Say Goodbye

Say Goodbye is a compelling literary fiction and contemporary romance novel by acclaimed author Lewis Shiner, set against the vibrant and unforgiving backdrop of the American music industry in the 1990s. It is a story about ambition, reinvention, and the price of chasing a dream in a world that commodifies talent and crushes authenticity.

The novel centers on Laurie Moss, a young woman with raw musical talent who sets out to make it as a rock star, and the music industry insiders whose lives become entangled with hers along the way. At its core, Say Goodbye is about the collision between artistic integrity and commercial pressure, and what it truly costs to say goodbye to one version of yourself in order to become another.

Shiner's writing is sharp, emotionally honest, and deeply attuned to the rhythms of music and human longing. He renders the music world with insider authenticity — the gigs, the studios, the deals, and the disillusionment — while keeping the human relationships at the center of the story warm and achingly real.

Say Goodbye will resonate with readers who love character-driven literary fiction with a strong sense of place and cultural identity. It is a love letter to music, a meditation on identity, and a quietly powerful story about letting go — of people, of dreams, and of the lives we thought we were going to live.