A charming, peaceful and perfectly fitting way to culminate and close off this story, Ben. This was lovely. I couldn't help but jump in and listen straight away, even though I normally save it for my morning commute.
I miss Jessie, too.
I find it hard to believe we've had 37 episodes. That's a large chunk of a year that has flown by with this being a constant throughout. You've kept this up every single week, and not only that, you've done so with narration. That's no easy task, so I hope you can see the monumental achievement that this is. You've also kept us on our toes, with many twists and turns and an entirely believable set of characters. It's been an absolute joy to be a part of it and witness it unfold week by week.
I've said it many times before, but it's worth saying again. Having a writer of your caliber enjoy my work so enthusiastically means the world to me and I'm not sure I would have bothered to keep publishing week after week if it weren't for your presence and that of the other brilliant writers who have showed up each week to comment. I can't thank you enough. This is me passing the torch to you to write a proper novel, my friend and put it out there!
Congratulations, Ben! I loved reading and following these characters through their challenges. I never knew what to expect next, and the lives you colored in these chapters are people I will always remember fondly. Thank you for sharing your story and your gifts!
Aw, thank you so much, Troy. I'm so honored that the novel reached you and inspired you to see it all the way through - that's no small thing these days given the competition for our attention and the fact that reading in this format is not everyone's favorite. I so appreciate you supporting my work.
"You may think "Harmony House" is about a reality show to win a cutting-edge tiny eco-home and the clash of personalities packed into its high-tech walls, but it is much, much more. Exploring the collision of profit, social justice, and the future of humanity's footprint on the Earth, shocking twists throw contestants and showrunners alike down a dangerous rabbit hole they must band together to survive. An emotional and thought provoking thriller!"
It's been a great pleasure, Ben - each book gets better, and it was great fun to participate in the live finale.... :) Congratulations, brother, on a job well done!
Thanks so much, Troy. What a kind and generous review of HH. Your friendship and encouragement for my work mean more than you know over the past year. I'm so glad you jumped into my world last year with "The Memory of My Shadow." I'm anxiously looking forward to where your novel, "Lamb" takes us next.
Jessie’s plaque 😭 Jayden’s words 😭 Fran & Deepu! 😅 Their sweet community, everything they went through, everything they lost and learned…what a sublime digital artefact of humanity this has been, Ben. It's wild how much a part of my life this novel has become, and how when thinking back on when the gang were just arriving in the house I can remember where I was sitting when I listened, and how quickly my favourites formed. And all the hopes and dreams I had for them (before you killed them 😉). I will miss it, and treasure it, and each of them. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, dear friend. Your encouragement every week made me believe this was worth pursuing. Every writer should be lucky enough to have a reader with your kind of attention and enthusiasm. I’m so happy these characters found a place in your head and heart. 💜
I’m smiling ear to ear. Through all the mess, conflict, trauma and drama, humans still need each other and your story encapsulates so much of this spirit. “This forced, intentional community forged for all the wrong reasons had become a real community for all the right ones.” I think, if we’re lucky, many of us will experience a version of this in our lifetime. The most unsuspecting flavors simmer together, with time, patience, vulnerability and a commitment to truth, to create a most nurturing outcome. Ben, you have nurtured these characters with so much heart and skill, I almost expect them to walk right out of this screen now. You’ve created another dimension where they will forever co-exist, and that’s quite an extraordinary feat. I feel sad this is over, it’s like saying goodbye to a good friend, and I can’t thank you enough for marrying that big, beautiful brain of yours with your sensitive, empathic heart to birth this story/dimension/existence into being. 🙏
What a beautiful thing to say, Kimberly. Thank you so very much much for your kindness and for showing up to read, comment and share each week. Your love and enthusiasm for these characters brought them to life each week and kept me going. Thanks so much.
How wonderful, Ben. This ending is a fitting ending to a wild ride of ideas and fascinating characters. Instead of doing something to artificially wow us, you more quietly bring together the themes and characters especially toward this concept of home. I can see how the story grew out of the pandemic. Although an awful time, it also helped us to peel back many of the superficial layers you describe, to see the goodness in people and the deeper purpose perhaps. These characters will live on in our heads even more because we can hear your interpretation of them.
I've also seen parts of the video you posted on notes. What a fantastic celebration and experience! The discussions of writing were very interesting (and ghost writing!) and I am in awe of your planning board. Wow. I guess we all have our methods, but your vision is inspiring. (Color-coding helps, too!)
Hi Kate, thanks so much for the kind words and for seeing this novel all the way through. Your nudges of encouragement have been a wonderful boost along the way. It's funny, I hadn't really thought too much about it being a Covid novel until we had this discussion on Saturday and it all came back to me. Thank you for being here.
"This forced, intentional community forged for all the wrong reasons had become a real community for all the right ones. It was so much greater, so much more significant than anything he and Chris had ever aspired to." To me, this is the heart of it. I felt such longing when I read this -- the definition of a life well-lived would be, in my book, to set something like this in motion. You did such masterful work capturing the dark side of this brilliant vision. No such thing as a free lunch.
I'm wistful it's over, which is a good sign -- you had me in the palm of your hand all this time. Thank you for sharing your talents so generously.
Tiny copywriter note: I think Deepu is promoting "chic," not "sheik" -- but maybe I'm reading him wrong? 😊
Thanks so much, friend for your boundless support and enthusiasm for this novel. I could not have kept going with you. I think we share a similar dream/fantasy that runs through the center of this story. Oh, and good catch on the "sheik" - I'm totally shit at spelling and if it slips past the AI grammar check goalie, I'm screwed!
I'm so glad I stumbled across your stack, Ben. Harmony House has been a weekly highlight. Such a well written, cohesive, and cleverly crafted storyline, right through to the end. All of the themes strikingly contemporary, even the reality show setting, while never being anything less than original and fresh. Plus the twists and turns were excellent, all in service of telling the best story possible, not what the reader might have been wanting or expecting.
Now that our little group of friends have settled into contentment, I'm looking forward to diving into your earlier novel.
Aw Caz, thank you so so much! You turning up each week and commenting on the story kept me believing it was worth telling. I hope you'll enjoy "The Memory of My Shadow." You will recognize some themes common to "Harmony House" but it's a very different kind of story. Can't wait to hear what you think and how they compare for you. Thank you for being here.
A charming, peaceful and perfectly fitting way to culminate and close off this story, Ben. This was lovely. I couldn't help but jump in and listen straight away, even though I normally save it for my morning commute.
I miss Jessie, too.
I find it hard to believe we've had 37 episodes. That's a large chunk of a year that has flown by with this being a constant throughout. You've kept this up every single week, and not only that, you've done so with narration. That's no easy task, so I hope you can see the monumental achievement that this is. You've also kept us on our toes, with many twists and turns and an entirely believable set of characters. It's been an absolute joy to be a part of it and witness it unfold week by week.
I've said it many times before, but it's worth saying again. Having a writer of your caliber enjoy my work so enthusiastically means the world to me and I'm not sure I would have bothered to keep publishing week after week if it weren't for your presence and that of the other brilliant writers who have showed up each week to comment. I can't thank you enough. This is me passing the torch to you to write a proper novel, my friend and put it out there!
🙏
It's been my pleasure to be the reader.
I see the flickering light of that torch. I've been thinking about it a lot ever since you made that comment on my post the other week :)
I only joined in December, but that's still nearly five months of Tuesdays. WHAT am I going to read / listen to on Tuesdays now?? 😢
Haha, yeah I know, same.
Ben… you’ve got something immediately lined up, yeah? ;)
This was a great adventure. And it brought me together with some great people.
Thanks for taking the journey with me, Chip. I appreciate you.
Agree! Including Jessie, Deepu, Fran, Jayden, Riley, Cam, Scott, Chris, Eve . . . .
So many friends.
This was so much of a fun journey to go on with you! I can't wait to see what's next.
Me too!
Congratulations, Ben! I loved reading and following these characters through their challenges. I never knew what to expect next, and the lives you colored in these chapters are people I will always remember fondly. Thank you for sharing your story and your gifts!
Aw, thank you so much, Troy. I'm so honored that the novel reached you and inspired you to see it all the way through - that's no small thing these days given the competition for our attention and the fact that reading in this format is not everyone's favorite. I so appreciate you supporting my work.
"You may think "Harmony House" is about a reality show to win a cutting-edge tiny eco-home and the clash of personalities packed into its high-tech walls, but it is much, much more. Exploring the collision of profit, social justice, and the future of humanity's footprint on the Earth, shocking twists throw contestants and showrunners alike down a dangerous rabbit hole they must band together to survive. An emotional and thought provoking thriller!"
It's been a great pleasure, Ben - each book gets better, and it was great fun to participate in the live finale.... :) Congratulations, brother, on a job well done!
Thanks so much, Troy. What a kind and generous review of HH. Your friendship and encouragement for my work mean more than you know over the past year. I'm so glad you jumped into my world last year with "The Memory of My Shadow." I'm anxiously looking forward to where your novel, "Lamb" takes us next.
Jessie’s plaque 😭 Jayden’s words 😭 Fran & Deepu! 😅 Their sweet community, everything they went through, everything they lost and learned…what a sublime digital artefact of humanity this has been, Ben. It's wild how much a part of my life this novel has become, and how when thinking back on when the gang were just arriving in the house I can remember where I was sitting when I listened, and how quickly my favourites formed. And all the hopes and dreams I had for them (before you killed them 😉). I will miss it, and treasure it, and each of them. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, dear friend. Your encouragement every week made me believe this was worth pursuing. Every writer should be lucky enough to have a reader with your kind of attention and enthusiasm. I’m so happy these characters found a place in your head and heart. 💜
It has been such a pleasure. Truly, an experience I won’t forget 🙏❤️
I’m smiling ear to ear. Through all the mess, conflict, trauma and drama, humans still need each other and your story encapsulates so much of this spirit. “This forced, intentional community forged for all the wrong reasons had become a real community for all the right ones.” I think, if we’re lucky, many of us will experience a version of this in our lifetime. The most unsuspecting flavors simmer together, with time, patience, vulnerability and a commitment to truth, to create a most nurturing outcome. Ben, you have nurtured these characters with so much heart and skill, I almost expect them to walk right out of this screen now. You’ve created another dimension where they will forever co-exist, and that’s quite an extraordinary feat. I feel sad this is over, it’s like saying goodbye to a good friend, and I can’t thank you enough for marrying that big, beautiful brain of yours with your sensitive, empathic heart to birth this story/dimension/existence into being. 🙏
What a beautiful thing to say, Kimberly. Thank you so very much much for your kindness and for showing up to read, comment and share each week. Your love and enthusiasm for these characters brought them to life each week and kept me going. Thanks so much.
I'm saving it. 🎁
Okay, Ann. You do what you need to do. 😉💜🙏
How wonderful, Ben. This ending is a fitting ending to a wild ride of ideas and fascinating characters. Instead of doing something to artificially wow us, you more quietly bring together the themes and characters especially toward this concept of home. I can see how the story grew out of the pandemic. Although an awful time, it also helped us to peel back many of the superficial layers you describe, to see the goodness in people and the deeper purpose perhaps. These characters will live on in our heads even more because we can hear your interpretation of them.
I've also seen parts of the video you posted on notes. What a fantastic celebration and experience! The discussions of writing were very interesting (and ghost writing!) and I am in awe of your planning board. Wow. I guess we all have our methods, but your vision is inspiring. (Color-coding helps, too!)
Congratulations, Ben!
Hi Kate, thanks so much for the kind words and for seeing this novel all the way through. Your nudges of encouragement have been a wonderful boost along the way. It's funny, I hadn't really thought too much about it being a Covid novel until we had this discussion on Saturday and it all came back to me. Thank you for being here.
💜
Congrats Ben, I hope you have a chance to bring this to a print version as well. Best wishes.
Thanks so much, Levent!
"This forced, intentional community forged for all the wrong reasons had become a real community for all the right ones. It was so much greater, so much more significant than anything he and Chris had ever aspired to." To me, this is the heart of it. I felt such longing when I read this -- the definition of a life well-lived would be, in my book, to set something like this in motion. You did such masterful work capturing the dark side of this brilliant vision. No such thing as a free lunch.
I'm wistful it's over, which is a good sign -- you had me in the palm of your hand all this time. Thank you for sharing your talents so generously.
Tiny copywriter note: I think Deepu is promoting "chic," not "sheik" -- but maybe I'm reading him wrong? 😊
Thanks so much, friend for your boundless support and enthusiasm for this novel. I could not have kept going with you. I think we share a similar dream/fantasy that runs through the center of this story. Oh, and good catch on the "sheik" - I'm totally shit at spelling and if it slips past the AI grammar check goalie, I'm screwed!
But he could have been promoting sheiks, right? 😁
I'm so glad I stumbled across your stack, Ben. Harmony House has been a weekly highlight. Such a well written, cohesive, and cleverly crafted storyline, right through to the end. All of the themes strikingly contemporary, even the reality show setting, while never being anything less than original and fresh. Plus the twists and turns were excellent, all in service of telling the best story possible, not what the reader might have been wanting or expecting.
Now that our little group of friends have settled into contentment, I'm looking forward to diving into your earlier novel.
Thank you for your craft and imagination. 🙏
Aw Caz, thank you so so much! You turning up each week and commenting on the story kept me believing it was worth telling. I hope you'll enjoy "The Memory of My Shadow." You will recognize some themes common to "Harmony House" but it's a very different kind of story. Can't wait to hear what you think and how they compare for you. Thank you for being here.
❤️