www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, October 24, 2012 · 24 C.K. Kelly Martin publishes new novel, Yesterday By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's Carolyn Martin (who goes by C.K. Kelly Martin) remembers her teenage years in the 1980s fondly. So when the hero of her new novel finds herself back in time with lost memories of the future, she ends up in many of the same places Martin has been to in that same time. "I was 16 in 1985. It was a trip down memory lane, with the clothes, new wave music and stuff," Martin said. However, unlike Martin's days growing up, the 16-year-old character Freya Kallas learns hidden truths about the world, has visions of the place and time she's truly from and has evil forces working against her. Yesterday is Martin's fifth traditionally published novel, printed by Random House, which was released last month. Earlier this year, Martin also self-published a novel titled Come See About Me. Yesterday is a young-adult novel set in two timelines. One is in 2063, a world that is falling apart where people live under the high threat of eco-terrorism. Virtual reality is also common. "The world has gone to hell. Environmentally, it's a disaster and the government is pretty fascist and there's this virus that's broken out," Martin said. Though the future world in the novel is created by Martin, it's not too far off the real world today. "This was such an interesting world of 2063," she said. "There are robots, and virtual reality has become huge. But it's amazing how much actually we're already living in another world now, I find, with things such as the Internet, and relationships with people that we don't really know in real life. We're living so much of our lives online, compared to 1985." So Martin builds on the theme of virtual living in the novel, with people losing their abilities to interact with others in the real world. The character Freya finds herself in 1985 with no recollection of the future; however, she feels out of place in the world Artscene riziero vertolli / oakville beaver / @halton_photog a place of work: C.K. Kelly Martin is pictured in her home. The full-time author has just released her new novel, Yesterday, which is available at major bookstores. and has a foggy memory. Walking by the Royal Ontario Museum in downtown Toronto, Freya spots a boy she's sure she knows, Garren Lowe. "When they meet again, she doesn't really know him but she's drawn to him," she said. The pair later works together and begins to unravel the truths of their shared pasts in the future and realize the world may be coming to an end. However, as these recollections return to them, there are evil forces at work trying to stop them. Oakville makes an appearance in the novel as the two characters make their way through town. Martin is hoping to release a sequel to this novel and has already begun writing it. "I'm wrapped up in the story and I want to see it through at this point," she said. Originally from Brampton, Martin lived in Ireland for a while where she met her husband. Now the pair has lived in Oakville for the past 12 years and Martin quit her work to become a full-time writer around the time her first novel, I know It's Over, was released in 2008. All five of her traditionally published novels were for young adult readers. Just this year, Martin's previous novel, My Beating Teenage Heart, was nominated for the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award and British Columbia Teen Readers' Choice Award. But Martin has written nearly a dozen novels in the last few years, which she's still hoping to publish. The self-published novel, Come See About Me, is geared towards a slightly older audience than her usual young adult novels, being classified as new adult, and Martin is currently working on a pre-teen book, for children aged 10-13. Like with any art form, she admits, writing is not a career that will likely pay all the bills. Despite this, she cannot stop herself from returning to her writer's desk. "I feel like it's an inner drive to tell these stories. I've had it for a long time. When I was seven, I was writing stories for myself. I've been doing it since then," she said. The novel is available at major bookstores and at major online retailers. For more information, visit www.ckkellymartin.com. Small works show at Kerr Village gallery God's greatest hits coming to the stage Kerr Village Art Gallery is hosting a Small Works & Sale Show that opens on Saturday, (Oct. 27) with an opening ceremony that runs 3-6 p.m. The show features small original paintings and quality prints along with small sculptures and handmade jewelry. The artists in the show are Maria Bell, Dania Piotti, Mariann, Diana Kirova, Jorge Luis Ballart, Franco Anselmi, Maria Teresa Febres, Sarah Filion, Vitali Zelinski, Maya Foltyn, Agnieszka Foltyn, Lawrence Halycz and Luigia Zilli. The exhibit runs until Dec. 29. The gallery is located at 374 Kerr St. It is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit www.kerrvillagegallery. com. to help grieving children and families The choirs of Walton Memorial and Glen Abbey United churches will sing sacred and gospel music favourites at a fundraising concert for Oakville's Lighthouse Program for Grieving Children. The God's Greatest Hits concert will be at Glen Abbey United Church on Sunday (Oct. 28). It starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be accepted for the Lighthouse Program, which provides peer support for grieving children, youths and their families. For more information, visit www. grievingchildrenlighthouse.org.