Today is special. Today the #SweetBitterLoveAnthology releases, on Valentine’s Day, celebrating all types of love. My contribution is special to me and I’m so honored to be part of this beautiful anthology with so many talented authors. Thank you to Cathrine Swift for putting this anthology together and uniting me with so many lovely people. She also made the non-Harriet graphics in this post.
Get ready for a long newsletter, because I have to much to tell you! But if you’re in a hurry, grab your copy here first!
Here’s the blurb for SWEET BITTER LOVE:
They say love is tender. They say love is true. But what we know is that love can be sweet, and sometimes bitter too.
Sweet Bitter Love is a heartfelt, heartwarming, and heartbreaking anthology composed by twenty authors from across the globe. From journal entries to stories and letters, Sweet Bitter Love explores the intricacies and complexities of connections, relationships, and, most of all, love, from all angles.
Sometimes all you need is a cheeky cat, a trip abroad, an angry letter, a soothing presence, a personal understanding, a fit of passion, or a chance to reconnect the fragments of your broken heart. And sometimes all you need to do to find it is to turn the page.
If you enjoy heart-wrenching stories, raw passion, and self-love, then Sweet Bitter Love is for you.
Featuring stories from H. M. Darling, Felicity Devoria, D. M. Fares, Claire Olivia Golden, Keri Harley, Gabriella Lavarello, Chelynne Meyer, Maddi Neuenswander, Rowan J. Paige, Shanni Pinkerton, L. P. Savage, Randi Serafinchon, Allison Sipe, Lilian Sue, Cathrine Swift, L. E. Tonn, E. A. M. Trofimenkoff, Sabrina Ulicki, Ashley Weiss, and Sarah Gael Whitaker.
All proceeds from the collection go to charity: an organization called Women Building Futures.
SBLAnthology is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover on Amazon. Click here to purchase. I hope you will check it out. https://shorturl.at/blHPQ
(Above graphic by Cathrine Swift)
My story is called “Stripes Are Always in Style.” I’m sure at least a few of you have already guessed from the title that it’s about my stripey pet chicken Harriet. If you don’t know what she looks like, we had an Instagram together @prettyprettybirdie.
The conceit of the anthology is that every entry is letters, journal entries, and so forth that tell a love story. My story is one long letter to Harriet telling the story of our friendship. Because not all love is romantic. My love for Harriet changed me for the better and will last a lifetime. Longer, even.
It’s sad because she dies at the end. That’s not a spoiler. It’s just how life is when you have pets. You outlive them. Early readers have told me that although it made them cry, it is sweet more than it is sad. Which makes me happy. I miss Harriet, but I take comfort in my memories with her that are happy, which is almost all of them.
So “Stripes Are Always in Style” is my love letter to Harriet. I hope it will resonate with anyone who has ever loved an animal.
Harriet, you’re finally in print, just like you deserve. I love you so much. I’m glad I had the opportunity to share your beauty and love with the world. You will always be my pretty pretty birdie.
In memory of Harriet Golden
April 4, 2013-November 3, 2019
Here are a few advance reviews of my story:
“Love for a pet is often the deepest, truest love of all, and Claire Golden captures that essence beautifully…as she reminisces on the pretty little birdie she fell for in her youth. From the meet cute to the wrenching farewell and the days of seeing your loved one everywhere, this story hits home regardless of what kind of animal friend you’ve had impact your life.” – Cathrine Swift
“This bittersweet letter about both love and grief is a great example of what this anthology was all about: love in all its forms. Claire’s love for Harriet is so palpable that it jumped out of the pages, touching my soul. I also learned so much about chickens that I didn’t know before, making this a lovely experience all around.” – Sabrina Ulicki
Here are some quotes from “Stripes Are Always in Style”:
“You were my friend when I needed you the most, and I will always think of you as my stripey little angel.”
“I stopped eating meat right around the time I got you. Every time I saw a rotisserie chicken rotating in the oven at Costco, I didn’t see food, I saw a friend. Ten years later, I’m still a vegetarian. It’s one of the ways in which you changed me for the better, because that’s what friends do for each other.”
By the way, I have nothing against people who eat meat. I just realized it wasn’t the right choice for me, and it was entirely fueled by my friendship with this plump little bird. 🙂
“Every stripey bird makes me think of you, but none of them have the same mollified gleam in their eye, the freckle on their right eyelid, the way they turn their beak to the side imperceptibly when they hear an interesting sound.”
Every pet has such unique qualities to them that only their people really notice.(You can’t see the freckle in this picture because it’s flipped and this is actually her left eye.)
Everyone who’s had a pet has to deal with the reality that we will probably outlive them. I don’t know how to make that easier. I think you can’t make it easier. The grief you feel shows how much you loved them.
I like imagining my departed pets in animal heaven (which is also people heaven in my mind, because to me it wouldn’t be heaven without animals). What would heaven be like for a chicken?Here’s a quote from “Stripes Are Always in Style” with how I imagine it.
“I will see you again someday in chicken heaven, where every day is a sunlit afternoon filled with fresh grass, ripe blackberries, and ample slugs and grubs.”
(Have you ever seen a chicken eat a slug? It’s truly terrifying.)
I’m not sure anymore what sort of afterlife I believe in. But I do believe I will be reunited with all my loved ones in some way. And I will get to be with Harriet again.
I will say that “Stripes” has made several people cry (including me), but it’s not meant to be depressing. It’s meant to be honest about what it’s like to love someone, and sometimes that involves sadness, but ultimately it’s a wonderful experience. I hope this story leaves you with that feeling.
A bonus: the anthology has a companion journal compiled by Cathrine Swift! The graphic is by her as well. Check it out here. I will definitely be getting a copy for myself. https://shorturl.at/hmpwM
A companion to the international selling Anthology ‘Sweet Bitter Love’.
Now it’s your turn to put ink to paper. With space for free flow journalling and guided prompts that will get you thinking about the most important people, pets and experiences in your life. This journal is sure to get you thinking about love.
The Romantic. The Platonic. And the Inbetween.”
Above graphic by Cathrine Swift
An extra bonus: Check out the official playlist here! There’s a song or two for every story. Mine is S.T.A.Y. You’ll find out why if you read “Stripes.” https://shorturl.at/ghiAG”
An extra bonus: Check out the official playlist here! There’s a song or two for every story. Mine is S.T.A.Y. You’ll find out why if you read “Stripes.” https://shorturl.at/ghiAG
Here’s the purchase link one more time: https://shorturl.at/blHPQ
Graphic by Cathrine Swift
Happy Valentine’s Day from me and Harriet. I hope you tell someone you love them today. All kinds of love deserve to be celebrated. And I love you guys.