Sandra's Book Club: Blog Tour: CHASING HARMONY by Melanie Bell

CHASING HARMONY

by Melanie Bell

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GENRE: Young Adult LGBTQ+

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BLURB:

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.

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Excerpt One:

She blows out the flame, crushes the poster into a ball as bits of ash flake off. She can’t let them catch this.

Another voice: “I swear I didn’t burn anything!”

She grabs the stack of old band posters from the file shelf and stuffs them in her bag. No one else working at The Green Staircase cares about these posters. It was Anna’s idea to keep them.

“Maybe it’s the radiator.”

All those bands, her pride and joy. Who was she kidding?

“I think it’s coming from over there—”

Quick! Into the alley, garbage bins reeking. What bin should burnt paper go in—recycling? Compost? She tosses and runs wildly down the street. Her shift is over. She’s done her job.

Out of habit, she stops at the community center on the corner. It’s late Friday evening, still open, no floor hockey games or beading club for underprivileged youth. No one at the pool tables or arcade.

She rushes to the piano.

No one is there to clap as she launches into the band’s last number, a tender little piece sung by Mustache Man whose burnt face now graces a compost bin. She hasn’t played it before, but that isn’t a problem. Her fingers relish the slick feel of keys, the quick acrobatics of motion. She riffs on the melody, improvises, and adds a solo section. For those lyrics she remembers, she sings along, not powerfully but perfectly in key.

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Topic: If you had a conversation with your main character, how would that go?

Melanie Bell: Hi, nice to meet you.

Anna Stern: You too.

MB: How are things going for you these days?

AS: Up and down. I'm writing some music.

MB: Cool!

AS: It's something I've always wanted to do, in the back of my mind, but hadn't really allowed myself to explore until recently. I thought other people were creative, or more creative than me. My talent was performing. I could listen deeply to music and I could play it.

MB: People can have more than one talent. And talents and passions can change and evolve.

AS: I know that now, but it took me a while to learn.

MB: What was it like to grow up as a musical prodigy?

AS: It was tough. People had high expectations for what I could do. But my expectations for myself were the highest of all. I felt like my value was contained in my abilities. I felt like perfection existed, but hovered just out of reach. If only I could reach it...

MB: How would you know if you'd reached it?

AS: It would feel like perfect harmony. I could hear it. I've heard it in others' performances.

MB: Do you think you'd hear it if it was coming from you, given that you're focused on performing?

AS: Well... I do have perfect pitch.

MB: Does that mean you can hear perfection?

AS: Good question. I'm not sure... maybe not.

MB: It's often easier to see someone else's talents than our own, because we have an external perspective on them. With our own talents, we have to depend on others' feedback. And who knows what biases they have, or how good of listeners they are?

AS: True. You know, I thought I was a failure for a long time, when I stopped pursuing musical performance seriously. Even though I wasn't feeling connected with music anymore.

MB: I think you were burnt out. Sometimes that means we need to rest and take care of our mental health.

AS: I felt like I hadn't had a life outside of music, and I wanted to see what it could be like.

MB: How was that for you?

AS: It was tough for a while. I also needed to face some things I'd been ignoring about my sexuality. It wasn't OK to be queer in the time or place where I was growing up, and I kept some of my feelings hidden even from myself.

MB: So, you needed to accept who you were.

AS: Yeah. Only after accepting and acting on the hidden parts of myself was I really able to return to music.

MB: And it took a new form.

AS: Yeah. It might not look like my childhood dreams, or what other people thought my potential could be. It's all a bit messy and new. But I'm feeling good about the direction I'm going.

MB: That's great! Do you have any advice for people who relate to what you went through?

AS: Give yourself time if you need it. Be open to change. And, more than anything, listen to yourself.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Melanie Bell is a Canadian multi-genre writer living in the UK. Her books include a short story collection,Dream Signs, a nonfiction title, The Modern Enneagram, and the YA novel Chasing Harmony. She has written for several publications including Contrary, Cicada, The Fiddlehead, and Huffington Post. She loves music, art, and nature, and aspires to see as much of the world as she can.

Melanie’s Digital Footprint

http://inspireenvisioning.com/

https://www.facebook.com/InspireEnvisioning/

https://twitter.com/InspireEnvision

Read Furiously’s Digital Footprint

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Where to purchase Chasing Harmony (print)

https://readfuriously.com/products/chasing-harmony

https://bookshop.org/p/books/chasing-harmony-melanie-bell/18542996