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Join Five KiCam Authors at ‘Brews and Books’

Cincinnati-area book lovers, come meet KiCam authors Kilee Brookbank, Laura Dewire, Danielle and Christopher Jones, and Keith Maginn from 3-7 p.m. Sunday, November 26, at West Side Brewing in Westwood.

The inaugural “Brews and Books” event also will feature several other local authors and include everything from children’s books, sports books, nonfiction, and holiday books.

This is a great opportunity to purchase some unique holiday gifts: books signed with personal messages from the authors!

“Brews and Books” is a family-friendly event, as well. Of course there will be great local beer, but there also will be plenty of root beer, soft drinks, and food for guests of all ages.

We look forward to seeing you, and we thank you for supporting local businesses and authors!

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Meet Our Authors at These Upcoming Fall Events

Want to connect with one of our incredible authors? Here’s where to find them this fall:

Kilee Brookbank and Lori Highlander, “Beautiful Scars: A Life Redefined”

  • 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, Brown County (Ohio) Fair

 

Sharon Leder, “The Fix”

  • 7 p.m. Sept. 25, Brewster (Mass.) Book Club
  • 2 p.m. Oct. 15, UMass Dartmouth Panel Presentation, Claire T. Carney Library
  • 6 p.m. Oct. 18, Panel Discussion, Nauset Regional Middle School, Orleans (Mass.)
  • 10:30 a.m. Oct. 22, Book Brunch, United Synagogue of Hoboken (N.J.)
  • Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, Simmons College (Boston), class presentations on “Alcohol, Drugs, and Social Work Practice”

Keith Maginn, “(Extra)Ordinary” series

  • 4-7 p.m. Oct. 22, Book Launch, West Side Brewing, Cincinnati
  • 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Oct. 28, Books by the Banks, Cincinnati
  • 1 p.m. Nov. 4, Books from Higher Ground Author Fair, The Summit Church (Springfield, Ohio)

Stop by and say hello to our writers!

Q&A with Author Keith Maginn

Keith Maginn believes that writing to help and inspire others is his life’s purpose.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Keith earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Miami University before going to work for AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity. His forthcoming book, (Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People, releases October 10, 2017, and is available for pre-order at KiCamProjects.com and on Amazon.com.

1. What’s the background on your (Extra)Ordinary series? What inspired you to write these two books?

My first book was a memoir (Turning This Thing Around), and my second was an account of a philanthropic road trip through the South (Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward). After writing these books about my own life and then having others share their life stories with me, I got to thinking of all the remarkable stories out there about “regular,” everyday people. The inspirational stories of people I know personally were not being told, and I felt they deserved to be. That was the impetus for my third book, (Extra)Ordinary: Inspirational Stories of Everyday People.
Fortunately for me, KiCam Projects picked up that book and then asked if I’d be willing to write a spinoff, this time telling the encouraging stories of people from all over the world who overcame major struggles. Many of them now use their experiences to help others, and I am honored to be able to share their powerful stories in (Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People.

I always wanted to highlight positive stories, since we are so often bombarded with negative and sensational news. Despite what we see on TV and on social media, there are a plethora of good people doing good things in the world today.

2. What makes a great story?

I most strongly connect to stories about people who have endured major challenges and have been able to rise above their obstacles to thrive. The people I write about have been pushed to their limits. Stories that touch me are ones that move me emotionally, ones that make me laugh and cry. I try to have the same effect on my readers—to inspire them, make them think, maybe even challenge them.

3. What’s the most rewarding part of the writing process for you?

I like getting caught up in the writing, where everything else fades away and the work starts to flow effortlessly as time passes unnoticed. Everyone has a story to tell, but few find the courage to actually write that story. I can take pride that I took the leap and won’t have any regrets about not giving it a shot.

I also love hearing from readers whom my books inspired. Knowing my work has positively impacted the lives of others is a special feeling and sometimes carries me through when I question if all the hard work and sacrifice are worth it.

4. You say your life’s purpose is to be a writer. How and when did you realize that, and how has that knowledge affected your life?

I have been writing as long as I can recall. Even when I was very young, I would write poems or letters for special occasions (weddings) or difficult situations (funerals). I always felt like writing was my gift. Writing comes easily to me. The call to write has been with me my entire life, sometimes faintly in the background and other times so deafening that I had no choice but to put my thoughts on paper. Even when I have had to pursue “real jobs” to make ends meet, writing has always been there as an outlet. I not only feel writing is my calling, but, more specifically, writing to inspire others is my life’s purpose, the reason for all I have experienced and the reason I was put on this earth.

5. What do you love best about being a writer?

I love connecting with people with more depth. Putting out a very personal memoir strengthened my existing relationships with family and friends and enabled me to meet and bond with many new people. I love trying to get out of my mind and ego and live more from the heart. People respond to that and are much more willing to open up. This produces a deeper connection that isn’t typically found in our overly busy and sometimes superficial society.

6. What have you learned from the people you’ve gotten to know in your writing career?

Life is hard. Everyone is going through something, often behind the scenes. But we don’t have to struggle alone—we are all connected, and we need each other to get through life in a meaningful way. When we drop our defenses to show our true selves, we can connect with more depth and compassion.

I also learned about the amazing power of love and the incredible resilience of the human spirit. I have witnessed the miraculous unfolding of individuals when they find the courage to step out of their comfort zone, which is the only place where true growth occurs.

7. What do you hope readers take away from your books?

I hope readers gain courage to take some chances, to step out of their comfort zones. I hope they are better able to face their challenges and perhaps listen more to that intuitive inner voice, which I call the heart.

25 Things to Know about Keith Maginn

We recently chatted with Keith Maginn, author of (Extra)Ordinary: Inspirational Stories of Everyday People, and played a slightly long-form version of Twenty Questions. Here are twenty-five facts about this up-and-coming writer.

  1. I am the youngest of four kids.
  2. I love college football and am a lifelong Notre Dame fan.
  3. I was an Evans Scholar at Miami University. It’s a scholarship for golf caddies. Seriously.
  4. I have been writing for as long as I can remember.
  5. My favorite TV shows are Arrested Development, The Office, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live, Austin City Limits, and ESPN College GameDay.
  6. I am a big fan of Cincinnati Reds baseball.
  7. I enjoy a wide range of music (Pearl Jam, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Band of Horses, Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews Band, Hank Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Kings of Leon, Waylon Jennings, The Black Keys, Jack Johnson, The Script, Mumford & Sons, Tim McGraw…). The two best written songs ever: “Imagine” by John Lennon and “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
  8. I was a firefighter for two years but decided to leave the department due to chronic health problems.
  9. After college, I served with AmeriCorps for two years (like a domestic Peace Corps). I was stationed with Habitat for Humanity in Knoxville, Tennessee. When my term was up, I stayed on with Habitat for about seven more years.
  10. I wish that I liked seafood, but I can’t stand it. Not even fish.
  11. I love to read and usually gravitate to nonfiction. My favorite books are Tao Te Ching, On the Road, Into the Wild, The Alchemist, and The Motorcycle Diaries. My favorite authors are Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, and Paulo Coelho.
  12. I played basketball, baseball, and soccer when I was growing up. Looking back, I wish I would have focused on soccer, martial arts, and yoga.
  13. I have had only three cups of coffee in my life. I do not even like how it smells, let alone tastes.
  14. My favorite season used to be summer, but nowadays I can’t decide between spring, summer, or fall. Though I love the holiday season, winter is not in the running. Whatsoever.
  15. I like doing yoga and Pilates.
  16. I prefer to be in a T-shirt, flip-flops, and cargo shorts in the summer; jeans and a hoodie in the winter.Extra Ordinary
  17. I am narcoleptic and could fall asleep pretty much anytime if given the chance. My brain skips restful sleep, so I don’t know how I would survive without 20-minute power naps.
  18. I try to meditate every day.
  19. My favorite movies are The Godfather Part II, The Shawshank Redemption, Good Will Hunting, Scent of a Woman, and Tombstone.
  20. My favorite color was blue until somewhat recently. Now I prefer green.
  21. I lived in Tennessee for ten years and liked it quite a bit. I couldn’t talk my family and closest friends into moving there, so I moved back home to Cincinnati.
  22. Driving around the country in an RV or Airstream trailer for a few months tops my bucket list.
  23. My biggest pet peeves are arrogance and inconsiderateness.
  24. The Dalai Lama is the person I would most like to meet.
  25. My proudest accomplishment: writing three books, including a very personal memoir, and putting them out there for the world to read.

Order your copy of (Extra)Ordinary: Inspirational Stories of Everyday People today!

KiCam Welcomes New Author: Keith Maginn

KiCam Projects is thrilled to welcome Keith Maginn to our publishing family!

Keith, an accomplished self-published author, will bring out his first project with KiCam in September. Keith has a knack for finding the extraordinary in the everyday, for bringing to light the amazing stories that sometimes hide within each of us.

Think of the people you know. Would you be surprised to find out that one was a drug addict who now mentors young men? What would you say if an acquaintance revealed he’d survived a plane crash and completely rethought his life and priorities? Do you have a friend who seemed to be living the American dream before her life was altered by a tragedy?

Keith’s book will share these stories and many more, inviting you into the anything-but-ordinary lives of people just like you and me.

Keith, like KiCam, believes everyone has a story to tell. That’s what inspires him as a writer:

“The people I admire aren’t perfect. They are flawed. They are, in a word, human. I can relate to someone like that. We pull for the underdog and, every so often, they prevail against all odds.”

We look forward to sharing these inspiring stories with you this fall!