SCHOOLYARD Focus Group
The Day You Said No

About the Book: Schoolyard

Schoolyard is a character-driven novel about leadership, intimacy, and the quiet ways power moves through both public and private lives.

This is not a business book.
And it’s not a traditional romance.

It’s a story about what people show in public, what they withhold to survive, and who is allowed to see them without demanding performance.

Set inside a corporate world shaped by silence, perception, and influence, Schoolyard follows Charlene as she navigates leadership, loyalty, attraction, and restraint. As professional boundaries blur with emotional connection, the story explores how work hardens masks, how private relationships expose cracks, and how intimacy can be as destabilizing as power.

This novel is interested less in outcomes and more in consequence.

Invitation to Join the Reader Focus Group

Before Schoolyard is released, we’re inviting a small group of readers to take part in a confidential reader focus group.

This is a reader experience, not an editorial process.

We’re interested in:

• What stayed with you

• Where you leaned in or pulled back

• Where emotional or relational tension surfaced

• How both professional and personal dynamics landed

Participants will receive selected chapters over several weeks and be asked to share brief reflections based on their reading experience.

Who We’re Looking For

You may be a good fit if you:

• Enjoy character-driven fiction with emotional depth

• Appreciate stories where relationships matter as much as plot

• Notice subtext, silence, and unresolved tension

• Are comfortable sharing honest reader reactions

You do not need to be a writer or editor.
You do need to read attentively and respond thoughtfully.

Important Notes

• Space is limited

• Not all applicants will be selected

• Selected participants will receive an email from a member of our marketing team with next steps

• All materials are confidential and shared only with approved readers

If you’re interested, please complete the Reader Focus Group Application.

About the Author

Kyle Kalloo is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), an accomplished executive leadership coach, senior leader, facilitator, and author with over 25 years of experience working with leaders, teams, and organizations.

He has authored several nonfiction books, including Managing Up: Instead of Waiting for Leadership to Change, Championing Authentic Inclusion, and the Teamwork Tails series.

Schoolyard marks his first novel and his first work of fiction.