TJ B
Dear Mary,
Please, no need to post this, as it is just a personal note of thanks.
It was two years ago, with, and under the urging of others, that I started reading Romance novels – and being a guy to boot, which I assure you was not something I had ever envisioned (O silly me). Now to preface this by forty-five years or so, this romance genre only came to my notice as I observed ladies reading them on buses, on park benches, and who knows were else. I don’t recall even my mother or grandmothers engaged in these types of books, either – would have notice that. Thus, as fast as the observations were made, and in all honesty, the genre was quickly forgotten. So, jumping forward again in time, and under said urging, I embarked into the world of reading in-depth from many authors, the world of Romance novels. What a surprise. What a learning experiences, which brings me to your books. It was the Survivor series that I had started reading of yours first – very unique, which brought me to your other series, which brought me to your individual books going back to your earlier roots, including novellas. Now I may have missed a book or two that was unavailable, however I think I’ve read near all of your work. This brings me to your writing style, your rich characters, plots, historical placements (love the Welsh aspect) and meaning – yes, meaning. From my perspective, you have been able to plumb the depths of what it means to be human – no matter the station; wealth, knowledge, poverty to abject poverty, hunger, war and trauma both physical and mental. The deps of love and hurt, and the unknown or discovery, or even rediscover of self. The depths of, to use modern psychological words, sociopathy to psychopathy – our evil and our inherent goodness juxtaposed, all wrapped up into the human constitution. You do it very well.
This has been a very interesting process and you uniquely, thoughtfully and passionately, have grasped human nature as a writer. Yes, I had watering-pot moments.
A quick shout-out to your most recent work Remembering Love, it was excellent. What stood out for me beyond possibly all your other books (albeit a hard measure), was in one way the straightforward simpleness of the story, with a deeper and profound focus on the question of truth and lies (the crux), and the pain and suffering that can ripple through so many lives under the umbrella of choices. This book seemed to hold particular insightful meaning so applicable to us all.
Lastly, and this is something that will likely go with me unto my last breath, and possibly beyond, is getting to know and having memory of probably hundreds, if not a thousand of your characters that represent all of us in humanity in so many infinite ways.
Mary, I think your gift is that you help people.
With my highest regards,
Tim
