Spring Into Action

Photo by Kevin Tomasello c. April, 2010

The photograph on the right was taken at Cornell Plantations by my husband several years ago when spring had actually started to bloom in April. I just can't face another picture of snow, especially when it's eternally white or slate-colored outside my window. It is officially spring now, Mother Nature. Get on schedule, lady! I know March is pushing it in this part of the country, but we're all quite tired of winter; so, if you wouldn't mind, please may we have some green? That would be nice.

All this gray gloom makes for dark story lines. It was the dead of winter when I wrote the opening line of my just-released novel WHERE THE HEART LANDS beginning with Lucy's proclamation:

"I wasn't sure why I thought I should get a cat, just that a kitten might outlive me."

Dark, but hopeful, too, right? I'll let you decide when you read the book. No spoilers here, folks. Don't be surprised if the next novel starts out a little moody due to the influence of this long, cold winter. My friend, Mari, keeps torturing me with photos of the splashing, sparkling waves and warm radiant beaches of southern California, where she lives. She always seemed like such a nice person, but this definitely shows her evil side. We get a little cranky here in the northeast by March, beware.

Spring is indeed on the way, however, and this means we in the colder climates are dreaming of new work: pouring over seed catalogs as we plan our flower and vegetable gardens; getting the meat written into the new novel (and, perhaps, adding some cheer to the darker elements); cleaning out the dust and grunge from the closed-up house; burning (storing away) the yards of winter clothing; celebrating the wedding of two young people deepening their lives together (my son and my almost daughter-in-law); and the feeding and handling of my newly hatched book. It's time to throw off the heavy afghan and spring into action! Damn the snow and cold! That faint, hesitant light will soon burn away all the shiver and paint the color back into the landscape. I may not be good at patience, but I can wait if I feel like I'm taking some sort of action. Call it a working meditation, if you will. Busy hands, quiet mind, perhaps.

Let me know how you're doing! My next book event is a reading and signing at Buffalo Street Books www.buffalostreetbooks.com in Ithaca, NY on Saturday, April 4th at 2:00 pm. I would love to chat with you!

The Next Leg of the Journey

RiverRead Books in Binghamton, NY March 14, 2015/photo  K. Tomasello

March 14, 2015 Book Launch/photo K. Tomasello

Author Laura J. Bear at Book Release Event March 14, 2015/photo K. Tomasello

Successful launch for WHERE THE HEART LANDS at RiverRead Books in Binghamton, NY www.riverreadbooks.com.

Where the Heart Lands Cake with matching book! March 14, 2015/photo K. Tomasello

Thank you to everyone who came out to listen, buy books, and show support. I had such a great time meeting and talking with everyone. Thank you to Connie at RiverRead for your glowing introduction and for providing such a wonderful place to launch my novel. Thank you to Donna Kordula from Cakes for Every Occasion  http://binghamtoncakes.com/contact.html for the beautiful and delicious cake that looked just like my book cover!

Thank you to my family and friends who traveled from near and far (Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ithaca, to name a few places). I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
I could not have done any of this without the love and support of my spouse Kevin Tomasello. He took all these pictures, kept everything together, hauled books, and so many more things. My talented son remembered to take video and his lovely bride-to-be helped me navigate the quagmire of social media conundrums I have been struggling with for a while.

So, this is a love letter to all of you: readers, writers, fellow life-troupers: believe in yourselves! Follow your dreams; take in the world around you; listen; pay attention; care deeply; and most important, keep going, because the next corner you turn may be the best one yet!

Train Ride

by Laura Bear 2013

"It was a long trip from Swamp Lick, Louisiana to Far Away, but that's where Horatio promised to take her. The wind blew past the wide openings in the box cars then curled back in to touch her. The cold leaked through Rebeccah's thin jacket, making her shiver. Why aren't there actual boxes in the boxcars? She wondered, wishing she could curl up in one and stay warm. Horatio tried to put his arm around her when he saw her teeth chattering, but she pulled away. Flashes of Uncle Frank blinded Rebeccah's need for warmth."
from WHERE THE HEART LANDS by Laura J. Bear through Unsolicited Press www.unsolicitedpress.com.

In Rebeccah's case, running away may be her only chance for survival. We are almost never told to run away. We are encouraged to stay the course--to fight! But, what if your life is in danger? Or your soul? What if you're a young girl with nothing to lose?

"Engine sounds purred behind her as she whirled her head around. Blinded by headlights, she ducked behind the neighbor's front hedge as the car drove past. Her heart pounding in her chest, Rebeccah waited until the vehicle was out of sight before leaving her hiding place."  from WHERE THE HEART LANDS. Sometimes the unknown is less daunting than the familiar. "Her coat thumped against her thighs, heavy with the coins sewn into it." from WHERE THE HEART LANDS.

A taste of the book to come. March 14th, 3:00 pm RiverRead Books www.riverreadbooks.com in Binghamton, New York.

A Heart Full of Daffodils

Photo by Laura Bear 2014

Okay, I know it's too early for daffodils, but aren't they cheery? I thought a preview was needed. Today was the first break in single digit or sub-zero temperatures in the Northeast in...forever, it seems. We almost hit 40 degrees today and the sun came out! Glorious day! We took the little dog for a walk at the park. Plowed road and no salt, so the snow was pure vanilla white. Each footfall produced a pleasing creaking. Teddy could run and bury his face in the snow without painful consequences. It would have been great for cross country skiing, if I had my skis with me. Still, what a glorious break from the long, frigid temperatures. Alas, tonight we plunge back into single digits.

The release of my debut novel is on the horizon! Book launch is at a wonderful little independent bookstore called RiverRead Books in Binghamton, NY on March 14th at 3:00 pm. All are invited! Book signing also scheduled in Ithaca at another wonderful independent bookstore called Buffalo Street Books on April 4th at 2:00 pm. My son and future daughter-in-law are flying out from Minnesota for the launch. I'm so excited and thankful. This has been a long, winding road to following my dream. I've met so many wonderful people along the way. Today is a day to count my blessings. Here are my top ten for the week:

1) Where the Heart Lands will be published by Unsolicted Press March 14th of this year! www.unsolicitedpress.com

2) Many of my writer friends are hitting their stride in their writing careers this year: Gregory Norris gregorylnorris.blogspot.com; Mari Cooper twitter.com/ahamoments; and Julie Hedlund www.juliehedlund.com.

3) My wonderful son is marrying a lovely young woman this May, while working on a law degree and a masters in business analytics!

4) My son and daughter-in-law will be here for my book launch.

5) I am following my dream while also working at a fulltime job that I love, helping people recover from stroke and brain injury.

6) A much better-insulated house with a new furnace and a woodstove that keeps me warm during this wicked winter.

7) A loving spouse who takes care of that woodstove and is working to understand this big change in his life of his wife as an author.

8) Working with a fabulously talented publisher and editors at Unsolicited Press.

9) Sunshine!!!!!!

10) Meeting so many wonderful people because of my writing journey.

There are so many more things for which I am thankful, but this is a good start. Hope you all have good things to cherish. Thank you for stopping by.

Winter Tale: Preview of Where the Heart Lands

Photo by Laura Bear 2013

Just spent the week battling a nasty upper respiratory virus. Rivers of mucus trying to flow from my head, continuously blocked by swollen nasal passages until the back up threatened to explode through my eyeballs. A fellow sufferer described the sore throat as "shards of glass with every swallow." Exactly right. Shudder. Gross, indeed, but thanks to all sorts of saline flushing, gallons of hot tea, and meds I am almost back to my version of normal. The world looks almost, well, cold and dreary again! But at least I can breathe! Amen!

Here's a sneak preview on my debut novel Where the Heart Lands, coming out March 14th from Unsolicited Press www.unsolicitedpress.com

 A middle-aged woman finds out her husband has been cheating on her again with a woman the same age as their middle daughter. Although she knows her husband Jack has done this before, Lucy is shaken when she learns the woman is pregnant with Jack's child. Lucy struggles with anger and then depression as she loses control of the situation. Forced to live in the same house as her estranged husband during the messy divorce proceedings, Lucy loses her way and acts out her desperation in a way that leads to her hospitalization. A glimmer of hope arrives in the form of an inherited old farmhouse in rural Minnesota.

In another part of the country in an earlier time, a young girl suffers at the hands of her abusive uncle and aunt. Rebeccah plots her escape after a particularly brutal attack through the kindness of a hobo she meets by the railroad tracks on her way to school. Together, the hobo and the little girl flee and the hobo gives her a new name and even finds her a family. The re-born Addie begins to accept the love and care of her new Mennonite family and grows into a beautiful young woman who catches the eye of Carl, a handsome fellow Mennonite man. They wed and begin raising their young family on Carl's family's farm in southern Minnesota. Addie befreinds the elderly couple who live on the farm next door, unaware of their connection to a future friend.

Lucy and Addie meet when Lucy inherits the same farmhouse several years later. They become fast friends and together with local handyman and philosopher Tom Anderson, they renovate Lucy's home as she also renovates her life. Addie is attracted by Lucy's strength and acts on her own confusing emotions about her past and her present and her own desires. Lucy takes a detour on her road to recovery and soon learns that freeing your heart means you can't always tell where it may land.

Have a healthy, happy weekend!

Winter Writing or Don't Leave Your Pets or Your People Out in the Cold

Photo by Laura Bear 2015

Being home sick from work during a winter storm isn't all bad. Once I arose from the bed, took a hot shower, gargled salt water, and drank hot herbal tea, I began to feel well enough to write a little. My throat still feels like two golf balls are battling to come through either side of my neck, but at least I can swallow without too much pain. All the little birds outside look fat as they puff out their feathers to stay warm. Plenty of seed and nuts in the feeders for my winged friends and the feral cat is snug in his insulated house with the feline-body-heat-specific heating pad. The rest of us have the cozy woodstove, thanks to the efforts of my spouse. Now I can enjoy the snowy scenes outside.

I can't help thinking about the people and animals that don't have adequate shelter or food or water in this frigid weather. Dogs and cats require the same shelter that we do. They are not "meant" to be outside all the time. We made sure of that through centuries of breeding. Unless your dog is a husky with a thick coat and loves to pull a sled through the icy winds of Alaska, your dog needs more than an unheated dog house and deserves much more than life on a chain (that includes the husky). Bring the dog in, feed it, give it plenty of water and love it or give it to someone who will do this. Same goes for cats. House cats are not lions. They may think they are, but they need warmth and shelter and food and drink. Take care of them or ask someone else who can do it for you. I'll get off my soapbox as soon as I mention the homeless people, okay? If you see someone out in the cold, offer to take them in for a cup of coffee or call someone who can help them find shelter if you can't. If we can't take care of each other, including animals that depend on us for food and shelter; if we won't take care of those of us who can't take care of themselves; what kind of world is it that we want to live in? A world where no one cares is a doomed world. A smile leads to more good than a scowl ever would.

That's all I have to say on this cold, February day. My intention is to keep my eyes open for opportunity to do some good. I wish the same for you. Blessings to you all.

Feed Your Creative Soul

Photo by Laura J. Bear  2012

Hello, all! I am jazzed after refueling my creative tank with some live music last night. My husband and I had the pleasure of experiencing a full night of spectacular acoustic music. Despite finding out about it the night before, I was able to get tickets in the second row of the middle of the balcony. The concert began with Michael Daves and Brittany Haas www.michaeldaves.com brittanyhaas.com. Gorgeous guitar and fiddle playing with Dave's high lonesome, chill-producing voice and fine harmonies from Brittany. Tony Trischka played a few numbers with them. Mr. Trischka is a banjo genius tonytrischka.com who makes that instrument sing like a sweet angel child. He came back to play a set with the strangely named Mr. Sun: Darol Anger, Joe Walsh (the other one), Grant Gordy, and Ethan Jodziewicz: A POWERHOUSE of ACOUSTIC IMPROVISATIONAL SOUND. Darol Anger darolanger.com is the exact opposite embodiment of his name. He is Mr. Sun. A fiddle virtuoso who dances all over the stage having musical conversations with each member of the band and the audience. Anger is a true genius of his instrument and an innovative force in music education and appreciation. I felt like I was part of a secret revolution of happiness, melody, and rhythm. The energy coming off the stage coursed right through my body and greatly disturbed a bat that was darting around the old theater. The mandolin player, Joe K. Walsh (not to be confused with the one from The Eagles), played every centimeter of the fretboard with precision, style, and lovely tone. Grant Gordy grantgordy.com, the guitar player--no, the guitar master--created musical magic with his fingers on the strings: a feast for the ears. Ethan Jodziewicz, the bass player, kept the vibration moving with his steady, delicious deep tones and bluesy solos. They all sang like it was the last song on earth. I was laughing and crying at the sheer beauty of this multi-sensory experience and the obvious joy each musician shared with each other and with everyone else in the room.

But, that's not all! No! There was yet another set! The Travelin' McCourys travelinmccourys.com (Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, Jason Carter, Jeff White, and Alan Bartram) entertained us for another hour or so with some hard-driving then alternating lyrical, harmonious bluegrass. They, too, spread joy to all of us through their shared musicality. Almost four hours of amazing music on one Saturday night for the price of a couple nice bottles of wine! Wow.

Anyway, the point of all this swooning over the music is that, I believe, it is essential to feed your creative soul with other forms of art and to experience art from the source. Get on the train and visit some other parts of the landscape. Get involved and go see it in person. Social media helps us find out about things, but gives us only virtual life. Get out there and get the real thing! Gotta go, gotta go! See you next time.