I have a notification list and if you'd like to receive an e-mail when the next chapter is submitted, just write me and ask to be added! Names on this list are not sold, bartered, traded, loaned, or distributed. You will get mail only with major announcements such as chapter postings.

This is the director's cut, if you will, of Alone With Myself. It's the same story and a great deal more. Because of constant demands and inquiries from readers, plus my own desire to see Alone in the form I originally intended, I've decided to expand Alone to include new information. There will be additional character development, more background on Nicky's world, additional narrative, and even some new characters. Although every chapter will have some expanded material, the big differences will be in Alex's and Nicky's own worlds. This isn't material I pulled out of a hat. Much of it was originally planned as backstory, or for either a sequel or a prequel. I've corrected some continuity gaffes, tweaked minor details throughout, and totally changed some things, all in order to make the characters and world more realistic and consistent.

As you can see, Alone With Myself is still my current working title, though I continue to seek a better title after nearly five years. As before, I may go back and edit previous chapters so you will see a revision date at the top of each chapter.

Please do not copy these posted chapters: they are for your personal reading pleasure only while connected to this web site. They may not be distributed, transmitted, or otherwise moved from this place. If you think you'd like to post them on your website, please contact me directly. (Small excerpts may be quoted for review purposes as long as you send me a copy of the review after it's released.)

Like most authors I was not entirely sure where the novel would take me when I started. I had a plan when I began as most authors do, but as I wrote, I found that the characters in the novel had plans of their own. As a writer, you often find your characters develop personality and ideas that you did not give them. They become alive and take you places you had not intended.

Rather than limit myself in any way, take this as your official warning: this material is designed for adult audiences only. If you are under the legal age of majority in your present location, you should not read this novel without your parents' permission. While most of the novel is suited for any audience, parts of it will may vulgar language, violence, and/or sexual situations which may make some people uncomfortable. If you may be offended by any of this, you should not read this novel. I will not limit my writing to keep from offending those with narrow minds or weak constitutions.

This story tells you nothing about me or my tastes except whether or not I can write an engaging story. Like writers of murder stories, I do not necessarily approve of any of the actions described herein. Any resemblance of any character to any individual, alive, dead, or yet to be born, is purely coincidental. The story is entirely fiction. All characters and events in the novel are fictional. They are made-up, imaginary, and not real. Mostly.

As a tribute to the many on-line authors whose stories I've read, I've taken a few select lines from the best of those stories and worked them into my story. If you see one of your sentences, it means you inspired me at that point! Not all chapters have these tributes and they total no more than, perhaps, two dozen sentences in this entire work.

I take my time writing, because if you don't write at your own pace, it doesn't usually come out very good. If you want to see new chapters produced more quickly, drop me a note and say something: it may spur me to spend a bit more time on the novel.

I hope you like what's here and I thank you for your time in coming here and reading what my characters and I have to say. Once again, I really love comments, suggestions, and even criticisms, so please feel free to send me feedback. The only thanks and encouragement an author gets is when you take the time to write. I answer all mail. Flames will be cheerfully ignored, but constructive criticism is welcome. That being said, a special word of thanks goes out to those who have written and offered words of support and encouragement in the past. If you want to know about me, try my website. I also have a blog there with current news.

I'd also like to give very special thanks to my proofreaders (CK, AM, and LH for this version and CK and EW for the first version) without whom my modifiers would still be dangling.

(This story takes place in the year 2000 and much of it was written prior to 9-11, so please keep that in mind for scenes involving airport security, descriptions of New York, and anything else that might no longer be accurate in the post 9-11 world.)