How B Holden Books came to be:

Barbara McElmeel Millburn Holden, I've been writing poetry since I was in my teens, over 60 years... but who's counting.  I often wrote specialty poems, gifting them to family and friends on birthdays and holidays. At some point along the way I decided to try getting a few published. That was unsuccessful, and without an agent it was unlikely my work would be reviewed. I was not discouraged however, for the joy and fulfillment I receive from writing is gratifying in itself. 

In 1996, after writing a children's story for a friend, it occurred to me to try putting it in book format and publishing it my self. I found images of clipart  that complimented the story. Designing, assembling and printing my first book was done on my home computer. It was happily received by the recipient who gushed over what a precious, thoughtful, personal gift it was for their daughter. This was the beginning and creation of  B Holden Books. I have since written a good dozen children's books that have been purchased or given as gifts. Poetry still whispers in my ear and you'll find me writing on any given day. 

Now here it is, 2024. My brother, Gary, and I discovered we have a common interest in haiku, a Japanese form of poetry. Of the several varieties, we enjoy writing in the style of 3 short lines, containing  5-7-5 syllables in their respective line. We value haiku's ability to express an observation in a profound way. Some call it a "haiku moment," referring to a heightened since of perspective    and awareness.

Over several months of exchanging and having so much fun sharing our haiku with each other, Gary and I found ourselves pretty much driven to create a book. People exclaimed there was insightful value in the haiku we wrote. "You ought to write a book!"    Well that was all the impetus I needed to get busy and do just that. Through the encouragement of my daughter, Holly, her husband, Kizito, along with my husband, Roger, B Holden Books has professionally published  its first edition,

                                Language of the Heart - in - Haiku for the 21st Century

It is with great anticipation, as you hold this book in your hands and take some quiet time for your dear self,                                     you too will experience the 'language of the heart'.