Kevin is a native of Oakland, California, now residing in
Riverside County, in Southern California. A skilled speaker with a passion for
assisting others in achieving their goals, he thrives on simplicity and logic.
A graduate of Castlemont High School, he retired from the U.S. Air Force after
over 20 years of service in locations around the world, including Belize, South
Korea, and Japan. He had stints as a military training instructor (commonly
known as a “drill instructor”), and over a decade as a recruiter at the high
school, college, and post-graduate levels, respectively.
Kevin has earned an Associate’s degree from the Community
College of the Air Force, a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern
University, and a Master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University. He is also
certified in Marketing, Professional Selling Skills, and Sales Coaching. With
the release of his debut book, “Don’t
Gamble on Life Improvement… Until You Shift the Odds!” in 2018, he became a
published author.
He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, an avid
sports fan, and enjoys cooking, writing, meeting people, listening to music,
watching movies, mentoring, traveling, and spending time with family and
friends.
How can
readers get in contact with you?
Readers can keep in touch on my website:
(www.kevineeastman.com), or on social media: Facebook
(www.facebook.com/authorkevineeastman), Twitter and Instagram: (@eastke1). I
enjoy interacting with readers and supporters, and appreciate hearing from
them.
What
would you like readers to take away from your book?
There are many valuable lessons in my book that I’ve learned
over the course of my life. I would like for each reader to use one of those
lessons to help themselves, or someone they know to make positive adjustments
to their life. If what I’ve written can do it, then, my book has done the job I
intended it to do.
What did
you learn while writing this book?
Writing my book was rather therapeutic, to be frank, because I
had the opportunity to relive some of the life lessons I’ve been taught. I
learned more about myself while I was writing the book, because those lessons
kept resurfacing, and forcing me to examine my current behavior, as well as
behavior of the past.
What did
you hope to accomplish with this book?
The bottom line is making a positive impact on the reader’s
life. Society as a whole, needs a behavioral upgrade, and most people say they
want to fix the problem, but many don’t know where to start. In my book, I’ve
employed basic knowledge, to simplify some of life’s most challenging
obstacles, in hopes of inspiring just one person at a time to make necessary
individual adjustments. This way, society reaps the collective rewards.
Which
character did you have the most fun writing about?
My book is non-fiction, so there aren’t any “characters,” per
se, though many of the scenarios I discuss in the book should resonate with readers.
They depict common character traits exhibited by people whom most have
experienced at some point during their life.
What do
you believe makes your stories stand out?
One aspect I was adamant about including in the way I wrote
the book, was a high degree of realism. I wanted the reader to be able to put
themselves in the scenario I discuss, so it drives home the importance of the
lesson, more effectively. If it’s real in the readers head, the better the
chance is of them remembering the message.
What do
you do when your book isn’t selling?
When my book isn’t selling, I tend to reach out to other
authors. I want to find out if I’m overlooking any avenues that may spur sales.
Of course, there is no “magic formula” that will guarantee sales. The name of
the game is getting your book known by as many people as possible. I learned a
long time ago that you can’t force a person to spend their money on your book,
but you can make sure they understand how your book would benefit them if they did spend their money on it.
Beside
yourself, what male author would you recommend SORMAG readers check out.
I was a reader well before I became an author. In my adult
life I’ve been drawn to Walter Mosely’s work with the Easy Rawlins series. I
started with “Devil in a Blue Dress.” When it was made into a movie, it made me
want to read more of them.
Another author that I enjoy reading is Darrius Jerome
Gourdine, who happens to be a member of my fraternity. His books “The Assignment” and “The Assignment 2” have gotten wonderful
feedback. If you like suspense, you should enjoy them.
Who was
the first author you ever met?
At a book event, I had the opportunity to talk with Author
C.A. Henderson. He described his book, “Victor
Valley to West Point: Keep Your Eye on the Prize” and hearing his story was
extremely inspiring. It was the quintessential “coming into his own being” story, which is similar to how I wrote
my book. Talking with him confirmed my belief that the things we go through
make us who we are. When we learn the intended lessons by what we go through, the
results are wonderful to share with others, if they’re willing to listen.
How can
we get more young men interested in writing and reading books?
I think reading has to be emphasized in growing up. My parents
made me read quite a bit. I played like most kids of course, but education was
stressed. This along with my natural curiosity helped fuel my thirst. So, I
read. Writing is a different story. In order for someone to write, they have to
want to share their thoughts. That can be frightening. With that said, I’m
reminded of something I was taught by one of the many mentors I’ve had in my
life: “Do the thing that scares you, because it will lead to growth.” For young
men interested in writing, I would encourage them to do it. Someone on the
planet is looking for the message your story brings, and only you can write it
the way you do.
What’s
the most interesting change in your life as a result of being a published
author?
For me, it’s been meeting other authors and talking about our
respective journeys. What I’ve found is, in many cases, the only person who
understands the trials and challenges an author faces is another author. Just
hearing their stories of ups and downs has been great. I don’t feel alone. The
messages have been basically the same: “I
understand what you’re going through.”
What has
surprised you most about being a published author?
I think the outpouring of support has been the most
surprising. I had low expectations when I published my book, as my book is
self-published, and I had no idea how people would receive it. However, once I
start receiving feedback from readers thanking me for what I wrote, it felt
fantastic! I felt validated, because something I wrote helped someone else
adjust their life for the better.
What
about writing do you wish non-writers would understand?
Writing is a passion, and most writers don’t write for money,
though money is a nice by-product. Writing isn’t the easiest thing to do, if
there is no support system. It can be a lonely existence, but getting positive
feedback from readers makes it worthwhile.
Can you
give us one do and one don't for those aspiring to be an author?
A “do” I would recommend is if you have a story in your mind…
write it! There is a market for absolutely everything, and with the number of
people in the world, chances are someone is looking for your story. You just
have to write it and get it to them.
There are two “don’ts” I want to share. One “don’t” is give
up. It sounds like a cliché, but persistence is a key to being an author. The
other “don’t” is expecting to write a best seller. Your goal is to write the
best book you can possibly write. You can’t control sales. You only control the
content contained in your book, and the marketing strategy efforts to get it in
front of potential readers. If your book is good, people will buy it, and the
rewards will follow.
When
you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy cooking (particularly barbecue), listening to music,
meeting and talking to people, and spending time with my friends and family. I
am active with my fraternity, in community development projects, and overall,
helping other people become better, just as I was helped to become better.
Oprah
always asks, what do you know for sure?
One thing I know for sure is there will always be a demand for
knowledge, and knowledge comes from books. The key is making your book stand
out in a crowd. I know being an author can be trying, at times. There will be
periods of self-doubt as to whether your writing is “good enough.” It’s part of
the process. However, to use a line from my book, “You never know where, or from whom inspiration will come from.” If
your writing is able to positively affect even one person, you’ve done your
job, because change occurs, one person at a time.
Any last
words for our readers?
Interaction is the key to spreading, and gaining knowledge.
Whenever I’m speaking to groups, one of my favorite sayings goes like this: “Look at the people in this room. Every
person in here room has taken their own unique journey to get them where they
are, right now. But, any person in this room may be holding the information you
need to get you on the path to where you want to be. Your job is to find that
person. You’re never going to find them if you’re interacting with as many
people as you can!” I enjoy interacting with readers and supporters. If you
have something to discuss with me, shoot me a message. I have been gifted with
the ability to talk to anybody, about
anything, at any time.
Don't be thrown off by the book's title! It has nothing to do
with gambling, but it has everything to do with self-development and
improvement. However, it has been disguised as a semi-memoir – real scenarios
that have happened to real people. It was written to help unravel the mysteries
surrounding some of life's most challenging obstacles, and takes you on a
personal journey through self-reflection, discovery, and eventual victory over
doubt and despair.
Everyone encounters obstacles, but the truth about HOW and WHY
they stifle some people more than others, may be surprising. You'll learn how
simple the formula for overcoming them really is. The book is fun and
engaging... but 100% REAL! Experience, humor, anger, vulnerability, depression,
and ultimately, inspiration and triumph are included to show that adversity can
be defeated when you have the right tools!
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