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!)

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.

Miss Pamela — Pamela Des Barres, famed groupie of the 1960s and 1970s… and beyond … — may have only been the first to pen exploits of her tales.

Then came Roxana Shirazi, whose The Last Living Slut is a memoir I keep meaning to blog about. It’s sitting on my desk and yes, I finished reading it. I know. What’s taking me so long?

I’m sure there have been others between Miss Pamela and Roxana.

Now there’s a third.

“Once Upon A Rock Star” is author Rita Rae Roxx’s ’80s sex-and-tell book about all the heavy metal rock icons she met who toured through Omaha, Nebraska back in the day and whom she followed to L.A., even while attending Omaha’s Central High School.

I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t. After all, this wasn’t even my scene; back in those days, I was already into the heavier stuff. I was the DJ. I was too cool to be a groupie, and we all thought I’d go work at a record label. One of the cool labels, that only hired the cool people, who looked down their noses at the groupies.

But… somehow… it’s like a train wreck… I can’t stay away…

Check out more info, including a photo album filled with really fucked-up men. How they did that much partying and still survived could be part of the alluring mystery of it all…

I was sloughing off recently, something I haven’t been doing nearly enough of (have you SEEN my editing calendar? You wouldn’t slough off, either!) and caught a Tweet from Dave Owens, who I was already following even though I had no clue until now who he really was.

In short: an author of Rock Fiction.

I tried to coerce him into throwing a review copy my way, but he didn’t bite. Probably a good thing ’cause he’s one of those authors (and you know who they, and you, are) who’ve only made their books available on the Kindle. Hello? Some of us prefer to get our nookie however we can, sad to say. TMI? Okay, how’s this: we like the idea of competition, so we own Nooks. Which means we can’t read books that are available for Kindle only.

Why are you teasing your potential audience like this, folks?

Okay. We’re not here to talk about exclusives (which suck). We’re here to talk about Dave’s book. Music or Death.

Sounds like the battle cry of my life.

Here’s the blurb, shamelessly stolen from Amazon.uk’s page:

London in the near future. Music has been outlawed in all its forms as part of anti-terrorism measures. The people have been emptied of emotion and are kept in line by The Anthem, a soulless mockery of music that hooks society like a drug. The people are addicted to government control.

Cain is accidentally recruited into the terrorist cell Music or Death when he is caught up in a bomb attack. It’s dedication to bringing down the government and returning music to the people draws Cain deeper into their world of violence. As MOD’s actions spiral out of control, culminating in a chemical attack on the London Underground, Cain’s dedication to the cause is confused by a budding romance with Sarah, girlfriend to MOD’s leader and believer that violence doesn’t have to be the only way.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Xementhis, head of elite police division Soundcrime, exercises all his powers to find and destroy the terrorist cell. As his actions become increasingly violent, it becomes apparent that his anti-terrorist fervour may be more personal than professional, culminating in a fatal clash deep in the tunnels beneath the city.

Does that kinda remind you of a dystopian Footloose, or WHAT? (That’s a compliment, by the way. I always liked the premise of Footloose.)

So. If you own a Kindle, go pick it up. If you don’t, join me in clamoring for other sales outlets. ‘Cause it really sucks when you find a book you want to read, but are a victim of elitism. Yes, I said it. I went there.

THAT’s how bad I want to read this book. Yes, the editor said BAD.

Don’t go all Beavis on me, here…