An Interview with a Gardner

I requested an interview with Kevin Gillard of Hetfordshire, England. We met through Facebook and he came across as someone who wanted to help others.  So I wanted to find out more about him. Often times, we think that only the famous should be able to share their life. Well, I disagree. I believe that everyone has something to share, I believe everybody is gifted with a story. This...is part of Kevin Gillards. Please enjoy.

Bee: 
Hello Kevin Gillard and thank you for agreeing to let me interview you. 
Where are you from?

Kevin G: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England.

Bee: I did a little research and this is one of the pictures that came up for Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. I Think it's beautiful. 

Kevin G:
I have been here for five years, previously I lived wherever work took me. I'm originally from the county of Somerset.

Bee: 
Are you married?

Kevin G:
I married when I was much younger but that did not last very long. I was far too young.

Bee: 
You know what, I think a lot of people can relate. As young people, we made plenty of whoopsies.

Do you have children? 

Kevin G: 
Yes, two but I don't see them.

Bee: 
I won't go into that any further but I hope that your relationship with your children will be better one day.
What is it that you currently title as your job?

Kevin G: 
I'm a handyman gardener, previously I worked as a truck driver.

Bee: 
I like gardens and even want one some time in the future but I just can't deal with the insects. Speaking of gardens, what's your favorite food?

Kevin G: 
Thai curries are my favorite.

Bee: 
I haven't had the pleasure of trying any Thai Curry but am putting it on my bucket list. Do you recall your fondest childhood memory?

Kevin G: 
Swimming, as a child we had a pool in our garden.

Bee: 
That sounds like a bloody good time:) Learning to swim is also on my bucket list. Can you name a fear that you overcame?

Kevin G: 
I'm not keen on flying but I've done it three times.

Bee: 
Kudos to you. Have you ever ran across a famous personality? 

Kevin G: 
Not that I am aware of.

Bee: 
If you had a Do-Over Button, what would be your top 3?

Kevin G: 
Nothing, my past experiences make me the person I am today.

I am constantly trying to find ways to do things better.

Bee: 
That's noble...If you stumbleupon one, send it my way:)
Do you own any pets?

Kevin G: 
No but I'd love to have another dog.

Bee: 
Do you have any religious beliefs?

Kevin G: 
I'm not religious but Karma seems to be real enough. 

What goes around comes around.

Bee: 
Yes, it does always comes back around.
 Have you ever seen a ghost or anything paranormal?

Kevin G: 
Paranormal, I don't think so.

Bee: 
I have but we won't get into that. If someone asked you for the best Life Advice you could give, what would it be?

Kevin G: 
Advice...if you have the chance to learn take it with both hands. 

The world is changing and we need to keep up.

Bee: 
Give me one event that changed your life?

Kevin G: 
The current recession has changed my life drastically. 

It has inspired me to create 'Advertise for Free'

Bee: 
I really appreciate you taking the time to share some of your life with me. I enjoy interviewing people from all different walks of life and parts of the world. We're all alike in some way. There's something that Universally connects us all. Let's remember that the next time we start to think we're, "The Special Ones."

Bee L. Kirk, Author of City of the Guardians: Introducing Alex Honor

20 Things I'll Never Forget About the Year 2013!

2013 was an unbelievable year for me and I want to show you why. I've listed the top 20 things that changed my life or caused me to pause. Please Enjoy.

1. I published my 1st book, City of the Guardians: Introducing Alex Honor.

2. I celebrated my 2 year wedding Anniversary & Separated 5 months later. 

3. I learned that there are some really unexpected moments caught on camera/film Janice, Janice, Janice,

Are you repeating me?, Life Advice. ***FUNNY***

4. I realized that American Justice still has some work to do...Trayvon Martin.

5. I learned that there's a drug for HIV patients that really works The Transformation.

6.The power of the Social Media HI! & How ya Tweeting.

7. Here are some of the Amazing People I met during 2013, thanks to Social Media, Steve Clark, Claudia, Nicole, Selena, Melodie, David, Tina, Janice, Tedy, Adrienne, AEL Data, Ang, Claudia, Mocha Mob, Anthony, Charmaine, Keith, Steven & on and on.

Each and every one of these people have impacted my life somehow. Either they, beta-Read for me, gave me advice, let me guest blog, re-tweeted me with a passion or just listened. I'm forever grateful.

8. I learned how to make really good breakfast cakes. They are REALLY good. You can't eat just one:)) I call them Luv Muffins! (Website Coming Soon)

9. I learned that FAMILY is worth fighting for.

10. My brother Marcus moved to Alaska :(((

11. My Grandmother, Barbara Ann Douglas, passed away. 11/12/1936 - 07/07/2013

12.My children, Amaya and Jaxon celebrated their birthdays during the same month. 

13. I finally came to terms with the fact that you should never settle for less than what you deserve.

YOU can be your own worst enemy. You HAVE to believe in YOU and GOD is still there...waiting patiently.

14. I'm glad that I wasn't a mean girl in school. I'm glad that I was considered too nice vs. too mean. 

15. I appreciate the fact that I'm good with 'Unfriending' & 'Unfollowing' negativity.

16. I can accept the fact that the Kardashians are trying to take over the world.

17. I had a wreck 2 months before I was scheduled to pay my car off:((.....No, it doesn't look like this now.

18. Published my 2nd book, What's From the Heart Reaches the Heart.

19. Hosted The Honey Hour on dfwiradio.com & had a blast!

(Delania Odom, India Miles, Bee L. Kirk, Terri Shaw)

20. I accepted that fact that there are no coincidences, everything happens for a reason. I pay attention to the whispers and know that each and every person that crosses my path, did so with a reason. The slow car in front of me...was for a reason. The delayed departure...was for a reason. God is good & I Love Him.

Bee Blessed

***Book Review for Heaven's Cry by Charmaine Galloway***

Heaven's Cry is a short story with long meaning. It's a story about some very sensitive topics that impact our youth and adults alike. Heaven is the main characters name and is dealing with an internal battle that threatens to tear her family apart. She's a teenager going through something very serious and it's palpable throughout the book.
Heaven's father is the Pastor of a prominent church and in charge of leading his flock to the pearly gates of Heaven. This heavy burden also has connecting attachments to his children. They're expected to be perfect in every way. So when Heaven starts to have feelings about someone at her school, the turmoil of secrecy and disapproval rule her every waking thought.
The Author, Charmaine Galloway does an excellent job of conveying these emotional battles and allows you to take the journey with Heaven. I had a sense that I would be sad once I finished reading this short and I wont spoil it for you but I would like to say that Heaven's Cry is an excellent book to learn from. Everyone wont agree with what you choose to do with your life or how you live it. I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in the Bible and what His word says. At the same time, I know that God wants us to embrace and not judge. I hope that after reading this book, your heart will be a little softer to the hurt that many of our children experience. Let God judge. You Love.
I would definitely recommend this book and enjoyed it immensely.

Bee L. Kirk, Author of City of the Guardians: Introducing Alex Honor

Amazon Buy Link

Dreaming of a Win

I'm taking a few moments of your time not to toot my own horn but to share and help as I learn.
I entered a book cover contest with Authorsdb back in August. Upon entering, I was confident that it would do well. I felt this way because I absolutely loved the cover myself. Not only because it was mine but because it told the story before even opening the book. And I think this is one of the key things to remember when designing a cover. I didn't physically design it myself, I had a vision, and a few ideas. I knew what I wanted and didn't want. After conveying this with the designer, they nailed it on the first try.

Without reading a blurb or a review, one can tell that the two characters depicted on the cover are in morally different places. The character on the left is Stilo, he's the voice of Strength, the Good guy. The character on the right is RIP and is the voice of Rage. He can be heard whispering, "Give up, or Commit Suicide."

Rip is the Bad guy. I hope the impression of conflict & struggle emerge when someone sees the cover.

So, when I  made it to the Semi Finals in the contest, I was very happy. I was excited that people were voting and showing support. ASMSG members played a huge part in that. And I'm truly thankful for the ever present support they show.

I'm still very new at being a writer, I have much to learn. Often I'm learing these things by trial & error. I recently released my second publication only to pull it 2 days later because of a hastily made mistake. I'm going to release a Revised version of it soon but the whole experience really had my spirits low. The editor of my first book City of the Guardians wasn't available during the Month of December and I'd planned to release the book December 25th. Well, instead of being patient and waiting, I decided to edit it to the best of my ability and release it. And that was a mistake. It wasn't ready for the world to see and I should've just moved the release date up a few weeks. Any who, she's editing it now and I'm excited about Re-Releasing it. Lesson learned:)

After that hard learned lesson, I desperately needed a little pick me up and received in the form of a tweet.

@beelkirk #author BOOK COVER FINALIST Congratulations! http://authorsdb.com/author-publicity/book-cover-contest … Download Badge #covercontest pls RT

And just like that, I knew I was doing something right. So I push on, I stay open to constructive criticism, I help people as much as I can, and I keep believing in my dream.

Bee

***Book Review for Kill Mary Jane Doe by Author Nicole Dunlap***

I had no idea what to expect by the title of this book, although intriguing, it initially had me confused. The book cover art work is gorgeous. It really excites me when you can't pin an author down to a certain genre. Author Nicole Dunlap is not the average, "Urban Author" who is going to consistently give you the same thing. She changes it up and refuses to be put in a box.
Okay, so in the beginning I was a little confused because I'm not crazy...
But Mary Jane on the other hand, well let's just say she has some issues. By the end of the book you'll understand why. And realize that if some of the things that happened to Mary had happened to you, you'd probably be a little delusional too. All the characters are unique and create a story of intrigue and astonishment. I found myself laughing and on the verge of heaving during parts of Kill Mary Jane Doe. It really is a roller coaster ride. It's intense and will make you want to root for the main character, Mary Jane.
Make sure you pay close attention to Mary Jane's flashbacks because they hold the secret to why she is the way she is. This is a "grown folks" read and not for the faint of heart.
If you desire to read something different, read Kill Mary Jane Doe. If you want to see how imaginative Author Nicole Dunlap is, read Kill Mary Jane Doe. If you yearn for something other than your average run of the mill story, read Kill Mary Jane Doe.
I'm not going to spoil it but there is a moment is this book that made me turn my head to the side like Scooby Doo and say, "eehhhra." (sound effect added)
After which, I poured myself a glass of wine.
Get it and hold on.

Bee L. Kirk, Author of City of the Guardians: Introducing Alex Honor

Buy Link
Amazon