“If it weren’t for music, I would think that love is mortal.”

This prosaic musing about music might seem like words written by a romance novelist. Indeed, it’s a quote from one of Mark Helprin’s novels. However, the 66-year-old author has created far more than mere love stories and his work covers various subjects. As he has jumped across genres and breathed life into everything from periodicals and short story collections to animated fantasy narratives, his style is best described by another quote on his own website – that he “belongs to no literary school, movement, tendency, or trend” and “lights his own way”.

Such an eclectic collection of creations makes perfect sense for someone with Mark Helprin’s history and experiences. An author with his academic training, military service, decades of journalism, and involvement in politics and statesmanship likely has a great deal from which to draw and share in written form. Some of his popular works include “A Soldier of the Great War,” ”Refiner’s Fire”, and the aforementioned “Winter’s Tale” – a romantic historical fantasy. In fact, the latter of those three has been recently adapted into a Hollywood film which will be released this coming Valentine’s Day.

The movie version of “Winter’s Tale” stars a noteworthy cast including Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, and other celebrated actors.

Yet, like any writer driven by genuine passion (and an understanding that one is only as good as their latest work), Helprin isn’t resting on his current success. In fact, by spring of 2015, he’ll have ready a new literary world into which his fans can escape via his current project, “Avocado”. The novel (which will be released through the John Macrae Books imprint) is described by the publisher as being a “lyrical, romantic and madcap novel set in post-World War I that follows a married couple in search of success from Brooklyn to the California avocado groves and then to Hollywood at the twilight of the silent film era.”

There’s no way of knowing yet whether this upcoming novel will also make it to the silver screen; but as it already has a Hollywood theme to it, perhaps such is Mark’s intention and inspiration as he constructs it.

If “Avocado” were adapted to film, which A-listers might you cast for a 1920’s couple making a cross country road trip?

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