Linda Caldwell has sung in nightclubs and supper clubs throughout the United States in her earlier career. She lives in Phoenix and loves taking walks and being in nature, surrounded by trees, brooks, and streams. She is also an animal lover. She prefers intimate evenings at home or out having dinner with close friends. You will enjoy her story and the wisdom, wit, and experiences contained within.

The memoir that started it all. Linda's electrifying rise through clubs, dance halls, and concert stages — coast to coast, on her own terms.

I guess you could say I came from a musical family. My dad played the banjo, my mom the piano, and my brothers played guitar. I came from country roots. My dad would remark after I had become a professional singer . . .

“Lots of people out there for this,” my dad smirked. He wasn’t impressed. I looked around to see him looking out the side from the drawn curtain. I was too busy trying to get myself up on a wooden chair that was placed there for me to reach the microphone.

I used to think breathing was overrated. I was blessed with tremendous lungs, which allowed me great breath control. I was a singer, but that’s not the only place or occasion in which this came in handy.

She put her wine glass on the coffee table, leaned over, and kissed me. Oh my! So soft and tender, just the right amount of time and a little tongue. We had a fun evening, and she left around 2:30 a.m. That’s all we did; talked and kissed. There was not a doubt in my mind, I was definitely gay . . . but how do I handle it? It was all so exciting and scary at the same time. Usually, weekends were party nights. After my shows, I would take off to the Sportsman for “after-hours” and meet William and the boys. And as they say, this too came to an end.

The lights and the performances could hide a lot of pain — but not forever.
As the front of a dynamic six-piece band, Linda lived the dream. Stages, nightclubs, devoted fans across the Southwest. But behind the spotlight was a woman running from childhood trauma, drowning the noise with cocaine and alcohol, and chasing love in all the wrong places.

When her partner died and the band dissolved, her career and her life shattered. What followed was decades of grief, economic hardship, and the painful grind toward understanding why she kept standing in her own way.

Second Act, Third Chances is a memoir of raw honesty and fierce resilience — a story of damage, healing, and the courage to start all over again.

If you've walked through your own dark times and are looking for hope — this book was written for you.

Copyright © Linda Caldwell. All Rights Reserved