The Official Version:

As an Author and blogger:

Kelly Ilebode, was born in Skowhegan, Maine the seventh child out of ten. At the age of five, she was placed in the first of four foster homes. The day after she graduated from high school, Kelly hopped on a Grey Hound bus and headed to Boston, Massachusetts; she was seventeen at the time. Despite her turbulent childhood, Kelly was able to use her writing as an escape from the real world.

Kelly currently lives just out side of Boston, and is the mother of four children.

Kelly has been writing for as long as she can remember. In Search of Grace, her first romantic/suspense novel, published August 30, 2012 hit number five on the free download, special promotion, one month after publication. Dragan's Redemption, Book One of the Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy, published November 7, 2012; Aaron's Revenge, Book Two of the Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy published March 26, 2013; The Legacy, Book Three of the Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy published July 12, 2013; Kelly and the Angel, The Birth of the Sparrow published December 16, 2013.

Like many authors, Kelly knows the query letter process well and the sting of many, many rejections. After frustrating attempts to get her work published, she ventured on her own. Kelly has never looked back and is now considered a successful self published author.

As a public speaker:

Kelly has spoken to employees of corporations, school faculty members, students, church groups, and numerous associations. She is known for delivering humor in one breath and a serious thought the next that many times brings people from laughter to tears.

Her lecture events come with a “no more excuses” attitude and with a touch of humor, Kelly Ilebode’s lecturing style offers hope at a time when a person may have only a little to none left.

Kelly has spoken on a wide range of topics from “De--Clutttering your life - The First 5 Steps”; Organizing your way to Freedom; Why Kindness Works; Accountability, one of the keys to happiness, Being a Person of Excellence Does Not Mean You are Perfect, and the Importance of Goal Setting. These thought provoking, resonate with her audience.

Though personal stories of her childhood in foster care and her own family’s journey though a loss of a child, financial hardship, the failure of several businesses, to starting over again, she takes you from the depths of her own despair and embarrassment to her journey of overcoming emotional crisis, to realizing that she could follow her passion and make money doing it.

Notables:

Active in her community, Kelly has volunteered on church committees and worked with local feeding ministries. She has served on numerous boards, with her most fulfilling work being an advocate for children, the hungry and homeless. She currently lives in Malden Massachusetts and is the mother of four children.

Kelly' Version: