And so ends May Hemlock. Was it too violent? Too long? Too silly? Not silly enough?

I've pretty much given up trying to get this one off the ground. Years ago, one prominent Australian publishing house returned the manuscript to me, its editor stating "I wouldn't touch this with a barge-pole... there is nothing funny about a little girl chopping people with an axe," and so on. Maybe she was right. I don't want any lawsuits for freaking kids out, or turning them into psychos. Best to leave the violence to their movies and video games, and keep it out of their books. Of course, this is a big part of why a lot of boys don't actually read much these days, but that's a whole other argument.

You'll notice I did leave the story open for a sequel. I can't remember why. At the time I was enjoying the characters so much, I thought their adventures could go on and on. Now years later, I realise May's story is pretty much told. She's just a girl who was very pissed off, and had the nerve and the axe to do something about it.

 

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