Welcome New Author: Kathleen English Cadmus

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Kathleen CadmusWe’re delighted to welcome author Kathleen English Cadmus to the KiCam family!

Kathleen’s memoir will publish in March 2019, inviting readers to explore a mother’s journey through the loss of a child, the end of a marriage, the adoption of a beautiful baby girl, and the ups and downs of that little girl’s experience with bipolar disorder.

Looking back now, Kathleen views the highs and lows as the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Laura, whom Kathleen adopted from Korea.

“Laura is the daughter I needed,” Kathleen writes. “Seeing life through her eyes gave me hope and resiliency and immense joy.”

Kathleen’s story will touch the heart of anyone who has known loss and who has worked to rebuild life after that loss. The book also speaks specifically to mothers and to loved ones of individuals with mood disorders and mental-health issues.

Kathleen, a healthcare professional from Columbus, Ohio, says one of her strengths is being a lifelong learner.

In her forthcoming memoir, she teaches us all about acceptance, healing, and learning to let go. We cannot wait to share Kathleen’s book with readers around the world!

Welcome to the KiCam family, Kathleen!

KiCam Projects Opens Bookstore in Mount Orab

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KiCam Books and GiftsWe have exciting news! Here’s the press release we sent to the media. Come see us!

KiCam Projects, an independent publisher based in Georgetown, Ohio, recently opened a bookstore in Mount Orab, Ohio, to serve suburban and rural readers on the outskirts of the Cincinnati area.

KiCam Books & Gifts, which highlights KiCam Projects’ catalog of inspirational books, will celebrate with a grand opening May 12, including a signing of Digger the Hero Dog, the first children’s book by Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author Kilee Brookbank.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with local readers and to create a gathering place for book lovers,” said KiCam Projects publisher Lori Highlander. “We’re opening in an area that’s rapidly changing and growing, and we envision our store as a hub for the community.”

The 1,100-square-foot store, located at 309 N. High Street, opened April 14. After a soft launch with limited hours, the store will be open seven days a week.

Founded in 2015, KiCam Projects is dedicated to changing the world one great story at a time by bringing to life true stories of survival and recovery—from illness, addiction, tragedy, or other challenges—that will inspire and empower audiences.

Sharon Leder holding her book, The Fix

‘The Fix’ Author Leder Creates Program for At-risk Teens

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Sharon LederSharon Leder, author of The Fix: A Father’s Secrets, A Daughter’s Search, has used proceeds from her novel to establish Creative Outlets: Finding Your Voice Through ARTS! at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, Mass.

The free program for youth ages 12-16 is offered Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. beginning April 15. Leder, who lost her father to his heroin addiction when she was a teen herself, is driven to help other young people affected by addiction.

“My writing helped me overcome the stigma of my father’s overdose death,” says Leder, a finalist for a Benjamin Franklin Award in the Best New Voice, Fiction category. “I want young people with stresses to know that words, and all the arts, can help them pull through difficult life challenges.”

To sign up or get more information about upcoming workshops in writing, music, visual art, drama, cuisine, piloting, and more, visit www.ccmoa.org/creative-outlets or contact Benton Jones, Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, at 508-385-4477, ext. 15, or Benton@ccmoa.org.

KiCam Projects is honored to work with purpose-driven authors like Sharon Leder. We’re all partners in changing the world, one great story at a time!

diary of a beautiful disaster

Bartzokis, Leder Benjamin Franklin Award Finalists

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KiCam Projects authors Kristin Bartzokis and Sharon Leder have been named finalists for Benjamin Franklin Awards as presented by the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Kristin’s memoir, Diary of a Beautiful Disaster, is a finalist for Best Inspirational Book, the category won last year by KiCam’s own Beautiful Scars, written by Kilee Brookbank and Lori Highlander. In her book, Kristin shares her story of growing up and building a life with Treacher Collins syndrome, a craniofacial malformation. Kristin empowers her readers to embrace their own uniqueness and to follow her mantra: “Choose Strong.”

Sharon is a finalist in the category of Best New Voice, Fiction for her novel The Fix: A Father’s Secrets, A Daughter’s Search. In The Fix, Sharon tells her personal story as the daughter of a heroin addict through the voice of young Sara Katz, who’s coming of age in Brooklyn in the 1950s and ’60s. Sharon is passionate about destigmatizing addiction and about providing practical solutions for young people affected by the epidemic.

Gold and silver finalists will be announced Friday, April 6, at the IBPA’s annual Publishing University event.

Congratulations, Kristin and Sharon! We are so proud of you!

 

Q&A with (Extra)Ordinary Women Author Kristin Bartzokis

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Kristin Bartzokis is an extraordinary woman. Born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a craniofacial abnormality, Kristin experienced a childhood marked by surgeries and medical procedures, all while she became a champion gymnast. As an adult, Kristin has proudly accepted the challenge to stand out.

That’s why she was the perfect person to write (Extra)Ordinary Women: Ten Inspirational Stories, releasing from KiCam Projects in October.

In her forthcoming book, Kristin, whose memoir Diary of a Beautiful Disaster is a finalist for a Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Inspirational Book, profiles seemingly “everyday” women whose resilience and strength will inspire women around the world.

These women have defeated breast cancer, addiction, and homelessness. They have lived through the Boston Marathon bombing and hundreds of surgeries. They have traveled from foreign lands to create a better life. They have endured brain cancer, abuse, and poverty. They have given a home to dozens of special-needs children. They have known loss, pain, and fear.

And these extraordinary women remind us to never give up, never quit, and never underestimate the power of a woman.

In this Q&A, Kristin describes what she learned from the women in her book and what it means to her to be extraordinary.

What do you think makes an extraordinary woman?

I think an extraordinary woman is someone who isn’t afraid to be herself. She knows who she is and doesn’t forget where she came from, whether good or bad. She has the courage to face her adversity and the strength to prevail when times get tough. She won’t wait around for someone else to make her future brighter; she takes the measures to make it happen herself. An extraordinary woman isn’t flawless; she might falter and make mistakes, but she has the determination to bounce back from those mistakes and learn from them in the process. She is a woman with heart and gumption, and she sees no limitations to her life.

What did you learn from the women you profile in this book?

I learned so much from the women in this book. Some reiterated the importance of staying positive throughout the worst trials of life. Others taught me that even if you make a mistake, you can always right your wrong.  But above all, I learned that no matter what any of us has been through, we can use those experiences to affect the lives of others.

One of the themes throughout the book is the idea of choosing to be strong. What does that mean to you, and how has that played out in your own life?

“Choose Strong” is actually my motto. Having been born with a craniofacial syndrome known as Treacher Collins, I endured numerous reconstructive surgeries throughout my life. I decided at a very young age that I wouldn’t let those surgeries break me. I focused on the positive things in my life rather than the negative. I realized that I could control my reactions to negative variables, and to me that meant summoning my mental fortitude even when I was in pain or in fear. Choosing to be strong helped me realize that I could face my obstacles head on and succeed. And that was a game changer, because it ended up being what people came to admire most about me.

You dedicated this book to your mom. How has she inspired you?

Both of my parents were unbelievable assets to my life. They both raised me to believe I could accomplish anything. They never treated my craniofacial syndrome as a hindrance; it was just an obstacle that needed to be conquered on the road to success. My mom, however, was the person who stayed with me through all my hospital stays, which at times were five to seven days in length. Because she worked in medicine, she watched over me and let the nurses tend to the other patients. She put her life on hold just to be there for me when I needed it most, and her constant presence comforted me.

What do you hope readers take away from (Extra)Ordinary Women?

I hope readers understand that not all inspirational stories require big, heroic measures. Inspiration can be found in the everyday, daily lives of the ordinary people we interact with on a regular basis. Inspiration isn’t only about actions; it is about how we choose to live our lives day in and day out.

Order your copy of (Extra)Ordinary Women today!

Welcome New Author: Dr. Scot Hodkiewicz

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Scot HodkiewiczKiCam Projects is delighted to welcome author Dr. Scot Hodkiewicz, whose book Going through Hell to Get to Heaven will release in January 2019.

We first met Scot at BookExpo in June and immediately were moved by his story. Scot and his family were nearly killed when their vehicle was hit by an intoxicated driver on a highway in their home state of Wisconsin. Through the course of his long, painful recovery, Scot learned that he’d been living his life according to his own “master plan”—and that his plan wasn’t the one that mattered. A Christian, Scot realized his faith wasn’t as strong or as active as he’d once believed. In fact, he’d put his own will over God’s will, and he would have to search his soul to find both the humility and the strength to change his approach to life.

Along his journey, Scot encountered many angels on Earth who helped him face his mortality, the fear of losing his veterinary business, worries about not being able to provide for his family, and a dependency on pain medication. With each trial, Scot learned to listen for God’s voice and direction, and his story now enables others to do the same.

Scot’s goal for this book is to help other Christians consider their lives and ask themselves whether they’re living on their own terms or on God’s. Each chapter contains reflection questions perfect for use in Bible studies and other faith-sharing groups, but Scot is never preachy. His style is conversational, often humorous, and always relatable to anyone who has ever had to overcome a challenge or tragedy.

As Scot says, “Heaven and Hell are here on Earth, and we get to choose which one we enter. To enter Heaven, we just have to get rid of the anger and hate that keep us in Hell.”

Welcome to the KiCam family, Scot!

Aimee Ross

Q&A with ‘Permanent Marker’ Author Aimee Ross

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Aimee Ross was living a perfectly normal life raising three kids, married to her high school sweetheart, and teaching at her high school alma mater. Life was perfect—right until it wasn’t.

Unhappy in her marriage, Aimee asked for a divorce. Three days later, she suffered a heart attack at age forty-one. Five months after that, she survived a near-fatal car crash caused by an intoxicated driver.

Her physical recovery took months and left her body marked by scars. The emotional recovery, though, would take longer, as Aimee sought to forgive the man who almost killed her—and to forgive herself for tearing apart her family.

Permanent Marker takes readers on a journey of healing, proving that from darkness can come new light, new love, and a renewed purpose for life.

What prompted you to write your memoir and share your very personal experiences with readers?

I had to understand what happened to me: Who had I been, and who did I become? I knew I was different. I knew something life-changing had happened to me, and I needed to understand how it had affected me so deeply. Sharing the experiences is education at its basic level—teaching and learning from each other. It’s so ingrained in me that I don’t know how not to share.

How did reliving your most painful experiences—a divorce, a heart attack, a near-fatal car crash—affect you? Did it feel therapeutic, or was it harder than you anticipated?

I’ve been working on this for more than six years, to tell the truth. When I first started writing, it was only about the accident. Before I knew it, the story of my divorce and heart attack was bubbling out of me without control. Within months, I realized that even though I’d chosen to get divorced, the heart attack and accident just happened to me; my first reaction was that karma was paying me back. Guilt made me wonder if I’d deserved all of what happened, and ultimately, that’s when I started asking the bigger questions of myself through writing that most definitely—as the book explains—became my therapy. I cried a lot and processed a lot. And thank goodness, because it worked. (But I’ve always believed in writing as a cathartic, insightful experience, says this veteran English teacher.)

Which writers and works inspired you to put your own story on paper? Who has influenced your writing style?

Darin Strauss’s Half a Life and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love both inspired me. Strauss experienced a traumatic accident as well, and as a result, he dealt with his guilt through writing his memoir—I took strength from that. Early in Gilbert’s book, she briefly writes about the end of her marriage, and it has always stuck with me.

My younger sister is a humor writer, and she’s been influencing and guiding my writing for years, no matter whether I was working on an essay, a lesson plan, a presentation, or an application. I’m also a huge fan of Abigail Thomas’s writing style, which I studied during my MFA. She writes almost conversationally, and she experiments with voice and chronology (or lack of) brilliantly. Both Jill Christman’s (Darkroom) and Cheryl Strayed’s (Wild) writing also have influenced my style and not just their books—both women are prolific essay writers with unique, straightforward creative voices.

What makes a great memoir? What advice would you give to other aspiring authors who might be struggling to get started with a memoir?

A great memoir, no matter the writer’s experience, makes you feel as if you have been through it with her. Not only does the writer have a voice that’s relatable and realistic, her story has universal qualities that help you identify with it while making you feel something.

After hearing the same advice over and over again, from editors, writers, and publishers alike, I decided, “Hey, maybe, they all know something I don’t (duh, Aimee),” so here it is: Figure out the story you want to tell and why it needs to be told. Then get it all out in writing. Every bit of it. After you do that, then you look for patterns and similarities and gaps, or ways you could experiment or change the structure.

What has been the most fulfilling part of the writing and publishing process for you?

For me, it has been the challenge of the writing itself: telling my story the best way I can and finding just the right words to say what I want. That gives me a tremendous feeling of satisfaction. When I can read something I’ve written over and over again in a quest for perfection and feel proud, that’s fulfilling, too.

What’s the primary takeaway you hope readers get from Permanent Marker?

Ultimately, I think we’re all asking the same questions of ourselves—Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? How do I get through this struggle?—and memoir is the perfect genre to find possible answers in others’ experiences to help us answer our own.

Kilee Brookbank headshot

Where to Find Kilee Brookbank This Fall

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Kilee Brookbank, the inspiring burn survivor behind the story of Beautiful Scars: A Life Redefined, has a busy fall lineup of signings and appearances in the Greater Cincinnati area.

While Kilee finishes her third semester at Xavier University, here’s when and where you can meet her and get a signed copy of her award-winning book:

Want more on Kilee? Learn about her charitable foundation at KileeGivesBack.org and visit her personal website at KileeBrookbank.com.

And stay tuned to this website to find out about Kilee’s upcoming appearance on a nationally syndicated TV program! 

Join Five KiCam Authors at ‘Brews and Books’

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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!

Salvation on Death Row cover

Q&A with Salvation on Death Row Author John T. Thorngren

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John T. Thorngren’s life has been one of varied experiences that have taken him from Paris, France, to the oil fields of Texas. He’s manufactured car-wash soap, owned a retail store, operated a chemical plant, and programmed computers. He’s the author of a book about probability and statistics and a songwriter of Southern Gospel.

So maybe it’s only fitting that an unexpected path led him to tell the story of a woman condemned to die on Texas’s Death Row, now hoping for parole in 2019. The twists and turns of his life have led Thorngren to find the value in every human soul, regardless of the journey that soul has taken.

This is the background behind Salvation on Death Row: The Pamela Perillo Story.

How did you come to know Pamela Perillo’s story, and what made you decide hers was a story you wanted to write?

I discovered an old friend was on Death Row in another state. Drugs were the root cause. As an effort to bring attention to his case, I decided to write a fiction novel about a woman falsely accused and condemned in Texas. Needing realism, by chance, I contacted Pamela Perillo, currently incarcerated in Gainesville. Pamela is a private person and had never allowed anyone to tell her story. We found we had a spiritual match and so began this effort.

Tell us about the process. How long did it take you to research the many documents and legal proceedings you cite, and how did you work with Pamela to bring her voice to the project?

Pamela and I worked on this project from 2010 through 2017.  This involved over fifty telephone conversations, 150 letters, and countless hours of research.

Salvation on Death RowDid you ever find yourself surprised or challenged by what you learned as you wrote the book?

Yes, very much surprised. I was surprised about how political the causes for and against the death penalty have become. I was extremely surprised about the Frances Newman case. She personified the worst fear of those against the death penalty—the execution of the innocent. I and many others believe she was unjustly convicted and condemned.

How did this project change or affect your beliefs about the criminal justice system and, specifically, capital punishment?

I once believed that the criminal justice system and capital punishment were fair and equitable—a sort of Pollyanna viewpoint. Now, I believe that there are dark undercurrents to the contrary, and that once you are convicted and condemned, the justice system behaves like the proverbial snapping turtle that will not let loose till it thunders, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Slowly, I see our country becoming more compassionate regarding the death penalty, and I am encouraged.

Can you tell us about Patriot PAWS and why you chose that organization to benefit from the proceeds of Salvation on Death Row?

Patriot Paws was chosen on behalf of Pamela’s efforts to train service dogs. As noted in the book, Pamela’s encounters with animals throughout a difficult childhood shaped her talent in what she is doing now. She and her fellow trainers have made many service dogs available without cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Pamela plans to continue this effort after she is released. Certainly, any monies from my involvement should go to Patriot Paws, as neither Pamela nor I began this effort for profit. There’s a beautiful video describing Patriot Paws through the eyes of Texas Country Reporter; Pamela is in several scenes.

How does your own experience, as the survivor of three heart attacks and two heart surgeries, influence your thinking about the value of all people’s lives?

I am sure everyone who has had their chest cracked open like a crab will tell you how much bluer the sky looks. But I believe everyone, if they look back on their life with discerning eyes, regardless of their health, prosperity, or misery, must conclude that they were put here for a purpose, that every life is precious and none worth taking.

What do you hope readers take away from learning Pamela’s story?

I would answer this with a short story from a personal experience. Years past, I used to write my own Christmas cards, a poem or a two-paragraph vignette. These went out not only to family and friends but to business contacts, many of whom I had never met. For several years there were no comments—good or bad. One afternoon, one of these business contacts, whom I did not know, telephoned and said the card had made his Christmas. One rarely knows what we do that benefits others, but when we do—even for just one—we leap with joy. So if the story of Pamela’s life helps but one soul, then our effort was well worth the undertaking.