| Kathy Handley |
|
“Kathy Handley is a writer of fierce dedication and compassion, one who knows that the lifeblood of story is character, that fiction eddies from the artful
confluence of character and place. The result is prose of grace and empathy.” ~ Bruce Machart, author of The Wake of Forgiveness
"Say hello to a brilliant new voice in fiction. Kathryn Handley's stories truly shine. A star is born!” ~ Jamie Cat Callan, author of Bonjour, Happiness!
“In Kathryn Handley’s Birds of Paradise, broken hearts are catalysts for personal reinvention. Ms. Handley explores this theme with crystal clear prose
and a strong sense of story, but its her deep empathy for her characters that makes this novel unforgettable.” ~ Lisa Borders, author of Cloud Cuckoo
Land
“I work with troubled, often homeless teens and really appreciate the way Kathy Handley depicts the honor and individuality of people on the fringes. Her
characters are everyday people, under enormous pressures, drawn with extraordinary power. Kathy Handley depicts Southern California with a giddy mix
of warmth and wisdom. Her keen eye for detail- a blue dress, tattoo or antique car- brings this setting to vivid, irrepressible life. It’s impossible not to root
for Handley’ lost and searching souls.” ~Perri Wexler, author of Left of Unsaid
“Kathy Handley is an expert in matters of the heart, plain and simple. Her great gift is to show you the moments that matter and do it memorably. No
matter how far away the setting, you always feel that Kathy’s stories are happening in your own back yard and that her characters might just wander over
to say hello.” ~Sherri Ryan, friend
“Kathryn Handley paints a rich story about relationships lost and found and the search for self that affects us all. Rendered in fine detail, Birds of Paradise
is a novel of redemption and belonging that won’t easily be forgotten.” ~Nancy Antonietti, Grub Member, author of forthcoming novel, Peace Knocking
"Heart-warming and rich in detail, Kathy Handley’s Birds of Paradise takes us on a journey into the lives of people for whom we genuinely care."
~Virginia Young, author of Out of the Blue and The Birthday Gift
“With their insides bleeding out bad memories, the runaways in Birds of Paradise are not only fleeing their pasts but also seeking their elusive threads of
future happiness. Their griefs will break your heart, and their triumphs will restore it." ~Kevin Donahue, poet
“Kathryn Hope Handley’s Birds of Paradise is a story that centers on The Squat - the makeshift community home where a group of young runaways
huddles under the trusted guidance of father figure Onge, in the loft of the LA garage of a ’30s movie queen who is as elegant with faded glamour as the
1939 Mercedes Cabriolet gathering dust beneath The Squat.
“The cast of the story ranges from young to old; rich to penniless aristocracy; middleclass to poor; male and female. Yet such is Ms Handley’s powers of
imagination, that always we see the world - whether it be the too-fast-moving lightshow that is LA, or the holograms of America that are the towns the
characters hale from - through believable, individual souls. And individual senses, too, via the author’s beautiful naturalistic language.
“Ms Handley has been a judge for National League of American Pen Women, Soul Making Contest - a contest of excellence in prose poetry. And well she
is suited to the task, as this her own first novel often waxes prose-poetic in the telling. Too, it is American in the sense that, while unmistakably Art, Birds
doesn’t get bogged down in self-conscious 'literariness': Ms Handley’s ability to tell a plain story keeps us turning the pages. In Birds, things happen.”
~Woodrow S Charles Willow, Boston writer, artist
confluence of character and place. The result is prose of grace and empathy.” ~ Bruce Machart, author of The Wake of Forgiveness
"Say hello to a brilliant new voice in fiction. Kathryn Handley's stories truly shine. A star is born!” ~ Jamie Cat Callan, author of Bonjour, Happiness!
“In Kathryn Handley’s Birds of Paradise, broken hearts are catalysts for personal reinvention. Ms. Handley explores this theme with crystal clear prose
and a strong sense of story, but its her deep empathy for her characters that makes this novel unforgettable.” ~ Lisa Borders, author of Cloud Cuckoo
Land
“I work with troubled, often homeless teens and really appreciate the way Kathy Handley depicts the honor and individuality of people on the fringes. Her
characters are everyday people, under enormous pressures, drawn with extraordinary power. Kathy Handley depicts Southern California with a giddy mix
of warmth and wisdom. Her keen eye for detail- a blue dress, tattoo or antique car- brings this setting to vivid, irrepressible life. It’s impossible not to root
for Handley’ lost and searching souls.” ~Perri Wexler, author of Left of Unsaid
“Kathy Handley is an expert in matters of the heart, plain and simple. Her great gift is to show you the moments that matter and do it memorably. No
matter how far away the setting, you always feel that Kathy’s stories are happening in your own back yard and that her characters might just wander over
to say hello.” ~Sherri Ryan, friend
“Kathryn Handley paints a rich story about relationships lost and found and the search for self that affects us all. Rendered in fine detail, Birds of Paradise
is a novel of redemption and belonging that won’t easily be forgotten.” ~Nancy Antonietti, Grub Member, author of forthcoming novel, Peace Knocking
"Heart-warming and rich in detail, Kathy Handley’s Birds of Paradise takes us on a journey into the lives of people for whom we genuinely care."
~Virginia Young, author of Out of the Blue and The Birthday Gift
“With their insides bleeding out bad memories, the runaways in Birds of Paradise are not only fleeing their pasts but also seeking their elusive threads of
future happiness. Their griefs will break your heart, and their triumphs will restore it." ~Kevin Donahue, poet
“Kathryn Hope Handley’s Birds of Paradise is a story that centers on The Squat - the makeshift community home where a group of young runaways
huddles under the trusted guidance of father figure Onge, in the loft of the LA garage of a ’30s movie queen who is as elegant with faded glamour as the
1939 Mercedes Cabriolet gathering dust beneath The Squat.
“The cast of the story ranges from young to old; rich to penniless aristocracy; middleclass to poor; male and female. Yet such is Ms Handley’s powers of
imagination, that always we see the world - whether it be the too-fast-moving lightshow that is LA, or the holograms of America that are the towns the
characters hale from - through believable, individual souls. And individual senses, too, via the author’s beautiful naturalistic language.
“Ms Handley has been a judge for National League of American Pen Women, Soul Making Contest - a contest of excellence in prose poetry. And well she
is suited to the task, as this her own first novel often waxes prose-poetic in the telling. Too, it is American in the sense that, while unmistakably Art, Birds
doesn’t get bogged down in self-conscious 'literariness': Ms Handley’s ability to tell a plain story keeps us turning the pages. In Birds, things happen.”
~Woodrow S Charles Willow, Boston writer, artist
| Kathy Handley is available for book club talks and for discussions via Skype. Please contact her directly to take advantage of the opportunity to talk with this acclaimed writer and observer of life. |