Shooting Stars

The problem with most stories about love is that they lose the truth in the romance or lose the romance in the truth. Shooting Stars some-how holds onto them both. It is a wondrous story that in some ways feels too special to be true, but in others too real to be special. It's an escape and an adventure, but the situations are so real and the emotions so true that, like even the best of life, it comes sprinkled with pain. It's been said that the greatest hurt is never having tried to climb the mountains of your dreams and dared facing the rapids taking you back down. In our world today, our fears so outweigh our dreams that it is rare to find someone willing to take the risk. This is a story about people who did.

As a young boy, Brad would sit out on his back porch at night staring at the sky, patiently waiting to witness a shooting star. When he did, it would be followed by a wish. There were so many things to wish for with his life all in front of him. Now, having just turned 50, he sees the life he was wishing for as fleeting as a shooting star. Mackenzie, an undefinable young lady known as Mack to most people, finds herself right where she is supposed to be for her stage in life; but it isn't enough for her. When Brad and Mack have a chance encounter at her store, it begins an innocent and unlikely journey down a path that neither saw coming. They both experience a new spark in their lives, unique to both but powered by their connection. The author has taken these two quirky, idiosyncratic characters from their own established, socially designed roles, but from completely different worlds, and has created a story that brings them together despite the obstacles created by the status quo. This book questions that status quo and challenges the reader to think beyond what is traditionally expected and accepted.

Did you ever wish on a shooting star? Did your wish come true? For Brad and Mackenzie a major life change is what happened. Their innocent beginnings evolve into a spiritual journey that takes them down a complicated path that leads them into uncharted territory. Pushing the boundaries of love and friendship, they challenge societal expectations with only their heart's justification. Through their own experiences, they see life and the world from two unique perspectives; his from introspect, hers from family. They are both seeking the meaning of life. Their complex relationship begins to blend into discovering their truths, for themselves and each other. When the excitement of hope is within their reach, the universe unleashes new trauma into play that changes everything and deeply question those truths.

Time is precious. This book is worth the time. Fans of The Shack and The Notebook will like this book!

Kevin S. Spivey was born and raised in a small Midwestern town an hour south of Chicago Illinois. After graduating from high school, he re-located to a number of different cities across the country before returning to his roots and settling down. He has spent most of his thirty-year professional career in human resources management before becoming an author. He calls himself an observer and student of life. As a writer it is his mission to turn those observations and lessons into interesting and entertaining stories that can inspire others to look at things from different perspectives. He seeks to challenge the reader to think at a deeper level and ask themselves harder questions to find more meaningful answers. In his role in human resources, he has conducted over a thousand interviews with prospective job applicants. Each of them with their own stories to tell and each one teaching him something. That education provides him with an infinite empirical history of experiences to provide material for thought provoking books to come.

The author of 45 books, James Riordan's career began in the music industry where as a songwriter, manager, producer and concert promoter he worked with several well known artists. In 1976 he began writing a newspaper column on popular music, Rock-Pop, which he later syndicated. Riordan soon became one of America's premier rock journalists with articles reaching millions of readers including those of Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, Circus, Musician, The Chicago Daily News, The Kansas City Star, and many others.His first book, The Platinum Rainbow (written with Bob Monaco in 1980) became the largest selling book ever written about the music business. The guide to "succeeding in the music business without selling your soul" was praised by Variety, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Las Vegas Sun, The Minneapolis Tribune, Billboard, Record World and many more. The Platinum Rainbow became an industry wide phenomenon and interviews with James Riordan were aired on over 1200 radio stations and numerous television talk shows. Next Riordan collaborated with Pulitzer Prize winner Jason Miller on a mini-series for network television (The Irish) and a movie of the week for CBS (Bless Me Father). In June 1991, William Morrow published Break On Through. Riordan was a consultant on Oliver Stone's film, The Doors, which led to his writing Stone's biography. Published by Hyperion in December 1995, Entertainment Weekly called STONE "an unflinching biography... enough spectacle to fill a month of daytime-TV talk shows." The New York Post said reading the book was like "the sensory overload of watching all of Oliver Stone's movies back to back." From 1997-2000, Riordan created and co-starred in a local TV program, Kankakee Valley Prime Time, which won six Crystal Communicators, three Tellys, and a Chicago/ Midwest Emmy Nomination for Writing. In the summer of 1999, James Riordan wrote, directed and starred in Maddance, which won Crystal Communicators for Drama, Writing, Acting and Directing. He has written several screenplays since including John Horse (Best Screenplay at the San Antonio Film Festival in 2018). In 2004, Toastmasters International named Riordan Communicator of the Year for Central Illinois, the YMCA gave him their Service to Youth Award and the United Way named him the Outstanding Volunteer of Kankakee County. Returning to writing, Riordan went to Africa to write The Bishop of Rwanda. In 2011, he won the Pledge For Life Harold Award for his work with area youth. In 2012, Lee and Shane Stanley (Gridiron Gang) optioned Maddance and Apothecary Films optioned The Kill Switch.