This week, I welcome Keely to my website. When she emailed me about a spotlight on my blog, I checked out her website and other places she hangs out on social media. She sounds like a really interesting person and thought you would like to meet her! Maybe part of it has to do with the fact that she is another writing homschooling mom! That’s right – she is an author and has a brand new book coming out. Keep reading and find out all about it. Now, without any more fuss, here she is…..
Keely Brooke Keith.
Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving ‘80s kid. She grew up in a family who frequently relocated. By graduation, Keely lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools. Keely’s many adventures include: being an exchange student, recording with a former Beatles producer, being chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattlesnake, jumping out of an airplane at 14,500 feet, and sleeping under the open sky in the Australian outback.
Keely is a bass guitarist and plays on worship teams and for solo artists. She is married to singer/songwriter John Martin Keith, and they frequently perform and tour together. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antique stores.
Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband and their daughter, Rachel.
P.S. After the book introduction, keep reading for an interview with Keely.
P.S. After the book introduction, keep reading for an interview with Keely.
Keely loves to connect with readers! Find her online:
Lydia Colburn is a young physician dedicated to serving her village in the Land. Day and night, she rushes by horseback to treat the ill and injured, establishing a heroic reputation as the village’s new doctor.
Naval Aviator Connor Bradshaw is flying over the South Atlantic Ocean on a mission to secure any remaining sources of fresh water in a 2025 world torn apart by war. A malfunction activates his aircraft’s ejection system, parachuting his unconscious body to the shore of a hidden land.Lydia risks her safety to help the injured outsider despite the shock of his mysterious arrival and the disastrous implications his presence could have for her peaceful society, which has gone undetected for seven generations.
Connor searches for a way to return to his squadron, but his fascination with life in the Land makes him protective of Lydia and her peaceful homeland. And while Lydia’s attraction to Connor stirs desires she never anticipated, it also pushes an unwanted admirer to stage a dangerous attempt to win her affection.
As Connor tries to keep the Land off the radar, he learns the biggest threat to Lydia lurks in her village. But when Lydia’s greatest passion and darkest fear collide, will she look to the past or the future to find the strength to survive?
Interview
Have you always been a writer? I started writing stories and poems when I was a kid, so I’d say I’ve always been a writer, but I’m new at being an author. My day job is in music–I’m a bass guitarist. I’ve been very blessed to get to live out both of my passions: music and writing. I’ve had other jobs along the way, of course. That’s just life in the arts–the work fluctuates between feast and famine.
What does your family think of your writing? My husband and my parents are my biggest supporters. They have cheered for me and encouraged me every step of the way. I have a wonderful family.
When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? I ride the line between introvert and extrovert. I love being alone and writing, but as soon as I’m done I want to interact with people. I love game nights, antiquing, and just hanging out with friends.
How do you manage your time? Not only do I work on writing about 40-50 hours a week, I’m also a working musician, a homeschool mom, and I help my husband with his business, so I have pens and notebooks and sticky notes in every room of the house. When I get to sit at the computer, I compile all those notes and start writing. It took a few months of trying every day to be able to shift my focus from my other duties to my writing, but I’ve finally got the hang of it.
Where do you get constructive critiques and feedback? I start involving other people in my writing during the second draft. That’s when I do the deep research and interview professionals in whatever field my characters and stories require. After several drafts, I start sending the story to beta readers. I’ll send it to a few at a time, get their comments, revise if I need to, then send to a few more. I have several critique partners who are also authors and their feedback is invaluable. When I believe the manuscript is the very best it can possibly be, I send it to a professional editor.
What was your favorite chapter or part to write and why? I enjoyed the world building and creating the Land and the village of Good Springs and their customs. It was like having a mental vacation getting to dream it all up.
What was the hardest thing about writing the book? Hurting characters. But by time I started the second book in this series, I was over that. Not that I enjoy it now–just that I see the good that comes from it.
Do you plan on writing a sequel to this story? The sequel, Uncharted Redemption, is complete and in production as we speak. It will be released Spring 2015, and the final book in the series, Uncharted Inheritance, is written and almost ready for my betas.
Thank you for joining us Keely! I look forward to reading your book. Okay, readers -what caught your attention about Keely and/or her book?
Now, go stop by one of her online hangout spots and tell her hi!
