No, no John Lennon songs from me today, no matter how brilliant they are.

Rather, imagine a dark concert hall.

Imagine the press of bodies all around you. Holding you tight in your spot. But that’s okay. You want to be there.

Imagine the white spotlight. Four of them, one on each band member. And darkness in between. But not real darkness.

Now, close your eyes. FEEL the music wash over you. A wave. A wall that breaks over your head and collapses down your body.

It takes you somewhere new. Old. Safe. Dangerous.

Imagine the longing. To climb inside the music. To be noticed by the men making that music. To be Someone Important.

Imagine the power. The way you feel more alive than any human being ought to feel. The way it’s not just the air that’s crackling, it’s you, too. From your arm hairs down to that center core, the one where you hide the shit you don’t have the guts to let anyone see.

Feel your lips move as you sing along. Hell, you’re not even fully aware that you’re doing it, or that you’re pumping your fist in the air. That’s because you’re not inside that body that’s crackling with vitality. You’re… over it. Inside it. Under it. On the stage. In the pit. In the nosebleed seats.

See the sweat glisten on the bare, tattooed arms of the men in those white spotlights. Watch drops of it fly off long hair, wetted into tiny spears that barely block the light and yet manage to eat the light for dinner. Don’t be blinded by the glare off their teeth, even the ones yellowed by cigarettes.

Imagine the way you scarcely dare breathe as they run from end to end of the stage. You’re afraid to blink, afraid of missing something. You couldn’t even begin to explain what that something is. You’ll know it if you see it.

The hands in the front row, reaching for a hand slap, a pick, a drumstick. From where you stand, you can see the fingers trying to wrap around a wrist, to hold on. To prolong the contact. To find a deeper meaning in it — for him on stage and for you, down below.

And then it’s done. You’re as spent as they are; you let the crowd carry you out in their swell, outside, where the air is somehow sweeter and thinner and it fills your lungs and washes it all away. All of it. Except the memories.

Imagine.

Yes, boys and girls, you can’t get enough of Trevor, Mitchell, and the rest of the gang. By popular demand…

1. On September 12, you’ll be able to buy The Demo Tapes: Year 2.

2. I’ll be debuting it at the Bridgewater Book Fest outside of Pittsburgh. That’ll be your first chance to hold it in your hands.

3. You can preorder it now from me. I take PayPal. It’s $13.98 (shipping included) if you’re in the States. I’ll mail out your preordered copies on September 14.

4. Need Years 1 and 2 for some reason? Until September 12, you can get them for $23.96 — a $2 savings on the books themselves.

5. Autographs are up to you. If you want ’em, I’ll give ’em.

6. Electronic versions are in the works. You can get Demo Tapes 1 at the Kindle store now, however.

7. If you’re outside the US, contact me for shipping charges.

8. Now that we’ve gotten THAT out of the way… what ARE the Demo Tapes and why do you need them???

9. If you’ve met the fictional band ShapeShifter here on the Meet and Greet, you know how much fun they can be. And how frustrating it can be to read their adventures out of order.

10. The Demo Tapes collections take one year’s worth of fiction that I posted here at the blog and puts it onto a timeline. This lets you follow the band’s growth.

11. You also get to revisit some old favorites, like the story of how Mitchell got his pierced ear. Part of that story made up a Thirteen, if you recall.

12. There’s even a bonus piece, that never appeared on the Meet and Greet. Pretty cool…

13. So c’mon. Join the Trevolution. Pick up either version of the Demo Tapes and have some fun for yourself.

I met at new friend via Win a Book yesterday. Her name’s Martha and she blogs over at Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf.

She knocked my socks off when she said she’s only been blogging a month.

And then she tossed those socks out the window (bummer. They were SmartWool) when she told me I inspired her.

Inspiring others is second only to being inspired by you guys. That’s definitely Only the Good.

Be sure to stop in at Shelly’s to see who else has Only the Good to talk about today. Or better yet, be inspired by me and join us!

I asked the cast of characters around here what’s worth conviction. You know: standing up for, no matter what.

I really ought to know better…

1. Trevor: Sex
(Susan would like to point out that Melody is pouting. That was her answer.)

2. Mitchell: Music
(Susan would now like to point out that Chelle is upset. That was her answer.)

3. Eric: Guitars
(Susan would now like to point out that was Mitchell’s next answer.)

4. Daniel: kindness
(Susan would now like to point out that everyone is looking at Daniel funny. That was no one’s answer.)

5. Kerri: Chocolate
(Susan would not like to point anything out. Including the half of a candy bar jammed in her mouth.)

6. Mitchell: A good show
(Susan would like to finish her chocolate bar before pointing anything out)

7. Trevor: Girls
(Susan is joining Kerri and the band in rolling her eyes. And finishing the candy.)

8. Lyric: Feeling good about yourself
(Susan would like to point out that’s what Lyric’s store is all about)

9. Trevor: Meatball subs
(Susan would like to point out that no one was going to say this.)

10. Mitchell: Love
(Trevor would like to point out that shit like this makes him gag.)

11. Eric: Faith
(Trevor would like to point out that this is more shit that makes him gag.)

12. Eric: Family
(Susan would like to point out that the band has started to think of themselves as family.)

13. Mitchell: ShapeShifter
(Susan doesn’t need to point out that everyone agrees.)

Stay tuned for news of Demo Tapes: Year 2, gang. We’re close!

I am reading Eragon right now, Christopher Paolini’s debut novel. You guys know the story: originally self-published, it was picked up by a major publishing house, became a best-seller, and found its way to the Silver Screen. (Am I the only one who uses that phrase anymore? Why? It’s such a nice one.)

The rest of this post is NOT a reflection of Eragon.

You see, I was having trouble staying awake; it’s been stressful around here, both good (company!) and bad (don’t ask. It’s actually sort of embarrassing even as it colors the rest of my life). So I’m worn out.

To stay awake until bedtime, which isn’t as dumb as it sounds, I flipped on the TV to see what was on. Even though I wanted to keep reading.

I found a movie. And no, it wasn’t the film version of Eragon.

It was Iron Maiden‘s Flight 666.

I slept really well last night. Woke up much happier than I have been. And brimming with inspiration for the boys in the bands. Yep, bands.

What? You forgot about Deadly Metal Hatchet, too?

Sheesh.

Here’s a teaser: they appear in Demo Tapes: Year 2. Sort of. It won’t be long until you see what I mean… September 12, boys and girls. Preorder info coming soon.

To Bruce and the boys, thanks. I needed that last night. Even if I kept reading Eragon during the commercials…

Check out other Only the Good Friday folk at Shelly’s.

Hey, guys. I’m hanging today at Music Savvy Mom, one of my most favorite of new discoveries in the blog world. I’ve added my own shuffle to the mix — but not the typical way (perish the thought of *me* ever doing anything the typical way!). Instead, I captured what was playing on my preset XM radio stations at the moment I composed the e-mail.

Come join me. I’m serving up some cool stuff, and some stuff that… just… shouldn’t… be.

Last week, I was trying to figure out where I was.

This week, I seem to be, physically at least, home from Scout Camp. Can I take a few minutes and rave about the staff? It’s hard to remember that the staff is made up of young men and women, some as young as 15 or 16. They are all Scouts and Venturers and … wow. They are some of the best example of what Scouting should be; it’s what I want for both of my kids. I do wish these men and women could be a more permanent part of our lives. Even I would welcome the role model they provide (the issues with the Polar Bear swim aside. These are, after all, young kids).

So kudos to the 2009 staff of the Heritage Reservation, especially those at Camp Independence.

This being my life, though, there’s more good (to balance out the bad that we’re just NOT going to talk about). My friend Serena, who blogs at Savvy Verse and Wit, has a side gig. And she interviewed yours truly for it. That means I’m over at the Examiner, too. No wonder I’m so tired.

Here’s the link to part one.

Here’s the link to part two.

I’m sure there’s more. Like the bit about the staffer who told me that our Pack wasn’t just the best, but all the staffers were talking about yours truly. Seems that a lot of moms bring their sons to camp, only to stand in the background and pop forward only long enough to tell their kids no.

And then there’s me.

Dancing with staffers (He walked up to me and said, “Dance with me, lady!” and I said, “NO!” but he didn’t cave. I danced.)
Laying on a camp mattress with my son as he shoots BB guns.
Organizing our three tables (10 people each; we were one of the largest Packs there this week) in chants and demands that staffers ride the broom around the room. And announcements of One Dead Cow.
Riding BMX bikes.
And taking pictures. LOTS of pictures.

I know YOU guys aren’t surprised to hear this about me. You know I am one of those people whose approach to life involves experiencing things (I even asked one of the staffers about his Boy Scout Troop and if there was room for parents like me who want to have these great experiences with or without their kids. He laughed.). I know I’m unique (to put it mildly). I’m one-of-a-kind, like Trevor.

But I didn’t realize just how much that’s true, until I heard that comment about how my kid (and my Pack) and I had set the camp on fire.

Thanks again to the Camp Independence staff. You guys set MY camp on fire. In the best way possible.

Be sure to stop off and see the other goodness happening at This Eclectic Life. Tell Shelly I sent you.

If you have been here this past week, you know I’m actually out of town until around noon on Thursday. But… why let something like that stop a girl? That’s what auto-scheduling’s all about.

Regardless of where I am, I am very excited about the interview we’re halfway through. I posted the first half on Monday, and will post the second half soon. But it made me think about me and my own love of music. Reading Do The Devil’s Work For Him was like stepping back in time. All of it came rushing back to me. What’s it, you ask?

Well…

1. IT was first awakened… shoot. I don’t know. In the 1980s, when hair bands reigned supreme. I think it began when I sat at lunch and listened to a friend gush about her love of Bon Jovi.

2. Maybe it was before that, because I think I already had my part-time job at a record store (anyone remember those?) by then. So maybe it was working at the record store that gave IT to me.

3. Hair bands aside, the late 1980s was a great time to get into music. It was so vibrant, so alive. Innocent, even. And at the same time, so cool.

4. I loved that rock star look. The glamour. I wanted to help make it come true.

5. Through my work at the record store, I met representatives for the various record labels, who came in to build displays featuring the bands they repped. They told me that I, too, could do what they did. I began to dream.

6. When I went to college, it was fully with the idea of a future working in the music biz. So I landed myself a job at the Union’s record store. I met more label reps, who turned me on to some very cool music. (Dan Reed Network? Midnight Oil?)

7. Even before that, I got involved with my campus radio stations and became a licensed radio operator (My FCC license was approved on December 24. Even though I don’t celebrate Christmas, I loved the timing. What a present, indeed.)

8. When I left that college for Pitt, I took over WPTS-FM like a storm. Soon, I was running the show. Later, I ran the department I created. I was the first in town to give airplay to bands like Alice in Chains. Yep, I knew the late, great, Layne Staley. I took him out for O fries one night. That’s the sort of radio chick I was.

9. Part of my responsibilities involved talking to the reps from various record labels and letting them know where their bands fell on my playlists. I made many friends, all of whom knew my career ambitions. A few even took me under their wings. I’m still friendly with four of them, today.

10. Job offers rolled in. I spent spring break of my senior year in New York, shadowing one of those four friends. What would my life be like if I took this job? I could do it, but…. when would I write? I’m built to write. Always have been.

11. In the 11th hour, I walked away from a job in the music business. At times like this, when the planets are in the right alignment and the present day reminds me of what I left behind, I ache for it. I miss being part of it. But I don’t regret walking away.

12. My parents still, to this day, ask when I’m going to outgrow my love of the music biz and metal. After all this time, I can’t see it happening.

13. So what is IT? My love, my passion, my need, my desire. As I need to write the way I need to breathe, I need to have music around me. Good music, stuff that makes me come alive and react much the way my fictional Mitchell does. It’s what I need to fuel my fiction, even when I’m writing characters like Lyric, who have very little to do with music.

More about all this to come…

It’s Friday night as I’m writing this. I’m tired. Overtired. I spent the day doing this:

That definitely qualifies as Only the Good. The steel mill behind the coasters, not so much. Unless you’re at the top of the coaster’s hill looking down at it. Then it’s pretty cool.

Saturday’s a rest day. Good thing I’m Jewish; for us, Saturday is also the Sabbath (not that I’m terribly observant, but it’s cool that the two days for rest dovetail so nicely).

It’s also a day to pack. Yup, it’s the most wonderful time of the year — I’ll be spending Sunday through early Thursday here. In fact, I might even be staying in THAT VERY tent on the right. What tent, you ask? Well, the one in the picture that’s mysteriously disappeared. Seriously. The Tour Manager’s been looking for it for a good 20 hours now. So if you see pictures of Cub Scout Camp that claim to be mine, would you send them home, please? They are wanted. And missed.

Back to the story of my tent. I won’t know until we get there if I’m going to stay in my regular home; I’m thinking of moving more central this year even though it means it’s a bit farther to hike to the bathroom (I figure doing that is a good way to help keep our campsite’s latrine clean!).

This picture does NOT show MY favorite tent. It does show our campsite, though. And a bunch of kids I’ll pretend like I don’t know even though one of ’em’s mine.

I’ve got two posts scheduled to go up while I’m gone. I don’t know if the Tour Manager will have the time to moderate comments or anything, so if you leave a comment but don’t see it, it’s probably held in moderation until I get home.

Have a great week, everyone. Be sure to visit Shelly’s other Only the Good friends, as well as the other Sunday Scribblers. Blogging’s all about community. Let’s build ours together.

I did something today that has me shaking my head at myself. One of those things that I think is totally stupid and will, maybe, one day, maybe make a story that we’ll laugh about.

Maybe one day you’ll hear about it. But don’t count on it.

Thus, I figured it’d be fun to bring you…

Thirteen Things They Can’t Believe They Did

1. Mitchell likes to eat entire pizzas.
(Aww, come ON. You know this is one of my all-time favorites!)

2. Mitchell once fell off the stage and broke his nose.

3. There were all those Halloween costumes, bad AND good.

4. Trevor once found a cat living under their trailer. Why it picked THEIR trailer, he couldn’t understand. He still can’t. The Wolff household was barely human-friendly. What was a cat doing there?

5. Daniel can’t believe he took Val to a private, after-hours, underground sex club. And they liked it. So they went back again. And this time, they could believe they went. And liked it.

6. When Eric first joined ShapeShifter, it was the first time he let his parents know he owned a denim jacket. And dreamed of growing his hair long. Now, he can’t believe he was ever scared to tell them.

7. Trevor still can’t believe he owns a Vincent motorcycle. Or that he was able to figure out how to rebuild it with pieces from a junkyard.

8. Trevor can’t believe that Mitchell and Daniel were able to take over the band’s business affairs so easily. Of course, finding JR, their manager, helped.

9. Then there was the time that Trevor figured out what phallic meant. He was embarrassingly (to him) old when he learned that one.

10. Kerri. Artist. The dream came true. Some days, it doesn’t seem real.

11. Eric and his Easter Eggs. We’re still not allowed to talk about this one.

12. Mitchell can’t believe he found a woman like Kerri.

13. Trevor can’t believe Kerri’s hung in there with Mitchell for so long. Or that everyone likes her. Or that Mitchell found a woman at all, let alone without Trevor’s help. Or even that Trevor, himself, might sort of like her. Or something.

Ever notice how life sometimes seems to run on a pendulum? Lately, it seems that my pendulum is swinging back toward the whole music thing.

For you who don’t know, I came THIS close to going to work in the music business, for a record label. I made the very difficult, heart-wrenching decision to seriously pursue my fiction at the last minute. And while I still regret having to MAKE that decision, I have never regretted choosing fiction over music.

My goal in life has always been to meld the two things. My fiction and music. Thus, Trevor and the rest of the ShapeShifter gang.

I’m glad I did. I’ve got more freedom this way. Freedom to do things like a post about books I covet. Anyone remember this one? When I said I totally wanted to read Do the Devil’s Work For Him?

Look for an interview — maybe a multi-part one — with author Rick Florino here sooner or later.

And then there’s my entire history with legendary guitarist Alex Skolnick. I’ll be turning the tables on this man I interviewed a few times in my old radio station days. Or he’ll be turning them… I don’t know. Take your pick. Suffice it to say that I’ve got the interview questions here and that yes, Alex Skolnick is enough to make me break my no-pictures-of-Susan rule. He’s got a series on his blog (which might find its way to its own blog) about Everybody Metal. How us metal heads have grown up and saved the world.

Or something scarily similar to that.

Enough music yet?

NEVER.

One more for ya.

Thanks to Lindsay and the Devilish Southern Belle, I’ve found a group of women I might actually, sort of, in my own way fit in with. The blog is called Music Savvy Mom. When we get closer to the release of The Demo Tapes: Year 2, look for me to do a shuffle of my own there. And nope, ShapeShifter won’t be on my playlist. After all, they’re not real — hard as THAT can be to remember at times.

So. That’s my very metal, very upcoming Only the Good this week. Got good of your own? Why not join me in joining Shelly in celebrating the good? Lord knows, this week, I need a dose of the good.

But more on THAT later.

Rock on, boys and girls. Rock hard. And Rock Loud.

So what do you do when you need to get away from it all? Yell, “Calgon, take me away!” and soak for a few hours in a luxurious tub?

Or do you do what the ShapeShifter boys do…

1. I’ve mentioned before that Trevor rebuilt a Vincent motorcycle from the spare parts he found behind Hammer, Wrench, and Torque’s garage. That’s where he found the frame, too.

2. Mitchell likes to swim. In Daniel’s pool.

3. Daniel is a news junkie. He’ll watch CNN and read all about current events.

4. Eric writes letters to the many girls he’s made friends with along the way.

5. Eric’s also the band’s Internet junkie.

6. Daniel used to oversee the band’s fan club. Mostly because Val ran it and he lived with Val, so he was sort of stuck with it. Then the band hired one of those services to run it. No one misses the time invested, but they’re not so sure the quality’s there.

7. Mitchell likes to ride his mountain bike up in the hills overlooking the city.

8. Trevor hangs out in strip clubs. In the pre-Kerri days, it’s not uncommon for Mitchell to join him.

9. Daniel and Val have more … cutting edge tastes. Don’t ask; you may not want to know.

10. Mitchell likes to hang out at Lyric’s store.

11. Eric hangs out with various members of his family. He’s got a big family.

12. Trevor will deny this to the grave, but he’s got a soft spot for old movies. The black and white classics. Casablanca. Rebel Without a Cause. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And the old, cheesy horror flicks, too.

13. Me, I spend time with my fictional band. I’d love it if you joined me — if you haven’t, already.

I think I’ve done a similar list… does anyone remember? Can you find one in the archives? If so, speak up. You might get a present from me!

Despite my gloomy mood the past few days, there’s actually plenty to be optimistic about. When the kids aren’t picking at each other, it’s fun to have them around more.

And I’m floored by the number of you who feel the same way I do about having them under foot! I wonder if I’ve just had the gumption to say something you all are feeling but are scared to say.

Trevor would tell you to get over the fear and come out with it, you know. Saying things like “I can’t stand having my kids at home!” is very liberating.

So that’s good stuff. Want some more? Netta at Word Webbing blew me away last night. I’m talking goosebumps, guys. And then when I read what she’d written to the Tour Manager, I got ’em again. And tears, too.

And why not? No one’s ever said this about me before:

…establishing Susan Helene Gottfried as a born storyteller with a romping, evocative, insider’s look at what it’s like to say, “I’m with the band.”

Yeah. And that’s only PART of it. Read the rest for yourself. If you don’t have the Demo Tapes yet, now’s a good time — but a month from now (give or take a few days) will be better. With The Demo Tapes: Year 2 set to debut on September 12 at the Bridgewater Book Fest, I’ll start taking preorders for the book soon … and will offer a deal if you buy both volumes directly from me.

Onward to the weekend. It’s supposed to rain here, locking us in the house some more, but with a review like that, who cares?

ETA: Check out the interview, too!

There Will Be No Thursday Thirteen This Week

1. Because I am exhausted.
2. I am typing words with the letters reversed.
3. I was up at four this morning.
4. My brain was whirling with story ideas.
5. And then the day kicked in.
6. A workout
7. and then busy with kids.
8. I miss them being in school.
9. Even though they’re fun to be with.
10. When they’re not whining at each other.
11. And I need to finish my book for book club this week.
12. And have I mentioned
13. I’m totally addicted to the Tour de France???

Before I get to the WAY overdue awards, let me announce the winner of Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Prime Time. It’s Teresa W. I’ll be contacting her today.

Thanks to everyone who entered. We just might see more book gives in the future. Anything to help get the word out.

Speaking of getting the word out, here’s the WAY overdue award acknowledgment post:

However you look at it, I love it when you guys include me in your awards. I say it every time, and every single time, it’s true. And yes, when I get down, I DO come and hug them all.

It’s a writer thing. We get down and feel unloved. We don’t all have Trevor’s ego. Or, at least, I don’t.

Anyway, let’s see who’s got what sort of love for me. Lots of good stuff ahead, so be warned!

First off is Aerin, who has the coolest spelling of her name, don’tcha think? The only spelling that could be better would be Aeryn — all you fellow Farscape fans follow my thinking. Aerin’s blog is In Search of Giants, and she gave me the Your Blog is Fabulous Award. The giants in her blog name refer to all things literary. We like Aerin, and we LOVE her 7 questions author interview. Wow. Good stuff; be sure you check it out.

Now it’s time for another favorite: the Proximidade award. My friend Missy, at the Incurable Disease of Writing, passed this along to me. We don’t leave each other comments nearly as much as we used to, but then, I am leaving fewer comments of late. Working on three books at once will do that to you. And yes, one of those three IS the Demo Tapes, Year 2.

The ever-awesome JM at Fiction Scribe didn’t just review Demo Tapes, Year 1 (didja see that?), she also handed me the Premio Dardos award. That’s Italian for Prize Darts, which makes perfect sense to me… uh-huh… sure… Whatever. It could mean Eat Poison Dart Frogs and I’d love it. The award. Not eating poison dart frogs, which I don’t think is a particularly good idea.

Three of my book blogging friends passed the Sisterhood Award along. Hopefully they’re sisters like Amy is a sister to Mitchell, and not like the mean step-sisters of Cinderella fame. Who are these lovelies, you ask? Good question. The first is Serena, she of the Savvy Verse and Wit. If you’re into poetry at all, you ought to hang at Savvy Verse. The poets she finds makes Roadie Poet look like the rank amateur he is.

The next Sisterhood friend is Drey, of Drey’s Library. Drey is the latest book blogger I’ve been swapping e-mails with. I couldn’t be having more fun if I was Trevor, and me and Drey were swapping spit. Drey’s awesome, so be sure to stop in and meet her, too.

Another Sisterhood friend is Redlady, of Redlady’s Reading Room. Bonnie’s her real name and she’s mega cool. She is one of the many reasons of late why my Google Reader is impossible to keep up with.

Enough sisterhood; how about some chicken? The Zombie Chicken, who’s been making the rounds of late. He’s finally arrived at West of Mars (looking for the famed Mars spaceship, most likely). My long-time friend Cherie of CheriePie’s books, sent him to put Trevor in his place. Because we all know it takes a zombie chicken to do just that.

So did Anna, my friend who runs Diary of an Eccentric. Maybe I’ll forgive her and Serena for going to BEA without me. Maybe.

Tia at Tia’s Writing Blog loves my blog. I love hers; both of them. If you don’t know Tia, you should take the time to check her out. She runs the much-lauded Fantasy Debut site. You guys know I dig fantasy, and I’m all about debuts, so… I love Tia and what she’s doing.

Am I a super commentor? Some of you seem to think so, and I certainly try. That’s why I’m not surprised Alice has handed me the Super Comments award. Way cool. Alice. The Award. Both.

Want a sixpence of awards? Patricia at Subjective Soup handed me six lovely awards. Six, I say. Wow. And she says I’m kind to authors and struggling writers.

You know, I feel like I don’t nearly enough for authors and struggling writers.

J. Kaye might be among the many who disagree with that. She’s given me the Heartfelt Award. And when she says she owes me and Bridget a huge debt for posting her gives for her at Win a Book… wow. J. Kaye, you don’t owe either of us anything. But if you insist, we’ll take a book or two…

(Have you SEEN the size of Mt. TBR lately? That is an entirely empty statement. No need to send books. Seriously.)

To all of you guys, all I can say is a heartfelt thank you. Many of these are way overdue in being acknowledged; sorry about that. Between the success of Win a Book and the work involved with The Demo Tapes — and my own natural inability to express gratitude with graciousness or in a timely fashion — well, what can I say?

Instead of passing these awards on, let me point you to some friends I’ve made. Old and new. ’cause, you know, if *I* say someone’s cool, they are.

Mason Mania If this sock puppet doesn’t dissolve you into laughter, nothing on the planet can. Catch this bandwagon early on ’cause we’ve got a phenomenon on our hands!

Marcia at MeeAugraphie has been a stalwart friend and fan. Be sure to stop by and check out her poetry.

And, of course, everyone else I’ve already mentioned. Every last one of these blogs is worth your time — for more than a skim, I’d like to mention.

Go for it. Make some new friends. Blame it on Trevor; we all know you like him better than me anyway. (As well you should! I’m boring.)

Okay, so today isn’t Friday anymore. But I had to hold off until Leah went live with my guest post over at her place. Otherwise, I’d have sent you on a wild goose chase and while those can be fun, I’m not sure you’d go back to Leah’s to see what I’m up to.

For you e-book readers, or you who are desperate to get a free copy of The Demo Tapes, I’m giving away a download of the book. Be sure to leave comments — not only does your comment enter you for a chance to win The Demo Tapes, but Leah’s keeping track of who comments, for weekly AND one grand prize. How nifty is that?

Happy Fourth of July, my American friends. Come on over to Leah’s and celebrate with me.

Ahh, the things I dream about…

1. Getting The Demo Tapes 2 done on time. Release date is September 12. Shouldn’t be hard.

2. Seeing the Demo Tapes 1 be a best-seller for the Kindle. (You picked up on that, right? That’s what Trevor was going on about last week.) It’s only $4.99. Half the price of the print version!

3. Having the time to submit some of the short stories and outtakes that have piled up around here. And figuring out which of them should go up on the downloads page, instead.

4. Writing a guest blog for JM of Fiction Scribe about my self-pubbing experience, and why I’m glad I did it. Or maybe relieved is a better word.

5. Watching Win a Book grow and get more involved in helping authors get their names out. I’m a bit bummed with the hundred or so giveaways for James Patterson. The idea here was to help the mid-list, not the best-seller!

6. Doing more Featured New Releases here, and running more contests for the current one, for Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Prime Time.

7. Actually writing the fiction that has been dancing in my brain, teasing and tormenting me.

8. Working on the Merchandise Table. Have you seen the new logo shirt yet? I wore one at the Lori Foster event. Got a million and five comments on it.

9. Having time to catch up on the 500+ books waiting for me. Some have been here for years. That’s a travesty of good literature!

10. Back to that bit about the fiction dancing in my brain… more Trevor, Mitchell, Kerri. More of some of the minor characters you’ve met here. More blog fiction in general. I love it as much as you do.

11. Being able to make enough money from the Merchandise Table and the Demo Tapes sales that I can upgrade to a Premium store at CafePress AND pay Bridget for all the time she puts in a Win a Book.

12. Having time away from all this writing/blogging/book stuff. Like taking a bike ride. C’mon. Five miles. Is that too much to ask for?

13. Having more time to visit all YOU guys. You’ve got cool things to say. I dig it. Don’t stop. Don’t change, unless it’s to get better.

I have NO IDEAS what to write a Thirteen on this week. That’s SO not like me.

I keep opening windows and shutting them, ten words in.

NO IDEAS.

This, friends, is a problem.

1. Problem: 1 a: a question raised for inquiry, consideration, or solution b: a proposition in mathematics or physics stating something to be done2 a: an intricate unsettled question b: a source of perplexity, distress, or vexation c: difficulty in understanding or accepting

2. In the grand scheme of life, is one difficult Thirteen so problematic? I mean, think about it.

3. Cats and dogs need homes and people to love them.

4. Hell, so do many children. Orphaned or not.

5. Have ya seen the economy? THAT is a problem.

6. Ever noticed there’s a scale to problems? There’s your problem, which is always the biggest and most Earth-shattering, and then there’s everyone else’s.

7. Including the problems of cats, dogs, and kids.

8. The problem isn’t that I have no idea for a Thirteen. It’s that something’s sapping my creativity.

9. I know what it is. It’s an addiction.

10. See? I told you it was a problem.

11. I’m trying to wean myself off this addiction.

12. You can help. Leave me lots of comments. I’ll return the visit.

13. And you can have more Trevor.

In celebration of yesterday, when a woman at the pool wouldn’t give her lounge chair to a woman with a bad back but instead insisted that it go to her friend’s apparently invisible kids, I bring you…

Thirteen Examples of Bad Behavior, ShapeShifter style

1. Call Mitchell Mitch.

2. Argue religion with Eric. Deliberately.

3. Scalp counterfeit ShapeShifter tickets.

4. Sell unauthorized t-shirts in the parking lot for ten bucks before and after the show.

5. Shove die-hard fans out of your way so you can be in the front of the pit, where you prove to the world you don’t know the band’s songs.

6. Approach any of the guys when they’re out at a restaurant, having a meal. Bars are fine; ask for all the autographs you want. But don’t come between a ShapeShifter and his food.

7. Jumping on top of the two girls beside you to get the pick Eric’s just thrown into the crowd.

8. Bugging the band for an autograph that you turn around and sell on eBay.

9. Ladies who hog Trevor. There’s more than enough of him to go around.

10. Fans who tailgate before the show, getting so drunk, they puke and pass out before ShapeShifter hits the stage.

11. When the band reaches out to slap your hand, don’t grab on. Fingernails, even short ones, can cut.

12. Saying, “You look taller on stage.” Particularly to Trevor, who’s not giving the Tallest Man in the World any night sweats, ifyouknowwhatImean.

13. Anyone who tries to steal the band’s gear. Any band’s gear. Hands off. Get your own.

The cats woke me, as they’ve been doing lately, this morning at six. A sliver of sunshine was trying to sneak its way into my North-facing bedroom and I smiled.

Last night, my Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh became the first city whose sports teams won the Cup and the Super Bowl in the same sports year.

Now, regular readers around here, or those of you who know me via Facebook, know that the Tour Manager and I have been Penguin season ticket holders for years. Heck, I moved to the corn-and-soybean fields of NorthWest Ohio (I’m always West of things, it seems!). For two years, I existed on a steady diet of ice hockey while I earned my MFA in … ice hockey? The diploma says creative writing, but the experience was heavily weighted toward the ice.

I learned to play. To coach. I’d spend my Saturday nights at the ice arena, watching the Falcons (interestingly, I arrived the year after current head coach Dan Bylsma left). After the game ended, I’d take myself home and flip on my TV, settling with a manuscript in front of Hockey Night in Canada. (do NOT try telling me Don Cherry’s a jerk. You’ll only make me think you’re one, yourself.) The rest of the week, it was ESPN’s Hockey Night. Detroit’s Fox 50’s broadcast of Red Wings games. Whatever I could find. I wanted hockey.

I have been saying lately that after all that hockey, I moved back to Pittsburgh a fan of … all the Canadian sports teams. Not a fan of the Wings. I can’t tell you why.

Most likely, it’s a ‘Burgh thing, as we like to say. There’s a vibe this city has, one you feel as soon as you get here. Long gone are the smoky skies and bad air (unless those power plants West of us — see? West again — blow their badness our way). What’s here instead is a first-class city. Top-notch health care. Twenty-two colleges and universities. Amazing arts and leisure activities. Three rivers.

And champion sports teams.

Yeah, I know, the Pirates haven’t had a winning season since before the Pens won their first Cup. But this is Pittsburgh. We’re a hopeful bunch, always reaching for bigger and better. The Buccos will get there. The Pens returned. So did the Steelers.

Hell, so did I.

I left Pittsburgh, determined never to return, three times.

I came back, like some yo-yo, three times.

I’m glad I did. Not just because I’m now here to witness this amazing explosion of sports excellence. Not just because the Tour Manager was here, unbeknownst to either of us, waiting for me.

It’s because of that Blue Collar reputation the city’s got. People here work for what they want. They don’t wait for their dreams to come to them. They go out and make them happen. Like The Demo Tapes. Like the Penguins. Out of the playoffs last January, this dude who’d done his undergrad in NorthWest Ohio breezed in and turned things around. An entire city returned to a dream of Stanley Cups at the bottom of Mario’s pool.

There are promises that come with championships won. Promises of excellence, of an ether filled with dreams. One day, that’ll be me, we all think. Maybe it’s not our hands on the Stanley Cup that we’re dreaming of. Maybe it’s a book for sale in a bookstore. Maybe it’s to be able to live without pain. Maybe it’s something as simple and yet monumental as being able to find your strength and reach for a better life.

This is what it means to be from Pittsburgh. West of Mars is simply a location that’s part of Pittsburgh. Part of this legacy of the quest for greatness.

Pardon me now, please. I’ve got some dreaming to do.