Travels with My Mom

Publisher Marketing: When you lose a loved one, there's not a lot you can do except wait for time to heal the open wound. But when 13 year-old Theo Saunders' mother is struck down by a drunk driver, his reeling family does something wholly unexpected: they seek distraction and solace in a trip to far-flung China. In the aftermath of his mother's death, Theo is struggling to understand how, "Somewhere, somebody decided that when you turn thirteen, you suddenly become an adult." Like all adolescents, he's feeling betrayed. The years of parental reassurance that they'll keep the world a safe place have ended all too abruptly. He knows this isn't new. As if finding out who you are amidst the jigsaw puzzle of high school, social media and an ignorant, extorting bully all coupled with the siren's call of the opposite sex isn't enough, Theo and his twin sister Rose awake to find themselves drowning in a sea of grief. Smart and independent - the children of two Seattle Symphony principal players - in their family, Art is always spelled with a capital "A." The twins have been raised in a home alive with music, encouragement and warm humor. They've been taught to think for themselves and believe that any goal is attainable. Clifford and Katharine Saunders balanced each other in perfect counterpoint, enjoying a marriage sparked by love at first sight and grounded by their shared passion for music. Clifford is now astonishingly alone, and for the first time in his life, unsure of what to do. For Theo and Rose, it's as if they've lost both of their parents. To further complicate an impossible situation, heavy commitments that will further his reputation and career for years to come loom for Clifford as a keynote speaker and performer at a major international music conference in China. Frozen in place by the brilliant glare of heartache, clouded by the shadows of doubt and propriety, the stunned trio reluctantly embark for that alien Asian destination, where distance, love, humor and exploration are not only their brightest hope of finding a new way of living, but the realization that Katherine Saunders has been with them the whole time. Contributor Bio:  Cohen, Greg Greg Cohen lives and writes in Hawaii. His fiction explores the literary version of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's "The decisive moment"; those fleeting, defining instants when entire lives can change. His writing is supervised by two cats and a dog, all who wish he would write more about animals. His short fiction has appeared in the Eureka Literary Magazine, Bellowing Ark, City Primeval and the Belletrist Review. One of his characters speaks for Greg's life-long love of the arts when she tells her son, "Here's the best thing about art, Theo...it's not necessary. People can't survive without certain things: food, water, shelter, tools. But no one ever died from art starvation, honey. It's not essential to the body, but it is to the soul. Art is something we're driven to do, not compelled to do." That belief fuels his work not only as a writer, but in his pursuits as a photographer and musician, and he's recently begun to paint, working with acrylics. Born and raised in Colorado, he's lived in California, Washington, Nevada and Alaska. His love of motion and travel has taken him through most of the 50 states as well as China, Mexico, Spain, Finland, Russia, South Africa and Australia. Greg is also a graphic designer, business consultant and grant writer for non-profits.