STAR BRIGHT JEWEL SHINES IN WHATEVER ENDEAVOR SHE CHOOSES.

Byline: Luanne J. Hunt Correspondent

The sleepy voice of 26-year-old Jewel sounded much younger over the telephone as she confessed, ``I'm not quite awake yet.''

But this particular morning, the singer-songwriter didn't need a cup of coffee to stimulate her senses. All it took was the question: ``What inspired you to write your latest book, 'Chasing Down the Dawn'?''

``I write all the time,'' said Jewel, who performs acoustically tonight at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. ``I have my whole life. It's like a habit or something and it happens whenever I am sitting down.''

Written during her recent Spirit World Tour, ``Chasing Down the Dawn'' (Harper Colins; $24) is a collection of prose, poetry, sketches and photographs of the people, places and events that have touched Jewel's life.

``The title came from a poem that I wrote about returning to Alaska and reconnecting with how I went from being a homestead child to a star,'' said Jewel, who was born in Utah but raised in Alaska. ``The book is about all sorts of things, from chasing cattle as a child to being at a show in Australia in front of 20,000 people.''

From a young age, Jewel Kilcher began developing her gift for writing and performing. At 6, the future star began spending evenings around the dinner table singing, performing skits and telling stories with her parents.

During her junior and senior years of high school, Jewel attended Interlochen Fine Arts Academy in Michigan, concentrating on visual art and voice. Upon graduating in 1992, Jewel moved to San Diego, where her mother was living.

In order to save money and allow Jewel to focus solely on her music career, the pair lived in separate Volkswagen vans. During that time, Jewel wrote songs by day and performed at local clubs and coffeehouses at night.

Jewel's sacrifices and perseverance paid off. By 1993, she had a large enough fan base to attract the attention of record executives and land a recording contract with Atlantic Records.

Her 1995 debut CD, ``Pieces of You,'' sold more than 11 million copies and featured the hit singles ``Who Will Save Your Soul,'' ``Foolish Games'' and ``You Were Meant for Me.''

The CD, which has become one of the top-selling albums ever by a female artist, also earned Jewel an American Music Award for Best New Artist and a Diamond Award for U.S. sales.

After enjoying the success of her second CD, 1998's ``Spirit,'' Jewel felt it was time for a rest.

``I dropped out for a year because I was tired of it,'' she said. ``And I was tired of the traveling. It's a typical story. You get tired and burned out, so you take time to relax and re-evaluate what you're doing.''

She did manage to squeeze in a film role, starring in Ang Lee's ``Ride With the Devil.'' While the film from the highly acclaimed director did so-so business, Jewel received fairly positive reviews.

Although writing a book satisfied part of Jewel's artistic drive, she admits the motivation for her current acoustic tour came from missing her early days as an entertainer.

``I wanted to do some solo shows again,'' she said. ``I missed doing it, so I set up little gigs that I could play the way I used to.''

For Jewel, that means a guitar and a great amount of creative freedom.

``From the beginning, I've always played songs I've written that day or songs I've written on the spot,'' said Jewel. ``My fans have gotten used to it. The show changes every night. There's no set list.''

While most artists may not be able to get away with so much improvisation, Jewel believes her honest, intimate performing style is what has made her so popular.

``To me, a live audience is different every night,'' she said. ``I think it's best to tailor the show to fit their mood. And the audience loves it when you're honest. They like it much better than when the show is fabricated.''

As Jewel reveals the pieces of her journey through her songs, poetry, art and prose, her life remains an open book.

And like a true artist, the chance to share her heart inspires Jewel to keep chasing down her wildest dreams.

``I love performing like nothing else,'' said Jewel. ``There's nothing like being on stage and being able to feel people. I love that.''

JEWEL with guest Steve Polz

Where: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos.

When: 8 tonight.

Tickets: $39 to $59. Call [phone] or [phone].

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

no caption (JEWEL)