other things but right now they escape me. I found myself skipping over a lot of these pages. But what do I know? Others may find all of this interesting. All in all, it is a very good book and I am enjoying it. I like the storyline and I like the characters. I can't wait to see if Gina and Kevin Stay together.
thank you for sending me your book. Joy

Fred
Read the book from cover to cover, page by page. I liked the appearance
of the front and rear covers and feel this will create interest and attention when it reaches the sales shelves.(note: sadly, barnes and noble had a link to submit books to their 'small press'. they choose some to place in their stores. i received a generic letter that said 'Kevin' will not be on their shelves since it is a self-published book) By the way blue is my favorite color.

I agree with your comment in the Preface that it is nice to enjoy a novel
and at the same time also gather some extra information on a variety of subjects while reading it. You did a good job on this.

You handled the deep romantic scenes very well. Most writers and their books are just too graphic. As you know, I am an old square, 83 years old, and as such usually
embarrassed with explicit details....

more to come:

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Goodreads Goodreaders thanks so much

Dear Goodreaders on Goodreads.com,
I really do not think that anyone has the time to read this blog.
Understandable. But just in case....
I really am not quite certain about the level of communication that I should be establishing with the 'kind individuals' who took the time to read my book description and either entered for the give-a-way, added 'Kevin' to their 'to-read' shelf or in any other way took a minute to consider my story. It was suggested that 'too much' is a push and the push may be in the wrong direction. I get this ! It was good advice. So although I am so tempted to communicate with a few of you already, I will take the advice (paraphrased) to 'sit back and give it some time'. In that, I will patiently wait for your feedback on 'Kevin'. As you know, I have a few very specific questions that I hope some of you will respond to - regarding the story. As I has said before - my goal it to write books that you want to read! You should know that my instinct is/was to reply on the goodreads site by clicking on the 'comment' link and typing 'thank you - sincerely' to each of you.

It has been suggested that I join some goodreads groups and begin a dialogue outside of the context of my own book - to establish connections and friends. I do feel something - something that moves be to share in this interface of cyberspace - every so often (blogging). This morning I started to explore 'groups'.'Fiction and Literature' has 2800+ groups. Navigating among these - well let's say it is a work in progress. For now.... I will add the link to this blog on my 'goodreads' profile.

There were several motivations today that I will get to - but in only in brief because I am in *writing mode*. (The concentration level is in the current project.) And 'you' are busy.

About two weeks ago, I came across a Barnes and Noble link that invited authors to send copies of their 'books' not manuscripts to their 'The Small Press' p.o box. This department evaluates books and decides if they would like to include the book on their physical bookshelves. This week, I received the generic response that said in part (paraphrased) 'self-published authors need not apply' and that we as a contingent have our books made available on-line. This was not stipulated on the website when I decided to send 'Kevin' to Barnes and Noble Small Press.
C'est la vie.

So since this is a blog, I suppose that is something that I should report on. It is setting in - seriously - that there is ONLY ONE way for me to survive as a writer - 'word of mouth' via interesting, caring people like you. I believe that this is possible. I have to have faith in this....

This evening, I watched 'The Blind Side' with my daughter upon her request. It was mother-daughter time that we don't have the chance to share very often. While she was in high school, at times this same child would ask me to 'read' a specific book or watch a movie with her. It was an underlying way of communication. Things touched her. She wanted me to know. I was not aware that 'TBS' was a true story until the end. A wonderful story - or so I thought. Is it too political to say this ? People who have the ability to help other people .... I wish that I were able to do something so 'real'. Possible with my writing I can contribute in a small way....
that's it for now. when the time is right....

Thursday, February 4, 2010

February 4, 2010

Updating after quite some time.
- still unknown. still transitioning into this medium.
- several positive things have happened over the past days.

- on January 25th 2010, i posted this on shanekaelle.com.
Thank you to whomever the individual is who has read my book - to the end - and gave me **** 4 stars. Sincerely. Shane
http://www.hotbooksale.com/p1599766/Kevin-My-Military-Man.html
Please email me. I'd love to give you a second copy.

- if one were to search on Amazon:
books 'military fiction'. Kevin My Military Man shows up as 32
books 'contemporary military fiction'. Kevin My Military Man shows up as 7.
books 'military romance'. Kevin My Military Man shows up as 15
books 'military romance books'. Kevin My Military Man shows up as 17

- the letters that i sent to amazon corporate level individuals did arrive. i have not heard back from them but the 'tags' that were a concern have indeed been removed.
- on that same day, 2.2.2010, an email came from amazon.com - information about a breakthroughnovelcontest. after reading the heavy guidelines, waivers, releases, 'rights issues' etc.etc. and then the idea that this was back to square one - a manuscript submitted and among some 10,000 others to be critiqued (scanned) and evaluated by a handful of people....

-a beautiful moment. i was in the store. a shopping cart with a baby in the seat was just inches from me as the mom stopped to look at something. the baby's hood was up and the biggest pacifier was plugged into their mouth. i couldn't help but smile softly. the 8-10 month old baby lifted their left hand and the four fingers folded flat over in a wave.
-it has stayed with me. i have always loved children - all flavors and colors but this was renewing for me - that such a young being could communicate in such a way.
- and days later i still think of this, mention it here and there and then think of children in the world that aren't of this understanding. is it really true that 25,000 children die each day from poverty etc. etc. ??

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

05.01.2010 (international date)

- today and yesterday i worked on shareyourpeace.info - i am still dealing with a troll but 'i will not feed the trolls'. - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29 In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response^[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.^[2] - as my 20 year old daughter wrote to me "It's really a shame that there are rude and mean-spirited people out there, but that's the way the world is." a reminder of a lesson that i learned about the first time when i was her age. - i've tagged 'kevin my military man' to give further hints about the 'subject matter' that fills out the story - some things that are not referred to within the description nor the shanekaelle.com website: 'military career path', 'military education', 'chat on-line', 'chess', 'college life', 'dedicated man', 'football', 'language acquisition', 'letter writing', 'nutrition', 'ocean dead zones', 'shakespeare', 'tell kids the truth', 'true romance'. - although some very efficient and conscientious amazon employees have seen to it that the inappropriate and dangerous remarks were removed, the tags still reside on the paperback bookpage. - the following is 'not' 'feeding the trolls' but 'information' - it is too bad that amazon does 'not' verify that an individual has actually made a purchase of a book and does not autocheck time stamps to verify that a reasonable amount of time has passed before 'customer reviews' are posted. these individuals absolutely did 'not' purchase nor did they read the book. i have the amazon seller report. they lashed out in anger because i innocently responded within discussions and suggested my own story (as i noticed other authors were doing), when it seemed applicable to the question at hand. example(paraphrased): looking for an author without the 'alpha male'; want to read a book with romance but not with suspense; something totally different needed; guy realizes they are in love first etc.etc. i was unaware that this is outside of the community guidelines and subsequently sent amazon an apology. - there are 2000+ running discussions within the 'romance' community alone. - my book is really 'contemporary fiction' but the title sounds romantic. - 'kevin my military man' might have been entitled 'kevin military man' what then ? - it also does not make any sense to me from a financial standpoint. createspace is an amazon company and facilitates self-publishing. why not use these forums - within reason - to get the word out about our books. if our books sell, amazon makes 'most all' of the money. this question has been posed within the 'email contact amazon method' and is still pending. see 'why self-publish' on shanekaelle.com for the reasons - references - why i chose to self-publish. - it is interesting to watch 'kevin my military man' show up on websites. - thank you to the distributors who have included my isbn - thank you to any individual or group who has taken the time to link my book up. - thank you to the these people: k, j, b, p and b, e, d, d, v, m, t, j, t, k, g, k, r, who have copies of my book and who may or may not find it of interest, who may or may not give it to someone who might, and who may or may not provide real descriptive feedback. it it will take a bit of time though. the book is long. i wanted to make certain that if one went out on a limb with a bit of faith and took a chance in reading my book that they felt it was worth it. that they didn't read it in 2 days. how long does it take a person to read a 588 page book during the busiest time of the year, if they are working, taking care of a home or a family, in school, etc. etc. ?
-if a person likes ncis, the unit, (i will think of the other references) i believe that they will like 'kevin my military man'.
- that is it for today.

Friday, January 1, 2010

begin.
2010 or twentyten ? hum.

- and i write this at the risk of confusing any potential reader of my book
'kevin my military man'.
- the below is extraneous and 'off' topic to the subject matter in my story.

-11.52 am. [now 2:12 due to interruptions] u.s. east coast.
- initially i was going to leave it 'all' alone today.
- but then....as i finished picking up
- i lifted from a pile of scrappy papers that needed sorting and recycling, the yellow car pass to gillette stadium.
- i walked to the drafting table where our tickets to U2 9.21.2009 lived.
- i lifted 1 of the 2 masks of 'aung san suu kyi' and a chill ran up my spin.

- and it came 'front and center 'the reason why i am publishing'.
- the goodness in our world
- the potential to fix things for everyone now and for future generations
- the communication that is needed to facilitate this
- and to try and connect and link in with those already on this important 'band wagon' (a pun of sorts- that just ran out as i naturally typed this sentence yet it has double meaning here.)

- it does so now again (that chill) as i recall this minutes later.
- one of the paper masks was badly damaged and then i recalled more of the concert. during the song 'walk on', we were asked to lift up our masks. i looked down onto the floor. i have two hands and looked for a second mask to lift up high. the floor was scattered with masks and i gathered as many as possible and handed them to the people around me.
- i admit. i did not know anything about 'aung san suu kyi'.
- what i did know was that it was important to 'support this concept' - 'standing up for what is right etc.etc."
-
**
- i am 'not' a groupie and i have never been a groupie although i have been to 100+ concerts in my life (98 % of them before the age of 24). i want to make that clear.
- i waited patiently for a very long time.
- u2 tickets were 'out of our budget' while raising children.
- 'please don't get me anything for my birthday, etc.etc. when u2 comes around (again), i really want to go.' i said this for several years to my husband. i had never been to u2.
- friday afternoon 9.18.2009, my counter-part called to say 'they released tickets.
'i can get general admission or the side of the stage' ?
'do general admission on the floor. we stand up anyway.'
- late or so i thought, we enter the football stadium at the far end. stretched in front of us is a metal floor. only a hundred or so people are gathered near the front of the stage against the boundary to the inner circle'. we look at one another but don't say anything.
- we settle in front of the barracade but then i am alone.
- my cell phone rings; "walk to your left.'; 'what ?"; "walk to your left. keep walking to your left".
- i enter the 'inner circle'. 4 rows back from the stage.
- i engage in conversation with 2 young girls the age of my youngest child 19-20.
- how interesting this is. it is always interesting for me when i speak with young adults about the[ir] world.

- i admit that i did not know the 'new' songs. it didn't matter. i've felt it before - that unique energy that transcends an audience during a musical experience
- but this was different.
- maybe it was - because we were so close.
- probably not.

- it lasted for a few days. something.
- and it was also special that this entire thing took place unexpectedly and with my counterpart. we've been on that 'life wavelength' in our relationship.
- this did something - at least for me.

- not a frequent 'utube' user, i did take the time to listen to u2 songs during the next few days but almost immediately i came across the many, many 'interviews' that go all the way back to the late 1970's.
- and it hit me. i had always been connected....
- 'their philosophy'. 'not conforming' - (at least philosophically -
for the most part - but i understand the business word etc.etc.)
- and i understood 'this' instinctively.
- it held me up for years. not wanting to conform. we all conform in some way - to survive.

- amnesty, greenpeace, things i connected to from the beginning.
- do you know about data = [debt aids trade africa] ?
- that u2 (among *many other things*) raised conscienciousness about an economic and accounting problem that continues to contribute to subsevience for millions of people because 'interest payments' are so high.
- from the website one.org ....
- $93 billion of debt has been canceled in sub-Saharan African countries since 1996.
- 3.1 million more Tanzanian children enrolled in school after the government used its savings from 'debt relief' to eliminate school fees in 2001.
- .... among many other things that are facilitated, communicated and worked on....
- reading the utube comments - u2 touches people all over the world in a very 'spiritual' way.
- in their interviews, they discuss (from early on) how the audience is a part of the entire 'thing' for lack of the descriptive 'inclusive' word, and that 'they' are there for that reason.
- some sort of connection.
- the above is completely subjective and 'paraphrased' and not well-worded. i will edit this post and put up the real quotes at some point.

http://www.one.org/international/
- you should join one.org
- you don't have to give them money. just join the millions of who
'think about the future'. all you are doing is adding your name to a list.
- you will get an email - but 'not' too often. you will 'not' be solicited.
- you don't even have to read the emails but it will remind you that 'you are involved'.
- we can fix this !

[do not know where the below fits in but it where i started the post.

- it had to do with this small span of time whereby it didn't matter what a person's subjective feelings were about religion, politics, life, what is going on in the world - that for some reason people in the audience were connected for those couple of hours. (paraphrased from u2 and people who were interviewed.
- they 'called people out' on the same subjects that are still pending - still trying to defeat a sect of humanity. oh that sounds so political. i want to get off of that right now because i do 'not' want to get political.
- i am a humanitarian though.
- let me fix that comment. first of all, i have no right to 'put words in their [u2] mouths.'
- they are very 'diplomatic' and that has been my personal objective anyway and always.
- always to stop and think and put myself in the other person's shoes which really 'eliminates judgement'.
- but on the other hand - what is 'right is right' and what is 'wrong is wrong'.
-*this does indeed come out in 'kevin my military man'

okay - i 'absolutely' did not have any of this in mind when i started today but this is where i ended up. i know you care. i especially know that young adults care. all over the world.

all of the above from ** to here is a digression. so 'again ' back to where i started.
- minutes before i picked up the masks, i walked past the nativity scene in our bay window.
- a tradition that i have brought forth from my mother, camille.
- and i noticed the 'baby jesus'.
- whenever i think of the jesus and christianity - i always concern myself with 'turning off individuals on our planet that do not get it. of course that is because they were not born into christianity or what have you.
- and i worry about turning people off. but with 6.4 billion of us, some people connect and some do not; some connect about some things and do not connect about others. c'est la vie.
- that is fine with me. 'good and ethical people exist in all flavors and colors'.
- in my book, i try and integrate other cultures, religions, life styles to bring everyone in.
- christianity is just something that i was born into.
- and there is more for me to say.
- but in a very generic sense - i equate jesus with peace (or humility or compassion - or how about just down to earth tolerance and love)

- yesterday surya, a kind individual who works 'with' amazon, helped me (more on this but not today) and i cannot mention surya without mentioning a balance 'brandon' who helped last week....thanks again b.
- and i believe but i am uncertain that surya resides someplace in india.
- if i have this incorrect - no matter - it does not matter where he lives
- tav a main yet secondary character in my book is from india.
- i asked him what his name means and now i have looked it up. of course cross-referencing will give me options. SOOR-yah. unisex (used for males and females); sanskit for sun (or sun-god) and for that matter, i now understand why when i asked surya if he knew the meaning of his name - he passed by that question - i get why. do you ? why he did not respond - his humble being.

- and this about my yoga teacher; well one of them. i love them all. they are all so different.
- she went to india for one month this past autumn, and the culture shock took time to settle in.
- she didn't say much. then she said something positive.
- then a couple of weeks later, (she says interesting and truly 'honest to herself things' outloud anyway) she said out of nowhere 'i have fallen in love with jesus'.
- many of us quietly chuckled (although she was completely serious).
- we all know that she is jewish. she continued, 'i said that at the table and my father's eyebrows popped up'. ( i just paraphrased that sentence because i do not recall but it was something like that).
- and later she said 'what would jesus do ?'
- it made me think.
- it was proof that people are open-minded.
- it is a positive thing - that people are open-minded.
- i think that music, television, film, the internet and media in general contribute to this.

- so i will end this blog for today.
- it didn't much revolve around my book 'kevin my military man' but i am still trying to sort out the reason for a blog.
- at this point i will use it as further communication and a tool whereby the other ideas whether they be trivial or important come to mind.

- the reason that i have written 'kevin my military man' is because i am trying to communicate with other people. it is a love story. it is fun. it is true to life. it is deep seeded. dialogues represent those which do or may happen between young adults and their parents (surrogate parents, teachers, mentors) to help them through the thick forest of dilemma confounding our 21st century world.

- i do wish i were multilingual.
- how lucky those of you in the world are - to be able to communicate in more than one language.

peace and love and happy new years.
end.

Kevin My Military Man