Colvin Hall lives in LA and writes the famous Brock Gannett romance novel series—the problem is, no one knows that because he writes under the pen name Mary Balentine. What started out as an intriguing idea by his publisher has become rife with issues he didn’t foresee. He has to hide his wealth and success from his friends and family, and every new relationship starts out as a lie when he has to answer the “what do you do for work?” question. This causes him to spend a lot of time alone in his small, two-bedroom apartment in the Holtman Arms apartment building, where he writes and interacts with his neighbors. When he has a piece under his own name about a former pop star published in a famous music magazine, he finally gets a taste of the success and recognition he’s always wanted—and realizes it may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Is it too late though, as the inevitable reveal that he’s Mary Balentine is coming, and he won’t be able to get that toothpaste back in the tube once it’s out.

The second book in The Author Cycle after A Girl and a Gun, Holtman Arms is a further exploration of fame and success in the 21st century, as Colvin has all of the latter with none of the former; but also looks at how our job defines us, especially in the eyes of others, like when we answer that question “what do you do for work?”