Wasn’t there some song in the 70s or 80s that started out like that? Dance with me/I want to be your partner/Can’t you see…

Yeah. I remember it.

Anyone got a title and artist for me? (If you know it and want a free download of something from my backlist, holler. What the heck; it’s a Smashwords coupon and a memory like THAT ought to be rewarded.)

The dance today isn’t some veiled sexual comment, like the song is. It’s a happy dance.

Dudes, I am SWAMPED. A big editing project, a couple of samples, a Last Look edit, some PR, some real-life people to connect with, some books to edit for that big name review company who pays me to tell them what I think of a book or two… SWAMPED, I tell you. I’m so swamped, it’s hard to know which project gets top priority and my full attention at any minute of the day.

And I am loving every minute of it. (I’d love it more if the auto-schedule feature were working right ’cause I’ve got cool posts that I’ve been too swamped to hand-post!)

Bring it on. Keep it coming. It may mean less of me on social media. But it means an income, and it means I’m happy and a happy Susan means more good fiction coming your way, as well.

And while I’m this swamped, go visit Jaidis Shaw. I’ve got a Featured New Book spot I need to get up for Monday, so stop in and see what she’s about. Whet your appetite so when she’s here, talking music, you’re TOTALLY into it.

Keep the good stuff coming, guys. It’s magic, and I’m loving it. May it only get better from here.

Come over to Yinz Readin’, home of local girl Laurie Koozer, to see what my favorite children’s book is. You won’t be disappointed!

I took a few hours just now when I should have been writing, and re-added all the book reviews that used to be linked to from the Rock Fiction page.

And the recovery from being hacked continues…

If you haven’t been over to the Rock Fiction page yet, what’s keeping you? Go check it out. Read the reviews. If you know of any good reviews I can link to, let me know. If I’m missing any Rock Fiction titles that need to be on the page, let me know. Drop a note to your favorite Rock Fiction author (well, other than me) and ask them to send me their book for review (although I’m way backlogged!).

I’ve got a few more things to do behind the scenes, and then it’ll be off to some of that magic time that, on Twitter, we call #amwriting.

It’s quiet over here at West of Mars. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First is that I stopped in at Shayna Gier’s blog, talking about the reaction to King Trevor’s release. Go see it… there may be a secret or two that gets revealed!

Second is that another amazing writer has found her way to me, and I’m currently helping her hone her prose from damn fine into incredible. This project will most likely take me into next week, which means very little writing or blogging will be happening.

And last… have you clicked through lately? Why not do it now? You’ll find a whole new look going on here at West of Mars. Regrettably, it came at a cost — the archives of Rocks ‘n Reads have been lost forever, and Win a Book may or may not be recoverable.

I’ll be reposting, slowly, when I have time, the book reviews I’d posted at Rocks ‘n Reads. Keep your eye on the Rock Fiction page and watch as, slowly, the links to the reviews change.

Onward and upward, my friends. Remember to pick up your copies of my books, and to contact me first when you need an edit.

No fiction again this week; it’s been another hectic one. Hopefully, writing time will resume in the immediate future.

You guys know I like to find all sorts of crazy, creative ways for people to express themselves.

But heavy metal bellydancing?

Why not?

MOONHOAR is a metal bellydance duo featuring Hairy The Beast and Warta The Destroyer. Formed in New Orleans, MOONHOAR fuses various styles of bellydance with their own experimental moves to one of the most intricate and heavy music genres… metal. All of their pieces are based on dark themes found in history, mythology, or the occult. They state, “We don’t do restaurants, but we will do funerals!’

Seriously… why NOT??

(and can I learn??)

**quote from Blabbermouth.

Yeah, okay. Lame post title.

You don’t think? Read on.

Alex Lifeson, the guitar virtuoso of rock legends Rush, is the latest musician to expand into visual arts. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is offering limited-edition copies of his artwork. And I do mean limited — only 250 are being printed!

It’s pricey, too, as befits a special print for a special cause — $275 Canadian for us here in the States (shipping to the US included). The prints have an original autograph from Alex, but they do NOT come with a frame. You’ve got that expense on top of the cost of the print.

Still… I think collecting art from musicians is a cool thing to do. Go buy my books so I can, eh?

Here’s more info, from the official site.

No Kerri’s Diary this weekend. I’m off to Boy Scout Leader Training, hoping I won’t be called home early; it looks like I can do Wood Badge in the autumn if I make it to the end.

So. That means you should go visiting. I have been — join me!

At Novel Publicity, I’ve dropped in with a guest blog to talk about the value of a paid review. Now that I’m getting paid by a big, well-established company to write reviews, I’ve got a different perspective on what you’ll get out of it. And I’m not talking about a soaking for the fees, either.

Necromancy Never Pays has a thought-provoking review of King Trevor.

Another King Trevor review can be found at Shayna Gier’s blog. It’s interesting to compare the two.

Giveaways!

Shayna’s giving away e-copies of Trevor’s Song and King Trevor, so stop in and enter to win.

Want another contest? Laurie J at Laurie’s Non-paranormal Thoughts and Reviews is giving away an e-copy of Trevor’s Song. Since he’s gotta have a song before he can be crowned King, don’tcha know…

Yes, in case you missed it: ShapeShifter is a band name. It came from the desire of a young Trevor Wolff to shapeshift into his namesake and rip out the throat of the man who claimed to be his father.

That’s why I’ve stopped in at Laurie’s NON-paranormal Thoughts and Reviews today, for an interview and spotlight of Trevor’s Song. There’s an excerpt, too.

Why Trevor’s Song and not King Trevor? Because with the hullabaloo over here that I hope you’ve known nothing about (but if you’ve clicked through recently, you’ve seen it first-hand), I couldn’t get it together for King Trevor in time. Which means it’s been worse than crazy over here.

Stop in. See what’s going on. Click through to the give for Smashwords coupons for BOTH Trevor’s Song and King Trevor.

While you’re out and about, stop in at JC Cassels’ Gotta Name My Blog. I’m talking about heroes over there.

Remember a few months back, when I joined in a mega-huge give over at Darcia Helle’s site?

We’re at it again.

Only, this time, it’s e-books. And, instead of one winner taking home the bacon — well, okay, half the pig — this time, there will be multiple winners. Five of them (you?), in fact. Each winner will get five books.

Stop in. Check it out. Enter. Spread the word and all that jazz…

Yo.

A couple months back, Sharlana Williams interviewed me for Hellfire Publishing. It took so long to get posted that I thought… nah. The editors didn’t like it. They dropped it in the circular file.

Surprise!

I’m lousy with jokes of this sort, so if you can think of one about the one-armed drummer who begins making gorgeous art, let me have it.

I don’t have much info on this, other than to think that on the surface, it’s not that different from what Matt Sorum is doing.

Here’s from the press release, or the article posted at Brave Words, or wherever this originated from (it’s posted on Allen’s website and is credited to Blabbermouth, so… clear as mud. Which could be another art form, I know):

DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen\\\’ collection of visual art, “Electric Hand: Rhythm + Change”, is set for release on April 18 exclusively at RickAllenArt.com. Allen is translating rhythm into a visual art medium through an extensive process involving drumbeat, light, photography, and graphic design. The result is a collection of abstract imagery built directly from Allen’s rhythmic prowess. And as one of the pioneers in this new medium, Allen is holding true to a lifetime of breaking barriers and new ground.

Jokes aside, even though I’m too lame to make them, I met Rick Allen once, way back, not long after the whole arm thing and his triumphant return to the stage. He was a nice enough bloke. Very NOT a rock star, you know?

He’s gone on to form the Raven Drum Foundation and other cool things that are changing the world.

So… check out the art. It comes out a mere six days after King Trevor, so you should budget accordingly (King Trevor, of course, being a book and not one-of-a-kind art that makes Susan drool, will be significantly less money, so if you have to choose…).

Let me know what you think!

It began when I approached the lovely Shayna Gier about having her review Trevor’s Song. A friendship has struck up, one that I hope will continue.

That has nothing to do with my saying this interview was a hell of a lot of fun. Not only does she ask good stuff, she’s the FIRST person to comment on Cool Dude!

Go see. Go see what her other fun questions are. If you think of some you’d like to ask, I’m always game for an interview. You guys know that. I love promo, love meeting new people, love chatting with folk. Take advantage. Even ten years ago, this sort of access to an author was unheard of.

Yeah. Let’s talk the new Shinedown single.

I adore it.

Parts of it even remind me of King’s X. (Anyone else remember them?)

Anyway… here’s the deal. I’m surfing the music headlines over at Blabbermouth and one of them says “Shinedown Singer says Bully Does Not Condone Violence.”

Huh? What?

Okay. Clearly, I missed something here. That’s not terribly surprising, as I’ve been wrapped up in my own stuff over here.

Or… maybe I didn’t. I mean, isn’t part of the magic of a good song the way a listener can give it their own meaning?

And for me, Bully is more about eventuality. It’s about what’s going to happen in the long run. All you’ll ever be is a fading memory of a bully.

Here’s what Shinedown singer Brent Smith had to say, according to that news from Blabbermouth (link above if you missed it):

Brent Smith told The Pulse Of Radio that “Bully” does nothing of the kind. “I’m not condoning violence in this song,” he said. “What I’m condoning is survival. You want to be able to use your words in any situation, but the reality is, is that you have to make sure people realize that you think highly of yourself, and that you have self-respect and you have dignity. And the song is really about, if you push me, I will push you back, and if you hit me, I will hit you back.”

Yeah. Sorry, Brent. I totally missed it. Maybe it’s my age (perish the thought!) — maybe it’s the wisdom I’ve acquired over the past few years. I don’t know. All I know is that to me, it’s a song about biding your time and letting that bully turn out to be nothing more than a faded memory. While me, you, whoever… we go on to bigger and better.

Now that I’m watching the video, hearing all this… okay. I get it. It’s more immediate. I totally see what Brent’s saying. It IS a song about action.

But I still like my vision better. Payback doesn’t have to be automatic, boys and girls. In fact, sometimes, biding your time and waiting… makes it all the sweeter.

Your thoughts, gang?

I’ve always wanted to go to London. Now I’m positively drooling at the idea — and travelling to Bedford. Wherever Bedford, England is.

That’s because I’m being enticed by a photo exhibit, Slipknot. Yep, as in the band. The masks, the brutality, the whole thing. It’ll be held at Rock City Art, a gallery that looks like it does some pretty cool exhibits. Maybe I’ll need to road trip there often. Regularly, even.

Only 40 pictures are part of the exhibit (ONLY 40. Listen to me, greedy wench that I am), and there’s no good preview online. Bummer.

Think I could write off my travel costs as a business expense? Or should I hope and pray the nearby Warhol Museum will be able to bring something like this across the pond? Yup. Just for me.

Hey, if books and rock can collide into their own genre of fiction (Rock Fiction, of course!), why can’t rock and art?

Matt Sorum is making it happen. Yeah, THAT Matt Sorum. The dude who joined Guns ‘n Roses and who drums for Velvet Revolver. He’s turned artist… sort of.

I have to admit, I don’t fully get it. Here. I’ll let you read a snippet from the article:

Described as “massive, abstract and unprecedented,” each piece in this collection by Sorum is a drum performance captured through rhythmic light with time manipulation effectively documenting an entire performance accurately.

Sounds more like performance art than something you’d hang on a wall, which is both really cool and a bit disappointing. At the same time, though, there’s talk of canvases and five done, but fifty are complete and … Yeah. I’m a bit confuzzed.

Go check it out for yourself, over at Matt’s art page.

And before you ask, yes, I’d put at least one of these puppies on my walls. Go buy my books so I can, eh?

Like I usually do on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I opened a new Word file. (Yes, I write in Word. It works for me. Shush.) I typed in the three words from the weekly Three Word Wednesday prompt.

I stared at the otherwise blank page. Had no ideas. Went back to work on the book I’m editing for a way cool client. Took a break from the edit. Stared at the otherwise blank page.

By Thursday, not only had I made great progress on the edit, I’d also had an idea. It centered on a new character, one I hesitate to bring to the blog because I think he’ll be bigger than the blog (meaning: once I finish drafting a Touch of Scandal, I’ll get to work on this one). Yep, it’s another male character.

I started writing, anyway. Maybe this would be a good teaser, a good way to start writing about this guy and his odd little quirk.

And… it took off. Got away from me. In short, it is NOT a flash.

I’ll be saving it for later. Much later. Maybe it’ll reappear here as one of my famed outtakes. Maybe it’ll be part of the novel. I’m not sure. Right now, I’m not even sure what the conflict in this guy’s life is, but I know there is one. Something beyond his dual identity, on and off the stage. Something beyond his loneliness.

Interest piqued yet?

Yeah, mine is, too.

King Trevor, April 12. We’re counting down the days…

Come on over to Working Writers and Bloggers, where I’m talking about my writing process.

Or, rather…

Well, go read it yourself. Say hi to Cherie while you’re there!

Now, this is SO not news to me. Me, who’s been known to blast Metallica all morning prior to a doctor’s appointment and show up with a blood pressure so low, they wondered how I was upright.

But… it’s official. A study’s been done, after all, and has confirmed what I’ve known all along: “listening to songs with a certain number of beats per minute can trigger specific mental states, such as productivity and relaxation.”

AND, as any writer with a playlist can tell you, “music can help listeners accomplish tasks throughout the day. Listeners can put on one playlist to get revved up for a super-charged day at work, then use other playlists when they need to focus on a specific project, get the most out of their workout, or calm themselves before bed.”

So… Kudos to researched Galina Mindlin and co-authors Don DuRousseau and Joseph Cardillo. You guys are welcome over here at West of Mars anytime. Especially if you’re going to keep insisting that Metallica can cure the blues. I’ve been saying that since I first started listening to them… in 1986.

What took you guys so long to catch on? That’s my only question for you.

(Just so you know… I first found this posted at Brave Words, and followed their link through to DNAInfo.com Go see for yourself!)

What? You didn’t click the link in my last post about this art exhibit?

I’m not sure if I should chastise you or praise you for being so far-seeing.

Over at Metallica.com, a site I don’t spend nearly enough time hanging around anymore, pictures of THE ENTIRE ART EXHIBIT have been posted. At least, I think it’s the entire exhibit. Since I can’t go see it in person, I am working on faith here.

Still not sure what I’m talking about? Here’s the recap: bunches of artists, including some musicians and some musicians’ wives, and some people I’ve never heard of but would sure like to… well, all these people got together and made art inspired by Metallica songs. It reminds me of a short story anthology I came across awhile back, where each story was inspired by a song. Only, this is visual, not words.

I’d like to repeat my new wish: to edit a short story anthology based on Metallica songs.

I wonder if I have the time to make it happen… I know how I could… Hmm…

My friend Darcia Helle has organized a group of us writers. An awesome group, if I say so, myself.

What’s she’s organized us into is one heck of an awesome collective, every last one of whom has pitched in a copy or two of their books.

Yep, group book give.

You’ll win, what? Ten? More? books if you’re the lucky soul. Maybe more. Maybe, but not likely, less.

Best of all? They’re all PRINT, and I’m told they’ll all be autographed, as well (unless some of us sponge-brains forget).

You’ve got all month, but you only need a minute or two. Go. Enter. Spread the word. It’s the same thing as spreading the love.