Never Signing Off

I hope you've been enjoying One Day At A Time. By October 7th, the whole series will be posted for reading. If you're behind, you can access the table of contents on the left.  I have so many ideas. I have 6 new folders on my desktop for new novel ideas. The fun part? Most of them will NOT be fictional. After I'm finished writing The Morgan Series, I'll be switching to non-fiction projects for the near future. I will also be posting my biography for everyone to read on this website. I will not be posting that book anywhere else. It's exclusive to my website, much like The Morgan Series is exclusive to Ao3. HOW CAN I MAKE MY WRITING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU? (PERSONALLY)

  Chapter 29 Words I call Kathleen from the venue when we arrive. We make small talk about the weather here, the constant rain in December. She asks about my plans for Christmas. I tell her I'll be packing because we're moving to Illinois. Then I ask her if my stuff is still at Hunter's, if she got a chance to pack it up. She tells me that she did, but, it's at her place because she's no longer speaking to Hunter. She goes on to tell me that she caught him in bed with someone else. She admits she wasn't surprised, but had been hopeful that he had changed. We share a laugh over the phone about how some things never do. Then she goes on to tell me she's already met someone else. She thinks he might be the one, and she's going to meet his family for Christmas. She's a hopeless romantic, always was. She had no idea what she was getting into when she started dating Hunter. The lyrics to his music may sound deep, but it's too deep for any hum...

  Chapter 28 Home I didn't sleep last night at all. I couldn't. My brain has started to think about him excessively, now that the miles between us are getting smaller and smaller. The time frame is shrinking, counting down to that final performance. We're on the road, traveling from Nevada to California. Crystal is reading a poetry book she bought the other day. It's the works of Edgar Allan Poe and she's reading passages out loud to herself. She's laying in her bunk, and Frankie is asleep in ours. I've decided to sit by myself in the lounge, looking out the window. The poem Crystal is reading is called “Annabel Lee”. It's a tragic piece about love and loss. He's talking about losing someone he loved, who meant the world to him. I can relate. Of course, Hunter isn't dead. But, it certainly feels like he might be. The way everyone dances around his name, treats him like a stain. The only thing that leaves a lingering stain like that is d...

  Chapter 27 A Different Kind Of Running I've been on enough tours to know what they are all about. There are always fights, and hearts get broken. There's a bunch of drugs and alcohol and there's always a party to attend. The bus is restrictive and smells bad. The hotel rooms all feel clinical. I've been through all of that before. I've been the hand that keeps the show moving forward. But I've never been in the spotlight before this tour. I've never been a part of the magic. Now, we're out on that stage every night. Crystal is writing music with Frankie, harmonizing in dressing rooms and belting out duets on stage. They've started to talk about the next album and they're both asking my opinion when they do. I'm expected to make an appearance in the television interviews now. One photographer even asked me to join Frankie in a photo shoot. I said no, but Frankie insisted it was a good idea. I can never say no to that...

  Chapter 26 Bright Lights By now I should know that nothing they do is unplanned. Even when it seems like Frankie is making it up as he goes along, he had the ideas already. The reason Crystal dressed me up in New York was because she knew he wanted me on stage as well. Although, I wouldn't be dancing in the background, invisible to the audience. No. I was in the middle of that stage, illuminated by the bright lights and the size of his smile as I joined him. It's been 10 days since that concert, but he's had me on stage with him every night to sing a particular song. He might have never known I knew how to sing. I never told him I took vocal lessons when I was a kid. I never told him I wanted to be a singer when I was young. But, Crystal overheard me singing in the hotel room in Georgia. I thought she had left to go shopping, but, she had to come back to grab her purse. Then, she told Frankie, who said he could make me a star. I argued that I had moved past that...

  Chapter 25 Improvements “Jesse!” I yell, running across the dressing room. He's wearing a smile almost as bright as the reflection in his thick-rimmed glasses. The lights of the stage are casting a glare from the lenses, but it doesn't slow him down any. His arms are open wide when I get to him. I wrap mine around his back, smiling to greet him. “ Hey, long time no see.” He greets, stepping back with his hands on my shoulders. He's looking me up and down, like he's analyzing everything that's changed. His deep brown eyes are sparkling as he looks over the outfit I'm in. Crystal picked this evenings' attire. I'm wearing black dress pants with a built-in belt adorned with crystals. The shirt is long sleeved, but the sleeves flare out at the ends creating what looks like wings. My normally wild hair has been pulled into a bun. There's a crystal headband on top of the mess, with a few bobby pins holding it all together. She insisted I wear ...

  Chapter 24 Seashell Collection There's a cramping in the back of my leg. I think I forgot what it was like to sleep on a tour bus. Crystal was right that the mattresses were uncomfortable. She said the memory foam helped, but I was too stubborn at first. By the time we reached Florida, I caved and added the foam to my bed too. It's funny, I remembered touring with such a fondness. I think it was about making memories, more than actually traveling. This time, it's lacked the luster it had every other time. Or maybe my mind is just lost. There are reminders everywhere, from the road signs to the hotels. Crystal and I bought a work-out video yesterday. It's not that we need to feel fit or even because we're bored. The video is designed to help work-out leg muscles, which are the ones cramping. She wants to stretch her muscles, I don't want to feel so stiff every morning. I might be less stiff if it weren't for the Koala that finds his way into my bu...