New from author Melanie Bell is this timely coming of age story. Read an excerpt from Chasing Harmony and then download your own copy! Read about her writing routine and then follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
A refreshing YA debut from Canadian author Melanie Bell, perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Becky Albertalli, and Nina LaCour.
Melanie Bell has created a compelling coming-of-age story, featuring a bisexual protagonist, for those that can relate to the search for untapped potential. Told in alternating timelines on Prince Edward Island and Vancouver, Chasing Harmony reminds us of the exhilarating feeling that comes with hearing your heart’s song.
Piano prodigy Anna Stern is used to having all eyes on her. As she becomes a teenager, Anna struggles to find her identity without the soundtrack of sonatas and concertos. There’s also the worry that comes with the crushing expectations of her musical gift and her parents’ imploding marriage.
Anna finds refuge in her best friend, Liss, who is full of magic and escape plans. However, now their relationship is changing and Anna is starting to fall for her. Adding to the complicated status is new kid Darien, who is always vying for Anna's attention.
As the haunting spectre of burnout lurks close by, an upcoming performance with Liss will determine both of their futures. With everything building to a crescendo, what follows is an authentic life in the making.
Read an excerpt:
Liss’s violin, marbleized wood luminous as eyes. Her foot’s proximity. Liss outshining her. An inch between sole and polished body. Liss so satisfied. Hesitation. Liss’s lips touching her, Liss’s gifts untouchable. Impact before she realizes there’s been an impact. Hideous cracking sounds. Again, again, encore.
There is a sense of cold grandeur in Anna’s eyes. In the keys of every piano are salamanders, scorpions, grass snakes, rats. Anna is made of piano keys. The violin is on the floor and
the pinchy flat of her right foot is through it and touching the uncolorful speckles. The music room has windows but they’re high and hard to see through. Anna’s pulse is doubled where the veins stick out. Beethoven is a musical negative. Everyone had loved them. Past is a negative sometimes set to music. The violin is in two main pieces with a hole scrunched in the middle and assorted splinters. The violin is back in the case on the shelf. It has a name on it. Adrenalin has Anna’s veins alight. Liss now owns two halves of a violin. The splinters would be hers too but Anna has picked them up and thrown them on top of the lint and pizza box in the garbage. A piano is too big to stomp through. Love? She shudders. A splinter is lodged in Anna’s index finger just below the nail.
Where to purchase Chasing Harmony (print)
Read Furiously: https://readfuriously.com/products/chasing-harmony
Where to purchase Chasing Harmony (digital)
My writing routine is a lack of routine! I write frequently, at different times and places. But one thing that’s been a game changer for me is finding groups to write with.
People imagine that writing is a solitary activity, but have you ever been in a writers’ group? It can be deeply motivating to be around other people while writing. It gives a sense of value to my time. We get to chat, commiserate when needed, and learn from each other.
At this point, I have one group I attend more or less weekly, and another biweekly. I have other groups I work with off and on – as much as I want or need to participate. I’m also part of a monthly playwriting group. It’s a lot of fun to explore a genre that I’m less well versed in and to build my skills. I find it expands my imagination to think of how people move on stage and what kinds of situations can be acted out.
When I have a deadline, my writing routine grows more intense. I will carve out more time to prioritize my project.
I usually go through a long brainstorming or “incubating” phase before starting something. I’ll get various ideas on walks, in dreams, and in the course of everyday life. I keep notes on my phone and in notebooks. I have a notes app and a voice notes app.
If an idea comes with a lot of detail, and more keeps coming over time, I’m more likely to turn the idea into a story or a book. Some ideas keep my interest for the length of a short story, and then they feel done. Maybe I want to explore one thing about one character. When an idea stirs my emotions in complex ways, I’m more likely to stick with it for the length of a book.
I give myself the freedom to write when I’m driven to do so. I can focus on a project or move between different projects. I try to maintain a basic structure in my life with self-care and flexible routines. Knowing I’ve got the basics taken care of helps free up my creativity.
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