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Talking statues, magic threads, and a house full of secrets were enough to keep Hollo occupied these last years. Now the time has come to explore the ordinary world beyond her front door.
On one such venture, things take a turn for the unexpected. Not only are the city streets perilous, and people don’t behave at all how she expected them to, her secret house is losing its light.
But as long as she keeps her magic under control, a hooded cloak should be enough to blend in. It has to be. Because the Hunter and his clockwork men are coming for her, and soon she will have nowhere left to hide.
. . .
For the last four years the editorial first edition copy of Hollo has been available as a free ebook, and an at-cost paperback.
The goal was to find readers, editors, agents, contemporaries. I thought of the book as a business card. Or more accurately, a blinking light from my raft on the open ocean.
It felt risky to let people read me at that stage. I’ve heard how writers who ‘publish too soon’ can damage their careers. However, I had no career, no real connections in publishing, and this was during a time of radical change in the publishing industry. So I took a shot, put myself forward unapologetically and without shuffling modesty about it not being perfect, and the feedback was surprisingly good.
I’m a much better writer now.
So, with pride, I’m publishing the second edition of the novel. This will be my first writing offered for purchase.
My dream is to be a writer, and to be able to feed my family without dividing my time between working full time, writing full time, and being a person in the hours left over.
Maybe Hollo will be the start.
Devon Michael, February 2021 – British Columbia