Finding Montana

New Acquaintance

It's been a whole three hours since I landed in Montana and I've already managed to locate a coffee shop. Granted an hour of that time was spent making my way from the airport to my new home in Whitefish. Coming into this tiny, cushy coffee shop was the perfect excuse for me to avoid my two story house that I'd bought for Damien and me to spend the rest of ours lives together. I choke down the tears welling up in my eyes at the thought of that my cheating boyfriend and take a large gulp of my honey and camomile tea. I used to be an avid coffee drinker, but after too many late night editing sessions trying to make deadlines I had to drop the caffeine addiction for something a bit easier on my heart and my stomach. I'd never been someone who hated tea, I just was more into caramel frappuccinos. However, once I went on a retreat with my editor Brigette into the Mountains of Wuhan, China, I fell in love with the restorative and balancing nature of tea. It was such a cleansing experience that I wanted to carry over into my everyday life. Luckily now I no longer have to deal with the caffeine crashes and can stay up more naturally to get my writing done on time.

I'd set up my little work space with my laptop in front of me when I first got into Two Cups Cafe, almost losing my steaming hot tea nestled in around some manuscript plot notes I'd taken on the flight in. I stretched my hands above my head, preparing for a long writing sprint in order to try to get caught up on my word count. My laptop lights up and flashes a picture of Damien and me in NYC at the top of the Empire State Building. We both look so comfortable and in love that it starts to make me feel physically ill. I quickly slam my MacBook shut. I take a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm and composed in the very public coffeeshop, and open the computer again. I avert my eyes from the wallpaper as I quickly maneuver my way through the settings and put my most recent book cover up as my background.

I hope that's the only place he'll be popping up from here on out. I think to myself as I take a slow sip of my tea. It's hot against my lips, but the burning pain feels good, something to distract the crippling pain inside my heart. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as I try to get my mind back in a writing space. Damien's already ruined my happiness for the foreseeable future, I can't let him ruin my career as well. The move has cost me precious writing and editing time, and as it is my book release is only months away. Every free moment I can spare needs to be spent on my manuscript if I want to have even the slightest of chances to finish up the this book. My six, soon to be seven part series, The Reborn Chronicles, follows Lilac, the rightful heir to her parent's throne. Her life was laid out for her generations prior and everything was going according to the royal plan; however, Lilac's relative, Uncle Kemper, has been pushed aside from power for his whole life and he's out to seek revenge for his family's neglect by destroying the kingdom as the world knows it. Lilac narrowly escapes the massacre that befalls the castle, but her parents are killed in the attack. Lilac teams up with her childhood friend, Zander, to try and win the favor of the Gods so that they might aid Lilac in her quest to reunite the kingdom once again.

"Are you a Molly Tulip fan?" I hear a soft voice ask from behind me. I jump in my seat, startled out of my daydream about my story by the mention of my own name. I turn and see a petite woman in her later twenties holding her to-go cup with mittened hands. "I couldn't help but see your screen when I was walking by and had to ask, sorry if it's too intrusive." She curls a strand of her long mousy hair and looks down at the floor. She's stunningly beautiful and is someone I would love to pull details from in order to describe a future character in my book. I look curiously from her to my computer screen, still dazed that she's started a conversation based on my recently changed wallpaper.

"You're not intruding." I encourage, "I'd say I'm a pretty big fan. Have you read her most recent book? Archaic Calamities." Her eyes widen with excitement at the mention of my latest book's title.