Author Kevin Crank makes readers cry. And he likes it. His novel, WHERE THE MOON SHINES BRIGHTEST, made one Fresh Fiction reviewer call it
“so emotional
and real.” That’s high praise the indie author and actor was thrilled to accept.
“Wow! It’s humbling to hear that my words evoked that kind of emotion,” he said. “I’m
glad that I was
able to put forth the right words for each character, setting, and situation that allowed
the reader to
experience the journey of the characters through the story. It lets me know that I did my
job as a writer,
and is very rewarding for me to hear.”
WHERE THE MOON SHINES BRIGHTEST captured the struggles and hard choices men
face growing up, and the repercussion of those choices. Crank drew on his own family to
get the right
feelings on the page.
“I based my story on the setting of where my dad grew up in southwest Arkansas during the
late 40’s
and early 50’s. He was born during the depression on the farm my grandfather worked,” he
said. “My
dad could have easily taken the wrong path to make money illegally, like brewing and
selling
moonshine, but because of his family’s strong Christian faith and ethic of hard work he
chose the right
path to follow. His background was the perfect impetus for me to create the characters of
the story and
the twists inside the plot to make the story so compelling and emotional.”
Moonshine, for the uninitiated, is brewed like whiskey but there’s no aging process to it.
And, according
to Crank, it’s an acquired taste.
“The first few sips will take your breath away,” he revealed. “The taste definitely has a
bite to it and for
me there is a lasting burn in my throat. It only takes a few sips to feel the effects
because of the high
alcohol content.”
Crank knows some readers may be surprised that he--a man--write romance, but he hoped they
would
be just as interested to read a male author’s perspective of a romance as they would a
female writer’s.
“I think men today are more open about their feelings and willing to share them with
women, and I also
think men can be very romantic with the right person,” he said. “As an actor, it’s my job
to create an
interesting character. Well guess what? Creating a character as an actor is almost
identical as creating
one as a writer. Each character must have a backstory, a flaw to overcome, a goal to
achieve, and a
reason to achieve it.
“It’s my philosophy that these criteria for my characters are what we as individuals face
in our lives every
day. So I knowingly create my characters with those qualities, and when I create the love
story between
two characters, all those factors lend to incredible conflict and wonderful resolution.”
Crank is currently completing a romance novella that he plans to revise soon. After that,
another full-
length book.
“I will resume writing my next novel, which is a story about human trafficking. And yes,
there will be
romance,” he said.
Kevin received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University in
Waco, Texas. He
spent eight years as an English teacher in Garland, Texas. Kevin is also a working actor
having appeared
in a number of indie film projects and television commercials for Texas Lottery and
CenturyLink. He is
married with one son.
WHERE THE MOON SHINES BRIGHTEST is based on memories of Kevin’s childhood
visits to his grandparent's farm in southwest Arkansas. The story takes place in the early
1950’s and
recounts a time and place where many families supplemented their meager wages by brewing
moonshine. A compilation of fact and fiction combined with Kevin’s love of history and
historical fiction,
are woven together throughout this Southern menagerie of life, love and lawlessness.
Website | Goodreads
Wallace Johnson longs to leave country life behind him. Vowing to find a way to pay for
and graduate
from college, he doesn't realize the price he will have to pay to get it. Not only does he
have to fight
against his dad's pre-conceived plans of following in his footsteps of living on a farm,
he also has a
crooked sheriff and a childhood nemesis to deal with, as well as family loss, all before
his eighteenth
birthday.
Leaning heavily on his brother to guide him, Wallace grows up quickly in a world where
moonshine
affects the lives of those dearest to him. Through it all, he falls in love with his high
school sweetheart.
However, after a time of separation without any word from her, they finally reunite and
Mary reveals
secrets of her past that might hinder their future together.
Wallace now has a choice to make. Will he leave the country life in which he was raised to
pursue a
career as a writer? Or will he forget all his dreams for the woman he loves?
3 comments posted.
Sounds like an interesting read....It is a surprise to see a male author writing romance and I will certainly be picking up a copy...
(Karen Dieffenbaugher 10:46am July 28, 2015)
Don't shoot me because I grew up in the North!! lol I love to read books that are considered memoirs. They touch me deeply, and this is going to be my first that's written from a man's perspective. I'm looking forward to reading it more than you realize. My Best Friend lives down South, so I'm already familiar with what life is like down there, but have no idea what it was like down there during that time. I'd like to not only compare it to life up North, but run a sort of parallel, if you follow me. Congratulations on your book, and I hope you have sales to the stratosphere!! It's on my TBR list, and is going to make my Summer reading complete!!
(Peggy Roberson 1:11pm July 28, 2015)