I don’t recall mentioning it here, so I won’t take the time to dig up links that probably don’t exist, but my book club read Sarah’s Key together.

I can hear you now, “Susan, that’s not Rock Fiction! What are you doing????”

Well, please remember that my book club focuses on Jewish lit. And when you view my reading in those terms, Sarah’s Key makes perfect sense. (Interestingly, I got together with one of the club members the other weekend to watch the movie version of this book — and found the movie might have been better. How often do we get to say THAT?)

Now, as I’m surfing for my reviewing gig, I came across the new book from de Rosnay — and, like my thoughts about Jacqueline Luckett’s new book, I’m seeing recurring motifs. This time, it’s the memory of a home. There’s more (an unloving mother, which is a small detail in Sarah’s Key, so small if you’ve read it, you may not understand what I’m talking about), but that’s the big one. The power of a home.

Just another interesting book fact, brought to you by my eagle eye. I’m hoping the book club will agree to read this because right now, my pleasure reading’s been reduced to… well, nothing. And I’m fine with that, oddly enough…

I have so much to share with you guys, it’s mind-blowing. What a great time to be involved with music and that rare art form, Rock Fiction.

Today, it’s the news that,

ClassicRockRevisited.com Founder, CEO and editor Jeb Wright has cracked open the doors to his interview vault and blown the dust off of his favorite interviews of all time and put them in one collection.

They’re promising some never-before-seen interviews and some other stuff that sounds like it was grossly overlooked. Oddly, the book has two forwards, but hey, this is rock and roll and since when has rock and roll ever been conventional?

Ooh, I hope they send it to those people who are kind enough to pay me to write book reviews for them, and then I hope that my editor assigns it to me. Or that someone sees this post and sends it on, but really, I’ll read it faster if it’s from the paying people. I’ve got a lineup of really great-looking Rock Fiction that gets pushed to the side when the paying people pop up.

’cause, you know, they’re paying me.

Yeah, yeah. Bowing to the almighty dollar is NOT very rock and roll. In fact, it’s the direct opposite. But you’d miss me if my Internet was shut off!

It was a couple of years ago now that I picked up Jacqueline E. Luckett’s Searching for Tina Turner. The main character’s seeming obsession with Tina Turner was my motivation, but this turned out to be not a true work of Rock Fiction. Still, I included it in my list because “it’s all about Tina, baby, and the lessons our main character, Lena, learns from the rock icon. These pages vibrate with Tina’s music — her lyrics, in particular.” (Read my whole review!)

So while doing research for a freelance gig, I came across a book written by Jacqueline E. Luckett, Passing Love. I squinted at it — I’m using the laptop in a dark room, with the Penguins playing on the big-screen TV behind the laptop screen. And I wonder why I get migraines? — and tried to place the author’s name. I clicked. It clicked.

What struck me most about this new book of Luckett’s is the number of similarities. No, not more Tina Turner. But divorce, Paris, lovers. There’s also a musician character.

I liked Searching for Tina Turner. It’s a book I still think about, as my own life unfolds. I’ll definitely be looking to get my hands on a copy of this one.

**A whiny note from Susan: Due to changes in Pennsylvania law, Powell’s had to fire me as an affiliate. Not that I was cleaning up with it, but it’s sort of sad. I liked supporting an independent bookstore in this current bookselling economy. I’m looking for a new affiliate, one that’s not part of a big chain or world domination. Stay tuned. When I find one, I’ll start including links. In the meantime, feel free to have Mary Ann or Kate at Penguin Bookshop order and ship books to you. Tell them I sent you.

I don’t care who you are or what music you like, there’s at least one Ramones song that gets your toes tapping. (Go ahead and name your fave in the comments. I don’t have a prize for the best choice, other than some fun.)

I’ve read Lobotomy, Dee Dee Ramone’s autobiography. It holds a place of honor on my bookshelves, all silvery goodness between some of my favorite Rock Fiction volumes. Now comes a new autobiography to join it.

Johnny Ramone’s written an autobiography. It’s called COMMANDO, and I really hope that’s not to publicly settle the boxers or briefs discussion. Doing so takes some serious brass balls, doesn’t it? Like, WOW.

Which means, undie issue aside, I covet this book. As if that’s any surprise to any of you.

It comes out in April, but if you only buy one book in April, make it mine. King Trevor. April 12. Just a reminder. (Johnny will wait for you to have book-buying funds in May. So will I, for that matter, but … c’mon. Trevor may be worth the wait, but you’ve also waited way too long as it is.)

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

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

Hello, what’s this? Rock Fiction???

But, of course!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon (Kindle edition)
Amazon (paperback)

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

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

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

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

Riiiiiiight.

News broke last Thursday about this one: the original four MTV VJs — yes, from the days when the M in MTV stood for music — have signed a book deal. Here’s from what I guess is the press release, as quoted in GalleyCat:

“Among the highlights will be the vjs’ never-before-told stories about getting, doing, and ultimately leaving the most coveted job of the decade; the truth behind Roger Daltrey’s demands to visit MTV; days and nights spent partying with Van Halen; the ‘Paint the Mutha Pink’ contest with John Cougar Mellencamp that went toxic; joining the mile high club while flying to see the band Asia play at the Budokan in Japan; and all true tales of hair styles gone horribly wrong as a new kind of broadcast medium was being created hour by hour and day by day — all perfectly set against the era when you would still call into your answering machine from a pay phone.”

I remember those early days of MTV. I remember the video revolution. I remember being at CMJ and hearing reps for Slayer say they were making a video, and I remember how the entire room shook at that news. Hell, I remember the furor over the groundbreaking “One.”

So, yeah. It was, in part, the Original Four who set me on my musical path. Who made me want to work behind the scenes and be part of what made the magic come true.

You’d better believe I’ll be getting my hands on this one.

It’s always great to hook up with another Rock Fiction writer. You guys know how I’m trying to gather us all here at West of Mars (or, alternatively, the West of Mars Fans page on Facebook if that’s more your style).

My latest hookup was with Deborah J Ledford. We’d met before but never gotten much off the ground. Hopefully, this second connection will lead us to a great, exciting new friendship full of Rock Fiction and other great reads.

Deborah released her latest work of Rock Fiction a year ago, but who’s keeping an eye on a calendar? A new-to-you read is whenever you come across it, not when it’s published. To help make this new-to-you read more memorable, here’s the song that makes Deborah think of her book:

“Who Loves You” by Alannah Myles best represents SNARE on several levels. Native American rock star Katina Salvo’s mother was murdered long before she could experience her daughter’s success. Katina had often called out to her mother’s spirit, but until only recently—when faced with impending danger—has felt her presence. One of warning and caution, but most importantly, love.

Ooh, there’s a lot going on here, huh? Check out the song, and check out the book!

SNARE – The Hillerman Sky Award Finalist

One rock star sensation. Two men from her past want her dead. Three others will risk everything to keep her safe. Who will be caught in a trap? SNARE – Revenge with a beat.

Native American pop singer/songwriter Katina Salvo’s career is about to take off. There’s one problem: someone wants to kill her. Katina and her bodyguard, Deputy Steven Hawk, are attacked during an altercation at her first live concert. Could the assailant be a mysterious, dangerous man from her youth? Or her estranged father recently released from prison for killing her mother?

Buy Links:

Amazon Print Book

Amazon Kindle

NOOK

Author’s Website: www.DeborahJLedford.com

I’ve done these posts in the past, and you guys seem to really like them. I’ve even discovered New York Times best-selling authors checking them out. (There are also more than the three I’ve linked to, but feel free to explore the archives and find those on your own!)

In 2011, I read 84 books. Not a bad amount, but still significantly down from the 144 I was turning in back in ’05 and ’06. You know: before I started putting books out and finding that my reading time was swallowed whole by the need to market myself.

Of those 84, there were only 12 that I didn’t finish, which is a pretty good percentage for me.

So. Let’s talk about some of those 72 that I thought WERE good enough to not only finish, but talk about. (As always, the links will take you either to Powells, where I’m an affiliate, or to Smashwords, where I can also pick up a few pennies in affiliate money. Those pennies add up! Click!)

I started the year off with a bang, with Greg Iles, who is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. I’ve only read a few of his books, but The Devil’s Punchbowl was the latest. I’m loving this man’s fiction and can’t wait to clear off some of the TBR mountains so I can add more of Iles’ work to it.

The always pleasant Aunt Dimity was a return visitor this year. It was great to finally read the series kick-off. I was overdue!

Other series I spent time revisiting: JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood (Lover Eternal), Rachel Vincent’s shifter series (Pride), Stephanie Plum (Sizzling Sixteen and Smokin’ Seventeen), Orson Scott Card’s Ender (Ender’s Shadow), and the Rashi’s Daughter trilogy came to an end with Maggie Anton’s Rachel.

David Hiltbrand’s series featuring Jim McNamara came to life with Deader than Disco, and Jack Reacher sucked me in with Running Blind. Of course, it’s not a year anymore without Jennifer Estep and I finally pulled Tangled Threads off my hard drive and put it on my Nook, where I spent a glorious week tap-tapping away as I turned pages.

I started even more series! I didn’t mean to, but my kids had a lot to do with it. The Boy Band and I worked our way through Heather Brewer’s The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd. He is also one of the only two people on the planet who could get me to read Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy.

That might be the best read of the year. The entire trilogy. So smart, so well conceived, the world building is strong and the concept is NOTHING like I’d been expecting.

The Girl Band came at me with two series of her own: The Goddess Girl series, written by Joan Holub and Suzanne Collins (the link takes you to a box set of the first three; the series is up to eight now), and Sienna Mercer’s My Sister the Vampire (the link takes you to the first in the series). These are fun reads, and I’d recommend them to anyone with a tween girl.

Diana Pharoah Francis wrote the book that became one of my vacation reads: Path of Fate. Good, solid vacation read. I put it down and picked up the second in CJ Lyons’ Angels of Mercy series, Warning Signs (can’t find a link!). I’ll finish both of those series, but it was Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty and the Midnight Hour that I’m raving about.

Other noteworthy reads include Jennifer Cody Epstein’s breakout hit, The Painter from Shanghai, All Other Nights, Dara Horn’s great work of Jewish lit set during the Civil War. The Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam, by Merilee Brothers, had nothing to do with music and everything to do with fun.

Joanne Rendell’s third novel was her best yet. Out of the Shadows deserves to remain in the sun, all right. And if we’d like to return to the Jewish themes, Chris Bohjalian’s Skeletons at the Feast plays with themes similar to Jenna Blum’s Those Who Save Us. One more Jewish book was India Edghill’s Delilah. Not her best, but still a good read. It’s nice to see her complete her trilogy of Biblical historicals, and she remains a favorite author.

I actually ventured into best-selling arenas beyond The Hunger Games when my book club read The Help. Liked it, but I can’t say it was love. However, after connecting (again) with Jonathan Maberry at the annual Pennwriters Conference, I picked up Rot and Ruin for The Boy Band. I loved it. The Boy Band still thinks it’s too scary for him.

Anita Diamant wrote a book, Day After Night, that was largely ignored. At first glance, it’s easy to see why. I put it down and thought, “Meh. Her others were better” (particularly the fantastic The Last Days of Dogtown), but you know what? Day After Night is one of those books that sneaks up on you and resonates.

After reading Shreve Stockton’s The Daily Coyote blog for years, it was a delight to read the book of the same name at last.

As for my favorite, my baby, that Rock Fiction for which I’m becoming so well known, I hit that genre hard this year. Fourteen of the 84 reads count as Rock Fiction — and that includes some Did Not Finish books like Jennifer Egan’s Goon Squad. Check out my reviews over at Rocks ‘n Reads for most of my thoughts on those books. With the exception of Meg Cabot’s Size 12 is Not Fat, you can find the reviews over there. I’ll write and post the review for Size 12 as soon as I can. Stay tuned for that.

That pretty much brings us to 2012. Yeah, okay, I didn’t specifically mention 72 books here, but that’s because some reads weren’t really worth talking about. They were good reads, some were immediately forgettable… that’s how it goes. Not every book will hit it out of the park. I’m just grateful that I was able, once again this year, to bring you such a variety of titles.

Here’s to a new year filled with great reads for you. If you find something you think I need to know about, feel free to tell me! If it’s Rock Fiction, feel free to add it to the West of Mars Fans page over at Facebook, so you can share the love.

Keep on rocking and reading, gang. And remember: King Trevor. April 12, 2012. Are you ready?

I met Coral Moore over at the Kindle boards. We read each other’s submissions to the Pink Snowbunnies in Hell anthology — and I’m thrilled that we both made the cut. If you haven’t picked it up yet, why not? Part of the money from it is going to various animal shelters, including, I believe, the one I volunteer with.

We’re swapping promo space right now. I’ve got an interview that will be posted soon, and here’s Coral, telling us what song makes her think of her debut novel, Broods of Fenrir.

I know you’re usually quite rockin’ here on West of Mars, but I’m going to have to sappy the place up for a little bit. I hope you don’t mind. There’s one song that I’ve associated with the Brand and Dagny love story since I first wrote the two of them in a scene together, Do What You Have To Do by Sarah McLachlan.

The difficulties inherent in Brand and Dagny’s relationship are present from their first meeting. There are a multitude of reasons why they shouldn’t be together and forces trying to pull them apart. In addition to those external problems, they are both scarred and reluctant to give their hearts away.

The song is soft and in some ways distant, but there’s a strong emotional underpinning that personifies Dagny’s internal struggle. She wants to trust Brand, but the horrors of her past make believing in him impossible. The battle between her urge to run and her desire to stay drives much of what she does throughout the story.

Want to know more about Broods of Fenrir? Here’s the blurb:

Shapeshifter Brand Geirson was raised to rule the Broods of Fenrir, but he refused his birthright. Instead, he killed their brutal leader–his own father–and walked away.

For hundreds of years he’s avoided brood society, until a werewolf kills an innocent human woman and Brand finds himself dragged back into the violent politics of the shapeshifters. When the two brood women who mean the most to him come under threat, he must take up the throne and risk becoming the kind of vicious bastard his father was, or let the broods descend further into chaos–taking the friend he swore to protect and his lover with them.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 60,000 words or 210 paperback pages
Warnings: Violence, Strong Language and Sexual Content

Available in eBook at All Romance, Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Also available in paperback at Amazon and CreateSpace.

I’ll share the saga of a week mostly without Internet (and the 150 mail messages that got nuked. Not good. Very very not good) later, but for now,

to celebrate the holiday season and to entice all you e-reader users, new and old, I’ve dropped some prices around town.

The Demo Tapes triplets are now 99c each.

Mannequin is now FREE (at Smashwords only for the time being).

If they sell well, I’ll leave ’em low, especially if they stimulate sales of Trevor’s Song. This is a good time for you already familiar with the Trevolution to gift some e-books to your friends, as well. King Trevor is still slated to be released on April 12, 2012.

Because Smashwords is my favorite retailer, here’s the link to my page there.

You Kindle users can use this link. Or the Smashwords one; you CAN get Kindle format from Smashwords, you know.

Here’s hoping you all had a great day today, regardless of what or how you celebrate.

It was via Triberr that I learned of the 2012 Ebook challenge forming up over at Workaday Reads.

The idea is that you pick how many e-books you’re going to commit to reading in 2012.

This is an awesome goal. One I wholeheartedly support. I’ve been reading e-books for over two years now, and I really love them.

It’s time to share the love.

If you or someone you know has signed up for the 2012 eBook Challenge — or any challenge that my books will count toward — AND you are willing to post a review (good or bad) somewhere online, I’ll gladly gift you Smashwords coupons for a free download of whichever of my books you’d like.

Go on. Spread the word. Spread the love.

It seems that when I get Rock Fiction recommendations, they come from one of three sources: Misty of Top Shelf e-Books, Maria Savva, or Mary at BookHounds and Forever Young (Adult).

The rest of you DO know that if you come across something not on my Rock Books page, you’re encouraged to drop me a line, or post it over at the West of Mars Fans page at Facebook, right?

Anyway, today’s find comes from Mary. It’s author Heather Jensen, who wrote a Rock Fiction/Vampire book, Blood and Guitars. Yep, that’s pretty much it. Guitars. Vampires.

Which means that of course it’s another one I need. It’s in print, the Kindle store, and up at Smashwords (that’s where the link above will take you), so if you get your hands on it before I do, feel free to send me your review. I’ll link to it from the Rock Fiction page.

Read and rock on —

I’ve been buds with the most excellent RJ McDonnell for … years now, I’d bet. He’s a great dude, very savvy, and his books reflect this. Plus, the’re Rock Fiction, and we all know about Susan’s weakness for Rock Fiction.

In fact, RJ’s third book in his Rock & Roll Mystery Series, the Concert Killer, has just been released. Which means I get to bring you a Featured New Book that’s Rock Fiction! I do NOT do this nearly enough (hint to all you who know Rock Fiction authors, be they writing a series or a stand-alone.).

Without further ado, here’s RJ:

The song that makes me think of my novel, The Concert Killer, is its trailer song by the same name. Since I write the Rock & Roll Mystery Series, I decided to write an original song to promote the book. The novel is about a serial killer who attempts to shut down the concert industry, and opens on his fourth kill. The song serves as a prequel, providing details on his first three murders. Here’s a link to the YouTube trailer and song.

Lead guitar was performed by Robbie Walsh, who played with Noel Redding of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Chubby Checker, Ginger Baker of Cream, and Tico Torres of Bon Jovi. Bass and drums were performed by Robbie’s current band mate, Larry Moss. I did the vocals and rhythm guitar.

I wrote the song almost immediately after finishing the edit on the book. This involved going through the text 20 times; immersing myself in the thoughts and feelings of a religious fanatic serial killer for months. Most of my friends and family told me they heard a distinct UK accent in my voice. They have all seen me perform at bookstores, parties, and library events in the past, and never picked up on this affectation on any of my other songs. I think the immersion process was so intense that I dug down to my Irish roots when delivering the vocals.

If you’re interested in finding out what the story is about, I posted the first 48 pages on fReado. It’s not your typical serial killer novel, which usually falls into the horror genre. This is a whodunit mystery. In
keeping with the first two novels in the series (Rock & Roll Homicide and Rock & Roll Rip-Off), I continued to use humor in between action scenes.

My detective is a 28-year-old who worked as a club musician for 10 years before starting his internship as a private investigator. During those 10 years he also attended college and worked as a counselor at an outpatient mental health center. Now that he runs his own detective agency he employs two former patients. They’re both very good at their jobs, but have quirks that
periodically lighten the mood.

If you enjoy rock fiction, all three are available in digital and paper formats. The digital versions are priced at $2.99 on Kindle:

Rock & Roll Homicide
Rock & Roll Rip-Off
The Concert Killer

There you go! RJ’s book makes him think of his own song! Just like Jeremy Wagner before him.

If RJ’s kind enough to send me a digital copy of The Concert Killer, I’ll post the review at all the usual suspects, starting with my own Rocks ‘n Reads blog.

Of course I worked for a concert promoter! Two, actually. While I liked the idea and the environment, I can’t say it was the right fit for me. That doesn’t mean, if the opportunity presented itself, that I wouldn’t go back. I would. Maybe the third time will be the charm.

Barry Fey was the concert promoter in Denver. He’s a legend among promoters. And now, he’s written a book that may or may not help me decide if my two experiences with promoters were worth being open to a third go-round.

It’s called Backstage Past, and it’s the story of his life as a promoter — and all the adventures and hijinks and craziness he witnessed and was part of. This was during the heyday of rock, you know: the sixties through the nineties. Before corporate America entered the picture.

This could have been my life, if I’d made different choices. And been born earlier (wow! I don’t feel old for once!). And … and …

Yeah. Nevermind.

Backstage Past. Another Rock Nonfiction book I’m busy coveting.

I know. I need to get as good about coveting Rock Fiction as I am about coveting Rock NONFiction.

(Have you subscribed to Rocks ‘n Reads, my review blog? You can keep up with my Rock Fiction exploits over there — once I’ve stopped coveting the books, picked them up, and read them, that is.)

Anyway, here’s one for us old-school rocker types. (Oh, holy shit, are we really old-school? When and how did THAT happen???)

Classic Rock Magazine, based in the UK, has just released a new book about the making of the seminal Appetite for Destruction album.

Here’s some skinny about it:

This is an authorised book by Marc Canter, which was originally published in America in 2008. It features over 600 never-seen-before pictures and rare memorabilia of GN’R in their early days, as the band formed and made the legendary Appetite For Destruction.

There are also interviews with Slash, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler, as well as the band’s old managers and roadies.

Read the whole thing here. As always, send and review or spare copies directly to me.

I don’t get myself sometimes. I recently read and reviewed Richard Hell’s Go Now, his 1996 novel(la) about a junkie road trip from Hell. It’s a good read, if you like junkie road trips. Me, I’m not big on them. I have a hard time connecting with junkie characters.

However, Richard Hell and his character Billy aren’t the same person. I know that. I would be disappointed if they were, to be honest: writing your life as fiction is a beginner’s move. It’s a necessary step on the path to being a great novelist/fiction writer. Which means that yes, shoved under a bed somewhere — probably my parents’ house because they hang on to that sort of sentimental stuff — is a book where the main character is an autobiographical version of me.

So… why am I not more eager to read Richard Hell’s memoir? I Dreamed I was a Very Clean Tramp.

Maybe because even the title make me think of Billy. Maybe because in the press release I found, there’s not a lot of information included.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. I’m not sure why I’m so resistant, to be honest. After all, this is what I do. Rock Fiction, Rock Memoir… if it’s about music, it’s what I’m about. Which means at some point, this will cross my threshhold and I’ll read it and… well, we’ll see where we go from there.

I just sat down to the news that Anne McCaffrey has died.

You may wonder what a Rock Fiction author like me is doing being upset about a Science Fiction/Fantasy author like McCaffrey.

Let’s just say she was one of the first authors whose world — that of Pern — set my imagination awing (yeah, I’m groaning at that one, myself). She taught me more about world-building and the way in which a book — or, in this case, a series of books — can be your best friend. Even today, when I need a comfort read, I turn to the original two trilogies. One of these days, I’ll even get my kids to read them.

I even wrote about my relationship to this series, back in 2009, as part of the Rosie’s Riveters series at BookLust.

We’ve known this day was coming, when we’d lose Anne. After all, life’s a cycle and there’s only one way out of it.

I hadn’t thought it would be yesterday, but I’m glad it wasn’t much sooner.

Rest easily, Anne. You did something I only aspire to: you changed lives. For the better.

I’ve known Jaimey Grant online for eons now. Always fast with a virtual smile or supportive saying, she’s awesome folk.

That’s why I’m honored to have her here today with not one but TWO songs that make her think of her newly released short story, The Dragon’s Birth.

Here’s Jaimey:

Crawl by Breaking Benjamin* brings my story to mind but only from Darok’s perspective (main protagonist). He’s a young king who hears a voice in his head. While wondering if he’s crazy, truly crazy, he’s trying to determine if the legends about dragon blood in his family are true. It doesn’t help that the voice in his head claims to be a dragon, a creature he’s been raised to believe is the epitome of evil, a monster.

A few of the lyrics that really stand out:

A shadow of a man, I am nothing less
I am holding on, still holding on
And every now and then life begins again
I am holding on, still holding on

I’m not like you, your faceless lies
Your weak dead heart, your black dead eyes
I’ll make it through, but not this time
You hope is gone and so is mine

Live, fight, crawl back inside
Sick, blind, love left behind
And I won’t live your weak wicked lie
You pull me in, I’m one step behind

…

I’m becoming a monster, just like you
After it all you’ll try to break me too
Falling forever, chasing dreams
I brought you to life so I could hear you scream

On the other hand, Lights Out by Breaking Benjamin* is just as appropriate but from Bental’s perspective (the main antagonist/dragon voice in Darok’s head). He’s a living being just like any other, but trapped in the head of little more than a child playing at king. He’s not a simple “evil” creature, but he is determined to escape Darok’s head, to become his own physical being, and he can’t be concerned with who gets hurt in the process.

The lyrics that really stand out to me:

I am done pretending
You have failed to find what’s left
I will suck you dry again
Some are not worth saving
You are such a pretty mess
I will choke the life within

Now you want to take me down
As if I even care
I am the monster in your head
And I thought you’d learn by now
It seems you haven’t yet
I am the venom in your skin
And now your life is broken

After the lights go out on you
After your worthless life is through
I will remember how you scream
I can’t afford to care
I can’t afford to care

*No copyright infringement intended. I am not in any way implying the endorsement of Breaking Benjamin. I’m just a fan. (Sorry, I felt the need to include that. One can never be too careful.)

For an excerpt of The Dragon’s Birth
The Dragon’s Birth on Smashwords
The Dragon’s Birth on Kindle

Okay, Susan’s going on the record here: I love Breaking Benjamin. Good picks, Jaimey!

Mmm. Talk about a recipe for ambrosia here, baby! I don’t know how this one slipped past my ever-vigilant eye, but thanks to the awesome Jeremy Wagner for the head’s up on it.

Have I teased you enough? Is it time to come clean and tell you what’s going on?

Two long-time, hard-core, die-hard (and any other compound adjectives I can think of, in a positive vein) Metallica fans have put out what might be my ultimate book. It’s called Murder in the Front Row: Shots from the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter. These fans? They’ve transcended being fans, actually. They are a part of that Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter, themselves.

They are none other than Harald Oimoen (yes, the legendary Harald O) and Brian Lew.

Here’s the blurb:

In the 1980s, the San Francisco Bay Area was heaven for hardcore headbangers. Shunning Hollywood hairspray and image in favor of a more dangerous street appeal, the Bay Area thrash metal scene was home to Exodus, Metallica, Testament, Possessed, Death Angel, Heathen, Vio-Lence, Attitude Adjustment, Forbidden, and Blind Illusion — and served as a second home to like-minded similar bands like Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Anthrax, Megadeth, and more. Beginning as teenagers taking snapshots of visiting heavy metal bands during the 1970s, Brian “Umlaut” Lew and Harald “O.” Oimoen documented the birth and growth of the local metal scene. Featuring hundreds of unseen live and candid color and black-and-white photographs, Murder in the Front Row captures the wild-eyed zeal and drive that made Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth into legends, with over 100 million combined records sold.

Dude. Can I say little inspires me more than pictures and visuals? This is manna from heaven. Ambrosia. It’s mainlined chocolate.

And it had better not let me down…