Kevin Albin

I used to spend my summer holidays with my grandparents. My grandmother used to make this amazing, homemade strawberry jam that she would serve on a drop scone. My granddad, who had many jobs, was an inventor, usually of things that never worked. A lovely man who smoked a pipe, and often had small holes in the front of his shirts from the hot-ember pipe burns. He used to hide pennies around their house, which I frantically searched for with him telling me whether I was getting hot or cold in finding them. A lovely way to grow up.

I don’t remember the first story, but from an early age, I was, and still am, an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes. It’s what enthused me to join the police, to be a detective, and why he is in my novel, Stonechild.

This isn’t meant as a criticism, but policing in the UK had been changed by various governmental policies, and I felt that we were no longer serving the public as we should be. I served for 25 years and had just five years left before my pension, but felt that I would sooner leave and try something else. I retrained to become a guide. It was a huge decision that I haven’t regretted.

I think in the beginning, they thought it was good, an achievement, something I has been working on for a couple of years so good to get it finished. That changed when they read it and many were really surprised with how good the book is, and they were genuinely very complimentary.

I joined the police at the age of eighteen years, and immediately found that I was a round peg in a round hole. I loved it. It’s true that it’s a very exciting job, often high Adrenaline and excitement, but it’s also helping people and keeping them safe, and I found that very rewarding. I learned a great deal about team work, leadership and coping with stress and I’ve carried those skills and experiences into everything that I do now.

I have always been sporty and active in outdoor pursuits such as mountaineering, water sports and cycling. I was having coffee one morning with my best friend, also a police officer, expressing that I was getting frustrated with work and that I might leave, and without being sure what I would do next. He casually commented that as I like the outdoors, why don’t I become a guide and look after people that way. It was a real light-bulb moment and within the week, I was signed up on my first training course.

An interesting question, Mady. I first had ‘Molly and the Agalmata’. Molly is the main character and she tackles the secret organisation, the Agalmata. I suppose I was trying to capitalise on the Harry Potter titles. As the story grew, I saw a connection forming between Molly and the statues dating back to when she was a young child and toyed with Stonechild. There have been other books with the same title, so I wasn’t completely sure. I then read about Neil Stonechild who was a Saulteaux First Nations teenager who was last seen in a police car with two officers and later found dead from hypothermia. I’m not passing any judgement, I don’t know all the facts, but what a tragic loss of young live. So, I stuck with Stonechild and dedicated the book in his memory.

When my wife fell pregnant with our son, we talked about names. We decided on Nathan if a boy, and Molly if a girl. Boy or girl, I intended to provide all the possible life-experiences that I could, and have done so with our son. Travel, outdoor activities, nature and conservation as well as learning and being curious. I love being a dad. Molly’s character in Stonechild is how I imagined our daughter might have been.

I can write pretty much anywhere, but I’m probably at my most creative at about four in the morning. So often I have woken with an idea or even been mulling over an idea all night, and then I have to get up to write it down. It has the added benefit of not disturbing anyone else in the house, and early morning is always a beautiful time of the day.

I can think of daily habits of eating correctly and taking regular exercise, but the habit of caring makes a significant impact on my life. I care about our world, the effect we have on each other, and on nature. This world is unique, as far as we know, and that is an exceptional gift that we must care for. It has become a daily habit to analyse where I am and what I am going to do that day, and to make sure it’s with those things in mind.

I felt immensely proud, not just for me, but for my profession as well. That the awards exist, thanks to the support of Wanderlust Magazine, is a great accolade for people who guide and look after others, sometimes in difficult environments. I also saw it as a confirmation that the decision I had made to have a career change, retrain and qualify, had been the right decision for me. It was a memorable ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society in London with the awards being presented by the author, Bill Bryson.

There are so many facets to mountaineering: incredible views, challenges and hardship, individual and shared experiences, excitement and peace. I have been blessed with a real richness in my life through the outdoors. If I was pushed for one most memorable experience, I would make mention of a trip on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, an amazing mountain to climb, and the local guides and porters are truly wonderful people. On this occasion, however, we had a client who fell ill on the summit with a cerebral oedema. In a combined and quick action, she was evacuated and a life was saved. I feel proud of our actions and sometimes reflect on how tragic that could have been.

My first expedition in Borneo was in 2003, working on behalf of the Royal Society on a tree planting, biodiversity project. We spent three months in the forest and planted 22,000 trees for scientific evaluation. During that time, I felt an intense connection with the forest, the wildlife and the local people. By chance, I was able to stay on for a second expedition where we mapped a little known area, and this too had a profound effect on me. Borneo is an enchanting place, sadly suffering, as with much of the world, with deforestation, animal abuse and environment loss for local people. However, there are some very dedicated people and organisations trying to make a difference. Biodiversity is hugely important for all life and Borneo has lots of it that needs to be protected.

I started on the sequel to Stonechild, which is based in America, but as with the first book, I need to be there in order to do the research and to imagine, which of the statues might come to life. Travel is a little tricky at the moment with the pandemic. So, I’ve been writing articles for magazines and online publications. I also have an idea for a book on my experiences as a guide and some of the incidents I have dealt with and how they have influenced me in life. I could do with finding an agent or publisher for that project.

I joined AllAuthor in 2020, upon publishing Stonechild, initially as a free member but very quickly upgraded to pro-member when I saw all the benefits. For the price, the facilities are amazing, especially the book mockups, which are very cleverly done. There’s also the personal touch in that it feels like a big family. Take this interview as an example. These questions aren’t some stock questions as used on some author interview sites. These have been researched and specific to me. I appreciate that level of engagement.