West of Mars

Well, hell. If I’m not proof that moms read, you definitely need to stop in at Mommy’s Reading Too. Lots of proof there!

Join me, as blog owner Jennifer was kind enough to read the first three books in the Trevolution and share her thoughts about them. AND she interviewed me, as well.

Can’t beat THAT combination.

Can you tell I’ve been having fun with blog post headlines? Hope you’re having fun with them with me.

Anyway, the Three Way Tie I’m referring to is author Larissa Hinton’s blog, where I’ve dropped in with a guest post today. Stop in and say hi — Larissa is cool. I can’t wait to get to know her better.

Yep, it’s another Twitter connection! See the value of talking to people via Twitter, not just shouting into crowded rooms? I’ve been meeting awesome, fascinating people. I hope you have been, too. (Feel free to tell me about them!)

One of them is author Jennifer Farwell, who is the author of Rock Star’s Girl.

Hello, what’s this? Rock Fiction???

But, of course!

In my need to be all over the best (and worst — and everything in between) Rock Fiction that exists, I invited Jennifer by for the famed One Question Interview.

Jennifer, what song makes you think of Rock Star’s Girl?

Seether’s cover of “Careless Whisper” always makes me think of ROCK STAR’S GIRL. I won’t give too much away, but when you read the book and then take a look at the lyrics, this song is relevant to both the Cory-Emily and Jesse-Emily dynamics. I can picture either Cory or Jesse as the person in the song, giving the listener their thoughts and perspective. And, as some kind readers have pointed out, Emily is no fool.

I chose Seether’s cover for a reason, though, well beyond lyrics. With the gritty guitars and vocals, it evokes the very mood of a few scenes that deal with the relationships of the main characters. Relationships are complicated. In the situation Emily, Cory, and Jesse are in, amid fame and Hollywood gossip, even more so. It’s all there in the arrangement of this song. The uncertainty, regret, and longing — all the good stuff. It was my go-to song to instantly bring me into the story when I’d sit down to write or edit.

(OMG. Is that THE LAMEST official video for such an amazing song, or WHAT?)

Anyway, here’s the blurb for Rock Star’s Girl:

Emily Watts just wants a weekend break from the workaholic hours she’s taken on to keep her business — a popular fashion-snark web site — up and running. What she gets is overnight celebrity and a career-killing media scandal.

While taking time out to attend a concert in support of friend Jesse Cinder, a struggling musician, Emily meets Cory Sampson, the lead singer of a chart-topping rock band. When she agrees to a date with Cory, making entertainment headlines is the last thing she expects. Even so, it’s a minor surprise by comparison to her discovery that in the music world, media notoriety trumps all. Tabloid allegations erupt when Cory and fame-hungry Jesse use Emily for personal gain, and her tarnished image spells disaster — personally and professionally. To save the web site and writing career she’s made her life and dream, Emily must go from being a pawn in the Hollywood headline game to becoming the media mastermind.

Need some buy links? They’re all Amazon, so if you’re like me and not a Kindle user, speak up! Speak out!

Amazon (Kindle edition)
Amazon (paperback)

Maybe you’ve heard about this already. Maybe not.

Either way, it’s still effing cool and right about now, I’m wishing I was a visual artist and not merely a writer. (Merely! Ha!)

A bunch of artists have gotten together and created art that, to them, represents Metallica songs. You’ve got to see some of the art that’s been made (scroll down). It’s wild. It’s cool. It’s out there.

You may even realize that some of these artists don’t usually make visual art. Some clownish types do.

At any rate, it’s cool. I wish I could see it in person. Heck, I wish I was visual enough to have been a contributor. But… I’m not. I’m just your basic writer (basic!) and Rock Fiction expert…

Maybe they’ll call on me to edit a short story anthology based on Metallica songs… Now, THAT would be cool.

You guys know I love the promo trail. Yesterday, I stopped in at Kati Lear’s blog, Jagged Edge, for an interview. I think there’s stuff in there I haven’t talked much about, if at all.

Stop in and let me know if you agree.

So you’ve been meaning to pick up the first two Demo Tapes books for your Kindle. But… well, other books have intruded on your search, and it was hard to resist.

I know. I have similar problems. I’m not here to fault you.

Instead, I’m here to tell you that Amazon’s decided to drop the price on Demo Tapes (Year 1) and Demo Tapes (Year 2) to 99c. Each.

Now’s the time. If you have friends who love Rock Fiction, if you have friends who used to watch music videos on MTV, if you have friends who still lust for men with long hair… why not gift ‘em a book or two?

Really, guys. It doesn’t get any better than this. And with King Trevor set to be released on April 12, there’s no better time to join the Trevolution.

Is there?

Didn’t think so.

WAIT.

Are you a print lover???

Demo Tapes (Year 1), Demo Tapes (Year 2), AND Demo Tapes (Year 3) are STILL part of Amazon’s 4-for-3 promo. Maybe you’ve seen me Tweet about it. Maybe not.

At any rate, here’s the deal. You can buy all three Demo Tapes short story anthologies and spend MORE time with Trevor, Mitchell, and the gang. $29.97 for all three. AND then you can surf around and find something for FREE. (Sorry, but Trevor’s Song isn’t part of the promo. Bummer, huh?)

Like I said: King Trevor. April 12, 2012.

Join the Trevolution NOW.

(Demo Tapes — Year 1 in print)
(Demo Tapes — Year 2 in print)
(Demo Tapes — Year 3 in print)

How did we miss this one? I almost did, and that’d be a shame. I particularly like this guest blog post: it’s over at The Adolescent Muse. Yes, me, your favorite Rock Fiction writer and expert. Hangin’ at a joint with Adolescent in the title.

It’s all good. Trevor doesn’t make a single appearance to scare anyone off.

Instead, I’m talking about blog serials. How they’ve changed since I began blogging way back when in April of 2006, and what a good thing those changes are.

I even give some props to a good friend of ours here at West of Mars, so stop in and check it out.

I’m over at the #amwriting site today, with some Flash Fiction I wrote earlier in the week.

It’s Mitchell. It’s Daniel.

And it’s a hot dog.

I’ll leave you with a wink and see you over at Amwriting.

**If that link doesn’t work, let me know and check back later for one that does! I like this story and don’t want you to miss it.

I’ll admit it. The more I’ve seen of Dee Snider of late, the more I am intrigued by the guy. First hearing he’d be on Broadway in Rock of Ages. Then watching old footage of him talking about the PMRC hearings back in the 80s. And most recently, watching him on Celebrity Wife Swap.

Yep, I watched it. Got a problem with that?

There was something really sweet about a man who takes his borrowed wife out on a date. I will carry that envy with me to eternity.

All this means, of course, that when news came out the other day about his new autobiography, Shut up and Give Me the Mic, I drooled. If I can’t be friends with the man (at least as how he’s presented himself of late) and his wife, who is tough-as-shit and who can be my mentor any day, then the next best thing is a book. Right?

Riiiiiiight.

Like me having chaos and insanity is anything new?

Come join me at Chaos and Insanity, the home blog of my Pink Snowbunnies in Hell co-contributor, Coral Moore. I’ve done an interview there and I suspect there are some tidbits of information about me that you just don’t know about yet…