The Second Chances Anthology

As many of you already know Earlier this year I started ‘The Second Chances Anthology’ and on 15th July 2015 Little Bird Publishing House published After The Scars. Our first charity romance anthology.

 

Today I caught up with one of the writers Kerry Kijewski.

 

Kerry can you tell the readers a little bit more about yourself?

 

I grew up loving colour, to draw, art. It wasn't until I lost any remaining clear sight I once had, being born visually impaired, that I began to turn to words with a passion.

 

Now words, writing, books and literature, these things are the light in my life. I would be truly in the dark without them.

 

How did you come across The Second Chances Anthology?

 

Facebook actually. I am always looking to follow any page having anything to do with literature and writing. It just so happened that I came across LBP and the request for stories for an anthology you were putting together. It was the perfect fit at the perfect time.

 

Where did the idea come from for your story ‘One Last Kiss’?

 

I believe many stories start off as events in the author's real life and then are turned into fiction. I had recently gone through a bad breakup and was trying to deal with lost love. I wanted to explore how one might handle the end of a romantic relationship. I do this by writing and this time was no exception.

 

Can you tell us a bit about your story ‘One Last Kiss’?

 

One Last Kiss is about the life its main character thought she was living, one minute, and how that can and does change in the blink of an eye. It's about the end of a relationship, the time and energy it takes to figure out the rough aftermath of heartbreak.

 

Sarah has met the one, or so she thinks, but her world will be turned up-side-down and all she thought she knew about her life may not be as it seems.

 

Is there a message in your story you want readers to grasp?

 

The message is one of hope I think. I want to offer that glimmer of hope, for anyone who may be dealing with the pain of losing love, and to showcase that life can and will go on. It is possible that heartbreak won't break you down forever, that it can actually teach you a lot about yourself and make you stronger than you'd ever thought you could be, better able to build yourself back up again and prepare you for better things to come.

 

 

Now. Do you have a favourite story in the anthology and why?

 

I can't say I exactly have a favourite. I don't like to pick. I did think Angela's poem, "Dawn Is Always Near" fits together with the themes of my story quite nicely. Plus, the two follow each other in the book.

 

Whether the story is sweet, painful, or with one act of terrible violence, I think all the stories in this anthology compliment each other well. This is a testament to all those who had a hand in putting it together. I just want to say thank you to all the authors, you of course, and all those responsible over at LBP.

 

What books have most influenced your life?

 

I read a lot of romance novels as a teen girl and was most influenced by those happily ever after stories, until I got to be in my twenties. Then I broadened my horizons and gave fantasy a chance.

 

I would have to say that books like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Chronicles of Narnia have given me a love of literature that I never thought possible. I realized that just because these stories were about magical worlds and make believe lands, that didn't mean that there couldn't be vital lessons about such things as heroism, hardship, and love to be found in the pages. Those magical stories brought light into my life, as an adult, and showed me that magic can be found just about anywhere, that it serves a very useful purpose.

 

Of course I still enjoy a good love story, most notably Love Story itself. That book taught me not all stories necessarily require a happy ending to be meaningful.

 

Do you have any other published work?

 

I have been writing and sending my writing out there, to be published on blogs and websites as much as I possibly can. Although Second Chances is my first true publication of fiction, I have my non fiction and essays on several sites now.

 

Thank you so much Kerry for joining me for a chat today