Morning Neurosis
The mostly true story of a girl trying to reconcile her rock n' roll roots with a new reality
by
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I used to be a morning person. Of course, I also used to live in Los Angeles, Studio City, to be specific, where most mornings brought a spectacular sunrise that would burst over the palm trees lining my back yard. I could drink coffee, water my cactus and start my day without a single care. It was the life I’d wanted since I turned twelve, when Bon Jovi and Motley Crue ruled my world and I believed the Sunset Strip possessed a magical energy that was up for grabs. And I suppose it was, for me: the second I graduated college I sprinted across the country directly to a corner office on Sunset and Vine that overlooked the Hollywood Hills. There was no other place I wanted to be, especially when it meant I could completely drench myself in the music industry. Sure it wasn’t my family’s first career option for me, and my penchant for dating rock stars wasn’t particularly fortunate, but it all worked. At the least, I was living my rock n’ roll dream, and that was enough for the time. Something went wrong somewhere, though, and I have managed to wind up in the exact opposite place I thought I would. In all my fantasies, I never pictured three successive job layoffs leaving me with approximately $7 in my checking account. When my boyfriend Rocker X left for tour, he was supposed to whisk me off with him, not leave me stranded with a pile of dirty laundry to dry clean and ship to a hotel in Nebraska. Most of all, I never thought I’d be forced to move back to my home town, head bowed, feet shuffling and business casual-wearing to take a job at Indie TV Studio, the least rock and roll place in the world. Morning now brings weather reports where the actual temperature outside is modified by a “feels like” factor. Working breakfasts are no longer conducted via cell phones while driving down Laurel Canyon Boulevard. Worse still, mornings now host a set of wants and needs that manifest themselves in neon-colored neuroses that make my eyes twitch and heart pound. It all comes down to one thing … a man.
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About the Book
Is there life after music?
Juliette Miranda isn’t quite sure. While living out her dreams in Los Angeles, she is forced to make an unexpected return to her hometown where she must struggle to save her relationships, and sanity, from the long shadows of her rock 'n' roll past.
Despite her best efforts, some issues refuse to stay locked in her closet. By recounting tales of her past - like the rock star boyfriend who sang more romantic songs to his dog than to her, or being abandoned in Jamaica by a drugged-out Jim Morrison wanna-be - Juliette hopes to understand her present.
Her chronicle reveals an open, passionately honest look at a girl whose life isn’t turning out exactly as she hoped. Her morning neuroses become the vanguard to a broader story that incorporates her loving yet crazy family, indelible friendships, and career mishaps.
Lightly fictionalized to protect the identities of the not-so-innocent, Morning Neurosis is more than a kiss and tell. It’s an intimate look into Miranda’s real life experiences as she strives to find love, music … and herself.
About the Author
Juliette Miranda’s introduction to the music industry and career as a writer began before she was legal. More industrious than the typical music fan, Juliette launched her own fan-magazine at the age of 16. What started as a fanzine eventually grew into a full magazine. Within two years, Juliette’s independent publication had a readership of more than 2,000. She ran the magazine for six years, funding the publication through ad sales, small subscriptions, and donations. Her list of professional interviews reads like a Who’s Who in Rock, ranging from Bon Jovi to the Scorpions to Pat Benetar and Motley Crue. Upon graduating college, Juliette moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of working in the music industry. Her adventures in LA included public relations jobs with record labels, several production credits with ill-fated television shows and internet sites, and a pile of rejection letters. It wasn’t until she moved back to her hometown of Chicago that Juliette was able to reclaim her success as a writer. Since relocating, Juliette has enjoyed a two-year stint as a monthly editorial columnist with an affiliate of the Chicago Sun-Times and a position as executive producer of a local music documentary television series. Her freelance portfolio includes columns with music-oriented websites and reviews in fashion and beauty magazines.