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 !]
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.
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, 2010note: 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:
