PREVIEW
Journey To Starlights
J.Edmond
with Josh Dezern
Preface
I struggle with Bipolar disorder, but through that struggle comes my greatest outlet: writing. I write songs, radio dramas, short stories, and even co-wrote a concept rock album called Space Ship Truth (co-written with Owen Radford). Music and writing are what keep me alive through the toughest days. My work can be found at http://jedmondpresents.com and wherever you stream music under the name J.Edmond.
I’ve faced rejection, lost jobs, and more setbacks than I can count — yet I keep going. Rather than an autobiography at 26, I created a multi-genre series set in the town of Greenleaf, inspired by the people I respect in my life and the music world. Greenleaf already exists in the Jebbverse, my creative universe, through albums like Space Ship Truth and Future. These can be found at Jebbsmusic.bandcamp.com In this story I have the honor of saying, Pete Donnelly of The Figgs and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. of Beck/Jellyfish appear as themselves. Thank you both for being trusted friends.
Journey to Starlights is the first in what will be at least a trilogy — possibly four books — including Power Popped: The Tale of a Record Collector, Space Ship Truth, and The Wire: Plug In (Musical). A soundtrack is in the works, and I hope to collaborate with Joe Ghoul Art on a comic series for each installment. Huge thanks to my editor, Josh Dezern, for helping make this vision a reality.
This book is a journey of reflection. Pain and rejection are woven into a fantasy world like no other. As the stories unfold, I hope you come to call these characters your friends as each are inspired by a part of me.
Welcome to Journey to Starlights, written by J. Edmond and edited by the one and only Josh Dezern.
As I often say:
“Some one tell me where I am to be, I feel like a burden lost at sea.”
— J. Edmond, Tie Back Beginnings
Ch.2
A Sticky Rebirth
Having dinner with Pete and his closest friends pretty much made Deff’s life. Feats like that didn’t happen very often, so there’s no question he went home the previous night beaming with excitement, and in his mind, a million stories to tell his grandchildren one day. Usually, Deff sent thank-you cards to Jack whenever he helped out with something on that level. It was mostly helping him find albums and 45s he longed to capture, but for this meeting, Deff felt that a thank-you card to Jack wouldn’t be enough to express his gratitude.
“You ready to head over to Jack’s yet, Dani?” Deff asked, turning the pant leg out of his black jeans he always wore.
Deff had been reading about record stores shutting down across the country, and after all Jack had done for him in the last 24 hours, he felt that he needed to buy and support Robo Jack Records as much as humanly possible, even if it meant almost missing his rent once or twice. And said unconditional support was subject to start immediately.
Not to mention that considering how full the store was the day before, there just had to be more events like Pete’s meet-and-greet-slash-performance coming up. And in Deff’s eyes, see what events were coming up in person was better than checking on social media. Sometimes, people miss stuff and it ends with hardly any word getting out.
“Make sure you take your meds today. I think you missed yesterday, and I do not want you to get overstimulated, love,” Dani calmly repeated, as she really didn’t want that closet episode again for either of them. Though it had been a few months since that incident, being alone and helpless with someone who was spiraling traumatized her, and understandably, it had been at the forefront of her mind lately.
“Yes, mom,” Deff jabbed as he headed to take the RXX that was prescribed to him by Dr. Pleb for his anxiety. “I am truly glad that Dr. Pleb is able to listen to and believe in me. Thanks to him, we finally got to the bottom of this pesky anxiety after my surgery.” Though Deff’s recent cholecystectomy was a pretty common procedure, he still had a new outlook on life once it was over. He was a changed man, but in a good way.
“Man, last night was so amazing,” Deff said as he swallowed the last of his three pills.
“Truly hun. I had never seen Jack so hyped up, and I definitely never saw Robo Jack that full. I can’t shake the feeling that something magical is at play over there.” Dani said with a few chills going down her spine.
“It’s most likely the magic of music,” Deff chuckled, not realizing Dani was serious and was most likely on to something.
The couple gathered up some things for the day and headed over to Robo Jack. Deff called April, who had just woken up, and she too agreed to meet there.
Just like yesterday, Robo Jack Records looked more crowded than usual, and for the first time in his life, Jack actually had to throw a Hail Mary to get an emergency overnight delivery. He felt like he was on top of the world with such a high customer volume. You know, being on the news and all that. But he felt that if he wanted a shot in hell at keeping his store open, he’d need to stock up on the power pop his current demographic was hunting for. If he didn’t, he feared that things would go right back to where they were not terribly long ago: Quiet, low-key, and even a little dead.
The friend trio’s first goal was to encounter Jack, but when the kids walked into the store, he was running around like a madman restocking and helping guests simultaneously. They didn’t want to bother him while he was abnormally busy, so they decided to do some shopping first.
“Do you think he’s got the new Badfinger Head First release? It’s finally out on vinyl after lord knows how many years,” April asked Deff. She was also a massive fan of Pete Ham and company, and firmly believed that if it hadn’t had such horrible management, Badfinger had far too much potential to not be the next Beatles.
“Not sure, but I don’t see why not. Let me know if you find any of the new Jellyfish reissues, OK?” Deff replied, pointing towards the power pop section for them both to go to. He first went to check in on Dani since he could very well spend hours digging for power pop, especially with such a newly expanded selection. She was walking towards the front counter.
“Where ya going, Dani?” Deff asked. She had a look of concern in her eyes, but Deff didn’t notice at that moment. She paused in her tracks and turned around. “Just gonna see if Jack is alright with all the hustle and bustle. I’ll see you guys in a bit.”
Dani always felt a need to help others more than herself, as if she were hiding a deep secret. Or maybe she just liked Jack.
April and Deff headed to where, unbeknownst to them, the creature was last night. They could hear a whirring noise, as if someone left a Wurlitzer on with the reverb on high. But since there was always music playing in the store, they thought nothing of it.
“Ooh, ooh, I see it!” Deff exclaimed.
“The Badfinger reissue?!” April asked, attempting to shove him out of the way to see. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that. In fact, there was a note that said “please reorder.”
“Nah, just the Jellyfish ones. Both Bellybutton and Spilt Milk. At least there’s that,” Deff concluded, as he finally felt some warmth in his heart. He has been cold lately, but the day before reminded him how beautiful life can be, and how important and sacred his friendships should remain to him.
Right as Deff went to grab the Jellyfish records, he felt some sort of goo on them. Maybe it was the band playing a practical joke and putting out these releases with goo similar to that released by a, err, jellyfish. Little did he know that it came from the creature from the night before. In short, it enjoyed these records, a little too much, if you catch my drift. Anyway, Deff was quickly thrown back by the residue. “The hell?” he muttered as he went to ask Jack about it. He showed it to April, but he left her behind in that section so she could try and make sure there weren’t any copies of Headfirst hiding behind anything (there weren’t).
What there was, though, was that Wurlitzer noise again, and it clicked in April’s head that something was coming from the record shelf. She poked around the shelf and sure enough, saw a strange entrance of some sort. Her initial thought was that maybe it was a storage part of the store. April didn’t think Jack would mind, so she took a walk in.
Deff proceeded to the front of the store where Jack was having a chat with Dani. “Jack, what is this goo on these records?” Deff interrupted, handing him the Spilt Milk and Bellybutton records. The owner usually got triggered by being interrupted, but if there was something wrong with the quality of something he was selling, he was willing to stop in his tracks immediately, even if he was chatting away with Pete Donnelly. His eyes shifted in Deff’s direction and widened concerningly.
“Dude, where did you find this?” Jack asked, appalled that there was a drop of anything on his records. “I’m not sure what the fuck this substance is.”
“The powerpop section. Here, I’ll show you. April’s still back there!” Deff replied as the three rushed back to that section. Jack’s first thought was that it may have been a leak. But leaks don’t have goo like this, so that was impossible.
The group arrived to see April had disappeared, and the shelf had moved, showing an entrance way.
“Okay, this is very strange. I never knew there was an entrance way here…maybe I can use this for more storage,” Jack thought, wondering how he had never seen this before. Perhaps it was linked to his grandparents who founded the store.
“Guys, do we proceed? Maybe April went in,” Deff asked, nervous about what was to come. He couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing his childhood friend again.
“Deff, I think we should let Jack handle it,” Dani replied. She loved Deff, yes, but she was not about to follow a strange opening to rescue anyone. She was getting fed up with the adventures and always following Deff’s perpetually exciting leads, and was starting to wonder what a relaxed, do-everything-half-assed kind of life would be like. Dani wasn’t going to receive that with Deff, so it would be wrong to pretend that she thought about moving on with her life in that moment.
“Well here’s the deal, Dani:” Deff began, gaining the courage he wished he had for gigs long ago. “I’m going in to find April one way or another. You don’t have to come if you’re not comfortable, but I’m not holding back when a friend is in need.”
“Fine,” Dani responded, knowing that something could happen to Deff. Plus, Jack was going, so it couldn’t be that bad.
Full book releasing soon…
Praise for Journey to Starlights:
I recently had the pleasure of reading "Journey To Starlights” by J.Edmond, and I have to say, it was quite the experience. The book takes you on a beautifully woven journey of reflection, where the themes of pain and rejection are intricately blended into a rich fantasy world.
What really struck me was how the characters feel so alive and relatable; it’s as if you’re getting to know friends rather than just fictional creations. Each character seems to carry a piece of Jeremy’s own story, which adds a layer of authenticity that makes you root for them even more.
If you’ve ever faced struggles or felt lost, this book might just resonate with you. It captures the essence of those experiences in a way that feels comforting and familiar. I found myself reflecting on my own challenges while getting lost in this captivating world. Overall, "Journey To Starlights" is a great read for anyone looking for a journey that resonates on a deeper level. Highly recommend it! - James Michael Hollenstein (Radio Host at The Record Machine)
“This next tune is one you all know; I mean if you don’t you’ve been sleeping under a rock… SO WAKE UP!!! Its, Tie Back Beginnings by Deff & The Drifted Ones.” – Earl Stevens (Radio Host & Podcaster at the Mental Tribune on 95.6 FM Greenleaf’s own Rock Cast.
