Drama Queens with Love Scenes
by Kevin Klehr
Gay Romance/Humour
Cambridge Press
Cover artist: Laurie McAdams
Paperback and ebook
Blurb:
Close friends Allan and Warwick are dead. They're not crazy about the idea so to help them deal with this dilemma are Samantha, a blond bombshell from the 1950s, and Guy, an insecure angel.
They are soon drawn into the world of theatre - Afterlife style, with all the bitchiness, back-stabbing and ego usually associated with the mortal world.
Allan also has a secret. He has a romantic crush on his friend, Warwick, but shortly after confiding in his new angel pal, his love interest falls for the cock-sure playwright, Pedro.
Not only does Allan have to win the heart of his companion, he also has to grapple with the faded memory of how he actually died.
Review 4.5 Stars:
This was a fun-filled romp through a theatrical afterlife, or as Guy the angel puts it, The Limelight District. While Allan pines for Warwick from afar, they both become involved in the theatre productions, where there is just as much jealousy, backstabbing and bitchiness as on the mortal plane.
The book is in first-person from Allan's point of view, so we only got to see Allan's opinions of the other characters. I wanted to be in some of the other character's heads for a while, especially Guy, the orphaned angel who was never taught how to fly, I really adored him.
I wouldn't necessarily say the characters were true to life, most were flamboyant and over the top, but maybe that's what a lot of theatre people are like and I just haven't met them. The world building is good, with lots of different districts from different eras of Earth history, but the characters wander about to the other ones at will. There were also some little mysteries to solve such as how Allan and Warwick died and who is trying to sabotage the plays.
The path to true love never did run smooth, but the author has made Allan's journey to not only find love, but to find himself a very engaging tale.
It's a fun little read, well over 70K words is not that little, but I got so engrossed in the story and the characters that the pages flew by.
Reviewed by Annette Gisby
Kevin lives with his long-term partner in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia's own 'Emerald City,' Sydney.
He calls himself a bit of a 'media tart,' having worked both professionally and voluntarily in television, radio and online. His longest running passion is a weekly radio program he and his partner, Warren, produce for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander station, Koori Radio. Since 2005 they have been discovering music, both new and old, and interviewing local artists and community leaders. Every Saturday night, the Rhythm Divine is heard across Sydney and via the world wide web.
From an early age Kevin had a passion for writing, jotting down stories and plays until it came time to confront puberty. After dealing with pimple creams and facial hair, Kevin didn't pick up a pen again until he was in his thirties. His handwritten manuscript was being committed to paper when his social circumstances changed, giving him no time to write. Concerned, Warren snuck the notebook out to a friend who in turn came back and demanded Kevin finish his novel. It wasn't long before Kevin's active imagination was let loose again.
Kevin is currently at work on the sequel to Drama Queens with Love Scenes.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
At first I do my planning which is a chapter by chapter breakdown. Then I let the story flow while the blueprint gets reinvented along the way.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
No. I keep them in line with a firm hand.
What is your favourite food?
Chocolate and ice-cream. Yes, I have a sweet tooth.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Night owl, but I have been known to wake up at 2am, desperately wanting to fall back to sleep.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Morocco, India, Japan, Cuba, and most other places I haven't been to yet.
A friend went to India and stayed there for months. He fell in love with the place.
I've always wanted to go to Japan since we learned Japanese in High School.
Another friend raves about Cuba.
This is just the short list. I love to travel!
Do distant places feature in your books?
The Afterlife features in my current book. You can't get much more distant than that.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Strangely, no.
I love music. My partner and I own countless records, CDs, mp3s, cassettes, and decaying VHS tapes of music videos. Our life has a soundtrack most of the time.
But I need total silence when I write.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
It's a tale of unrequited gay love in the theatre district of the Afterlife.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
It's hard. Writing is not easy, and I've had countless rejection emails and letters from publishers since I started. But at least there are other avenues to get your work out there.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I would work on my manuscript a lot more, before I felt it was ready to send out to publishers.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
Life around me. People and events have found their way into my writing, just heavily disguised.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
When you think your latest draft is ready, bury it for three months before you re-read it. You will find more wrong with it than you imagined.
What are three words that describe you?
Perfectionist. Imaginative. Naughty.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Jonathan Tropper is my favourite writer. He may not have written my favourite novel, but he's definately my favourite.
Close friends Allan and Warwick are dead. They're not crazy about the idea so to help them deal with this dilemma are Samantha, a blond bombshell from the 1950s, and Guy, an insecure angel.
They are soon drawn into the world of theatre - Afterlife style, with all the bitchiness, back-stabbing and ego usually associated with the mortal world.
Allan also has a secret. He has a romantic crush on his friend, Warwick, but shortly after confiding in his new angel pal, his love interest falls for the cock-sure playwright, Pedro.
Not only does Allan have to win the heart of his companion, he also has to grapple with the faded memory of how he actually died.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4298144.Kevin_Klehr
https://www.facebook.com/kevin.klehr.1
https://twitter.com/kevinklehr
https://www.facebook.com/DramaQueensWithLoveScenes
http://www.cambridgepress.us/drama_queens.html
Thank you, Kevin and good luck with your books!
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