Life Of A Star Before The Fame: Journeys Of The Heart Series

By Cinquanta Cox-Smith

Fame. Love. Respect. Lilly DuPont wanted it all, and at the sweet age of 25, Lilly achieved her goals. She's newly engaged with a hot record climbing the charts, Lilly should be over the moon. Unfortunately, her past continues to haunt her and a new secret threatens to end several friendships. Lilly wants so much to release her burdens but remains fearfully reluctant to walk away from the past and step into the truth. Lilly's dream of being a superstar has always led her footsteps. From the weekends spent at dance, singing, drama and piano lessons, Lilly was determined to accomplish her dreams. She left home -to the dismay of her mothers -- at the young age of 18; with a singular focus to take-over Los Angeles and become a star. Lilly soon learned that the glittering flowers of fame were spiked with golden thorns, and she'd do anything to survive. Throughout her young adulthood, she struggled with her emotional naivety as she 'jumped' from body to body, constantly trying to become the main priority in her lover's lives. Lilly also learns that in a world of prettier faces and frenemies', she must decide whether her fight for the spotlight is worth the carnage she leaves behind; and finally Lilly's small-town values are also put to the test, as she finds herself in predicaments that blur the line of 'right and wrong.' If dealing with the past wasn't enough, Lilly has on-going issues that haven't been resolved. The burden of her mother's constant disapproval of Lilly's career choice, the pressure of financially contributing to her brother's tuition, an ex-;lover attempting to join her future, writing another hit, and wedding planning. Ordinarily, Lilly would turn to her best friend for guidance, but an even bigger secret threatens to unravel the 15+ year friendship. With the demands of her past encroaching on her future and the year-long secret she's kept, Lilly is frozen in action. Will Lilly refuse to acknowledge her emotional pain and the unintentional hurt she has caused others? Can Lilly release her past to create a new future? How will Lilly's decisions derail her quest for fame, love, and respect?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781794762442

Cinquanta Cox-Smith

Cinquanta Cox-Smith is a hardworking entrepreneur, but writing has always remained her first love. Her breakout series Journeys of The Heart has captured the hearts of many readers. Recently, she published two erotic short story series that will sure to have you wanting more. Cox-Smith is an Army Veteran originally from Georgetown, South Carolina. She resides in Fort Riley, Kansas with her husband and two children.

Book preview

Chapter 1.

How did I get here? Oh, I know I had a dream. A dream that one day. Blah… Blah… Blah… But, I did have a dream. A dream that I would be super famous because I have the voice of an angel, and dance moves like Michael Jackson. I’m a triple threat, and I have worked my butt off. At least I thought. Moving to Los Angeles was a dream for me, and I just knew I’d be working within the first two months of arriving. I was so ready to leave home after High School graduation. Seventeen and naïve but ready to explore the west coast.

My parents warned me that not everything would come to me easy just because I had a pretty face. Those were words I most certainly didn’t want to hear. I was going to be a star! A huge star! I just didn’t know that it would come with major obstacles and stressful days.

. . . . . .

I was sitting there with a guy that I met by the name of Fish as he was preparing to meet up with his dealer. Fish was about 5’7, with brown skin and he wore a bottom grill. He kept his hair cut low and wore a small beard. He was a little rough around the edges, but not too thuggish. He dressed really nice and was a complete gentleman. He had a smile that had me mesmerized, and I had a strong attraction to him. I had no clue about what he did for a living when I met him out one night at a club. He bought a bottle of Moet for me and my girls. Which then led to us exchanging numbers. We talked a few times on the phone, and we had really good chemistry. I enjoyed talking to him, and he was pretty laid back, but real upfront. Last week, he asked me to meet him out at his Aunt’s house as he said he had some business to handle, but he wanted to spend some time with me. So I agreed. His aunt lived out in Rolling Hills, and it was a semi-rural area. The house was nice, and there was a lot of lands around. Not as many houses, but it seemed like a quiet area. When I pulled up, he hadn’t arrived yet. He had his brother to come out to my car to let me know he was on his way.  I was thinking to myself if you knew I was coming, why wouldn’t you be here to meet me? This was one of my biggest pet peeves; being on time. I do believe in giving everyone a fair chance, though.

Within the next hour, I had found out that Fish was a true drug dealer. That’s right a DRUG DEALER! I was shocked, but I stuck around. He was dealing, and bagging supplies out of his Aunt’s barn. He wanted to be upfront with me about his lifestyle, and I guess I can’t be mad at him for that. He even carried a 357 magnum. I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to a weapon or drugs in my life. Fish was sexy, though, and I wanted to make it work. So at that moment, I accepted his lifestyle. He told me he had to meet with his dealer out in the woods. The look on my face was a little shocked, but we drove my 2006 Nissan Altima back to the woods. I damn sure don’t look good in orange or khaki. They unpacked, and he sampled some of the weed and I’m not sure if there was any other product, but I wouldn’t know what I was looking at anyways. At that point, I didn’t want to know that much about his dealings, but he wanted, to be honest with me. I appreciated that. After they unloaded the product in the back of my car they went over and burned the boxes. So, that’s how they get rid of evidence. At that moment, I was basically an accessory to a crime. But, I wasn’t thinking, I was young and ready to jump in head first without knowing all the details. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t wrong. I acknowledged everything that happened that day and had a whole purse full of money to go along with it. Shopping Spree! I can’t wait to get a new purse. I became a real hood girlfriend or so I thought. We never spoke a lot about titles, but I assumed we were an