Rocktober from the Horse’s Mouth

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

I probably shouldn’t be referring to any of these notable stars as horses, but sometimes, you gotta use the cliches as you find them.

The horses in question are some of rock’s royalties. And the jockey, if I’m going to carry this metaphor into dark and dangerous places (Hey, it’s Halloween. Why not?), is none other than my Rocktober buddy this year, the awesome Deena at e-Book Builders.

She’s got a feature up about rock memoirs. Most that I want to read, a few that I have in the house… and my ultimate, all-time favorite Rock Memoir.

Go ahead. Take a peek. Let me know which you’ve read, which you’ve loved, which you’ve hated, and which make you insist there’s not enough money on the planet to convince you to read.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rocktober Wishes: The Back-Up List

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Actually, author Amber Best was kind enough to send me a promo copy of her book, The Back-Up List, so I really can’t say I’m wishing to read this one. Wishing for the time to read it… now that is a different story entirely.

9780615637402_p0_v6_s260x420

Here’s why:

The Back-Up List has only ever been a joke- that’s it. Madison Grey has a celebrity crush list of possible replacement husbands ready with the off-chance her husband might inexplicably vanish. Clearly, Madison was not prepared for- A. her husband’s untimely death and B. Calvin Hunt, rock god and top man on her Back-Up List to begin crushing on her. Talk about your cruel cosmic ironies. It has only been six months since her entire family was killed in a tragic accident and he’s looking to her for a hook-up! Really? Calvin Hunt, rock icon, is living the dream of any womanizing man-whore- that is until he spots the first unavailable woman he’s ever met. What the hell? Is she gay? He’s busily seducing her with concert tickets and exotic getaways, all while he’s touring. There are plenty of obstacles he’ll have to overcome to be with her and he’ll need all the help he can get from his stoic bodyguard, his nosy Oprah-channeling brother and even Madison’s bizarrely quirky friends who are all fighting to cross his name off of Madison’s Back-Up List.

Come ON! What a concept!!

I gotta read this one… maybe we’ll do it as a Readalong. What do you guys think?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Smooth as glass… right?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

If you have been here a long time, or if you’ve already read Demo Tapes (Year 4), you’ll recognize the excerpt from DT4 that Deena at e-Book Builders was kind enough to post.

It’s one of my favorites, but it may not be safe for work, depending on your workplace’s language policy. Are f-bombs okay?

Ahh, you all need to come work for West of Mars. No language policy. No dress code.

But that’s another plug for another day. Go (re)acquaint yourself with Glass. Pick up a copy of Demo Tapes 4 while you’re at it… or any of the books in the Trevolution that you’ve missed so far.

Go on. It won’t hurt.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rocktober Makes No Mistake

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Remember a few weeks back, when I mentioned I’d read a Rock Fiction novel that was so good, it very well needed to be included with Fat Kid Rules the World as one of THE BEST Rock Fiction works of all times?

And remember how I said you’d have to wait until Rocktober to hear about it?

Well, here you go. You’re hearing about it.

The book is How the Mistakes Were Made, written by Tyler McMahon. I’ll let you click through and read my review, but I’m warning you now, it’s a long review. It’s worth it.

I love, love, loved this book.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Eviscerated Panda – A Metal Tale by Sarah Tipper

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The beauty of Rocktober is that I, too, get to discover Rock Fiction that’s new to me. As much as I want to be THE ultimate expert in all things Rock Fiction, the genre is growing fast and I often need help. After all, I still have an editing business to run and areas there to expand into.

panda cover

So I think it’s Deena at e-Book Builders who I need to thank for turning me on to Sarah Tipper and her cool world of the Eviscerated Panda. Isn’t that one of the best band names ever?

I have faith the rest of the book is as good.

So. Without further ado, let’s turn it over to Sarah.

The song which makes me think of my book is: Back In Black by AC/DC. Like the song my book is fast paced and populated by people wearing black. It’s got the kind of guitar that squeals its way into your heart. It’s optimistic as well as dark. It’ll rock your socks clean off and hide them under the bed and then look at your ass while you’re trying to find them. It’s comfortable in any bar or club and is best served with a JD and coke.

Ready for the blurb? It’s as much fun as the idea of guitars that squeal their way into your heart. (Isn’t that a great line!)

Eviscerated Panda are a newly formed thrash metal band. They are the brainchild of ageing lead guitarist Phil Winter. They represent his big hope for regaining his former musical self-esteem and his luck with the ladies. Phil had to hastily exit stage left from his last band when his dalliances with the drummer’s fiancee were discovered. Young singer and underachiever Nick loves the band because it provides an escape from his dull job in a supermarket. For rhythm guitarist Ian it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. For bass player Jim it’s a pleasant hobby, at least to begin with. For drummer Paul it’s a step up from being in a covers band and a sometime causer of arguments between him and his wife. A band is much more than just the musicians in it, it’s a whole ecosystem. A female perspective is given by close friends Cleo and Jenni as the Pandas play to and hang out with an audience comprised of friends, fans,
wives, girlfriends, future girlfriends, lovers, promoters, other bands, interested spectators and uninterested spectators. After a nervous first gig in their native Reading they play in Swindon, Coventry, Oxford, Dudley, Brighton, Birmingham and Camden. In between gigs they mostly go to the pub, eat biscuits, record an E.P, read a girl’s guide to heavy metal written by Cleo, practice and make grandiose plans for their future. Occasionally they get laid. Even more occasionally they get paid to play. If you like heavy metal and reading books which are not designed for education nor enlightenment then this is for you.

Buy links:
Amazon only, gang. (Bummer)

4. Personal links:
Facebook
Website

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Win some Rock Fiction!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

What better way to celebrate Rocktober than with a giveaway!

My good friend Mary over at BookHounds is giving away a copy of Rob Reid’s terrifically funny, point-on satire, Year Zero. You can read my review of it here, if you missed it.

And you can read Mary’s review, too, as well as enter to win. But hurry … it’s a quick contest and it will be closing soon.

Act now! This is a great one you won’t want to miss.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Susan Rocks in Rocktober!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

I’m not just posting about Rocktober over here, I’m over at e-Book Builders, myself, with an interview about myself.

Stop in and learn some things about me. I’m pretty cool.

(And wow, I just realized … this is my first interview since July of 2012. I’ve written guest blog posts, but not given any interviews. No wonder I feel like I’ve fallen into a black hole!)

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Louder than Love: A Rock Fiction Readalong!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Everyone’s talking about Jessica Topper’s Louder than Love, and she was kind enough to send a copy my way. I’m around page 50, so it seems like the perfect time to ask you guys if you are reading it, if you have read it, or if you’ll consider hopping over to your favorite bookstore (indies are always the best) and picking up a copy of your own.

Join me in the story of Katrina the widow and her adventures… Fifty pages in, it’s darn good stuff!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rocktober: Authors and their tunes

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The best part of Rocktober is that it can be about different things. The rule is that Rocktober is a celebration of the collision of books and music, so it makes sense to bring attention to my friend Darcia Helle.

She’s got a long post that’s totally cool and worth reading — and listening too — about how and what music inspires her.

Go meet some new bands you may not have heard of. And, as always let me know who you’re listening to — and if you have other Rocktober news to share, give me a holler.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rocktober gets a Concert Killer

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Part of the fun of Rocktober is when other bloggers and authors join in, and my good friend Deena at eBook Builders (if you need your e-book formatted, she’s the one to call. Either direct or through me) is featuring another good friend of mine — author RJ McDonnell and his third book, The Concert Killer.

Go read the post, of course. Turns out, this is the second of four parts with RJ!

I’ve read The Concert Killer, but think his first novel in the series, Rock and Roll Homicide is the best of the three I’ve read (the other one was the second, Rock and Roll Rip-Off). Loved the quirky characters.

Go see what I mean. And keep on rocking!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Heavy Metal Heart by Nico Rosso

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

I can’t say I KNOW Nico Rosso so much as I can say that his wife, the amazing Zoe Archer, is my fashion advisor. Probably without her consent, but she knows where to find the great stuff. How can I resist (as I sit here in a seven-year-old t-shirt and holes in my shorts)?

Heavy_Metal_Heart_finalSM

So when Zoe Tweeted that her main squeeze had written a work of Rock Fiction, well, how could I resist? I HAD to invite him to stop in, and for Rocktober, even! The stars have aligned and … well, here’s Nico.

The one song that reminds me of my book, HEAVY METAL HEART, is Soul Kitchen by The Doors. Much of the book takes place on the Sunset Strip, and that band is iconic for that scene. Rocking, partying, tearing up society’s rules. The raw energy of this particular song captures the quick heat and passion between my near immortal demon rock star, Trevor Sand, and the mortal, Misty Grant, who becomes his Muse.

Okay, so we’ve got a rock star named Trevor. Right there, you gotta like this book. (Not sure why? SERIOUSLY? Oy.)

Here’s the blurb:

Rock Star. Front man. Demon. A descendant of satyrs and the lead singer in a band that feeds on the energy of its audience, Trevor Sand is growing weary of the constant need to perform. He needs the legend of the Muse—a woman destined to be a demon’s eternal companion and only source of sustenance—to be true.

Misty Grant has never been bold, but when Trevor singles her out among hundreds at a concert, she takes him up on his explicit offer. During an erotic night in his hotel room, she learns that his touch is as electric as his lyrics. But when Trevor’s demon is aroused, her desire turns to horror and she runs.

Knowing that he’ll die if he loses her, Trevor must find Misty before his enemies do. But even if he can save her, he knows that regaining the trust of his fated Muse will be his greatest challenge.

Now, how often have we run into Satyrs in paranormal fiction? Even though this Trevor is only a descendant, how’s THAT for a fun twist???

I’m thinking this is a don’t miss. An Under Any Circumstances, Do Not Miss.

So go get your copy!
The e-book can be found here:
Carina Press
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
All Romance eBooks

The audio book can be found here:
Audible

And I can be found here:
Web:
Twitter: @Nico_Rosso
Facebook

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rocktober Specials

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

To celebrate Rocktober in style, I’ve dropped the prices on Trevor’s Song and the newest Demo Tapes quintuplet, Year 4, at Amazon and Smashwords. Other retailers ought to be following suit soon.

Do you know of a Rocktober Rock Fiction special? Are you offering one?

Drop a link in the comments and I’ll do my best to update it here.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Maestro by Thomma Lyn Grindstaff

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

No better way to start off Rocktober than with a dear, dear friend of mine. Thomma Lyn is one of those people who are so musical, it just flows out of them. She’s recording her own music, too, and is a heck of writer.

She, my friends, is the complete package.

Her new book, Maestro, came out just a few weeks ago, so let’s get right down to business.

maestro_cover

TL, what song makes you think of your book?

This one’s easy. Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. This lush and romantic concerto plays a crucial role in the story of Maestro in that it enables the heroine, pianist Annasophia, to travel back in time and meet Maestro, her dear friend and mentor, at a time when he was young, vigorous, and close to her own age.

Here’s a YouTube link to a great version of Concerto No. 2, as played by Sviatoslav Richter, concert pianist extraordinaire and one of the inspirations for Maestro’s character.

So what is the book about? After a tease like that, stop holding out!

For Annasophia and Maestro, their love is ageless, and music is their door through time.

Annasophia Flynn is a young, classically-trained pianist and singer-songwriter who enjoys a special bond with Wilhelm Dahl, her older mentor and teacher whom she affectionately calls Maestro. Maestro is terminally ill, and Annasophia must come to grips with the fact that she’ll have to say goodbye to him soon.

But not so fast. Annasophia receives a mysterious email to which is attached a photo of her standing by the side of a virile and much-younger Maestro, years before she was born and during the height of his fame and power as a concert pianist. Either somebody’s doing some serious Photoshopping, or Annasophia traveled — or will travel — back in time, meaning that there’s more to her relationship with Maestro than meets the eye.

She visits Maestro in the hospital and shows him the photo. When he talks about a mysterious door and hums a few bars of a romantic Rachmaninoff concerto much beloved by them both, she is compelled to go home and play the piece on her piano. The concerto indeed turns out to be a door back through time, where she meets the younger Maestro, and they fall in love.

But staying in younger Maestro’s time proves tricky. For one thing, he has a son who will never be conceived or born if Annasophia stays and changes things. She starts to second guess herself and tries to go back to her own time, only to find, each time, that the timeline as she has known it has been altered. For another thing, Maestro’s very elegant and cunning ex-wife, Elena, is determined to get him back and makes up her mind to do everything she can to send Annasophia back to her own timeline for good, where she will have to say goodbye to Maestro forever.

You need a copy. I know you do.

Amazon

Want to hang with me and the other cool kids and fans of TL?

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Goodreads

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The Day Before

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Actually, it’s the day after, as well: the day after a long weekend full of celebration and more carbs than you can shake a stick at, many of which are still clogging my fridge and freezers.

But it’s also the day before: The day before Rocktober begins. We’ll kick off the month with a Featured New Book Spotlight from my dear friend Thomma Lyn Grindstaff, and go from there into some reviews and some features.

Got a work of Rock Fiction you forgot to mention to me? Know of one you think needs to be exposed to a wider audience?

It’s not too late.

Due to the above-mentioned celebration and my crazy busy (for which I am endlessly grateful) editing schedule, Rocktober this year won’t be as big as I was hoping for. But what I have for you is good, good stuff.

The rocking and the rolling begin in less than 24 hours. Are you ready?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Murder Most Foul by JoAnne Myers

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

It was a quiet day a few weeks back. Until JoAnne Myers popped into my inbox with a hello, nice to meet you, and here’s the song that makes me think of my book.

I love that sort of introduction to a new friend!

Here’s JoAnne, with a truly fun song.

M

The song that reminds me of Murder Most Foul, is the theme to the James Bond movies. Just like the James Bond movies, Murder Most Foul is filled with action, adventure, murder, mystery, intrigue and unsuspecting romance.

LOVE it! How’s that for an awesome song??? Heck, I’m inspired by that one and I don’t write mysteries.

So what’s Murder Most Foul about?

When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.

The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.

Pick up a copy! Or two!

Buy link to Murder Most Foul

website: Books and Paintings by JoAnne

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Louder than Love by Jessica Topper

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The best part of running the Featured New Book spotlight is learning new things about casual acquaintances. Jessica Topper is one such lady — she dropped into my inbox with the news that she’d been hiding the fact that she and I are soul sisters!

Read on… you’ll see why.

LouderThanLovelowres

I’ve had a rock and roll day job for the past decade, and I’ve spent my evenings over the last five years writing this novel, so you could say that I eat, breathe and sleep music! LOUDER THAN LOVE features a recluse guitarist as one of its main characters (I call him my “heavy metal hero with a heart of gold”) and music weaves through the entire story, but if I had to pick just one song that makes me think of my book, it would be “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters.

Most people are probably familiar with the electric version from the radio and album, but lately I cannot stop listening to this amazing acoustic version, featuring just Dave Grohl, a mic (along with a little bit of piano) and a guitar. I just love his slow and soulful treatment of it and the way it builds up to that powerful, passionate rock finish before dwindling down gently one last time. If I may be so bold, I think it perfectly parallels the way my story unfolds!

The chorus of “it’s times like these…you learn to live again” and “it’s times like these…you learn to love again” certainly resonates throughout the story as you meet Katrina Lewis, a level-headed librarian who has lost her husband in a freak train accident, and Adrian “Digger” Graves, a recovering and reclusive British rock star living quietly under the radar on Manhattan’s tony Central Park West.

Kat’s life has always had order and she is very focused; she’s like the “one way motorway” described in the song. She can’t make sense of staying where her husband Pete existed one day and not the next, so she has fled Manhattan with her infant daughter Abbey to the place where she existed before she knew him. In the sleepy suburban home of her childhood, she begins to heal through the comfort of a close-knit group of girlfriends.

Before being literally and figuratively burned by the music industry, Digger Graves had had the 80s rock world by its spandex-clad balls. In typical rock and roll fashion, he had seen it all, had done more than his share, and had lost almost everything. I definitely see him as “the white light blinding bright, burning off and on” as the song goes. He was a wonderful character to write: very raw, very genuine, and humble yet complicated. I hope he surprises people, as he turns out to be quite a contradiction in terms of what people may expect from his cocky, shock and doom rocker roots.

Librarian and rock star meet by chance in a chuckle-worthy case of mistaken identity four years after the wreck. The chemistry is undeniable, not only between Kat and Adrian, but between Adrian and young Abbey as well. Admittedly, his relationship with his own daughter Natalie is strained, but Adrian delights in getting to know Abbey, as well as her mother. It’s the second chance he hadn’t realized he’d even wanted in life, and he’s not totally sure he deserves it.

Although Adrian defies standard classification, Kat finds herself falling for him. She makes peace with his intimidating past…but she still has her own to wrestle with. To Adrian, Kat is like a desert flower; thorny but will hopefully some day bloom. But as more time goes by, the larger the ghosts loom…testing the stability of their newfound love and relationship. There is definitely a delicate balance between hope for the future, and heartbreak from the past, that brings this verse from the Foo Fighters’ song to mind:

I am a new day rising
I’m a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

If you are in the mood for a love/loss/love again story and a good rock and roll read, I hope you will check out LOUDER THAN LOVE when it drops on September 17th! (And if you’re jonesing for the original Foo’s “Times Like These” after hearing my tale, here it is)

Nice, huh? I don’t think we even need the official blurb after that, but in case you do, here it is:

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband…and discovers a love that defies classification.

It’s been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth…the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian “Digger” Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids’ TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it’s unclear whose past looms larger: the widow’s or the rocker’s. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

Ooh… can’t wait. Jessica, how about a review copy? Pretty please?

Or quit begging and buy it, gang:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Google Books

Need more of Jessica? I sure do (see that comment about soul mates..)
https://www.jessicatopper.com

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaTopperAuthor

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18068436-louder-than-love

PERSONAL LINKS:
website
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
Bookish

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The Best Laid Plans…

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

If you follow me on Facebook at all, you’re familiar with my Thursday evenings spent in the library. I bring MacDougall — also known as the West of Mars Portable Office — and sit and write.

I had to go on hiatus from this in June, and last week was supposed to be a return to the habit. And it is habit forming; don’t get me wrong. Two hours to do nothing but churn out words? My own words? Paradise.

Last week, I had a Boy Scout meeting during that time.

Yesterday, the reason for the Thursday nights in the library came home from school hobbling… and I spent the evening with her at the doctor’s office… sprained ankle. As I suspected.

No Thursday night at the library last night. Possibly no Thursday night next week.

“Oh, come on,” I can hear you saying. “You can write just as easily at home.”

Err, no. I can’t. With one kid using voice chat as he Minecrafts and the other wanting to spend time with me…

I love my kids and they come first in my world. But every now and then, I do yearn for those dedicated two hours in the library, just me and a screen and no other worries … except what the people looking over my shoulder are thinking as they eavesdrop on a work in progress.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Featured New Book: Cold Revenge by Jaleta Clegg

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Jaleta Clegg is another of my long-time friends. In fact, if you missed it, I hosted her a little over a year ago, when she had another new release. This might even be the same series… In fact, it is!

Jaleta cover

Don’t worry if you’re new to the series… read on.

Let’s start with the reason we’re here: Jaleta, What song makes you think of your book?

Chicago – We Can Last Forever. No, my book is not a sappy love story. It’s science fiction adventure, heavy on the action and explosions and fight scenes. But I have this thing for sappy 80s love songs. I write my action scenes with them playing in the background. My iTunes library is chock full of sappy love songs for that reason. I also have a lot of movie soundtracks because they make great mood music, but it’s the love songs I keep turning to for inspiration.

Love songs? Really? And we’re friends? Good thing Jaleta is awesome in so many, many other ways.

So if you’re looking for some good adventure, try Cold Revenge. It’s book 5 in the series, but don’t let that stop you. Each book was intended as a (mostly) stand-alone story with a complete beginning, middle, and end.

Cold Revenge – Revenge is a dish best served cold. Jerimon is about to serve Dace to the Targon syndicate. On ice.

It’s on Amazon exclusively!

Book series website – The Fall of the Altairan Empire

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Beautiful Tragedy

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Last post, I whined about the high costs of going to see live music.

Let’s focus on the good.

The show itself was a lot of fun. New kids We as Human rocked out for four songs. I’ve been listening to them on SiriusXM Octane and recognized two of the four. Oh, sure, their sound was horrible, but that’s part of the rite of passage of being the new kids. That and the two inches of stage they were allotted. Lucky ducks. They got two. (cue Beavis and Butt-head laughter)

In This Moment played next, to a still empty pavilion that seemed not only unfamiliar with the band but also a bit befuddled. Musically, I think they were the most exciting on the bill. They’re doing things no one else has the guts to — but frontwoman Maria Brink looks brittle. Along with the tone change from last album to this, it looks like this poor woman has been through hell and back.

I’d love to have dinner with her.

Back to the show…

Between the knee braces and the way Maria hobbled off the stage for a costume change between each of their five songs (all from the new album. Bummer.), as well as the fact that she never moved, staying put on a platform and flanked by two barefoot, corseted dancers … well, it was bizarre. I expected that from Maria. I did. And I’m all for musical theater, too. But I didn’t expect the lack of showmanship from her band, nor would I have ever imagined that while she was off changing her coat, the band would turn their backs to the audience, almost as if we were only allowed to look on their faces when Maria was there to capture the spotlight and distract us from them.

Next time, Maria, wear the same outfit for more than one song and add Beautiful Tragedy into the set.

Papa Roach played next. Twenty year veterans of the scene, and it showed. They might have owned the best set of the night.

I can’t say the same for Skillet. While they are fabulous showmen (and I met their cellist when he was playing with local Rock Cello band Cello Fourte … and did I mention he used to work with a friend of mine?), their sound was muddied and bass-heavy. The top end got lost, particularly the vocal work by their guitarist. BIG disappointment. And Tate? Dude. I hope that’s not an addiction problem I’m seeing you with because the Tate I met, the one who worked with my friend, wouldn’t let himself turn into the slovenly onstage creature I almost didn’t recognize.

And finally, Shinedown. Ahh, Shinedown. The big draw of the night for me and my concert buddies. They were everything I expected and more — but like In This Moment, they took overly long breaks between every song. They also had long intros for each. Personally, I prefer it when a band flows from one song into the next. That’s when time stands still and all that matters is what’s happening on the stage. We, the audience, never leave the magic you are making.

Shinedown is a band who gets that magic, too. So why they interrupt it, I’ll never know. I wanted more of those moments when the concert buddies and I had our arms around each other and we swayed and sang. There’s your magic, right there. But it wasn’t enough.

Same thing that I told In This Moment: quit with the breaks and play another song. I’d have loved to hear a live version of My Name. That was my theme song for awhile there. It might still be.

And that finale? Powerful. Very powerful, and you’re hitting the exact right audience with the message, too. I loved it … except… the audience is so focused on the video screen and the story being told that the song got lost. Totally and completely. There’s got to be a better way to make the point, guys. You’ve got good people working for you. Put them on it.

All in all, it was a great night. We even jumped in line to meet We as Human and get the concert buddies some autographs. Nice group of guys, with great synergy. And they loved my pink ESP Explorer earrings.

I may have a new crush. I know my iTunes wishlist is groaning with the new additions to it.

But mostly, I realized I was wrong to stop going to see bands play live. That of all the things I gave up and sacrificed, this shouldn’t have been one of them. This is my lifeblood. Always has been and quite probably always will be.

I do need better concert buddies, though. And a few more bucks so I can afford those service charges and those inflated food prices.

But what I’ll give you for those nights out is more and better fiction. I promise.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Rockin’ to Rocktober

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

I’m trying to be a bit more organized about Rocktober this year, so I thought I’d invite you ALL to join in.

Here’s what I’m looking for from authors:
Featured New Book Spotlights. These can run any day of the week, so long as they focus on Rock Fiction.

Know what else I’d like? Blurbs about your books. I’ll feature your book that way, too, if you are too busy or even too far removed from your book to do it justice with a Featured New Book.

From readers and bloggers:
Pick a book. Write a blurb about it.

Send me links to reviews you’ve written recently (always the best; authors like to know they’re still being read) or in the past.

If you decide to host a Rock Fiction author for a blog post or an interview about why Rock Fiction, send me the link! I’d be glad to feature it. Again, feel free to dig through your archives.

My goal is to fill all thirty-one days in Rocktober with at least one Rock Fiction goodie. Decide how you want to celebrate, pick a date, and it’s yours. Hopefully you’ll get to share it — that’s a good thing! The more Rock Fiction, the better. Many would agree with that statement, so let’s show our love for the genre!

Not sure if it’s Rock Fiction? Here’s a list for you to start with. Find something that appeals and rock on.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
« previous page · next page »