A Love to Last, Slee's debut novel, is published by Europe Books and is available through amazon.ca

Hub Staff

Author and secondary school teacher Kendra Slee settled in Southampton 2019 and currently lives there with her husband and their son. Originally from Brampton, she is currently on maternity leave but expects to return to her teaching position at Kincardine District Senior School in September of this year.

Slee has always loved romantic stories and remember always having a passion for writing. "Writing a romance novel came naturally to me," said Slee in a recent interview with Saugeen Shores Hub. She said the idea for her new book, 'A Love to Last' came one day while she was working maintenance at a golf course.

"We weren’t allowed to listen to music while we worked, so throughout the long days I had a lot of time to let my mind wander and develop the story," Slee said.

Published by Europe Books, 'A Love to Last' is a love story between two people, Madison and Jake, with complicated pasts who are trying to find happiness. While doing so they fall in love with one another. The weaves tales of love, built and heartbreak, but ultimately is a light hearted read.

"While I invented much of the story, I also pulled inspiration from my life or the lives of people I know with each edit," said Slee. "An event may have sparked an idea in my mind that I twisted, turned, and played around with to make it fit the story of Madison and Jake," she said.

The story is set in Meaford, Ontario with much of the story taking place at a golf course. "While I do have experience in golf course maintenance, I was never at Madison’s level," explained Slee, having developed the placed the female character in a male dominated field. "I had never read a book where the female protagonist worked maintenance at a golf course, and I really liked the idea of portraying women in a different and challenging field," she said.

Slee spent nine years working at a golf course in Brampton and two years at one in Thornbury before settling in Southampton.

All told, from creating the first draft through multiple edits to finally having her book published, took 11 years and the result has been surreal and an unbelievable journey. Slee has had a satirical short story published in Althouse Literary Magazine, a poem published for Canadian Stories Magazine and is a past contributor to the Meaford Independent.

Without giving away too many details, Slee said she has begun writing her second book but with a little one at home she is struggling to find the time.

A Love to Last is available through amazon.ca.