As has become the norm around here (and ought to continue this year), Chelle got the honors of revealing the details of the 2009 Musical Hanukkah Celebration.

And holy smoke, no one saw THIS one coming.

Sometimes, there is such a thing as too big and with too much clout.

Not so in my world — yet. You can help me get there, by buying copies of my books! Yep, it’s that easy. You see, during the months of November and December, I’m going to donate at least 50% of my royalties to a certain charity that ties in so well with what my fictional band is trying to do. Check the contest page here at West of Mars for full details.

Already got the books? Can’t think of anyone who’d like one or more as a holiday gift? Well, then. On that there contest page is a link so you can make a direct donation and help get instruments into the hands of willing and excited kids. I’ve got prizes lined up to raffle off if you take that route.

Think about it. You’ll get a book. Kids get to make music. We all get to make a difference in the world.

To start following the flashbacks from the beginning, follow this link! If you need to go forward and see what happened next, use this link.

Many of you West of Mars groupies are here for Roadie Poet. For Trevor. For Mitchell.

They’re all great characters to fall in love with.

But a few of you dig Chelle LaFleur — the music writer who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Today’s Musical Hanukkah Flashback features Chelle. She’s rounding up the 2008 Musical Hanukkah Celebration, touting up the fictional money that was donated to a fictional charity.

I think those numbers are pretty cool. I’d love to have as much clout as ShapeShifter, so I can make a similar donation. Instead, at least 50% of the royalties from the November and December sales of my books will be going to charity. Check out the contests page for full details. You know you want to get involved!

If you’d like to start reading the Musical Hanukkah Flashbacks, and flash backs to each post, click here. This link will take you to the next in the sequence.

Now, because the Musical Hanukkah Celebration is supposed to be a concert, it’s hard to write. Every retelling of a show I’ve ever seen is… well, a snoozer. Which is, of course, the LAST thing a rock concert ought to be.

The morning after, though. That’s another story. I’m not quite sure where Mitchell is waking up, but clearly all’s kosher. He’s cranky, though. Beware the dragon with the hangover! (even if it IS warranted…)

And now for the usual reminders… you can track the Musical Hanukkah Flashbacks from the beginning via this link. Jump ahead to the next via this one. And we’re flashing back because this year’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration will involve YOU more than ever. At least 50% of my royalties earned in November and December will be donated to a certain music-in-the-schools charity. Check out the contests page for full details.

Before I begin ranting about the HORRID experience attending Penguin games at the new Consol Energy Center has become, let me direct you over to my friend Mary’s blog, BookHounds.

She’s declared October to be ROCKtober, and is featuring all sorts of great rock and roll books this month. (She’s just launched a companion blog, and you might see a familiar contributor there, as well)

Today, she’s featuring a certain someone you know. Someone who woke up with a horrid migraine from the poorly managed noise of the Consol. Someone who has something important with the one and only James Hetfield…

Stop in and see. Oh, and even though you guys all have copies of The Demo Tapes (Years 1 AND 2), Mary’s giving away HER set.

(and for you who need Trevor’s Song in print, Lulu’s running a sale: Enter coupon code EXPLORE305 at checkout and receive 14.92% off any order. Maximum savings is $50. Expires October 11.)

So getting to the Musical Hanukkah Celebration one year wasn’t enough for our friend Springer. He upped for a second year, although this time, he didn’t win the lottery to jam onstage with the band.

He was okay with that — until, as he hung around the back door of the Rocket Theater, two things happened…

Springer: Hanukkah ’08.

Want to trace the flashbacks from the beginning? Or skip ahead to the next?

Remember, we’re doing this so you’re on board and ready to go once November comes and we begin the prep for this year’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration, where the festivities will be coming off the page so you can join in. I’ll be donating at least 50% of my royalties in November and December to charity, and there’s also a way for you to make a direct donation to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which provides musical instruments for kids in schools.

You can start giving now, if you’d like. It all adds up in the end!

As I’m editing The Demo Tapes: Year 3, I’m noticing that I spent a nice chunk of the year looking at the band from the outside, instead of from the inside, like I usually do.

Musical Hanukkah Flashback #10 proves that to you: it’s written from the point of view of a new character, a guy I was dared to create. Best of all, he’s got a history with the band — and they don’t know it.

I titled this one Other Side of the Curtain. I meant it in both a physical sense, as that’s where Penis is standing when the story opens. But it’s also a metaphor: he’s outside the band, looking in.

Be sure to leave comments here or there as you stroll down memory lane and catch up on what you may have missed — or what you’ve never seen before. And remember, the best way to keep this fun coming is to buy my books. If you’ve missed it somehow, at least 50% of my royalties in November and December will be headed to charity, but if you can’t wait and need to buy now, go for it. I know my accounting is odd, but it’ll allow me to donate a higher percentage when all is said and done.

And if you’d like to start at the beginning and read the flashbacks in order, here’s the link to the first one. If you’re looking for the next, use this link.

Ahh, the third year of the Musical Hanukkah Celebration. If you haven’t been here until now, you’ve really been missing out.

In the third year, the band had outgrown All Access, the dinky but cool club they’d used for the first two years. Their manager, JR, had finagled them a deal to move to the Rocket Theater — a venue previously reserved for Riverview’s drag queen community.

There’s some justice in the band moving in with drag queens, and not just because Kerri used to hang out with them…

Checking out the Rocket Theater. One of my favorites!

And now the standard disclaimer stuff… in November and December, at least 50% of my royalties will be donated to charity. For full information, check out my contests page. And to follow the flashbacks from the beginning, use this link.

Want to go to the next? Here’s the link!

Ready to launch into some fiction? Although this piece will appear in Demo Tapes: Year 3 (which I’m still hoping to release in conjunction with this charity push of mine), why wait?

In Moving the Celebration, the band has to sift through the verbal diarrhea that comes with their manager. The guy’s good at what he does… he just never shuts up.

There are changes afoot for ShapeShifter. New challenges to face. Including a few they don’t know about yet…

Remember, gang, we’re doing this because I’ll be donating at least 50% of my royalties in November and December to charity. See the contests page for full details, including a link for a direct donation. I’ve got some prizes for you, if you’d like to make a difference that way.

Today’s student can be tomorrow’s Lady Gaga. Let’s make sure our kids have the chance to experience the power and beauty of music.

Need to start flashing back from the beginning? Follow this link. As each new flashback gets posted, I’m going back and including the link to the next one. By the end of October, you’ll be able to hopscotch all the way from the first to the last!

Today’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration Flashback lets us begin the look back at the 2008 posts — the third year of the Musical Hanukkah Celebration’s existence.

Since this coincided with the release of The Demo Tapes: Year 1, bigger and better was the way to go.

In Byline: Chelle LaFleur — Gearing up for Musical Hanukkah Year 3, Mitchell outlines to Chelle all the changes. There are many.

Check it out. And remember once again, I’ll be donating at least half of my royalties in November and December to charity. The contest page will tell you more.

Would you like to donate directly? Go ahead; the link’s on the contest page. I’ll be doing random drawings and giving prizes — books! — to anyone who chooses this option.

If you’d like to catch up on your history, here’s the link to the first Musical Hanukkah Flashback. From there, you can follow each flashback forward to today’s. Need to go forward, to Flashback #8? Please do!

2007’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration turned into The Year of Springer, didn’t it?

You guys claimed you liked him. Heck, I like him. He’s a good egg, and I’m all about good eggs.

This was our final post from the 2007 Celebration. And yep, you guessed it: it features Springer. This is called The Day After, and that’s exactly what it is. Go read it and you’ll understand more.

And now for our usual reminder… we’re doing this to bring you guys up to speed before November and December hit. During those months, at least 50% of my royalties will go to charity. Mark your calendars so you remember to buy a book or three! Books make great gifts and yep, it’s about that time of year to start thinking of this stuff…

If you’d like to start at the beginning of the Flashbacks — and at the beginning of the celebration — you’ve got a grand idea. Would you like to see what comes next? C’mon. You know you do.

Be part of something big. Musical Hanukkah 2010.

Man, what a busy day yesterday turned into. That means you’ll need to move fast to get over to Suzan Harden’s blog, Wild, Wicked, and Wacky. I did a three-question interview you’ll want to check out — and am giving some goodies away, as well.

Hurry, though. The entry deadline for the goodies is tomorrow. Thursday. The sixteenth.

And just like that, the 2007 Musical Hanukkah Celebration was over! Before we leave it behind, though, here’s a Thursday Thirteen recapping the night’s success.

Yeah, I’d LOVE to see this sort of success happen for our real-life charity. But I’m not as big as my fictional band (yet).

That’s why YOUR support for my fundraising endeavor is so very important. Picking up my books or making a direct donation (use the link above to get there!) will help. Like the band says later on, this is about letting us little guys see the difference even five bucks can make. (And this is where I remind you e-book lovers that Trevor’s Song is only $4.99 at Smashwords!)

If you can wait until November or December to buy a book, that’s best. But if you need to buy it now, go for it. Your support NOW will help me donate more than 50% of my royalties in November and December. I’ll explain how later on. It’s all about covering expenses and all that icky financial stuff.

Need to go back to the first flashback? Move ahead to the next one?

This fourth flashback is one pulled from real life. Not mine; I’ve never been hit by a cop. But someone I know. It seemed like the perfect thing to happen to poor Springer.

Go back and read it for yourself, why don’tcha?

And remember, in November and December, as part of this year’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration — the fifth! — I’ll be donating at least 50% of my royalties to charity. Read more about it via this link.

Don’t forget to leave some comments. Here or on the flashback posts; they are all welcome!*

Need to go back to the first flashback? Or move forward to the next?

*Spammers need not apply

Today’s flashback to the Musical Hanukkah Celebration takes us back to 2007 once more. It’s a Thursday Thirteen post from the days when Thirteening was an Internet phenomenon. I truly miss those days, you know.

The idea of the post was to give readers — most of whom only stopped in on Thursdays — a background into the event. That in and of itself makes for the perfect flashback.

Stop in and refresh your memory. Mark your calendars for November 1, which is the start of the two-month period during which at least 50% of the royalties I earn will go to charity. Want to know more about THAT? Check it all out here.

If you can’t wait until November 1 (because books make great gifts!), that’s great, too. Go buy a book or three now and I’ll be able to donate more than 50% to charity come January 1.

Need to go back to the first flashback? Or move forward to the next?

Yep, that was year one I linked to the other day. One lowly post.

Not so for the second year of the Musical Hanukkah Celebration! I introduced a new character, Springer, and shared more of the inner workings from the band with you.

If you can find something that ushered in 2007 Hanukkah Celebration before this post did, show me the link and I’ll stand (very publicly) corrected. In the meantime, since I believe this is the first post from the 2007 Celebration, I’ll share it with you today.

This is the post that saw Springer come into the world. Thirty Bucks, I called it.

(reminder! At least 50% of all royalties I earn in November and December will go toward charity. The good news is that if you buy before November, you’ll help bump that percentage up anyway!)

Need to go back to the first flashback? Or move forward to the next?

Yes, I promise to have some actual content here for you soon. In the meantime, once you’re done refreshing your memory about Musical Hanukkah Celebrations Past, head over to Darcia Helle’s blog, A Word Please.

I’ve dropped in for an interview. And there’s a picture of me, too! (wearing one of my all-time favorite t-shirts. AND with makeup on! Woot!)

I know, I know. The first night of Hanukkah isn’t until December 1 and that’s still three months away.

BUT.

This year’s Musical Hanukkah Celebration is shaping up around here to be the biggest and best yet. Not only will ShapeShifter be playing, but so will some familiar faces. I’m hoping to have a really amazing t-shirt for you (hopefully designed by my good friend Lakota Phillips) and maybe, just maybe Demo Tapes: Year 3.

Since many of you are new around here, or may have merely forgotten, for the next two months, I’ll be posting flashback links for you. Whether it’s your first visit or your eighth, come join in the miracle of Hanukkah — ShapeShifter style.

Reminder: at least 50% of my royalties in November and December will be donated to charity. The more books I sell, the higher that percentage will go!

Here’s today’s flashback link. Give it up for Chelle LaFleur and the post that started this whole thing off, back in 2006.

Want to read in order? Here’s the link to Flashback #2.

… and so the promo for Trevor’s Song begins! I’m hanging out at Alice Audrey’s blog today, talking about Trevor and why we all like him so much.

There’s a giveaway with a catch, as well… stop in and see what I mean.

In the meantime, I’m still trying to settle into the school year and get my thoughts in order. Much to share with you guys this week!

We actually got back from vacation last Friday. Where’ve I been? Why am I hiding Trevor from you?

Well, I’m not hiding Trevor. You can buy him in print and e-book form. He makes a great gift.

However, me… yeah, I’ve been hiding. I’ve been spending the last few days of summer vacation with my kids. I’ve been processing what turned into an interesting vacation and since it’s about what happened in my personal life, no, I won’t be talking about it here. This isn’t a place that’s about me. This place is supposed to be about my fiction and I’ve replaced the fiction with myself way too much of late.

Some things on the horizon:
A HUGE blow-out for the Musical Hanukkah Celebration this year.
I’d like to get Demo Tapes 3 ready to release in conjunction with the Musical Hanukkah Celebration (I told you I was going big!), but I’m not entirely certain I can.

And some behind-the-scenes stuff:
Better networking to bring in new converts to the Trevolution
More help at Win a Book. I love its success, but it’s starting to eat up too much of my time.

and other stuff, too. Cross your fingers that I can pull it off.

But for now, I’m off to check out the Three Word Wednesday prompt and, as my kids head off on the big yellow bus tomorrow, getting back into the swing of things. I’ve missed this place. Hope you’ve missed me, too.

Yeah, so the Boy Band and I went down to the new Consol Energy Center today. If you follow me on Facebook (and you should!), you might have seen my status updates as the signs downtown changed. This is new, it’s exciting, it’s wonderful. Having a new venue in the city, where hopefully more bands will stop in and perform inside of…

Oh, yeah. Hockey. And man, does the ice look GOOD.

Walking into the Consol, I expected it to be all stiff and shiny. Almost overwhelming in its pomp and ceremony.

HA.

It was like slipping into a boyfriend’s shirt. The Boy Band and I agreed it was like coming home.

We wandered around. Holy smoke, the food prices! I thought they were bad last year, but NINE BUCKS FOR A PIZZA???? Hello, Consol and Pizza Hut people… I can get a pizza that feeds six of us for ten bucks. At the POOL. (and it’s good!)

Yeah. At four bucks for a bag of popcorn, even, I’ll be doing most of my eating at home, thankyouverymuch. What the heck; it’s healthier in the long run (although there is a fruit plate that’s priced at … ready? Six bucks!).

We went up to our seats (or what we think are our seats; we could only remember the section number and seat numbers, not the row.) — yes, as I’d feared, we are further back from the ice than we had been in the Igloo. But I gotta say it now: the sight lines are fantastic. I don’t think the players will be the tiny ants I was expecting them to be. If I can’t be ON the bench — not behind the bench, not in the first row behind the glass, but ON the bench. Butt on bench with the players — I want to be right where we are.

And the seats! Oh, I think the Tour Manager is going to be very happy with them. I know I was. They have great lumbar support and I suspect they’ll be great for doing multiple overtimes in once the playoffs come (me? Optimistic much? Nah.).

The women’s room at the top of our section has more than three stalls! Of course, this means less to joke about as we wait in line, but…

I was surprised to see that the toilets don’t have automatic flush. And that the faucets in the sink have those annoying water-wasters where you push the lever and can’t adjust the hot or cold or how long it’s on. And this is a LEED-certified building? At the highest level??? Sheesh. I thought the water would NEVER shut off.

Then the Boy Band and I wandered down to the club level, where a few of the boxes were open for inspection (we went into all the hoity-toity areas, in fact. I figure it’s the only time we’ll ever do it, so why not???). They are quite lovely and that private bathroom is something to covet. But the seats?

Yeah, they’re leather. They’re high-backed.

And after two minutes, they made my back hurt. I can’t imagine spending an entire game in them.

I’ll stick with the unwashed masses, thanks. Even if access to what they’re calling the Upper Bowl is confusing, limited, and probably a guaranteed death if we ever have to evacuate fast. That was probably my biggest complaint — but it’s also possible that once we learn our way around, we’ll find better ways up and down from the ground floor.

So now all we need is to wait for that puck to drop… I’ll be there with one or the other of my boys. I can’t wait.

In the meantime, I’m taking off for a few days R&R down at the beach. We’ll be back this time next week or thereabouts. You guys behave, peruse the archives here (can you say Musical Hanukkah Celebration? I’m already laying plans for the biggest and best yet), and buy my books. I got hockey tickets to pay off.