I’ve known Stacy Juba for a long time now. She’s one of the founding authors over at Bestseller Bound, where you know I spend a lot of time hanging out.

But I haven’t hosted her here yet, for a Featured New Release spot, even though she’s put books out. And even though she’s featured me, both on her blog and in her new book, 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror. I know I’ve asked … and this is the first time she’s taken me up on my offer.

She’s not here to talk about 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror, though. Nope. She’s here to talk about her new boxed set, Young Ladies of Mystery. This set features three of Stacy’s books: Twenty-five Years Ago Today, Sink or Swim, and Dark Before Dawn.

Without further ado, here’s Stacy:

Answer this question: What song makes you think of your book?
Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue. That song comes to mind as when I was writing one of the books in the Young Ladies of Mystery Boxed Set, Sink or Swim, the song would constantly play on the radio. Since the book has a stalker who is fixated on the main character, reality show contestant Cassidy Novak, the song became Cassidy’s Anthem. Poor Cassidy! I’m sure she wished her stalker could get her out of his head. Thanks to that song, I could never get Cassidy out of my head, either.

I’d hear it on the way to work, on the way back from work, on the way to appointments, and when I was out driving with my husband. I’d always smile, imagining my book as a movie with the song sounding over the credits. I felt as if anything was possible. I had an agent at the time and I was anxious to finish writing the book and turn it in.

Unfortunately, when I created the book trailer after Sink or Swim was published, that song wasn’t available so I settled for Every Breath You Take, which also fits the book well. I rarely hear Can’t Get You Out Of My Head on the radio anymore, however I do get to hear it frequently when I play Just Dance on Wii!

Ready for the blurb?

The Young Ladies of Mystery Boxed Set: Features Stacy’s adult mystery/romantic suspense novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim, and her young adult psychic thriller Dark Before Dawn, in one bargain-priced download. Solve a cold case with aspiring reporter Kris Langley; discover the downside of fame with former reality show contestant Cassidy Novak; and meet teenage psychic Dawn Christian, who discovers that ESP spells D-A-N-G-E-R. More on the three books included in the download:

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today – For twenty-five years, Diana Ferguson’s killer has gotten away with murder. When rookie obit writer and newsroom editorial assistant Kris Langley investigates the cold case of the artistic young cocktail waitress who was obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, not only does she fall in love with Diana’s sexy nephew, but she must also fight to stay off the obituary page herself.

Sink or Swim – How do you change the channel when reality TV turns to murder? After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Can she trust Zach Gallagher, the gorgeous newspaper photographer assigned to follow her for a local series? As things heat up with the stalker and with Zach, soon Cassidy will need to call SOS for real.

Dark Before Dawn – When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.

Convinced? Do you need these books in your life? Here you go…

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Smashwords

Connect with Stacy!
Web Site
Amazon page
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Just in time for Rocktober!

(Well, unless it’s been delayed, which sorta ruins the plans)

The one, the only, the legendary Pete Townshend has finally written his memoirs. It’s only taken him something like 40 years to get around to this, but I think that’s a bonus — there’s more for him to include! It’s supposed to have been released yesterday, so scurry over to your favorite retailer (bonus points if you shop at an indie and no, Amazon’s not an indie!) and score your very own copy.

What do you mean, “Who’s Pete Townshend?”

WHO?

As in THE Who. As in Pinball Wizard and Roger Daltry and groundbreaking, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (From way back in 1990, even! They got in EARLY, and for good reason, too). As in, as in, as in…

You KNOW I need this one, and pronto. Yesterday. Back in September on the day I drafted this post, in fact…

Every now and then, I put out a call for Featured New Book spotlights over Twitter. Not only do my author friends respond, they connect me with their friends. Since I pretty much consider a friend of a friend to be a friend, I’m always glad to comply.

So I’m glad to have Virginia McKevitt here this week, even though it’s Rocktober and her book, Fracture, isn’t Rock Fiction. We’ll make an exception this week.

Here’s what she had to say:

The song: When I Get Through With You by The VLA

Tegrin, an assassin from an alternate world has been sent to ours by his king to hunt and kill the Couton, a clan of women who use their beauty to steal the memories from others. In their world Tegrin’s people keep them in check, in our world they hunt freely.

They are consumed by their need to the point of murder, taking until nothing is left. Tegrin has an ally in our world. A young woman who has secrets that will be revealed in both worlds and who will change is life.

The Couton take all and leave nothing without remorse.

Ooh, a new-to-me-band, and a cool story behind it…

blurb short version:
Tegrin is the king’s most trusted assassin. His loyalty is unmatched, so when he is asked to go on a journey to a place he has never been, he does so without question.

He is sent to a world he has only read about in books, to find and return the fleeing Couton, an ancient clan of women who feed off the memories of others. His goal is to get in and out before he or his prey are discovered in a world they don’t belong.

Fate, however has a different plan for Tegrin. He encounters Kristina, a young woman whose parents were brutally murdered by the Couton.

Headstrong and set on revenge for the murder of her parents, she runs a collision course with a man who will lead her to discover she is more than meets the eye in both worlds.

Amazon
B&N
Smashwords (Affiliate link!)

links:
blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
She Writes
YouTube
Stage 32

Back in August, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to covet Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC. I mean, I did … and I still do. I doubt it’ll turn me into some huge AC/DC fan, though.

I doubt this will, either. It’s another AC/DC book, so it’s got a fair shot of turning me into a fan of the band, just not their music — if THAT makes any sense. If you’re a music fan, it will.

This one is called Treasures of AC/DC and it was written by Jerry Ewing. I’ve never heard of Ewing, but that’s not surprising. I haven’t heard of most people (although I’d love to change that). I am sorry I haven’t heard of Ewing before, though. He’s got an impressive resume, which is good ’cause this book description? I’m hoping it doesn’t do the book any justice. It’s pretty bland.

But this is about the book, not the author (who is, however, free to stop in and change that fact). This is what I found about the book:

This book tells their story that spans five decades of the best rock ‘n’ roll. The book tells the story of the band and all members including the Young brothers and of course the late Bon Scott, and looks at every album the band has released, from 1974’s groundbreaking High Voltage to 2008’s hugely popular Black Ice. It also covers the major tours and more. All of it is accompanied by superb photography and rare items of removable facsimile memorabilia. Experience the most successful hard rock band ever with this box set.

It was supposed to be released in conjunction with the start of Rocktober, but it’s been pushed back to November 6. And people wonder what’s wrong with publishing? They’re ignoring Rocktober!

By now, you should all know that my good friend Mary at Bookhounds is one of my top sources for finding new Rock Fiction. I need sources (why aren’t you one of them?); I’m so darn busy with editing and my own fiction and my own marketing and my own, my own, my own…

Yeah. Hard to look beyond oneself when scrabbling to make a living, you know?

But I’m trying. Rock Fiction is my passion, after all, and it deserves as much of my reading time as I can give it.

The author of the moment is Marlene Perez, whose Dead is Series apparently has seven books. Only two of them are on my radar over at the Rock Fiction page. Should the other five be?

Inquiring minds… want to know. Need to know.

If any of you manage to make the inquiries before I do, holler. While you’re at it, remind Ms. Perez (as well as yourself, if you’re an author) that I’d love to host her (you) for a Featured New Book spot here on Mondays.

Yep, it’s time for that annual celebration we call Rocktober in these parts. If you’re new around here, that means we celebrate the collision of music and books all month long.

I don’t have a super-awesome lineup like I did last year, but I did drop the prices on my books at Smashwords and (supposedly) Amazon. there are some fun things ahead, and there are more players this year, too.

If you’re one of them, drop me a note in my comments here or on the West of Mars Fans Facebook page.

If you run into one, encourage the site owner to drop in and leave it him/herself.

As you guys give them to me, I’ll link them up at the bottom of this post, so be sure to bookmark it and check back frequently.

As October rocks on, do the same, will ya? Let’s celebrate the amazing collision of books and music.

I met author Michelle Hughes via a Triberr tribe, but it took us awhile before we started chatting. That’s some ice I’m glad is broken… read on and see why.

I released my book 10 Nights, which is a contemporary romance. The song it reminds me of is “Love the Way You Lie“. With Rhett, he’s just such a strong Alpha Male and his dominant personality just seems to override Leah’s common sense. That song talks a lot about how they were like two freight trains destined to collide, and not in a good way. Their relationship is just volatile when it starts, and it continues on that way until the last chapter. I don’t want to give away everything in the book, so I’ll just leave how it ends up for readers to find out.

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to include a question, but if I am… What would you do if you were asked to surrender ten nights and in return you had the opportunity to have all your desires fulfilled?

There is something about that song that is SO powerful and hypnotic… it’s in the chorus. I love this one, and I’m NOT an Eminem fan, now am I? Call it proof of the magic of a good song.

Here’s the book blurb for you:

After graduation, twenty-four-year-old Leah was determined that no man would destroy her plans for the future. Or so she thought. Her best laid plans and well-ordered life were turned head over heels after her best friend, Janie, invited her to a “coming-out” party.

One look at Rhett and all previous thoughts went straight to hell. He made an unbelievable offer to her: “Give me 10 nights and I’ll show you pleasure beyond your wildest dreams.”

Was this an invitation to paradise or would his request destroy her mind, body and soul?

From virgin to courtesan in 10 nights? Was Leah even willing to consider it?
In a game of cat and mouse in which 10 nights, 10 choices and 10 fantasies could change everything, who would declare victory?

Buy links!
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Out of the blue came an e-mail.

“We had recently received
a nomination for your book, Trevor’s Song and have selected it as the
Indie Book of the Day Award winner for 24th of September 2012.”

I have no idea who nominated my book, two years after it came out. I’d like to know, only so I can say a huge thank you. While Trevor’s Song hasn’t sold more copies than Demo Tapes 1 (yet), it’s getting close, and it’s certainly my most consistent seller. As I type this, it’s once again my top seller of the month.

Best of all? Rocktober approaches, and you guys know that means I’ll be celebrating by putting the books on sale. All of ’em. Yes, even King Trevor — after all, don’t you NEED to know what happened to Trevor after he wound up in that heap on the stage? And, more importantly, what’s the secret Kerri’s been keeping from Mitchell????

I’m part of a forthcoming anthology of essays. I’ve mentioned this before. They’re built around Stacy Juba‘s book, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, and will be out sometime in the fall. You’ll want to check it out, I know — if only to read my essay. Which you know you want to.

Anyway, I told my fellow anthology contributors to feel free to drop in for a Featured New Book Spotlight. Last week, Michele Drier did. This week, it’s Karen McCullough with her new book, A Question of Fire

I asked her: What song makes you think of your book?

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters

So many lines of this song resonate with me and remind me of my novel, A Question of Fire. In the larger sense, it’s kind of a personal theme song. I’ve never been one to write to the market or even to stick to a particular genre. I wrote A Question of Fire at a time when there was no real market for romantic suspense, but I HAD to write that book. It was in my head, begging me to get it down. And when it was done (and revised several times), a number of the rejections I got from agents and editors played that theme: like the book, don’t know how to market it. It took almost ten years before it finally found a publisher. It’s been out of print for a long time, but I have the rights back to it, and I’ve recently released it in ebook format. I’m incredibly thrilled to make this book available again.

“Every day for us something new, Open mind for a different view.” When Catherine Bennett is the recipient of Bobby Stark’s dying words, it catapults her into a world of danger and new possibilities. If she were a different sort of person, she might have ignored the plea the dying man made of her and just hidden out until the peril passed. But that would have left his brother, Danny, in danger of being convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. Danny isn’t a particularly nice or attractive person, but Cathy isn’t the sort who would leave him in danger when she has the key to rescuing him. Or part of the key, anyway.

“Trust I seek, and I find in you” is one of the themes of the book. None of the main characters in A Question of Fire are particularly trusting sorts, for a variety of reasons. The heroine is a journalist and professionally skeptical. The hero has been burned by a former wife who cheated on him. Danny is a young man whose violent, abusive upbringing has taught him to trust no one but his late, older brother. In the course of the story, all three learn to believe in each other, sometimes painfully, sometimes stumbling toward it. And several times in the course of the story that trust is tested in desperate situations.

“So close, no matter how far.” In a pivotal scene in the story, the heroine is separated from the other characters and her life is in mortal danger. There’s only one thing she can do, but it’s risky, and it involves a huge leap of faith in her distant companions.

“And nothing else matters.” In the end…. Well, you’ll just have to read the book to see.

Oh, yeah. You guys KNOW I approve of the choice. (Be glad I didn’t link to Godsmack’s version of the song. Heard it yet? Heard it when Sully and James sang together when they toured together? Mmm. Yeah. Good stuff, there. Anyway, back to the book.)

book blurb!

When Catherine Bennett agrees to attend an important party as a favor for her boss, she knows she won’t enjoy it, but she doesn’t expect to end up holding a dying man in her arms and becoming the recipient of his last message. Bobby Stark has evidence that will prove his younger brother has been framed for arson and murder. He wants that evidence to get to his brother’s lawyer, and he tries to tell Cathy where he’s hidden it. Unfortunately, he can only manage to give her a cryptic piece of the location before he dies.

The man who killed Bobby saw him talking to her and assumes she knows where the evidence is hidden. He wants it back and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it, including following her and trying to kidnap her.

Cathy enlists the aid of attorney Peter Lowell and Danny Stark, Bobby’s prickly, difficult younger brother, as well as a handsome private detective to help her find the evidence before the killers do.

Buy links!
Amazon (for Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (for Nook)
Other formats (Smashwords)

Personal links!

Website
Blog
Twitter

Help a reader out!

I was chatting with a woman at the Hoity Toity Health Club because I noticed her Kindle. She said she doesn’t read much because of school, but when she does, she likes Lisa Gardner.

I went to suggest other authors to her and … my mind went blank.

Now, as soon as we started talking 50 Shades, I immediately was able to suggest Tilly Greene, Lorelei James, Megan Hart, and Lauren Dane.

But romantic suspense?

Help us both out, will ya? The only parameter is that is has to be available in e-book format. That’s it. Being publisher-blind is a good thing, so long as the books themselves are good.

(This is particularly embarrassing, as I READ Romantic Suspense and really like it… but I still blank on authors who write it!)

Following on the tails of last week’s semi-rant about how easy it is for anyone to get the wrong idea about the quality of self-published books, I got a new assignment from TWTBC.

My eyes bugged. My jaw dropped open.

The book is only 150 pages or so, barely long enough to call a novel.

The only commas are there so you can accuse the author of comma splices, rending most sentences unreadable on the first try.

The paragraphing is bad — there’s dialogue and then, instead of a new paragraph, there’s narration. Right after the dialogue. Except, the narration and action (usually someone shrugging or sighing) is attributed to the next speaker.

So it goes like this.

“Whaddya think?” Trevor sighed.

“You know thinking’s bad for your health, dumbass. Quit bothering me.” Mitchell giggled.

“What makes you think you’re always right?” Trevor shrugged.

It SHOULD read:

“Whaddya think?”

Trevor sighed. “You know thinking’s bad for your health, dumbass. Quit bothering me.”

Mitchell giggled. “What makes you think you’re always right?”

Trevor shrugged.

Did you notice that the characters aren’t particularly nice to each other? There are also a couple of adverbs that describe how EVERYTHING happens. Thoughtfully. Carelessly. Okay, those aren’t the real ones, but imagine if they were, and used in the wrong spots, too. Actions completed thoughtfully, during a fight scene? (Not to mention, in the above example, Mitchell giggling. First of all, it’s out of character. Second of all, it’s not appropriate for the scene.)

And yes, there is MORE. On the one hand, I feel terrible for the author. S/he’s got his/her name associated with this hot mess of a book. On that same hand, I wish I could edit it for him/her. But on that other hand… I’m glad I didn’t. A hot mess this bad would have cost way more than the book review eventually did. And while I know I’m a really good editor, I also know that one can only do so much with what you’re given. For all I know, the author DID hire an editor, and then refused to listen to what s/he had to say. In a year since I returned to editing, I’ve had that happen. (The client didn’t pay the full bill in the end, either. Go figure.)

This is one I can’t wait to be done with. And sadly, when people want a poster child for what’s wrong with self-publishing, it’s this book they’ll turn to. It’s so much easier to be negative in today’s world, after all, and overlook the good stuff… and let me say it again: there is PLENTY of good stuff out there.

I think I’m going to start featuring it. Once I finish this hot mess.

(If you’re new here and don’t know who Trevor and Mitchell are, well… shame on you! But use this link to learn everything you need to. Welcome to the Trevolution.

**Thanks to my own impromptu editor, Robin at Around the Island, for catching a rare Susan typo!

It feels like forever since Darcia Helle and I met, but in truth, it’s only been a few years. There’s an energy to our friendship, a synergy, and I have trusted Darcia with some of my deepest secrets.

That’s why I’m proud to host her today. Her new book is called Secrets, and … well, read on. See what song makes her think of her book.

Music is sometimes an inspiration for what I write. Other times, it’s not until after I’ve written something that a particular song strikes me as significant to the story. The latter is the case with Secrets. While I’m very much tuned to lyrics, everything about a song has to fit. The tempo, the mood of the music, and the tone of the voice all have to mesh perfectly. I have to hear, feel and see my characters in the song.

The song I most relate to with Secrets is Cold Water by Damien Rice; the version sung with Lisa Hannigan.

This is a video of the two of them singing Cold Water stripped down and live.

Everything about this song is haunting. The mood, for me, is one of both sadness and hope. The lyrics are simple. In fact, there aren’t many words to this song at all. The ability to move someone doesn’t come from a lot of words; it comes from the words we choose. Songs and stories have this in common.
Damien sings the first verse. He opens with:

Cold, cold water surrounds me now…
And all I’ve got is your hand.

The cold water here isn’t literal. I hear it as a man who feels he’s drowning in a metaphoric sense. This is Jeff, Samantha’s husband. He’s clinging to her hand and, without that connection, he’s lost.

Lisa sings the second verse and her opening words are striking to Samantha’s story in Secrets:

Love one’s daughter…
Allow me that.

As a child, Samantha was sexually abused by her father and despised by her mother. In these words, I hear Samantha’s plea for all parents to grant their daughters this one basic gift.

Then she sings:

And I can’t let go
Of your hand.

Samantha’s lifeline is her husband.

This song hits me deep each time I hear it. Damien Rice’s voice can move me to tears. For me, it’s powerful and raw, and speaks volumes with few words.

Did your jaw drop open? Mine did, the first time I read this.

Here’s the official blurb:

SURVIVAL
Samantha’s monsters aren’t under the bed; they’re the people she calls Mom and Dad.
ESCAPE
She makes it out alive, her sanity barely intact.
LIES
She creates a new past that fools everyone, including herself.
HOPE
A life filled with love and security teeters on its base of lies.
SECRETS
When it all comes crumbling down, will Samantha make it out alive?

Purchase Links:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print
B&N Nook and Print
Smashwords

Contact Links:
https://www.QuietFuryBooks.com
A Word Please Blog
Life With Lyme Blog
BestsellerBound Recommends Blog
Facebook
Twitter

I went to Amazon the other day to look up some information to go along with a review I had to write for the World’s Toughest Book Critics. Not that I hang out on my own book pages, but Trevor’s Song popped up, along with all those thumbnails for books others viewed when they looked at my buddy Trevor.

One of them was JP Grider’s Unplugged (A Portrait of a Rock Star).

Will this be just another notch in my quest to be the world’s leading expert in Rock Fiction, or will this be the newest book I rave about?

Once I get a copy and actually read it (oy, my TBR. Those Toughest Book Critics are keeping me busy like you would NOT believe), I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, I’ll keep coveting. And being a Toughest Book Critic. And your resident Rock Fiction expert.

(and someone who gives up sleep in the eternal quest to get things done!)

As part of the hoopla and fun surrounding Stacy Juba’s new release, 25 Years In the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look Back, I’ll be featuring a number of the authors who appear in this book along with myself.

Today, it’s Vicki Delany in the hot seat, talking about her new book, More than Sorrow.

Ready? Here’s the song that makes Vicki think about her book:

What Wonderful World sung by Louis Armstrong. I love this song because of the contrast with the tune and the lyrics. It’s actually very sad, as he sings about the wonderful world. In More than Sorrow, the protagonist, Hannah Manning, is recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury caused when she was in an IED explosion in Afghanistan (where she was working as a journalist). Hannah has come to her sister’s organic vegetable farm to recover.

Like in the song, as I interpret it, Hannah is surrounded by peace and beauty of the countryside in the height of summer. But she has not been able to find peace and she is largely immune to the beauty of the farm. She wants to get her old life back, not to be dependent on others. She spends much of her time in the atic of the 18th centry house, looking through old letters, letters full of sorrow and she thinks to herself:

Life was more than sorrow.

It had to be more than sorrow.

Yes, I’d agree. Life has to be more than sorrow.

Here’s the blurb:

Once, Hannah Manning was an internationally-renowned journalist and war correspondent. Today, she’s a woman suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Unable to read, unable to concentrate, full of pain, lost and confused, haunted by her memories, Hannah goes to her sister’s small-scale vegetable farm in Prince Edward County, Ontario to recover.

As summer settles on the farm, she finds comfort in the soft rolling hills and neat fields as well as friendship in the company of Hila Popalzai, an Afghan woman also traumatized by war.

Unable to read the printed word, Hannah retreats into the attic and boxes of mouldy letters that have accumulated for more than two centuries. As she learns about the original settlers of this land, Loyalist refugees fleeing the United States in 1784, she is increasingly drawn to the space beneath the old house. More than carrots and potatoes, soups and jams, are down in the dark damp root cellar.

Hannah experiences visions of a woman, emerging from the icy cold mist. Is the woman real? Or the product of a severely damaged brain?

Which would be worse?

Then Hila disappears. When Hannah cannot account for her time, not even to herself, old enemies begin to circle.

In this modern Gothic novel of heart-wrenching suspense, past and present merge into a terrifying threat to the only thing Hannah still holds dear – her ten-year-old niece, Lily.

Buy it!

Amazon

Amazon.ca

B&N

Indiebound

Contact Vicki at vicki@vickidelany.com. Her website is Vicki Delany.com. She blogs about the writing life at One Woman Crime Wave, and you can catch her at Facebook, and twitter

For you literary types, the shark I’m referring to isn’t the one you may be thinking of. Instead, I’m talking about mudsharks and 1970s lore.

C’mon, rock and roll fans. You get it.

Yep. Led Zeppelin.

Tomorrow, June 6, is the apparent release date (at least according to this press release I came across) for a new book about the Mighty Zep.

Here’s a cut-and-paste of it:

a September 6 release date for the “Trampled Under Foot: The Power And Excess Of Led Zeppelin” book by British music critic Barney Hoskyns.

The 624-page book is described as follows: “A unique look at the history, adventures, myths and realities of this most legendary and powerful of bands, it is a labor of love based on hours of first-hand and original interviews. What emerges is a compelling portrait of the four musicians themselves, as well as a fresh insight into the close-knit entourage that protected them, from Peter Grant to Richard Cole to Ahmet Ertegun, giant figures from the long-vanished world of 1970s rock. Featuring many rare and never-before-seen photographs, it is also the first book on LED ZEPPELIN to cover such recent events as their triumphant 2007 O2 Arena gig and Robert Plant’s Grammy-winning resurgence of recent years.”

Now THIS? Yeah. Bring it. Rocktober’s getting close, after all. This would make great autumn reading — and yes, there’s a shark reference, at least in the press release, which talks about how the mission of the book is to prove there’s more to Zep than mudsharks.

I sure hope there is… and that the book does.

I’ve known Maria Savva for a couple of years now. She’s really cool, very grounded, and is into the BEST music out there. She’s from the UK, so catching her on Twitter can be tough. She’s got a soft spot for Rock Fiction and connects to more authors than I do, which makes me not like her so much sometimes. And she writes like a dream.

So, of course, when she released her new book, Coincidences, I HAD to ask her what song makes her think of her book.

Maria, take it away:

Searching by Joe Satriani (link is to a fan-made video)

Coincidences is all about Alice’s search for her father, who left home when she was a baby, so the title of the tune ‘Searching’ is very fitting. It’s an instrumental, which I think goes well with them theme of the book because Alice does not really tell anyone about much of the things that lead up to her deciding to search for her father, it all stays in her mind, unspoken. The tune contains some uptempo parts, and also more brooding and melancholic melodies which reflects Alice’s changing moods in the book: sometimes she feels very excited at the prospect of finding her father, but then at times, she is let down and disillusioned. There are also parts of the tune that sound, to me, almost like inner conflict, which is what Alice has to face up to in the course of her search for her father.

Joe Satriani??? I TOLD you Maria’s into the best music ever!

Book blurb:

Secrets, lies and coincidences abound in this story of a young girl looking for her father. Alice, now twenty-one years old, is determined to find her father who left home when she was just a baby, despite a warning from her mother that she should not look for him. Her mother’s secretiveness over the subject is because of the guilt she feels about keeping the truth from Alice. It will take all of Alice’s courage to persevere in her search. There are doubts and uncertainties at every turn. Coincidences is a story about following your dreams and staying on the path no matter how difficult the circumstances may become.

Yes? Yes!

Go pick this one up and connect with Maria via the following links. You won’t be disappointed!

Amazon UK
Amazon.com
Lulu.com

My website
Twitter
Facebook Author Page

So a feed showed up in my feedreader. Sin City Sinners, the Vegas band featuring ex-Faster Pussycat member Brent Muscat (among others who’ve been around the block at least once) had this to say:

SIN CITY SINNERS manager Jason Green is currently in the process of putting together a book to commemorate Sin City Sinners 5 year anniversary in August. It will include tons of rare never before seen pictures and everything you could want or don’t want to know about the band.

Here’s where I found that. Brave Words is quite reputable. They’ve never steered me wrong.

Except…

It’s the end of August. There’s no book title, you’ll notice. And when I go to the Sin City Sinners website, I’m not seeing mention of a book. I do see, under their bio page (odd spot for this) that it’s not uncommon for any sort of celebrity to jump onstage and jam with them. Wonder what they’d do if I showed up?

The bigger mystery, though, is this book. It’s celebrating five years; that’s not a huge amount of time. And … it seems sorta … generic. “Tons of rare never before seen pictures [sic].”

“Everything you could want or don’t want to know about the band.”

While it’s fun to know what sort of skivvies various rocker types wear, if they wear them at all, I’d rather not know how often those things get changed. Ya know?

Okay, I’ll come clean. I’m not the world’s biggest AC/DC fan. And… okay, fine. I’ll admit it. I’m not even the world’s littlest AC/DC fan. I simply don’t connect to the band’s music the way I do to so many other bands out there.

Okay! FINE!

When they come on the radio, I turn them off.

There. I said it. Happy now????

Sheesh. You guys are a tough audience.

It stands to reason, then, that my wanting to read Mark Evans’ new book, Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside AC/DC is a bit of a … paradox.

Except… I don’t have to like a band to respect them. And I don’t have to like a band’s music to read a book about them (Hello? Wynonna Judd? That was a great work of Rock Fiction!). Or be curious about them. Heck, I know there have been books that have made me respect a band or musician more, as well as books that proved I’ll never get it, so it’s time to move on.

That’s the fun of books.

This one has gotten some good reviews from important people.

TOTALLY on my wishlist.

I’m not sure how Laurie Koozer and I met. Was it our Pittsburgh connection? Twitter? Something else that’s shared?

I don’t know. I DO know that I’ve been a guest on her blog, Yinz R Readin’, and now that she’s got a book of her own out, it’s only fair to return the favor.

Plus, Laurie’s cool people. I can’t wait until she and I begin taking Pittsburgh by storm.

Which means you KNOW she’s got a cool song to accompany her new book, What Happens on Sunday. I was lucky enough to do a proofread on this book, and let me tell you: it totally captures the Pittsburgh essence. Look out, world: Laurie’s here.

Without further ado, here’s what Laurie has to say about music and What Happens on Sunday:

I always think of my book when I hear the song “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC. Every time I hear this song, particularly the long introduction with the bells tolling, I imagine a very cinematic vision of my characters getting ready for a Steelers game – Megan slutting up a vintage Steelers shirt and listening to pregame coverage in her Bloomfield apartment, Patty in the kitchen making game time snacks in the suburbs, Desiree putting on Steelers jewelry and a pullover fleece in preparation for a tailgate, Shannon alone in her apartment picking out a jersey to wear and ignoring calls from her sister, Jen tucking her Terrible Towel into her pocket as her and Dave argue about which wide receiver is going to have a better day, and Angela, very intentionally not wearing Steelers gear and avoiding anything on TV about the game.

I think the juxtaposition of a hard rock song to describe a book about six women is pretty fitting too given this book and the world in which they live – while softer elements such as romance and family relationships ultimately drive this novel there are parts of each character’s arc that get somewhat gritty, dare I say as bleak as a Steelers losing streak in a Pittsburgh winter? These are women who love and cry and yearn yet there is also a certain kind of grit and steel to them that is reminiscent not only of their Steel City heritage, but the gridiron game that they love.

Wow, huh?

Here’s the blurb:

In Pittsburgh, what happens on football Sundays is more than just a game and for six women during the 2005 Steelers season, their complicated relationships with the team provide solace, distraction and occasionally frustration.

Jen is a very young and very pregnant newlywed who worries that getting married on the same day as a Steelers loss will doom her marriage.

Megan never met a tailgate or a man she couldn’t conquer but is scared of losing her best friend to a relationship.

Desiree is a brash professional struggling to deal with her husband’s ex-wife and children and beginning to wonder if it’s the right time to start a family of her own.

Angela is a high school senior long ago branded bad luck for the Steelers and all she wants to do is get the hell out of Pittsburgh even if it means leaving behind her best friend Robbie.

Patty, a mom who sends a pair of sexy panties to a different player every week, hasn’t been on a date since her divorce five years ago.

And then there’s Shannon, she’s thirty-four and single. She spends the majority of her days navigating Pittsburgh traffic and her evenings tending bar and pining after her sister’s boyfriend.

As the Steelers make what seems to be an impossible run to the Super Bowl, their lives will intersect, each of them finding connections in the most unexpected places.

You guys will have to tell me if this resonates with you the way it resonated with me. This is one that’s haunted me since I worked on it, and given how many projects I see every month, and how many books I read as a reviewer, and how many books I read for pleasure, that’s saying something, wouldn’t you think?

So. Go buy. It went live on Amazon on August 13, which was just last week.

My favorite of all the e-book retailers is Smashwords. They offer us authors the highest royalties while giving you readers your choice of formats. Pick up Laurie’s book there, why don’tcha?

Connect with Laurie, too. Like I said, she’s cool people. Like attracts like, after all!

Good Reads

Blog

Twitter

I’ve known Jaleta Clegg for a number of years now. We have a bunch of stuff in common, so it’s nice to host her here today with her new release, Priestess of the Eggstone. It just released last Friday, the 10th, so you’re really getting this news fresh!

Alan Parsons Project “Don’t Answer Me.”

The song captures the essence of a scene near the end of the book, plus it’s a cool song from a cool group. I love Alan Parsons Project. Priestess of the Eggstone is one long chase scene with lots of fighting, shooting, cake throwing, and explosions. But near the end, Dace (the main character) has to make a choice. She can’t trust the man she loves because he works for the Patrol. Has everything he’s said and done been an act to win her trust so he can recruit her?

Want the blurb? Sure you do!

Pursued by the Targon Crime Syndicate bent on revenge, the Patrol intent on recruitment, and the Sessimoniss who want their god back, the last thing Captain Dace needs is a handsome copilot with romance on his mind. But that’s exactly what she’s got.

She didn’t realize she was smuggling when she accepted the courier job. Now Targon wants her for stealing the shipment and the Patrol wants to arrest her. The Sessimoniss want their god returned. And Jerimon’s aunt is planning their wedding.

She doesn’t know which scares her most.

Buy link! journal-store.com/bookstore/priestess-of-the-eggstone

Go visit Jaleta:
https://www.jaletac.com
https://altairanempire.com
https://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3291041.Jaleta_Clegg