H.M. Holten's Blog, page 20

Book Series — and Film Remakes — Menace or Miracle?

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Lately, book series and film remakes have
haunted my mind. One of the triggers was re-reading the Earth’s Children
series. However exciting, however unusual the subject, it is devastating to see
the deterioration of style, and accuracy, going through the series. No doubt Ms
Auel’s research is pristine, but her writing becomes increasingly lazy and, in
the later volumes, there are too many pointless repetitions. After a while, it
becomes impossible to ignore the numerous paragraphs, easily recognized from
volume to volume, mostly word to word. That, together with the endless and
repetitive descriptions mars the reading experience. True, Ms Auel may not
expect her readers to have the stamina to read all the books in one go, but
there will always be those who do. The excessive repetitions show lack of
respect for her readers’ intelligence and ability to remember what they’ve
read.

Is it fair to say that many authors who
mainly write series also tend towards using one or two tested and successful
templates for their narratives? Sometimes with excellent results, sometimes
with less convincing outcomes.

Film remakes often face the same
problematic. It isn’t that simple to follow a successful rendition with excellent
performers. It’s been done, and there are some remakes that are better than
their inspiration. That situation repeats in book series.

That doesn’t change a few facts. Undoubtedly,
there is an element of hygge in recognizing characters and storylines. On the other hand, people, and
maybe especially readers — as well as film buffs — tend to get fidgety if a
plot gets too obvious. Who can blame them? Readers want to be surprised. No
matter how gorgeous a frame is, there must be something more. What do the
readers want? What is the secret longing when film-buffs recline in their
seats?

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I believe that they want food for thought.

We all love and know Poirot and Jane
Marple, but we also know that the stories use the same plot with variations.
Some are inspired, some are less so. There are numerous authors who write one
book after another . . . and their fans love them. Barbara Cartland springs to
mind. As well as Ian Fleming, Agatha Christie, and several others, often authors
in the crime genre (Ngaio Mash, DL Sayers, Georges Simenon, Maria Lang etc. the
list is endless). All are entertaining, some are excellent, but they all have
one thing in common. They have one (in a few cases more than one) main
character that decides the flavour and the narrative arch. There are stock
ingredients like Poirot’s moustache and patent-leather shoes, Miss Marple’s
pink knitting, Sherlock Holmes pipe, violin, and syringe, Agent 007’s gun and
fast cars. That reminds me that Lord Peter Wimsey also has a fast car, but he rarely shoots.

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Has it become too easy? Who can tell? It is
true that this is a period that sees more releases every day. There is no
weekend without at least three new films opening. Indie publishers have reached
over a million titles astoundingly fast. No wonder that it became necessary to
re-use old subjects. On the other hand, that isn’t a new trend. Could this
explain a rumour that keeps cropping up? Is
it true that several successful authors have writing teams to churn out their
fare, the faster the better? Maybe — maybe not — but there is a lingering
suspicion that something is rotten in the publishing world.

Whatever made me put my fingers into this
potential hornets’ nest? Perhaps it’s time to say something positive? That’s
easy. While somethings may be rotten, which is
the case in every wake of life, there’s no doubt that there’s an abundance of
talented writers who take their art seriously. These are the emissaries who
seek new ways of expression. They write with their heart and their intelligence
and become a fresh breeze in the literary world. Their ideas may spark new visions
among their peers. Thus, there’s still hope. Without a doubt, this is the
situation in the film world too. If there is a steady stream of pioneers in the
arts, we have nothing to fear.

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© HMH, 2019

Phenomenon

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Are we
then likely to reach a conclusion?

Must
we accept the most basic defeat?

Can
sweeping statements and primeval landscapes

Account
for the strangeness, the passionate nature

Protecting
and challenging glorious bliss?

Would
life become simpler in subtle tranquillity?

Can we
achieve such miraculous feats:

Claiming
insight in marvels beyond our reach?

Is
love that easy on those individuals,

Who
worship or value one person for life?

Sentiments
change when old fancies grow tired

But
must we regard this as failure or sin?

Love
is the fountain of deepest emotion

Dividing
the minds but compelling the hearts

Nobody
questions oblique fascination

When
passions and prudence traverse a blank sheet.

Strangest
of all is the blissful oblivion

That
enters the heart falling deeply in heat

Nothing
prepares us for greatness so forceful

That
all painful facts fade away in the mist.

Yet:

Irreversible
joy precedes and prevails,

Throughout
mischief or trouble, to light our days.

Thankfully
harmony enters with wisdom

Winning
the battle, that unhurried yearning

Never
concedes to renounce or surrender

Even
when stakes reach their consequent brink.

Courage
and gallantry ever abound

Where
heart and perception set forth hand in hand.

One core
will certainly always remain

Where
ardour, endurance complete our aim.

Accepting
as true this one point is compelling:

The
greatest of passions convey one real worth

Devotion
grants all to the bravest of humans

Who dare to commit to the wonder of love

From Aspects of Love

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Not long ago, Tim Taylor featured this poem on his blog. I want to thank him — and share the poem here

© HM Holten, 2014 (2019)

Great Green Slug

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Acrylic on Canvas

This is one painting that I can’t make up my mind about. Some of the elemsts work, others leave me unsatisfied. The strange part is that I don’t know where it hides. . .

© HMH, 2000 (+2019)

Ignoring the obvious

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A curious event

I shared a video clip about racism some time ago. The reactions were numerous and went from approval to the opposite, although most of those who bothered to comment were in favour of the share. What made me think — and think again, was one sanctimonious comment. The content was that those who speak about racism are the only racists.

In a way, that states one thing only. If we
bury our heads in the sand nothing bad will happen. That is something I must
write about, I think. In my opinion, the clip was touching and couldn’t offend
anybody. There I was mistaken. Did this person want a mud-slinging contest? If so,
I managed to stop it. I wrote an exceedingly polite answer, saying that people are
entitled to their opinions, but that I found the piece relevant and touching. Then I wished this person a
pleasant afternoon and evening. That answer received a couple of likes. It
seems that there are more people, who find it important to speak about problems,
than those who want to give trouble of any kind the silent treatment. I had
more than my share of that in my childhood. Maybe that’s why I find it so
inappropriate now.

How are we supposed to make changes for the
better, if we always swallow our opinions? Without debate, solutions to problems
and misunderstandings won’t materialize. Silence kills: sometimes it kills
millions. Is that acceptable? I think not. Was this an attempt at trolling?
Perhaps, but even trolls can express their thoughts on important questions.
They have a right to say what they think about anything: from fashion to
genocide. That is the basic principle for maintaining a democratic society.
Even if democracy is complex and hard to manoeuvre, it is by far the preferable
concept until we are ready for Utopia.

It isn’t easy for humans to live together.
If family quarrels abound, how can we expect that countries among countries can
find a common denominator? The sad part is: if we don’t, we must suffer the
consequences, which could be anything from revolutions, military or plutocratic
dictators, world — or local — wars, to murder and mayhem, suicide or any other
forms of killing. Who wants to live in such a world? I don’t. I admit to being
part of a privileged minority: I’m well-educated, I have a place to live, I can
buy food and drink fresh water. Many people don’t have such advantages, but it
won’t help them or change the world to ignore that there are inequalities that
must be addressed. In every civilized nation,
it goes without saying that every man, woman, and child has a right to a humane
life. So far, most of this world’s people live in appalling circumstances. As
far as I can see, this is the source
of hatred and racism. We fear those who can take away our privileges. Those who
we fear, we fight. Wouldn’t it be better to work towards a benevolent change?

I’m getting carried away. But it is important to open one’s eyes to these problems. There may not be an immediate solution to any of this, but real change must come from within. If we bury our heads in the sand and deny the problems that inevitably riddle an unjust society, we mustn’t wonder, if all hell breaks loose. Look around and accept that we humans have created a flawed community. Are there any solutions to these issues? The paradox may be that we aren’t able to live in peace. Should that stop us from doing what we can to create a better world? Personally, I think that this isn’t an option. We must do whatever it takes to improve — first ourselves — and then the world. This is a challenge that we must meet with open eyes.

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© HMH, 2019

Post-Valentine’s

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There’s
a day: it’s filled with roses.

There’s
a day of hopeful bliss.

There’s
a day for pure romances, there’s a day for broken hearts.

Will
the broken hearts be mended?

Will
the flowers wither soon?

Will a
romance grow and prosper?

Will
that bliss be crushed through life?

Are
the hopeful days soon ended?

Or can
tenderness endure?

Who
can fault a secret longing that may never find relief?

Who
can mend a weakened heartbeat?

Who
will live to find succour?

Is it
time to call the fools out?

Let
them celebrate the dream.

This I
know, each hope rekindles, when the year has turned again.

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© HMH, 2019

Sun in Splendour

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Acrylic on Canvas

© HMH, 2000

Still Catching up. New Reviews

With another eight reviews to go, there isn’t
much to say, except that I hope my thoughts on these books will whet your
appetites in reading them yourself.

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MJ
Rocissono, Beyond the Wicked Willow

A rewarding read

MJ Rocissono knows his myths and uses them
deftly in his poignant coming-of-age story. It is a delight to read a well-written
saga that weaves in and out of various historical periods in an effortless way.
The young adult characters come across believable as well as amiable — their
mythical mentors and adversaries are powerful symbols for learning to
understand the everyday world they live in. Highly Recommended.

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Nina
Romano, A risky Christmas Affair.

A well written (crime) caper.

Serena must think on her feet and take
uncalculated risks in this literary romp that takes the reader from Rome to
London and to Spain in less time that it takes to say fiddlesticks. The gallery
of characters includes Serena’s unfaithful husband, a luckless robber, and an
English MP. Naturally there are diamonds galore as well as big wads of money. Nina
Romano pulls all stops and hits bullseye
with this Christmas romp. The book is light and tempting: a perfect meringue.
Recommended for escapist reading on a dreary day. 

Serena lives in Rome. Married. Unfaithful
husband. Attempted robbery. Shooting the robber in the hand. Transporting
diamonds to London. Selling them for her husband. Scampering off to Spain.

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Roger
Bray, Blood Ribbon

Serial Killer on the loose

A thriller with a feisty heroine. That
being said, part of the thrill lies in experiencing fragments of the plot through
the serial killer’s eyes. Add to that, his foible for red ribbons and dunes as
well as his long-enduring success. His prospective victim survives and
dedicates her recovery period to find her would-be killer. Only a PI, a former
criminal investigator, goes all out to help her. He suspects that several
unexplained murders may be connected. Bray shows his psychological insight in the
way he handles his main characters. Highly recommended

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Kathryn
Gauci, The Carpet Weaver of Usak

Poignant and well-researched

Anatolia at the beginning of the Great War.
The Greek and the Turks live in peace in a double village. They work together
but there is a clear divide. Then the assassination in Sarajevo pivots their
world into the war that would kill a generation of young men and destroy the
Ottoman Empire. This is the backdrop for the Carpet Weaver of Usak, a
heart-wrenching saga, of loss and war, but also of great love. To be precise,
it’s more than that. Gauci shows a deep knowledge, both of the historical
events and the carpet weaving procedure and trade. Her narrative illustrates
how the trust between two peoples that lived in harmony was destroyed. This is
a poignant narrative that touches on humanity in its many forms. Love and hate,
the horrors of war, friendship and neighbourly help is part of the warp and weft
of this highly recommended novel.

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Katie
Mettner, Meatloaf & Mistletoe + Hotcakes & Holly

Mettner has a gentle voice

Two Christmas books. Two love affairs (that
end in happy marriages) between scarred and insecure humans. One small town, a diner with a difference, inspired by the
legendary Florence Nightingale.

Likeable and insecure, our first
protagonist must take over from her employer in the Nightingale Diner. She
doesn’t believe she can win love from her childhood friend and knight in
shining armour. He has similar doubts (not for the same reason) but takes up
the challenge. Her past, especially her mother, prevents her from thinking
clearly.

In Hotcakes & Holly two employees in
the same diner, a waitress and the cook, experience their personal brand of
heartache. She because of her horrendous childhood etc. Moreover, she’s ill and
depressed because of an untreated thyroid defect. It takes trials and
tribulations for the two to find their balance.

Both books are touching and heart-warming.
Ms Mettner writes easy-going, lilting prose that fits her theme. Two enjoyable
reads.

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Charles
Peterson Sheppard, Flint of Dreams

Dreams and Reality Intertwined in a Dizzying
Plot.

A reluctant hero.  A young man who must find his feet between
the easy choices that his background offers him (a criminal career) and the
harder, spiritual path that he’s predestined for. His counterpart is Breezy, a
voluntary fiend who works with chemically induced second sight and enjoying
gratuitous violence. Pare it down to these elements and you have the
traditional good versus evil epic. In Charles Peterson Sheppard’s hands, it
becomes much more than that. There’s nothing generic about the plot, and the
Native American scenes and dreams give a rare insight into a magnificent
people. Flint’s abilities propel him into unchartered territory, but his
self-doubt hampers him until it’s almost too late. On the other hand, his
counterpart has all the cards in his hands — and he plays them.

There is a gallery of minor characters
surrounding the hero and the villain. They’re fleshed out and believable,
especially the Chinese girl whose encounter with Breezy almost sends her over
the edge. Add a cast of agents, parents, scientists, insects, students,
drunkards, siblings, and you have a fast-paced, from time to time terrifying
and violent sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair, modern tour de force.

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SS
Bazinet, Michael’s Blood

A Vampire with a Difference

A reformed vampire, guardian angels,
friendly humans, philosophy, questions about humanity, ethical awareness, and
blood. Not human blood but the essence of an angel. These are some of the
elements that make Michael’s Blood
unusual. Arel, the protagonist vampire, lives on rats when we first meet him.
This is the only allusion to Anne Rice and a certain interview. From the rat encounter,
Bazinet takes the reader into a new experience. Here, killing rats may well be
a symbol of Arel’s fall from grace. His guardian angel follows him through every
humiliation and offers a way to redemption. For a vampire, it’s hard to go
through such a transformation, especially as it is a gift bestowed by an angel.
Why? An angels’ blood forces the vampire to confront his past. Through this
experience, painful as it is, Arel gets to know a brave new world for vampires,
one where it is possible to grow and maybe regain an element of lost humanity. It
takes struggle, an alternative struggle between angels and this strange
derivation from humankind. Clearly, the angels never lost their love for other
beings. Is this the kind of love they once displayed for the daughters of men but
refined so that it will transmute angels as well as men?

Bazinet writes with assurance and panache
in this rare treat.

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RH
Hale, Church Mouse

Horror, Horror, Harrowing, and Compelling

Is this a horror story, a vampire novel, or
something else? It is a modern myth, steeped in cynicism. The Church Mouse of the
title is a young and gifted girl, who’s given up on life. Homeless, she leaps
to the chance of becoming verger in the church of her childhood. It doesn’t
matter to her that she has seen and heard horrors there already. It may seem to
be an easy job and a hideout from a too complex world. When she crosses the
threshold, she enters a nightmare: things go from bad to worse in quick
succession. The reader gets drawn in, and it isn’t easy to disengage. Step by
step and increment by increment, the true owners of the church’s underbelly
creep up on the protagonist and RH Hale’s readers. Cleaning a church after
weddings and church coffee sounds like an easy job, but this is just a cover
for the nightly workload. Are her new employers what they seem? Are they cultured
and knowledgeable, sometimes charming bohemians, or is there more to them than
meets the eye? The question will find an answer as the reader moves through
several rings of a Dantesque hell in the maze under the church. Rona is an
outsider, but her flirtation with vampires transforms her from an isolated
youth (every man or woman is an island) to a mighty power and, finally, she may
become part of a deadly covenant. Did RH Hale choose the protagonist’s name
with this in mind? Highly recommended.

Everybody agrees that it is important to
support indie authors. Everybody agrees that
buying a book and writing a review for it, makes all the difference for the
author. Why does it then seem next to impossible to get reviews, unless one begs?

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If begging is required, here is my plea. I
believe that Snares and Delusions is well worth a read. I know that some people
must’ve read it but very few have taken a few minutes to write about it. It is
true that I’ve received some interest lately, and that has made an impact on
sales. What could, would, and or wouldn’t happen if people left a review? If you hated the book, write about it. If you
loved it, write about it. If indifferent, well, maybe you can’t be bothered,
but write about it anyway.

Authors don’t want to live in a vacuum. They love words. They would adore your words about their book. Maybe the market is swamped with books by unknown authors, but it is possible to see that as something positive. A cornucopia of books, what’s not to love about that? Rescue an author today. Write a review. Short critiques will be accepted with gratefulness, long and in-depth ones, with greed: vociferous and drooling. Make an author happy. Make my day?

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© HMH 2019

Moments

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There
are always those split seconds

When
time stands still and mysteries

Come
into being.

No-one
can deny or undo precious

Memories
or pictures that became

Stamped
to the inside of the mind.

Every
man or woman carries

This
sweet burden

Whether
they try to diminish or forget

That,
which was.

Kneeling
together on a cold floor,

A
single kiss on the neck:

Holding
on to one another

So
tight that both knows

They
never want to let go.

Lying
together, sharing

Kisses
so deep that small bits of

Soul
enters the beloved

There
to stay forever.

Such
are the laws:

Nothing
can change or lessen

The
impact or

The truth

From Aspects
of Attraction

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© HMH, 2014

Otello and Desdemona

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Pencil on Paper

© HMH, 1995

Catching up with my Reviews

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It’s been too long since I published a new batch of reviews. I suppose life caught me unaware: I thought I’d done more than I did. Now, in 2019, it could be an important New Year’s pledge to remember that posts don’t multiply on their own. It doesn’t even help to write reviews and publish them on Amazon or Goodreads: they don’t jump across to my blog of their own accord. Without further ado: here are some books I’ve enjoyed, some books I admire, and some book that grabbed my attention.

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SL Baron, Vanilla Blood

Feeding the myth: Vampires love
blood

What is it that brings people
to write about vampires? Is it the age-old blood cult that rears its head? Once
the Danes sacrificed horses’ blood in large silver vessels. Also, Hebrew
demonology has its examples: Lilith, feeding on babies’ blood. Vampires are
part of folklore since forever. The nineteenth century fostered what we
recognize as today’s vampire, beginning with The Vampyre by John Polidori and continued by Le Fanu (Camille). Dracula and Nosferatu entered
the scene and cemented the genre and inspired authors like Anne Rice. In this
case, SL Baron’s Vanilla Blood
represents the genre.

Vampires are the ultimate human
predators. They’re charismatic and ― undead. They survive from century to
century, as glamorous, intriguing characters, who feed on their prey’s blood,
discerning the taste and quality of their meal as any gourmet would do.
Contemporary vampires don’t die easily. No silver bullets, Garlic, or stakes
can harm them but falling in love might become their undoing.

Baron writes an absorbing
modern-day version of the old myth. Her narrative stirs up emotions when the
protagonist loses her brother and her lust for life. From there the plot
unfolds until its climax of revenge and reconciliation. Highly recommended.

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Barbara Monier, Pushing the River

Poignant: Barbara Monier’s
family saga poses important questions

A sprawling narrative about a
house full of ghosts. A dysfunctional family on one side: a fifteen-year-old
mother-to-be and her mother. On the
side, our protagonist finds a new lover that, to the reader, seems too good to
be true. He moves in, with his entire possessions in a paper bag, and leaves
when things get overly complex. In the wings, sons and daughters with more, or
less, successful lives. In the centre, a woman willing to be there, willing to
be everything for everybody. That gives her much heartache — and much
happiness. This sums up the plot, but what binds it all together? The central
character? The proverbial mother-creature? Is this book turning the spotlight
on motherhood? Is it questioning when it is time to let go? Or, is it
questioning the way we treat our families? Taking everybody for granted is a
recipe for disaster, but so is being unwilling to take responsibility. To me, Pushing the River raises several
important questions. It is refreshing that Monier doesn’t force the answers
down the readers’ throats.

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Daniel Kemp Why, A Complicated Love

An emotional rollercoaster

Why starts
with a sex-obsessed protagonist and develops into a tragic love story. There’s every possible element of a
mafioso set-up, but it goes further. The story has certain elements that remind me of Rigoletto (the Duke of Mantua, his
court jester, and a young innocent woman, caught in the power game belonging to
a medieval court). It’s brought forward to a contemporary period, but the
essence is similar, and the victim is female. There are some differences: two
female leads, the young woman and her mother who suffers a similar fate, except
that she’s left her innocence behind years ago. Why is well written and believable. The protagonist survives to lead
a new life of sorts, but he is damaged beyond repair. He knows this but is able
to make the best of a lousy deal. The book starts at the end: the love-object
has already died, and Kemp rolls out the narrative on this background. This
isn’t a book that lives through the writing as such. It is the heart-wrenching
plot that stays with the reader. Still, the writing brings across the
characters’ agony. Nobody exists without suffering. Not in the world, Daniel Kemp opens up for his readers.
The strong element of crime and sordid
humanity makes the love-story even more devastating. It is a surprisingly
thoughtful book. Highly recommended.

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Loraine Conn, Sentinels

Carling is destined to save the
world. A compelling read

Fantasy. A fight between order
and chaos, vaguely set in Britain around the Roman invasion. Ms Conn plays with
the idea of a secret domain, which could be Logres of the Arthurian myth. This
realm is hidden within the country, but contrary to the Arthurian legend it’s probably
located in Scotland. The sentinels, guardians of the old way of life, present
an interesting idea as well: a play with colours – representing the rainbow. Could
they represent the rainbow bridge of Norse mythology? No doubt, Ms Conn knows her
myths and has an affinity with the occult history of Britain. She shares that
with authors such as CS Lewis, AE Waite, and Charles Williams. This is no scientific
thesis though: it is a captivating story about the One True Child, the heroine
and a strong female protagonist. She lives and learns to fight and love through
her connection with an extensive gallery of individuals. Highly recommended.

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Leslie Hayes, Not Like
Other People

Not
Like Other Stories

A
collection of short stories. Weird and wonderful characters flit across the
pages There’s the lonely traveller, the troubled teenager, the overprotective
mother as well as actors, writers and, misfits: all in condensed form. Ms Hayes
uses each short-story to create a precise impression. There’s skill as well as fantasy in her writing. An
admirable achievement.

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Ben Westerham, Too Good to Die?

Crime Doesn’t Pay — Addiction Kills

Westerham efficiently describes
an eighties’ private detective at work
and leisure. Sometimes he mixes up both, sometimes he gets into trouble,
sometimes he has a lucky break. This is a bleak story about troubled people,
but Westerham lightens up the mood with his, sometimes ambiguous, wit.  Recommended.

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James Glass, Stone Cold

An Assertive Novel

A courtroom drama ― a criminal
investigation. A tortured criminal investigator forced by her circumstances to come
to terms with childhood trauma. An ambitious novel from the hands of J Glass.

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Karl Holton, The Weight of Shadows

The Past lies in Shadows.

Sophisticated Thriller that, in
my opinion, touches on elements of Dante’s Hell and the Seven Deadly Sins. A
weight of shadows is possibly what connects the large cast of characters,
especially the protagonist, Benedict, and the ‘grey eminence’, Hanson. These
two both struggle with their pasts and work to overcome former sins. Their
counterpoint is the mysterious hunter who features in the first chapter. Again,
this is my opinion: he is the Doctor, although the Doctor could be like Jupiter,
the Greek god, in his thousand manifestations.

On the surface, there are
several coinciding crimes: a jewel heist, several assassinations, and abductions
that involve international crime rings, a complex team of investigators from
the regular police to CIA, MI5, MI6, Interpol, and NCA. Everything links up,
with the crimes complementing each other like Chinese boxes. Highly recommended

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Jessie Cahalin, You Can’t Go It Alone

A sweet and thoughtful book

You Can’t Go It Alone is a wistful ― and wishful ― narrative of how humans can
help to bring out the best in one another. It advocates community spirit but
doesn’t shy away from showing how troubled we can be. The female protagonist
goes through a painful and uncertain IVF treatment, which threatens to estrange
her from her husband. Throughout the work, Cahalin illustrates how people could
come together and make the world a better place. Is this a romance with roots
in everyday life or merely an expression of hope? Wishful thinking? These are
the questions the reader must ask, but there are no easy answers.

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Doug J Cooper, Crystal Deception

Science Fiction with Emphasis
on Science?

Crystal Deception might well
build on some of the ideas in McCaffrey’s books. The idea of sentient crystals
is part of the trilogy. The author of CD has taken this idea further.
Unfortunately, he gets himself involved in technicalities at the beginning of the
book, giving in to a natural wish to explain the theory behind the idea. Initially,
that reduces the excitement. Once Cooper has set the scene, the book grabs your
attention, but some readers might give up before reaching the plot crystallizes.
The sentient crystal becomes a believable and pleasant acquaintance, maybe
because it possesses the most fleshed out character. There are sections in the
book that read like a computer game (random violence in a closed-in area), but the plot comes together towards the
end.

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I
have one final thought to share with you: if you read a book, if you enjoy it —
or maybe hate it — never hesitate to tell the author. I know, some authors only
live in their books these days, but there are plenty who live and write out of
their hearts and guts. Give them a hand up: they deserve it.

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©
HMH, 2019