Welcome to my corner of this wonderful community where I share my poetry, short stories, and occasional photos. My husband and I have been married for almost thirty-five years, and we have two adult children. Our furry family member is Copper, an 80-lb chocolate lab mix, and he just turned 13 years old.
I have published two collections of poetry: New Day, New Dreams (2013) and Finding a Balance (2015). My memoir, More than Coffee, was published in 2021, and my recent publication is a poetry collection titled Ever So Gently released in July.
I have finished my first children’s book and am working with my illustrator with plans to publish in 2024.
When you visit, I hope you find something to take with you, but that you also find something enticing enough to keep bringing you back. I truly appreciate your visit.
Cheers,
Lauren ❤️
I’m delighted to be featured on Sally’s Smorgasbord blog! She shares new books on the shelves and is always so generous and willing to help other authors. Please check out her blog to read the full post. Thanks so much, Sally! 💖
I also want to thank everyone who has already bought a copy, and I truly hope you enjoy the collection. Yesterday, another review was posted to Amazon and Goodreads, and let’s just say, “I’m over the moon!” Stay tuned for the next post on the blog tour that will be on Monday, August 7th. You may get tired of seeing these posts, the joys of a book launch, but I appreciate you stopping by and reading. ❤️
I am excited to be featured today on Robbie Cheadle’s blog, Robbie’s Inspiration. She is helping with the promotion for my new book, while also sharing her beautiful review of my prior book, More than Coffee. Please visit her site to read more! Thanks again, Robbie! ❤️
I am thrilled to announce the release of my new poetry collection, Ever So Gently! But first let me tell you the meaning behind the title…
I had organized this 90-poem collection into three parts: Nature, Love, and Life, and yet a book title still remained in hiding. And then one of my poems stood out titled, “Ever So Gently” and it’s as though a lightbulb turned on. Everything clicked. Then I began to ponder how we live each day. It’s easy to live ‘gently’ when things happen according to our plans. But what if they don’t? What if heartache befalls us? Do we react ‘gently’ or do we press the panic button? I’ve done both, but I’m trying to focus on ‘gentle.’ And while in this mindset, I thought of the love my heart has felt, the tranquility and companionship of nature, and the good and not so good that life has tossed my way. So, I offer you the beginning of my introduction in the book…
“Ever So Gently expresses the gentle demeanor in which I welcome nature’s offerings. The gentle way in which I should react to life’s challenges. The gentle grace in my heart full of gratitude for the love in my life. For the support of family and friends through every stumble and celebration. When I witness another sunrise, I remember to breathe and live gently. But succeeding in ‘gentle’ may not happen around the clock, so if I slip up, I will try again.“
Fun fact: My son offered to create a book cover for me, so I told him that I wanted an organic design unlike my prior book covers, and I wanted soothing, gentle colors: pastel blues, greens, a little white. Bodies of water came to mind, a freshwater lake, a gentle flowing river, or the calming of the sea. So, to my surprise, instead of using the computer, he painted the cover on canvas. I couldn’t be more ecstatic with the beautiful, gloss paperback cover. Thank you, Michael!
AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND E-BOOK VERSIONS.
Book Blurb:
In Ever So Gently, Lauren Scott shares her strong link to nature, taking the reader on a tranquil walk through a redwood grove. You’ll find an invitation to sit quietly on a patio, captivated by the simple beauty of a hummingbird. She’ll entice you to revel on the shore of a freshwater lake, mesmerized by its stunning beauty.
Scott shares how love has shaped her life. From that first delicious kiss to celebrating decades of marriage through a love that deepens over time. How her heart melted when she became a mom, then ached when her children started their adult lives across country. And how her adorable canine companions found their way into her heart.
Scott underscores how life presents mysteries we struggle to solve. We can’t help but ponder the deeper meaning of a simple vision. She prompts you to reminisce and reflect on your past, present, and future. Through the ups and downs, what matters most is to love and live ever so gently.
I am so grateful to Robbie Cheadle for creating the incredible book trailer below with my photos. I get goosebumps each time I view and listen. Thank you, Robbie!
And Thank You to Diana W. Peach for reading my book early and posting a beautiful 5-star review (below):
When I read Scott’s poetry, I know I’ll unearth thoughts and feelings deeply personal to her life, reflections that will undoubtedly resonate with mine. The experience of what it is to be human, the shared longings and losses, and the way love shapes our days is the thread that ties this collection together.
This book of about 90 poems is divided into three parts. The first is a peaceful exploration of nature; the second, Scott’s appreciation of the many forms of love in her life; and finally, a series of poems on a broader scope of thoughts. They’re all lovely and positive with an underlying theme of love and appreciation. This is a feel-good collection of both free-form and syllabic poetry that I’m delighted to recommend.
A few favorites: “The Hummingbird’s Quest” (from the section on nature). “The World is Broken,” “If the Universe would Share,” and “Mom’s Plea” (from the section on loved ones). “Maybe,” and “Other Worlds” (from the section on broader reflections). A romantic beauty:
The Giver
He pulls me into myself so I may see qualities he loved from the beginning though his perception runs deeper – mine, a trace of clouds, then he lifts my heart and soul to the starlit sky where our dreams become us.
Another favorite of Diana’s:
The Hummingbird’s Quest
We hold our breath. Its wings flutter at a possible eighty times per second, so we’ve read.
It closes the distance between us, and we know it eyes the dangling rosy petals. But below those blossoms lies the sleeping dog. He wouldn’t be the least bit interested in the winged creature, but the winged creature doesn’t know this to be true.
And so, we watch our tiny friend flit to within a few feet of the blooms, then disappointment lands in our thoughts as it retreats to the maple, camouflaged to the naked eye.
If only it could be brave. If only it knew there was no threat below from the eighty-pound sleeping beast. In fact, the beast quietly snores, and we are confident he is dreaming of squirrels.
Robbie and Diana, along with these wonderful friends, are going to help promote my bookin their special, creative ways:
So, stay tuned! 🎉🎉 And, of course, I hope “Ever So Gently“finds itself gently resting on your coffee table or in your device. But another wish is that you discover the reward of living ever so gently. 💜
Thanks for stopping by and for your support. And please feel free to share to help spread the word!
I am honored and thrilled to be a part of Yvette Prior’s newly released anthology, This is How We Grow. She has worked hard with thirteen contributing authors to make this special book a reality. If you haven’t met Yvette, I encourage you to visit her wonderful blog. Below summarizes what you’ll find when you visit:
Priorhouse blog is continuing with the interview series – the master page is HERE
Priorhouse blog continues to join in with photography challenges, which mainly includes the Lens-Artist’s Photo Challenge (LAPC) and sometimes Thursday Doors.
Priorhouse Street Shots continue to surface
Other posts unfold naturally, which include book reviews, movie reviews, opinion posts, extra photo challenges (besides the LAPC), writing challenges, and the annual spring #Dickenschallenge.
Yvette also surprised me by inserting a plug for my new book, a poetry collection, Ever So Gently, which is available now, and I will do a post soon! Her book and mine just happened to release around the same time.
And now for Yvette’s interview:
Hello Readers,
Recently we introduced the book,THIS IS HOW WE GROW, and I will be posting about it on and off for the four weeks.
Today’s post is to share about Lauren Scott’s chapter, Numbers Lie
But first – let me share that Lauren has a collection of poems – hot off the press – in her book called Ever so Gently. My paperback copy is on the way and I look forward to reading it in August.
She still cringes when she peruses old albums with photos of her as a young chubby girl. The memory of her ten-year-old self in the hospital after having her tonsils removed causes her stomach to somersault. Following the tonsillectomy, she rested in the recovery room with other children. A blonde-haired boy about her same age wore a wicked grin just before the words slid from his tongue, “Hey, fatso!” Those three syllables caused her to crumble into the white sterile bed sheets. Maybe they sparked her insecurities. Or perhaps the childhood chubbiness that dogged her footsteps into adulthood goaded the insecurities to surface.
Lauren’s commentary:
Keri’s narrative is fiction, but I can insert it into my life story for an accurate fit. When hurtful words are tossed at us, they remain audible. We cannot throw them back because their effect is branded in our psyche. Traumatic moments and events stick with us regardless of how vigorously we try to peel them away from our memory. I endured similar moments on the school playground as a chubby little girl. Throughout the years, I could gain ten to twenty pounds, then lose it, stare at my reflection, and still view myself as chubby. I dislike the word fat, so I never use it. No one deserves to be called fat.
Lauren Scott’s chapter in This is How we Grow is an engaging fiction followed by author commentary about the topic of weight, labels, and adjusting a critical spirit to become more accepting. Her story reminded us that empathy consists of both affective and cognitive components and Lauren reached a cultural artery as her wisdom reminded us that people are more than externals as we have “heart, soul, and beauty, inside and out.”
Bio:
Lauren Scott is an author, poet, and blogger who specializes in short stories, both fiction and non-fiction, about life reflections and finding joy in the simple things. Her new collection of poems, Ever So Gently, was released in July 2023 and her first children’s book will be released later in 2023.
She has published two poetry collections, New Day, New Dreams (2013) and Finding a Balance (2015), a memoir, More than Coffee: Memories in Verse and Prose (2021), was a contributing author in Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, and was nominated “Author of the Month” May 2023 at Spillwords Press.
Lauren and her husband, Matthew, have two grown children and a Labrador named Copper. Her writing inspiration comes from family and the great outdoors while enjoying small-town living in Northern California. Lauren can be found online at baydreamerwrites.com.
Dear Family and Friends, this story is a bit long, so if you don’t have time to read it, I understand. But if you do, I hope you can appreciate Rusty’s dilemma and recognize the message conveyed. I won’t give away the ending. 🙂 Also, I’ve included an audio version for those of you who would rather listen.
Rusty can’t help but whine and dance around in circles! He knows what’s coming when Mom puts her ball cap on. Today is a crisp, March spring morning when she attaches the blue plaid leash to his matching blue collar. The sky is bright and clear, perfect for a walk around the neighborhood. When he sings (he likes to call it that) and dances, he can tell by the tone of her voice that sometimes she is happy. But there are times when she sounds kind of mad. Maybe he should try calming down. But seriously, what chocolate lab doesn’t get excited for a walk?
She opens the blue front door, and Rusty follows her outside. He lifts his leg on every bush he spots, his nose clueing him into enticing smells. Mom walks at just the right pace while he trots beside her. Occasionally, she jogs, and he picks up the pace, jogging, too. He thinks this is so much fun. The flapping of his long soft ears makes him happy.
Rusty is minding his own business when Sam, the gray squirrel, runs in the street right in front of him! Whenever he sees Sam, he barks up a storm that echoes and bounces from house to house! Sam skitters across the street then skitters back to where he came from, all the while snickering to irritate Rusty. And boy is Rusty irritated!
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Rusty voices his annoyance and pulls on his leash. All he wants is a chance to catch Sam! And then he thinks…
What would I do if I caught Sam? I mean, I don’t want to hurt him. Yes, he annoys me, but I just want to play!
But once again, Sam gets away! He scurries up the nearest maple tree with the speed and confidence of a black bear, snickering all the way to the top! Sam is an expert at snickering!
How dare him!
“Oh, Rusty, you’ll never catch a squirrel, but it’s always good to try,” Mom says while she pats Rusty on his soft head.
Rusty forgets about Sam as he and his mom turn the corner, and that’s when he sees Tuck, the yellow Labrador, standing in his front yard. What puzzles Rusty is that every time he tries to say hello, Tuck turns the other way. He doesn’t like Rusty and Rusty doesn’t know why. Then he remembers Mom telling him that it’s always good to try. So, he tries again to say hello.
Tuck stands tall at the edge of his yard, close enough to offer a friendly sniff to Rusty. But when Rusty walks up to him, Tuck turns his big head and body around, heading for his mom who stands by the front door. Rusty’s ears fall back tightly against his head and his heart aches. This isn’t the first time he’s been taunted by Sam and ignored by Tuck. With his heavy and hopeless heart, he and his mom leave Tuck’s house and continue walking up the street that begins to incline. Lucy, the beautiful snow-white husky, lives at the top of the hill. Rusty’s had a crush on her for what seems like forever, but she doesn’t pay any attention to him either.
Lucy stands by the white fence that borders her yard, and sure enough, when she spots Rusty trotting up the hill, she runs to the porch and lies down on her bed so he can’t get close to her. She even holds an intimidating stare. Rusty notices this which causes his heart to ache more and his ears to fall back for a second time. He doesn’t know if his heart will ever warm up again. At this very moment, it feels as cold as his big brown nose. He and his mom walk past her house, making a U-turn to head back down the hill to their home.
I love my humans, Mom, Dad, and my sister and brother. But it’s lonely not having friends, and I wish I knew why they didn’t like me. If I had to, I would change my ways. I’m friendly. I don’t bark a lot, except at squirrels, sorry Sam! I don’t sniff where I’m not welcomed. Is it because my coat is the color of copper, and not a true chocolate, blonde, yellow, or shiny black? But why would others not want to be my friend just because of the color of my coat?
While Rusty ponders the cause of his friendlessness, unbeknownst to him, Sam and Tuck meet up with Lucy just outside her white fence.
“I don’t know about you boys, but I’m tired of being mean to Rusty. And just for the record, I find him kind of cute,” Lucy admitted.
“Oh, Lucy, don’t go letting your heart soften up now. Rusty’s different! We all know that, and different doesn’t bode well with our tight group!” Sam chimes in with conviction of an elephant.
“You know, Sam, I think Lucy makes a good point. Just because Rusty looks different doesn’t mean we can’t include him. I guess my eight-year-old heart is beginning to soften, too,” Tuck says as he observes Sam’s fluffy tail standing upright like a surfboard in the sand, his little whiskers moving at lightning speed.
It seems odd that a squirrel weighing no more than a pound can gain control over two dogs the size of Shetland ponies. But Sam’s personality is bigger than him and as powerful as a lion’s. Lucy and Tuck automatically followed Sam in every adventure they went on, but not anymore. Their hearts and souls are beginning to see the kinder sides. It’s been one whole month and Lucy can’t bear the pure sadness in Rusty’s soulful, amber eyes. And the more Tuck thinks on this issue, the more he considers Rusty the brother he never had. It would be fun to have another buddy to hang around with now and then.
“Sam, what if you or Lucy or I looked different that didn’t align with what Rusty thought was normal? How would you feel if he ignored you when he saw you on the street? Or even worse, what if he growled at you, scaring you out of your wits?”
“Hey, you’re sounding a bit philosophical, old man!” Sam replies.
“Who are you calling old man, Sam? I’m only 8!” Tuck retorts.
Lucy can’t stand this banter any longer, and contrary to what some believe, girls know best!
“Okay, boys, enough is enough! This neighborhood holds plenty of room for all of us, and that includes Rusty! I, for one, would feel devastated to be ignored like he has been because of our unkind behavior. I feel so ashamed, so my only hope is that he can forgive!” Lucy feels the lifting of a huge burden from her heart. Her body even feels lighter as though she can frolic on clouds, and her spirit as bright as the shining sun.
Lucy pokes the latch on the gate with her cold nose, then once it becomes unlatched, with a paw she pushes it open. She walks through and onto the street when Sam scurries up beside her, giving her a surrendering smile. After thinking this situation over and pondering Tuck and Lucy’s words, he agrees with their wisdom. Tuck sidles up beside Lucy on the opposite side, and together, the trio heads downhill to Rusty’s house.
The single-story ranch style home looks quiet from the street. But the trio hopes to find Rusty in the backyard, lying in the sun like he loves to do. Then it will be easy for them to get his attention.
After Rusty and his mom return home from their walk, he is ready for a nap. Exhaustion has taken over his body, not only from the walk and jog, but from the sadness weighing heavy on his heart. In the backyard, a patch of grass in the sunshine beckons him, so he lies down on his side, legs stretched out, and begins to soak up the sun’s warmth. It takes a lot of effort for him to ignore the gloomy thoughts, so he tries to dream of chasing squirrels. But then he hears a loud commotion in the front of the house!
Lucy, Sam, and Tuck yell in one giant burst of sound to rouse Rusty!
“Rusty! You annoying lab!”
“Hi, Rusty, come on out!”
“Hey, Buddy, we need to talk to you!”
Rusty slowly stands; his twelve-year-old legs don’t hurry anymore. Then to his surprise, he sees Lucy, Tuck, and Sam, yes even Sam, jumping up and down at the see-through gate. They speak simultaneously, hard to understand every word. But the word that stands out is FRIEND. And judging by their smiling jowls, and Sam’s happy, fluffy tail swinging from side to side, Rusty understands completely!
His mom hears the joyful barking, too, so she steps outside, and when she notices the trio giving kisses to Rusty through the gate, the sight warms her heart. Her senior pup has been sad for too long now. She opens the gate and joy flows through the air as the foursome hug and kiss in their own canine and squirrelly ways.
“We’re so sorry we were mean to you, Rusty. We never should’ve judged you because of your coat color. I actually think you’re quite handsome. So will you forgive us?” Lucy steps back a few inches, certain that she is blushing after baring her soul.
“Oh, will I ever!” Rusty cheerfully answers. “And Lucy, I actually think you’re beautiful!”
And so, the three canines and the one fuzzy gray squirrel trot and scamper down the street on this spring day – the best ever for Rusty! His heart feels happy again, and he realizes that Sam, Lucy, and Tuck accept him for who he is – they don’t expect him to change. This is the day he not only gains friends, but the day he becomes one.
Henry was engrossed in a gripping James Patterson novel when his heart jumped a beat. The second episode this week. It skipped again. He called his daughter in the kitchen, and her fingers found the buttons on her cell for emergency. The sun was setting on this Friday when paramedics arrived. Henry was soon x-rayed. Linda called her older sister, and they learned from Dr. Roberts that their elderly dad’s heart was giving up. They knew their parents would soon be reunited. Monday morning, their loving father took his last breath. He would once again dance with his sweetheart.
We don’t live forever, I know this, just as sunlight and moonbeams can’t shine simultaneously, but sometimes I feel like he and I will transcend the inevitable. Imagining the opposite is unimaginable because it means one of us will be left alone with our tears to sweep up the shattered pieces of our hearts in every room we step into. It means going solo through every sunrise, every sunset.
It’s okay to daydream, isn’t it?
It’s alright to feel we’ll live forever, isn’t it?
What is life without dreams, without fantasy?
Reality hides in the shadows, I know this, but until life changes, I’ll live in my fantasy, knowing he’ll be beside me eternally.
Yesterday was going to be a hot one, so hubby suggested we drive into Sausalito and visit this cute little beach. The weather was cooler by the bay, and the sky was the bluest it’s ever been. We walked around, enjoying the sights, and of course, our coffee. Then some thoughts came to mind and landed in the form of Shadorma poems…
Escaping hot temperatures we find a quiet beach sights offer tranquility breathing in salt air
Boats on the bay, stoic in their beauty a lifestyle inviting surrounded by calm water waiting to take sail
Sitting on the sand, toes buried we people watch, little boy giggles from water joy paddle boarders learn
Owning this moment of stillness together he and I new memory to create over and over
Cheers! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed. Have a lovely week ahead! 💦💙🩵☕️
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 