Kate’s 2¢: “Haven” by Sherry Gomes

“Haven” by Sherry Gomes

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Sherry Gomes held a book launch in February, 2023 with the Behind Our Eyes.Org, an organization of writers with disabilities. When her book became available in the National Library System’s accessible books, I down-loaded it.

   I enjoyed having a blind character portrayed accurately. All the other characters were also well developed and believable.  Although, Michael might be one in a million.

   Thank you Sherry for sharing your dream come true.

From: www.sherrygomes.com

I’ve always written, almost as far back as I can remember. But I was probably in my twenties or thirties, when I finally knew the types of stories I wanted to tell. Until then, I’d journaled, written articles, poetry, and little short stories about things I’d done, sounds I’d hear, places I’d been.

I’ve grown to hate the kind of books I call how-I-live-life-as-a-blind person. I read plenty of them growing up and as a young woman, particularly those relating to guide dogs. But 35 years ago, I read a book in which a blind woman proclaimed that she always cooks anything in her oven at 350, because she can’t adjust the oven dial. And she said that if she makes a PB&J sandwich, she gets peanut butter all over her kitchen. I nearly threw up. I was horrified that sighted people would read such nonsense and think that blind people can’t take care of themselves or can’t cook without making a total mess. I’m a good cook and baker. My oven dial is marked with raised dots, something friends and family have helped with over the years. I don’t care for PBJ sandwiches, but unless I’m making bread, I don’t tend to get ingredients all over my kitchen, and I know how to clean up after myself! And the sighted people I’ve known who make bread from scratch without a bread machine always make messes too. So, I stopped reading such books and looked around for fiction. And there wasn’t anything to speak of.

We know that even though the ADA, Americans With Disabilities Act, is over 30 years old now, still many people think of us as lesser. Among blind people, over 70 percent are unemployed, due to things like lack of training, tools and primarily due to the attitudes of employers. Blindness is one of the most feared things, next to cancer in the dread people have. People don’t realize that with the right tools and training, we can do damn near any job at all. Well, except fly a plane.

I realized, as I looked around at representations of disability in the mainstream media, that we are rarely shown as normal people doing normal things. We’re shown as inspirational, superhuman, helpless and so many other negative connotations. Often we’re shown as only being able to survive when some miracle happens and we regain our sight. I began to wonder what we could do if we used fiction, books, movies or TV to show that disability is normal, that we are just people doing the normal things people do. We live. We go to school and work. We fall in love. We have friends. We love movies. In short, we do or want to do the everyday sort of things all people do. We are just like our neighbors, coworkers, fellow students, politicians, media and anyone else.

My books will always have blind characters as main characters, doing the things people do. The books won’t be about how they live as blind people. In Haven, you’ll know Elizabeth is blind because she reads braille, uses a screen reader, has a guide dog and many other details. I’ve tried to work such details in without making a big deal of them, showing them as normal. The story isn’t about her blindness, other than in dealing with what has happened to her. The story is a romance. It’s about falling in love, healing from grief, and fighting for your rights. Blindness isn’t even secondary. Other than the custody issue, blindness isn’t important at all. And that’s how I’ll always write my stories!

Author of Haven, book 1 in the Haven Valley Series, available from amazon and audible.

Haven – Kindle edition by Gomes, Sherry. Contemporary Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Haven by Sherry Gomes | Audiobook | Audible.com

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Haven DBC00693

Gomes, Sherry Reading time: 16 hours, 32 minutes.

Laverne Rios A production of Colorado Talking Book Library.

Disability

Family

Romance

Elizabeth Bennett is seeking healing after her emotionally abusive, unscrupulous ex-husband used his family’s political influence to gain sole custody of their daughter–on the basis that Elizabeth is blind. Michael Kelly’s grief for his wife is fresh as when he lost her three years ago, but he focuses on his love for the son he is now raising alone. A good man, a good father, and a good pastor to the community, he deeply longs for companionship and love. These two people, nearly broken by disaster, meet on a snowy night that will change their lives. Adult.

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month, Day 30

Adapted Senryū30

April 30, 2023

April is now done,

I don’t have to write a poem

Hail! Prose! Here I come.Behind Our Eyes.Org, a group for and by writers with a disability

Btw: I have enjoyed reading all your iterations of poetry. You are an awesome group of talented people.

Sincerely, Kate Chamberlin

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month, Day 29

 Adapted Senryū29

April 29, 2023

ChatGPT Bot,

Save me from more poetry

And pour the Sherry.

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month, Day 28

Adapted Senryū28

April 28, 2023

Cucumber in brine

Tart, tangy taste of salt and dill

Speers, chopped and whole.

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month Day 27

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April 27, 2023

Fresh broccoli stalks

Dark greenheart healthy veggies

Smothered in cheese sauce.

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month 26

Adapted Senryū 26

April 26

Carpet on the stairs

Retired dog does not slip

Going up to bed.

Cornucopia: National Poety Month

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April 25, 2023

The weather changes

From snow, to rain, to sunshine

The season of mud.

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month

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April 24, 2023

My dance with cancer

Surgery, radiation

I’m cancer neutral.

cORNUCOPIA: nATIONAL pOETRY mONTH dAY23

Adapted Senryū(23)

April 23, 2023

Shingles are no fun!

Viral infection of nerves

Pain and discomfort.

-- 
Kate Chamberlin
kathryngc1@verizon.net
www.katechamberlin.com
"Dream it! Write it! Read it!"

Cornucopia: National Poetry Month 22

Adapted Senryū 22

April 22, 2023

Glacier carved Drumlin.

wild flowers grow only here:

do not dig them up.

--