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KELLY DURAN
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Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Review: The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

10 months ago
Book Reviews

Review: The Rehearsals by Annette Christie

August 3, 2021
Book Reviews

Review: The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding

July 18, 2021
Book Reviews

Review: The Tribes by Mari Howes

June 21, 2021
Book Reviews

Review: The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms

April 19, 2021
Book Reviews

Review: Are We There Yet? by Kathleen West

April 5, 2021
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Kicked off my birthday with breakfast at one of my favourite places in the company of my favourite people.

🥞❤️♌️
I love talking to aspiring authors about writing and publishing. It’s the reason I always offer a Zoom chat as part of the prize in my @womensfictionwriters Day giveaway. 

Today I had one of those soul filling chats. One where I got to share some of the wonderful nuggets of advice I’ve been given over the years, one where I hope I gave a balance of encouragement and reality.

Publishing is tough and it’s easy to feel alone. But we never are. There’s always someone who has been through the same thing. Someone who has insights to share. 

So many writers were generous with their time when I was struggling to finish my first draft and again while I was navigating the scary world of querying and I figure the least I can do is offer the same support to others.

Thanks for the fabulous chat today @sammiemac2b! I love your premise and can’t wait to read your story when it’s finished. ❤️
Spending the morning with my oldest daughter at our local coffee shop. She’s reading. I’m writing. We’re both drinking enormous lattes. 📖👩‍💻☕️

A perfect way to cap off a week that was (thank god!) infinitely better than the last one. 💕
Four years ago today I was at a work event, drinking wine and chatting with colleagues when I decided to check my email. Sitting in my inbox was my very first query rejection. 

It was on a full manuscript request via a pitch at my first writers conference and I took it hard. Because I’d thought getting the request was the hard part. That once this agent read my book it would trigger a sequence of events that would lead to me not only singing with said agent, but selling the book for a significant amount of money, hitting the NY Times bestseller list and being able to quit my job and write full time.

I had so much to learn about the business and this rejection turned out to be a blessing in (a very heartbreaking) disguise.

I didn’t tell anyone about the email. Instead I quietly excused myself, had a good cry in the bathroom and returned as though nothing was wrong. Then I spotted this sign and decided to take it as just that…a sign. 

When this picture pops up in my memories every year, it reminds me of how I felt that day. How so much is out of my control. How taking a deep breath and focusing on the good is one of the few things in my control. 

Happy 4th Anniversary to my first (but certainly not last) rejection. 🥂
It hasn’t been the best week. Many things have conspired together to make me feel stressed and overwhelmed and a little bit lost.

So today, as the rain began to fall and a pressure headache started to build behind my right eye (a favourite spot 🙄), I decided to take a break from life and rearrange my bookshelves. 

Books really are magic. Because the simple act of moving them around and shelving by genre instead of alphabetically, improved my mood in a way nothing else had been able to this week. 

Am I still stressed? Yes.

Does my head still hurt? Yes.

Do my bookshelves look amazing and fill me with joy? You bet they fucking do. 😊

I’ll take the wins wherever I can at this point. So if you need me, I’ll be sitting in my chair staring lovingly at my beautiful books, grateful to all the authors who have filled my life with their words.
Spent the past four days breathing in fresh mountain air with my favourite people and it was exactly what I needed. 🏕💕🌊☀️
Did you know that my debut novel is part of the Audible Plus catalogue? That means you don’t have to use a credit to listen to the story of Holly, Sasha, Avery and Zoe and who doesn’t love free stuff? 

It’s been over two years since CAN’T TAKE IT BACK came out and it’s still thrilling when I hear from new listeners. 

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to let my characters into their lives. 💛
This week has kicked my ass and it’s only Wednesday.

So here’s a photo from my walk yesterday where I was reminded that I live in a beautiful city and my life isn’t as rough as it sometimes feels. But also that I need to give myself the grace to feel how I feel and work through my frustrations and disappointments in whatever way works for me. 💕
The weather is finally warm enough for me to move my weekend morning routine of enjoying a book and coffee to the backyard and I am in heaven. 📖☕️🌼

Also heaven? This delightful rom com by @rlynn_solomon ☂️
Truth. 😩

(Not sure who created this but I’m seeing it everywhere and it’s so damn accurate I had to share.)
My pre-orders just keep coming and thank god they do because now, more than ever, I need the break from reality that books provide.

Thank you @katiegutierrezwriter & @authornataliejenner & @alexkiesterwriter & @alibradybooks & @hellolaurenho for letting me escape into your worlds and your words. ❤️📖
My baby graduated from elementary school this morning and I’m feeling so many emotions.

She is a strong, capable, and caring young woman but she is also still my little girl. It feels like only yesterday she still fit into my arms and I could bury my nose in her hair, inhaling that sweet baby smell. 

Then I blinked and she was in kindergarten, creating bonds with kids she is still best friends with today.

I blinked again and she was halfway through her elementary school years, working to find her confidence and her voice. 

I blinked once more and that led to today. To the moment she stood in front of her entire school, in heels and smiling broadly, saying her goodbyes to the place, and the people, who helped shaped her into the human she is today. 

I am so proud of this girl and can’t wait to see what the next phase of her life brings. ❤️

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KELLY DURAN

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