A Final Goodbye is Near with a Book on the Horizon!

Hello dear reader friends.

I recently received some heavy news about my longtime best friend and fellow author, Jenna (Morrison) Campbell. As many of you know, Jenna has struggled with health issues for a very long time, Chiari malformation, and over the past few years, cancer. I had recently received a message from her, letting me know she had been missing me and loves me, and that she wants to talk. She told me she feared her time was coming soon, as her mother was now having to feed her. I told her I would call over the weekend, but then I had fallen ill, and had little in the way of a voice, so I messaged her and told her I’d talk to her this past Saturday, instead.

A day later, I receive a message that Jenna is no longer conscious, that they are looking to move her into a 24/7 care facility until she passes, which they expect to be within the next 30 days...

To say that I am devastated would be an understatement. Jenna has been my best friend since, I think around 2010. I remember, back in our hanging out with up-and-coming rock star days, I met her over Blue October’s bulletin board, of all places. I remember her approaching me at a concert with someone that I highly dislike, and I made her a bit scared because of the look I gave them. In fairness, it wasn’t about her; it was about the other girl who knew I disliked her, approaching me. This, of course, makes me sound mean and unapproachable. I’m actually not, but my face looks like I am! But, there have been a few people I’ve allowed into my life, who have done some things that are just not forgivable, that I do not want around me.

Anyway, so, a few weeks go by and Jenna thinks I hate her, but she mentions something on the board about how she was going through a terrible situation, so I private messaged her, called her and we spoke for hours. And the next thing you know, we’re besties going to all the cool shows together, having crazy adventures, her convincing me to do things I’d never be brave enough to do on my own, etc. She even convinced me to help her write, which is why I am an author today. Under a different name, I helped her write 4 books, some of which were part of best-selling anthologies, which I think is a pretty significant accomplishment. She didn’t think she would beat cancer the first time around, and brought me on board to ensure her books got completed and published. She was so happy when her books came out, something that had always been a dream of hers. I am grateful that she convinced me to write with her; it’s been a dream of mine as well. Jenna helped me become braver and bolder, got me out of my comfort zones, and because of her, my life was much more interesting.

So, here I am — sad as I can be, wishing I could travel up to Oklahoma to tell her goodbye and angry at myself for not calling when I had the chance, sick or not. I’ve missed out on enough goodbyes to know that we should never miss a chance to tell someone how much we love them.

Jenna’s last book will be “The Return”. It will be a part of the “Ties of Friendship” anthology. I co-wrote it with her, but the entire story is truly hers. Her idea, things that she wanted to happen in the book, everything. I just wrote a lot for her because she could no longer write/type. I have a story in there, too, called “Shadows of Willow’s Creek”. Us doing this last thing together, I hope, carries her onto the other side, knowing that I deeply cared about her and our friendship.

Pre-Order your copy of Ties of Friendship for 99¢! 

Releases October 15th