Day seventeen of… We’re all but halfway there. Striking Balance: The Peculiar Making of Beatrice Benjamin Sophia Scott Schnell Gow is now available for purchase. To celebrate its release and the fact that it is my tenth novel, I have created a one-of-a-kind companion mixed-media art book, the Striking Balance Mixed Media Journey, but creating the book has become been more a personal challenge than anything. That said, I’m sharing the mixed media pages with you because the art created such a direct tie with the author’s, meaning my mind that it can’t help but enrich the reading experience.
Below you’ll find three opportunities to interact with the novel. First, you’ll see the chapter number and its corresponding epigraph. Second, you’ll find images including the book open to the chapter page, a digitally enhanced version of the same spread, and 1-2 detail pieces that may or may not be digitally enhanced. Lastly, you’ll see a link to the corresponding song from the Striking Balance playlist on YouTube and get to read First Lines, one or two sentences from the beginning of the chapter.
Today, we’re delving into Chapter Seventeen.


Chapter Seventeen: Wishes and Marks



From the Striking Balance playlist – Chapter Seventeen Selection:
Shawn James “Midnight Dove”
First Lines
“Even pull. Watch your arm.” Dane presses against me, her front against my back as I draw for another shot.
Make certain to check back tomorrow for Chapter Eighteen where, if you’re reading along with the novel, you’ll learn some interesting historical tidbits about one of the characters.
See you tomorrow.