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May 2009
LIGHTLAND WINS GOLD MEDAL IN FOREWORD BOTY AWARDS
The fourth major publishing award for Kenny Kemp’s new novel.
ForeWord magazine announced the winners of the 2008 Book of the Year Awards at a ceremony at BookExpo America in New York City on May 29, 2009. 220 Book of the Year Award winners in 61 categories were honored. These books, representing the best independently published books from 2008, were selected by a panel of librarian and bookseller judges who are experts in the subject matter of the books they judged, and Kenny Kemp’s new novel Lightland was among them, winning the Gold Medal in the Science Fiction category.
ForeWord’s founder and publisher, Victoria Sutherland, spoke at the awards ceremony and announced the winners. "The Book of the Year Awards help level the playing field," she said. "Look at the other national awards programs. There seems to be a prejudice against anything that isn’t from a larger house. ForeWord honors only those books coming from independent community, giving them the value they deserve."
The list of finalists is searchable by category, publisher, title, and author at: http://www.forewordmagazine.com/botya
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May 2009
LIGHTLAND WINS NEXTGEN INDIE BOOK AWARD
Heads Visionary Fiction category
Kenny Kemp's speculative fiction novel Lightland has just finished first in the "Visionary Fiction" category in the NextGen Indie Books Award competition.
The Indie Book Awards recognizes and honors the most exceptional independently published books each year in sixty different categories. It is sponsored by The Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (www.IBPPG.com) in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O'Shea Literary Agency.
In addition to the recognition and prestige of having an award-winning book, finalists and winners receive a listing in the Indie Book Awards catalog, which is distributed to book buyers, media, and others, as well as exposure for a full year at www.IndieBookAwards.com. Lightland will be among the top sixty books to be reviewed by Marilyn Allen of Allen-O'shea Literary Agency for possible representation.
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May 2009
LIGHTLAND WINS GOLD MEDAL AT IPPY COMPETITION
Second major award for Kenny Kemp's new novel.
Kenny Kemp's thriller/adventure novel Lightland has just won the Gold Medal in the Visionary Fiction category in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, beating out thirteen other semi-finalists and besting a slate of over a hundred category entrants.
A representative of Alta Films Press is planning on attending the award ceremony at BookExpo in NYC next week to receive the award.
The Independent Publisher Awards (the "IPPYs") is one of the most prestigious publication awards, where hundreds of small and medium-size presses vie for gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as recognition for regional and national specialty titles. A select few books are chosen from among the gold medalists to receive kudos as "Outstanding Books," and receive generous cash prizes.
More information at: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1298
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May 2009
LIGHTLAND A FINALIST IN THE "IPPY" AWARDS
Second award possible for the book.
AFP is proud to announce that Kenny Kemp's new adventure thriller Lightland has reached the finals of the Independent Publisher Book Awards (the "IPPYs") in the "Visionary Fiction" category.
On May 28th, at a special ceremony coinciding with Book Expo in New York, gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded to the five category finalists. The IPPY is one of the most important awards in the small press world.
Should Lightland win a medal, this will be the second award thus far for this inventive novel.
We congratulate Kenny on his fine work, and take pride in our part in bringing Lightland to the world.
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March 2009
LIGHTLAND REACHES FINALS IN FOREWORD BOOK AWARDS
Over 1400 books are represented in prestigious book competition.
ForeWord magazine announced finalists for its 2008 "Book of the Year" awards this week, and Kenny Kemp's supernatural thriller Lightland was among them.
The entries were narrowed down to just under seven hundred finalists. Kemp's book will vie with thirteen other books for the science fiction category award.
The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers, selected from ForeWord readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor's Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Javitz Center in New York City on May 29th. The winners of the two Editor's Choice Prizes will be awarded $1500 each.
Congratulations to Kenny Kemp for what we hope will be his second award for his superlative new novel, Lightland!
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December 2008
ALTA FILMS PRESS TO BEGIN SELLING IN BIG-BOX STORES
Kenny Kemp's Lightland will receive exclusive promotion in Sam's Clubs and Costco stores.
Following the success of Michael Ramsdell's A Train to Potevka, Alta Films Press will promote Kemp's new thriller exclusively in Sam's Clubs and Costco stores.
"Mike sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book," says Kemp, "most by hand-selling. He literally went to work every day for three years at Costco stores around the midwest and set up shop. He proved it can be done. He's the Richard Paul Evans (Christmas Box) of the big box stores -- he invented the method."
Though Costco and Sam's book sales are not counted in national best-seller sales tallies, the reader should know that a book that sells 25,000 copies in a year in America is considered a "best-seller."
"The fact that someone can hand sell hundreds of thousands of copies of their self-published book is just astonishing," says Alan Smithee, Jr., Alta Films Press Marketing V.P. "Whether or not such copies are considered by the NYTimes on their best-seller list is beside the point. What is important is that those books were sold."
"It's a great place to sell books," says Kemp. "Though you visualize Costco shoppers buying everything from televisions to turkeys, they also buy a lot of books, which are steeply discounted, often as much as 33% off retail. In these tough times, people are looking for value, and if I can sell more books by discounting, that's what I'll do, because the goal is to build a brand and get to the point where people are buying 'the next book by Kenny Kemp,' the same way they buy the new Grisham or Patterson."
In addition, every Costco and Sam's shopper knows how easy it is to spend hundreds of dollars every time they visit the store. "What is a $10 book in that mix?" says Smithee. "Nothing. An impulse buy. Also, most people have never met a published author and it's a thrill for them to have a book signed by the author, personalized to them."
"It's still hard work," says Kemp. "Eight hours is a long time to spend in any store, hawking your wares, but the numbers bear out that it's worth the effort. Our goal is to sell a hundred thousand copies of Lightland in the next year. And I will be there, hand-selling every one if that's what I have to do!"
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October 2008
LIGHTLAND WINS USA BOOK NEWS AWARD FOR FICTION
The award continues Kenny Kemp's unbroken string of awards for AFP books.
Kenny Kemp's new supernatural thriller Lightland has received an award in the thriller/adventure category from USA Book News, an online newspaper of the publishing trade.
"I'm very gratified," says Kemp. "As I've said before, for mid-list authors like myself -- those of us without a breakout best-seller . . . yet -- awards are a good way to assure the person wondering whether they should take a chance on an unknown author that a book is of good quality. Great reviews also help, but an award seal is a wondeful selling tool and I'm proud to place the USA Book News seal on the cover of Lightland."
Lightland is listed on the USA Book News website: www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2008.html
Congratulations to Kenny Kemp for his new book, Lightland.
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September 2008
LIGHTLAND, A SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, IS RELEASED.
Kenny Kemp's latest outing is a mainstream thriller with a soul.
Alta Films Press's latest publication, the supernatural thriller Lightland, by award-winning and best-selling author Kenny Kemp, is hot off the press. A book four years in the research and writing, it promises to be Kemp's most successful book yet.
"When The DaVinci Code came out," says Kemp, "my agent asked me if I had a 'puzzle story' of a similar nature hidden away somewhere. I didn't." He laughs and continues, "But I like puzzle stories and so I sat down and pondered the authors I like most to read. Most of all, I like Michael Crichton, who combines cutting-edge science with pot-boiler adventure plots; the kind of story that takes off on page one and leaves you gasping for air on page four hundred and one, when it's done."
So he combined several areas he has always enjoyed learning about: ancient Egypt, medical science, philosophy, and religion, and came up with a cloning angle that is completely unique. "No one yet has written a novel that explores that spiritual elements of cloning: what happens to the soul when a body is cloned? Does it have to return to the body? Or does the spirit divide in two, part of it remaining in the afterlife, and the other part returning to the cloned body? Is there really such a thing as a soul, and if so, what are the rules that govern its connection to the physical or mortal sphere, and specifically, to the body?"
The result is a globe-spanning adventure set in the near future involving a world-wide viral holocaust and an astonishing mummy that proves to be immune to the virus that is wiping out mankind. Remarkably, the six-thousand year-old mummy's DNA is intact, and scientists clone it to study this one person who is immune to the deadly virus. That sets off a chain of events that wrenches the mummy's previous owner, African tribesman K'tanu, dead for millenia and living with his family and tribe in Lightland, from the afterlife, placing him back on earth in a familiar body, but in an unfamiliar world.
"All he wants to do," says Kemp, a twinkle in his eye, "is to get back home, which is Lightland -- the afterlife. But how to do it? He can't commit suicide or allow himself to be killed by inaction, because then he might be sent to the 'other' place. No, he must discover and fulfill his destiny on earth this time around, just as he did in the previous life, so long ago."
"Lightland is unlike anything I've previously written," says Kemp. "But it also contains elements I always explore: the hero's journey and our connection with the bigger universe. I'm very proud of it and have high hopes!"
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March 2008
PAPERBACK VERSIONS OF THE WELCOMING DOOR AND DAD WAS A CARPENTER RELEASED
The two popular books are now available in mass-market size and price.
Kenny Kemp's two most popular books, Dad Was a Carpenter and The Welcoming Door, have just been redesigned and repackaged (to say nothing of repriced) as mass-market paperbacks.
"They are essentially the same," says Kemp. "In the case of Dad Was a Carpenter, it's only been available as a hardback, which limited a concomitant narrow readership. The original size and its hardcover placed it inevitably on bookstore gift shelves. Now, in this mass market version, it will get display right next to contemporary MM titles."
Most books these days move quickly from a hardback first edition, to a softcover trade paper version (often nearly the same size as the hardback), then on to mass market (which usually have dimensions of about 4.5" by 8") if they are proven sellers. Both of these books are.
"Many times, much is lost when a book moves to the smaller format," says Kemp. "But not in this case. We wanted to keep everything we liked about both books in their larger, hard-covered editions, so we did, at no small cost." The Welcoming Door, for example, is the full version of the parable of the prodigal son, not seen in the illustrated coffee-table book published by Alta Films Press, but lifted directly from the original three-in-one novel of the same name published by HarperSanFrancisco in 2002.
"We're very proud, not only of the reprint, but of the price as well," says Alan Smithee, Jr., of AFP. "At just under $7.00 retail, we think these books will be introduced to a whole new generation of readers."
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May 2007
OKI'S ISLAND WINS AN "IPPY"
Award from The Independent Publisher's Association is third for Kenny Kemp.
Oki's Island, Kenny Kemp's challenging allegory about the endless search for truth, won its second award, the bronze "IPPY" for inspirational/spiritual fiction from the Independent Publisher's Association. Last fall, the book received accolades from USA Book News.
"This simple, yet profound, book is making waves," said Alan Smithee, Jr. of Alta Films Press. "Kenny strove to write a story in the tradition of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, set in a fictional South Pacific, where a man is lost from his island in a world of endless seas, and his search for home as he comes to grips with nature, God, and himself, and finally discovers his true, eternal destiny: that of a seeker of greater and greater truth."
"I am always amused," says Kemp, "by the certainty with which people espouse ideas and beliefs that are completely inside the domain of faith. In other words, things which cannot be proven are often the very things held as most inviolate beliefs, a rather tenuous thread upon which to hang one's life. It's an inverse corollary: the less evidence there is outside of one's own feelings, the more people cling to a 'truth,' which may be true, but may also be completely false."
But isn't such belief necessary to make sense out of our world?"
"Absolutely," says Kemp. "I'm not decrying belief with little (or no) evidence itself. I'm decrying the closing of a person's mind to other equally unproven, yet tenable, ideas. It's as if people say, 'Listen, I've found my truth; it's good enough for me, so don't bother me with any other truth.' If the 'truth' being offered is indeed a greater truth, then we should be open to it. What dismays me are all the people for whom the search for truth as ended at the shores of their own island."
Alta Films Press congratulates Kenny Kemp on his unbroken string of award-winning books.
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October 2006
OKI'S ISLAND WINS PUBLISHING AWARD
The first of many? Only the stars know.
Kenny Kemp's latest book, Oki's Island, an allegory in the vein of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, has just received its first accolade, an award for religious fiction in the 2006 USA Best Book Awards.
This continues an unbroken line of awards for all Mr. Kemp's books published by Alta Films Press. His previous AFP books I Hated Heaven, Dad Was a Carpenter, and the Carpenter of Galilee were all recipients of numerous awards, the greatest of which, the grand prize in the Writers Digest International Self-Published Book Awards, went to Dad Was a Carpenter, which resulted in a generous reprint deal with HarperCollins, the world's largest publisher.
"I'm very gratified," says Kemp, "because this confirms the notion that small, unique -- and dare I say, quirky -- books can find an audience even without the vast PR machinery of large publishers.Awards are crucial to finding an audience in the first place, because for most authors, the stamp of quality must be apparent on a book's face. People do judge books by their covers, and book awards say to the reader unfamiliar with my name that this book just might be worth their time. If I can get them to take another few seconds, open the book, and read a little, I might just make a sale."
Oki's Island shares its theme of personal spiritual growth when all around us are counseling the status quo with Richard Bach's classic Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "I've always loved that book," says Kemp, "because it inspired me to look within for approval and not hope for the approval of others. I believe God has a unique path for all of us, a path that may lead us far from others, but a path nonetheless that we are supposed to follow, if we are to find truth. And while on that path we might think we're alone, like Oki in his outrigger lost on an endless sea. But we will find, if we listen carefully, that we are not alone at all; that we have the best traveling companion there is: God is with us, gently guiding us onward, and our destiny is as wonderful as it is unimaginable."
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June 2006
OKI'S ISLAND, A FANTASY ALLEGORY, IS RELEASED
Kemp's long-awaited companion piece to Jonathan Livingston Seagull arrives.
Oki's Island, an allegory about the endless search for ultimate truth, came off the press this month. Featuring a Polynesian protagonist, desert South Pacific islands, endless seas, volcanos, and human sacrifice -- "Just the usual stuff," says Kemp, laughing -- it promises to be a feast for the heart as well as the mind.
"It's something I've wanted to do for a long time," sayd Kemp. "When I was on O'ahu, I visited the Polynesian Cultural Center and was amazed at the similiarities and remarkable differences between cultures that were separated by thousands of miles of open sea. It got me to thinking about compasses and life directions and the story came from there."
This, coupled with a fascination with Richard Bach's seminal 1970's masterpiece, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which inspired a whole generation of young people to reach for the stars, resulted in a story, not about seagulls or mastering flight, but about a young frightened man who is separated from his island -- the only land he has ever known -- by a terrible ocean storm. Caught out on the ocean with nothing but his wits and the meager provisions in his tiny outrigger to sustain him, he must trust in God, as well as in the aid of witchdoctors, the night sky, and a school of dolphins, for deliverance.
"It's for anyone who thinks he knows the final word on anything," says Kemp. "And especially for those who don't."
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May 2004
THE CARPENTER OF GALILEE WINS TWO MAJOR PUBLISHING AWARDS
Writers Digest redux; first time for the Ben Franklins.
Kenny Kemp's The Carpenter of Galilee has just received top prizes in the two most imprtant independent and small press book competitions. The large-format book, a retelling of the parable of the prodigal son, contains twenty-two illustrations by artist J. Kirk Richards. Printed on clay-based paper, this handsome 64-page volume also contains 12,000 words of text.
Every year, Writers Digest magazine, the premier writer's monthly, holds the International Self-Published Book Awards, judging thousands of entries. Four years ago, Kemp won the grand prize for Dad Was a Carpenter. This year, The Carpenter of Galilee received the Honorable Mention in the Inspiration category. In addition, the book received the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Publishers' Marketing Association, the country's most prestigious small press organization.
"That many paintings, combined with a novella-length story, make this a unique book," says Kemp. "I wrote the book to be illustrated, but HarperCollins preferred a traditional novel, and so signed me to do three books encompassing several of the most important parables." These books form the "Parables of the Carpenter" series, two of which, The Welcoming Door and City on a Hill, are in bookstores now.
Kemp continues: "But I couldn't get the visuals out of my head. I'd met Kirk and been impressed with his work. He's a marvelous painter who understand the radical notion of placing the young carpenter Jesus in the very stories he would one day teach the world."
Kemp gently places the book on the coffee table. "I always had a feeling about this project. And I wasn't alone. From the first mock-ups, everyone who saw it was enchanted by the mix of words and pictures . . . and what pictures! The illustrations are glorious and the book turned out beautifully. I know it will enrich the life of anyone who reads it."
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April 2004
CITY ON A HILL CONTINUES "PARABLES" SERIES
Second of three to be published by HarperSanFrancisco this month.
Kenny Kemp's second installment in the "Parables of the Carpenter" series hits the shelves this month, but promises not to stay on them long.
"I'm bushed," says Kemp, sitting down to sip a drink, wearing a teal silk shirt and khaki slacks. "It's the hardest work I've ever done." He notes that in the past his books have either been accepted for publication with few changes or rejected outright. "That's how I got into self-publishing," he says. "Rejections. But the first two books I published with Harper (Dad Was a Carpenter and The Welcoming Door) were published pretty much as is, but this one," he says, shaking his head, "was some real work."
What kind of real work?
"The kind that keeps you up at night," says Kemp. "In The Welcoming Door, I chose the three most famous parables (the prodigal son, the talents, the good Samaritan) to expand upon. They are told as three separate stories and the reader has no problem following the simple, complete story in each novella. But in City on a Hill, I combine two lesser-known stories into one seamless narrative: the unjust judge and the wicked servant parables."
This draws a blank. "See?" says Kemp, "We all know them once we hear them again, but they are not as famous as the previous three. Plus, I placed Jesus in Sepphoris, the ancient capital of Galilee, where he is working on a public building, laboring with other Jewish artisans. He comes into conflict, not only with the Roman governor and his fellow workers, but with King Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great."
Is this the same Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist and cleared the way for Pilate to crucify Jesus?
"The very same," says Kemp. "So you see this is a complex story with a lot of characters, and it's real work to keep the reader not only engrossed in the unfolding story, but clear on who is who and what their goals are. And, of course, the reader has to be able to recognize the parables themselves.
"But even after all that, I'm very satisfied with the result," says Kemp, smiling. "The book delves deeper into Jeshua's psyche and his impending ministry. He's getting ready to leave his trade and share his gospel. This story gives us an idea of the kinds of experiences he might have had that prepared him for that great challenge."
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August 2003
ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THE WELCOMING DOOR IS RELEASED
The Carpenter of Galilee & The Welcoming Door is truly unique.
When award-winning author Kenny Kemp wanted to publish a 64-page, full-color coffee table book containing 22 oil paintings and over 12,000 words, publishers recoiled. "They thought it would be impossible to market," says Kemp. "It has pictures, so it must be a children's book. But it has lots of words, too, so perhaps it's an adult novella. They were confused."
"I wasn't, however," says Kemp, thumbing proudly through the book. "I had a feeling about it from the start. When I wrote the story, a retelling of the parable of the prodigal son, I saw images in my mind's eye and I wanted people to see those images."
Kemp contacted renowned religious artist J. Kirk Richards, who created almost two dozen oil paintings in a style reminiscent of Karl Bloch, the Danish master. "At first Kirk was not interested in illustrating a book," says Kemp. "He said, 'illustrations answer questions; paintings ask them.' I told him I wanted paintings and gave him free reign. The result is an astonishing collection of paintings that truly capture the Galilee of Jesus' time. They must be seen to be believed."
Kemp's take on the story is unique as well. He put Jesus himself in the parable. "I assumed he would have personally experienced many of the stories he later taught in his ministry," says Kemp. "And I liked the notion of him working in a simple job, with no disciples or notoriety -- a life much like each of us lives. And so his choices have much more resonance -- he's the Everyman Jesus. And it's fun because the reader knows who Jesus really is, but the people in the story don't. But they slowly realize there's something special about this young carpenter . . . "
Printed in Korea to keep costs down, the book retails for only $15.95, almost ten dollars less than comparable books. "Books are too expensive," says Kemp. "I wanted this to be a book that people couldn't resist. I was sure that once they saw the glorious paintings, they would be hooked. And I didn't want the price to be an impediment to buying it."
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October 2002
NEW BOOK FROM KENNY KEMP ARRIVES
Writer shifts from memoir to historical fiction.
Early reviews for The Welcoming Door are effusive:
"Destined to be a Christian classic!" -- Lynn HInton, Friendship Cake
"Good storytelling meets good theology!" -- Phil Gulley, Harmony
"An admirable job, engrossing and engaging." -- Publishers Weekly
On October 1st, HarperSanFrancisco released the new book by successful self-published author Kenny Kemp, winner of the1999 National Self-Published Book Award for his touching memoir Dad Was a Carpenter. Kemp tackles three of the most famous parables: the prodigal son, the talents, and the good Samaritan, placing a young carpenter from Nazareth named Jeshua bar Joseph in the events he will later teach as his parables.
"I"ve worked in the trades all my life," says Kemp, a building contractor as well as an attorney and filmmaker. "One day I was pondering why Jesus chose to not oly to come to earth two thousand years ago, instead of today when he would have the world's communication systems at his disposal, but to be born a child of a poor carpenter in Galilee. And then he spends most of his life working in the trade, and only about three years teaching his gospel. There must be something important to be learned from even a carpenter's life."
Shortly after re-issuing Dad Was a Carpenter, Harper signed Kenny to a three-book deal for a series of historical novels set in Palestine in the time of Christ called "The Parables of the Carpenter." In the first book, The Welcoming Door, Kemp fictionalizes three of Jesus' most famous parables with a unique twist.
"The moment I heard it, I thought it was a brilliant idea," says Kemp's editor, Gideon Weil. "Though the last thing I wanted to read was another fictionalized life of Christ. But from the first page, I was enthralled, not only with Kenny's amazing ability to capture time andplace, but with Jeshua himself. He is one of the most compelling characters I've ever read -- totally real and very complex. Kenny has really done a masterful job of bringing the parables to life in this book."
The book premiered at the Christian Booksellers' Association convention in July in Anaheim, CA. Kemp spoke at the Logos Bookstore chain annual dinner, reading passages from the book. It was well received, according to HSF sales chief Jeff Hobbs.
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July 2001
DAD WAS A CARPENTER: BUILDING ON SUCCESS
Kenny Kemp signs three-book deal with HarperCollins.
Kenny Kemp, best-selling author of Dad Was a Carpenter, has been signed to a significant three-book deal with HarperSanFrancisco, the inspirational imprint of HarperCollins, the world's largest English language publisher.
"We are very excited about this project," says Gideon Weil, Kemp's editor at HSF. "Kenny pitched it to us last spring and everyone here agreed that it was a truly inspired idea. I wish I could tell you more abgout it, but the idea is so great that we've all agreed to try to keep it under wraps for now."
However, Joe Durepos, Kemp's agent, did reveal that the book series will be an historical fiction set in Palestine. "It's an incredible concept and Kenny is the perfect guy to write it." Durepos also disclosed that the deal was in the mid-six-figure range.
Kemp says the concept came out of his pondering the Bible. "I'm interested in reducing the distance between God and man. I struggle to feel more connected to God, and my writing reflects that desire. And as a kind of 'faithful skeptic,' I've found my experience is also that of a great number of people for whom traditional religion is very confining."
Kenny's previous book, the memoir Dad Was a Carpenter, won the grand prize in the 1999 Writers Digest National Self-Published Book Awards and was soon snatched up by HarperCollins and re-released this last May to great acclaim. Kemp was invited to Book Expo in Chicago this June, and was one of the several writers feted at a party thrown by Jane Friedman, HarperCollins president. He also participated in a successful book signing at the convention.
"This deal is reflection of how we feel about Kenny," said Gideon Weil, Kemp's editor. "We've been wanting to make him a house author because he is that most rare combination: a great storyteller who touches the heart lightly but powerfully. And we are hopeful that this new project, the first volume of which is tentatively titled The Welcomng Door, will establish Kenny as a major American inspirational writer. Dad Was a Carpenter has been successful for us and we are confident he will not disappoint on his next book."
Kemp is also a contributor to Writers Digest magazine, which will feature an article by him about his self-publishing experiences in this summer's annual self-publishing issue.
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May 2001
HARPERCOLLINS RELEASES NEW EDITION OF DAD WAS AS CARPENTER
Favorte memoir goes nationwide after Mother's Day.
HarperSanFrancisco, the inspirational imprint of HarperCollins, released its own edition of Kenny Kemp's award-winning memoir Dad Was a Carpenter. Kemp won the grand prize in last year's National Self-Published Book Awards, sponsored by Writers Digest magazine.
Shortly after the magazine detailing the contest winners hit the stands, Kemp was deluged with calls by agents who wanted to represent the book. He chose former bookseller Joseph Durepos of Chicago, who has more than twenty years experience in the trade. Within a week Durepos had placed the book in the hands of Gideon Weil, associate editor at HarperSanFrancisco, and within twelve hours of receipt, Weil had made a six-figure offer for reprint rights to the book.
Immediately, Kemp and Weil got to work, preparing the HSF edition for publication. "We didn't have much to do on this book," says Weil. "It was already so well-written that we just basically spruced up the cover and made a few internal design changes."
The book now features a more chronological feel, and the "blueprints" that made the book so popular have been included at the head-end of the chapters with which they correlate. "And the best part," say Kemp, "is that they included a picture of my dad at the end of the book -- it's a wonderful shot of him as a young man, wearing his pilot headgear and smiling, full of hope and idealism. I think it captures him perfectly."
HarperSanFrancisco's head of marketing, Eric Brandt, is overseeing promotion of the book. "Since this will be a perennial with us, we will build our promotion slowly, concentrating on creating word-of-mouth buzz for the book, along with strategically-placed review copies and industry advertisements." He continues, "Our advance sales have been very good, and we expect it to sell well for us for a long, long time."
During the second week of May, HSF reports that the Spanish language rights to the book have been sold. "The first of many," says Durepos. "We believe this is going to be a best-seller."
HSF is so delighted with the book that they are taking Kemp to Book Expo in Chicago this June, one of only three authors from the imprint being invited to schmooze with industry professionals and engage in book signings. Kemp said, when asked about being intimidated, sitting next to such best sellers as Isabel Allende and Dean Koontz, "I know their lines [patrons waiting for autographs] will be longer, but if that's he case, I'll just get up and walk down the line and talk to them about my book!"
The book received a great review from bookselling bible Publishers Weekly:
"This astoundingly touching memoir is told as the author cleans out his father's garage four months after the funeral; objects such as glue, a saw, a compass and nails trigger powerful memories about Kemp's relationship with his stern but loving parent. As Kemp sorts through the tools amassed over a lifetime . . . he comes to terms with the devastating loss of a cherished man."
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June 2000
KENNY KEMP SIGNS WITH DUREPOS LITERARY AGENCY
Well-respected agent sees potential in Dad Was a Carpenter.
Kenny Kemp and literary agent Joe Durepos have signed a representation agreement allowing Durepos to represent Kemp's Dad Was a Carpenter to the book trade. Durepos, a Chicago-based literary agent, read about Kenny in the August issue of Writers Digest, which contained a feature article featuring Kemp's Dad Was a Carpenter, winner of the grand prize in the 1999 Writers Digest National Self-Published Book Awards.
Durepos will represent the book to major publishers to secure a reprint deal for Kemp. His clients include Phyllis Tickle, former Publishers Weekly religion editor and author of The Divine Hours, Peter Shockey, author and filmmaker and author of Reflections of Heaven, and Kent Nerburn, author of Simple Truths. Durepose specializes in inspirational subject matter and is enthused about the possibilities of securing national exposure for Kemp's touching memoir.
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May 2000
HATS OFF TO FEDORA!
Heartfelt film is chosen as an SLA "Children's Choice of 2000"
Author and filmmaker Kenny Kemp is a man with a vision. In this case, the vision came when he spotted a picture in People magazine. "It was a photo of a this guy sitting in a wheelchair, surrounded by family and friends -- and they all had their heads shaved. I just knew there was a story there, even before I read the article."
The story was that of Manuel Garcia, Minneapolis sanitation worker, whose cancer threatened to separate him from his family and friends even before it took his life. The unique and touching way Manuel's loved ones kept him within their loving circle stands as a reminder that no man is alone who has friends.
"We made the film on a shoestring budget," says Kemp. "And I mean a threadbare shoestring! But that didn't really hurt us, because like all good stories, you just need to get out of the way and tell it as simply as possible. And if you do, it resonates."
Suitable for ll ages, Fedora teaches the value of active compassion. "Sometimes life gives us a tragedy and all we can do is deal with it. That's hard enough, but what about our loved ones? How can they help?" asks Kemp. "I went through this when my father was dying of Lou Gehrig's Disease, and I discovered that sometimes the least -- and the most -- we can do is to be there; to share their ordeal. And that is what Manuel Garcia's family and friends did. That simple but powerful truth is the core of a wonderful story."
The American Library Association (ALA) agrees. Fedora has been feted as a "Notable Children's Video," receiving accolades in the ALA organ Booklist.l In addition, the film has been awarded the prestigious CINE "Golden Eagle" award and will represent the United States in international film festivals. It has also received the National Educational Media Network's (NEMN) "Silver Apple" award. And, to cap it all off, Encore cable liked the film so much they picked it up for broadcast on their "True Stories and Drama" cable channel.
Kemp's previous film, Wildest Dreams, the story of a young rock composer who is creatively blocked, also recently recieved a glowing review from School Library Journal, which said, "This video will be enjoyed for its music and the force of its message. Young adults are sure to identify with [the hero's] frustrations as he makes excuses for himself and finally awakens to where his real problems are."
Congratulations to Kenny Kemp for both his award-winning films!
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