Just Carly

Author’s Note

The Paul Robertson Saga is told from Paul’s perspective, allowing readers to see, hear, and feel everything through his eyes. This personal point of view brings a story to life, drawing you more deeply into Paul’s world. That approach has always been a good fit for Paul’s story, but as the world around him expands, it is beginning to pose challenges.

The planned sequel series, provisionally titled The Alabama Sweetheart Saga, will continue to be narrated by Paul. However, it will not be his story alone.

Much of it will belong to Kayla Valentine and the Sweetheart Army that forms around her. Paul can describe what Kayla says and does. He can tell us how he interprets her behaviour. But he cannot tell us what she is thinking when he is not present, and he certainly cannot tell us what thousands of fans scattered around the world are thinking and feeling.

Fortunately, Kayla, or rather, Carly, has been keeping a personal journal in a private app called “Hush Y’all.” And we’ll see entries from her journal in the sequel series. This book is a reproduction of Kayla’s journal from when she starts it on 1st January 2014 as a New Year’s Resolution, through to the end of the Paul Robertson Saga in March.

Unlike my usual novels, which I complete before publication, I am releasing this project section by section as I write it. It will therefore remain a work in progress for some time. Posts may be added, revised, reordered or corrected as the project develops. I am also using generative AI as one of the tools assisting me with this project, particularly to make sure nothing in this book contradicts anything in the main series. I understand that some readers object to any use of AI in creative work, and I want to be transparent about its involvement so that everyone can make an informed decision about whether to continue.

For those who do, welcome. If you’ve read The Paul Robertson Saga, you already know the story, but I’m trying to tell it from Kayla’s point of view, which I hope adds something new.

This experiment may work. It may not.

I suppose we are going to find out together.