Coloring Outside the Lines

A tale of musical adventure and long-distance romance set in Seattle and San Francisco.

Fans of On the Road and The Alchemist beware: this book will further stir the urge to dive into your desires that the aforementioned stories served up.

26-year-old singer-songwriter Jason Mayes is a street performer who takes every moment as it comes. Living in his Nissan Maxima—sleeping on couches and kitchen floors—he’s content showing up on the sidewalks of Seattle’s Pike Place Market and opening his guitar case, singing for enough cash to buy his next meal . . . and a few victory beers.

During a rowdy outing with some out-of-town songwriters, Jason meets Kendra, an intelligent and enigmatic girl from San Francisco. She and Jason share a steamy night before she flies back home, and the two maintain contact over the coming weeks via phone calls and the ancient art of writing letters.

When a combination of serendipitous circumstances align, culminating in a spontaneous road trip with a cast of colorful characters, Jason tags along for a week in the fabled city by the bay, where he dives into the music scene, explores new busking spots, and reconnects with Kendra, who's well worth the 800-mile journey.