At long last a LiveJournal by Jeri Smith-Ready

I'm back! Bring on the Night is finished and turned in. Forks sticking out of it and everything. I am very happy with how it's turned out so far (realizing, of course, that I am in for the usual massive rewrite). For the second book in a row, I came up with an ending that changed almost everything I thought was true about its sequel. All part of the adventure, right?

Anyway, appearing today at Stephanie Kuehnert's blog, "Life, Words, & Rock 'n' Roll," is the hero of my WVMP Radio urban fantasy series, vampire DJ Shane McAllister (why I feel like I need to keep introducing him to you is beyond me. But you might be new, so hi!).

Shane is sharing his "ballad," a story of a pivotal point in his life and the music that formed the background, or, in his case, the foreground. It's all part of Stephanie's cyber-launch party celebrating the release of her amazing new novel, Ballads of Suburbia (which I talked about a few weeks ago).

Shane discusses how seeing Purple Rain changed his life, and not in the way he planned.  If you leave a comment at Stephanie's blog, you can be entered to win a choice of Wicked Game, Bad to the Bone (signed, of course), or $20 worth of WVMP merchandise (new stuff added recently, including dog T-shirts and "Feed the Need" baby bibs).

Only three weeks until my next deadline (revisions for Shade), and loads of e-mail, etc., to catch up on before I go all hermit again. We should be getting our first foster cat either this week or next, so I'll have fun stories about her. In the meantime, go visit Twinkle's page and say, "Aww!"

Quick reminder: I'll be at Constellation Books at 303 Main Street in Reisterstown, Maryland, tomorrow 3-5pm.  There'll be a reading, signing, discussion, and most important--cookies.

Last night I went to a book club meeting in Central PA where they were discussing Wicked Game.  I had a ton of fun (and pizza)--it was great hearing everyone's thoughts on the characters.  Really motivated me to keep writing!

If you have a book club in the mid-Atlantic area (within a reasonable drive of my house) and would like me to visit your book club, let me know.  I'm also available to talk to book clubs over the phone (within the U.S.) or Skype (anywhere in the world).

As an aside, on the way up I heard The Killers' "Read My Mind," which is one of the first songs on the Wicked Game playlist.  It made me "homesick" for the beginning of that book, when Shane and Ciara had just met. Things were so simple then.  I'm working on Book 3 now, which takes place three years after their story began in Wicked Game.  They're still together (and always will be), but their world has grown a lot more complicated.  Such is the nature of a series where characters change and grow and make bargains with paranormal paramilitary organizations.

Anyway, there's a fun interview of Shane from the WVMP books over at Jackie Kessler's Cat and Muse blog.  Our boy managed to keep out of the clutches of that former(ish) succubus Jezebel. A testament to his devotion to Ciara, or maybe Jez just isn't his type.  He'll never tell.

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Now playing: Kasabian - Reason Is Treason
via FoxyTunes   

For our next installment in the Mostly Debut Author interview series, I'm thrilled to have Danielle Joseph (daniellejoseph), whose first novel, Shrinking Violet, came out last month.

Danielle and I first met in that decrepit old bar known as MySpace (just kidding--it wasn't decrepit back then). It turned out that we had the same editor, the lovely and brilliant Jennifer Heddle. Not only that, we each wrote about radio stations! How cool is that?

So of course I had to read her book, especially when I discovered that the main character, Tere Adams, is painfully shy. This may come as a surprise to those who have met me at a convention, but I could totally relate.

Like all shy people, Tere has an amazing imagination, and often dreams of being someone different, someone "better." Her secret fantasy alter ego is Sweet T, the hottest new DJ on Miami's SLAM-FM. She knows the new music scene inside and out, and senses in her heart that given the opportunity, she could be a fabulous disc jockey.

As an intern on her stepfather's radio station, she gets her chance. Of course she's terrified--millions of people hearing her voice? What if her classmates recognize her? What if the hot, sensitive guy from English class--the one who loves the same bands and who actually talks to her--finds out she's been living a double life?

Despite her fear, she goes on the air as Sweet T, and that's when her life changes.

I fell in love with Tere as she struggled to find her voice, both literally and figuratively. Her pain at being looked at and expected to speak--speak now, speak up, for crying out loud!--I could feel in my gut. I loved that she lived out her dream not because she wasn't afraid, but in spite of her overwhelming terror. That's true courage. I also loved that the Hot Dude in Question, Gavin Tam, appreciated her for everything she was--her real self and the Tere she knew she could be.

Though the book is ostensibly targeted at a teen audience, there's a lot here for us over-twenties, particularly music lovers and anyone who's had to overcome the fear of being oneself.


***BREAKING NEWS: THE DISNEY CHANNEL JUST BOUGHT THE FILM RIGHTS TO SHRINKING VIOLET!  WOO-HOO!!***

( If you don't click, you'll always wonder, won't you? )

To enter to win a copy of this sweet (in all senses) novel, just leave a comment or question for Danielle--or tell us the biggest fear you've ever overcome--in the comments below.

I'll draw a name Friday night at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time. Anyone is welcome to comment, but the prize will be limited to U.S. residents.

As they say in radio, thanks for listening!

Today would have been the fifty-eighth birthday of Jeffrey Ross Hyman, better known as Joey Ramone, had the world not lost him to lymphoma in 2001. (By the way, if you're in New York City, there's a Birthday Bash for Joey tonight at the Filmore--click on that link for details.)

I bring up The Ramones to highlight an aspect of Bad to the Bone I haven't discussed much, what with all the attention on vampires and dogs and, well, vampire dogs.

The music.

Like Wicked Game, Bad to the Bone is steeped in rock 'n' roll. It plays an integral part, not only for the characters' internal wellness, but in the plot itself. Songs are used to send messages, including a life-saving one, when our heroine Ciara is in the worst jeopardy.

(Speaking of music, before I forget, Shane McAllister will be live-tweeting the rebroadcast of his "Whatever" radio show tonight from 6-9pm Eastern in honor of Bad to the Bone's release. Stop by if you want to see what he plays and what he says about it.)

( Click for playlists and ramblies on the past, present, future of punk. )

Enough musing. I hope you enjoy Bad to the Bone (which by the way comes out today). Drop me a line and let me know what you think, okay?

As some of you know, my WVMP Radio novels (beginning with Wicked Game) have playlists in the front. Thanks to Playlist.com, you can hear most of the songs from those playlists right here on my website.

I decided to release the playlists for Bad to the Bone early, to give everyone a musical taste of what was to come. It probably won't help you guess what the story is about, but I won't tell you not to try. ;-)

What I mean by "Playlist": These are not songs I listened to while writing the book. It's cool that some authors post those--I love getting that glimpse into the creative process and seeing which songs remind them of which characters.

But that's not what this is. This is a list of the songs that actually appear in the book. They might play in the background, or they might play a crucial role in the plot itself. Maybe a better label would be "soundtrack," but music is so integrated with the stories, that word doesn't really cover it either. (I could make up a pretentious phrase like "narrative-enhancing auditoria," at which point you'd be within your rights to reach through your monitor and slap me.)

( For those about to click, we salute you. )
To enter this week's Bad to the Bone ARC giveaway, tell me a song, any song, that reminds you of a character or story you love. It could be from a book, movie, TV show, whatever. Extra points if it's one of my books*.

AND/OR

Tell me which of the songs from the above playlists most fits the soundtrack of your life. It could be the title alone, or the song's content or meaning. No need to explain, although you'll get extra points for scandalous stories**.

I'll randomly draw a name Tuesday night at 11:59pm Eastern daylight time from the combined comments from my jerismithready.com blog, MySpace, and LiveJournal, and announce the winner next week. Good luck, and as they say in radio, thanks for listening!

*not really, though it might help me with future books and get you a mention in the acknowledgments. Just sayin'.
**again, not really, but it'd feel good to share, no?

No words can describe the way this day makes me feel, so as usual, I turn to music, reposting the playlist from another day:



Happy America, folks.

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Germans signed the Armistice agreement ending one of our planet's greatest tragedies of all time: World War One. Naturally, it wasn't called that at the time--in fact, Woodrow Wilson declared it the "war to end all wars." It wasn't.

Here in the States we observe this anniversary with Veterans Day. In most of the British Commonwealth it's known as Remembrance Day. Australian folk singer Eric Bogle (whose concert Chris and I saw in Wilmington, DE, in 1993) wrote a song called "No Man's Land." Lots of bands have covered it, and most refer to it by the name The Fureys gave it, "The Green Fields of France."

I like Dropkick Murphys' version best, due to the use of pipes and drums, just as the song describes. Here's a video an American soldier put together to accompany the song, honoring the fallen. (Some of the images are also shown in Dropkick Murphys' official video, but I liked this one slightly better.)

Warning: you will cry. But the twenty million soldiers and civilians who died in that war deserve a few tears.

I took a half hour out of my busy revision schedule to make a cross-generational, cross-genre playlist to psych you up to vote. I figured it was the least I could do, seeing as I kinda fell off the voter registration nagging routine.

Below the playlist are some more words that are important.







Go to Vote411.org to find out all the information you need about where and when to vote and what you need to bring to the polls.

And please, even if you think your presidential candidate of choice is sure to win or lose, VOTE ANYWAY. Be part of the process. Do your sacred duty as an American.

Besides, the people running for Senator, Governor, House of Representatives, School Board, Sheriff, and Dogcatcher all need your vote. Not to mention the bajillion ballot questions up for consideration.

And if you think you might have to stand in a long line, consider bringing a brand-new, very thick, truly awesome book, perhaps a book that prompted one reviewer to say, "Never have I read a trilogy that exemplifies the spirit of freedom in so meaningful and poignant a way!"

If you don't believe me about voting, listen to these people, like you did last time.






Happy Election Day.

I'm drowning in deadline, and nursing a very sick dog and a mildly sick cat this weekend (they're feeling better now) set things even more in arrears.  So don't expect me back until, well, until I'm back.

Today’s voter registration nag video has nothing to do with voter registration. I just really like Guy Davis (I wrote about him a few years ago in this post), and this song makes me happy, despite the fact that it's about economic woes. It's a song called "Things About Coming My Way," and it describes the moment when you think things might just might turn around.  At least, that's what it means to me.

Here's your semi-daily update of the dwindling list of states that are still registering voters. The blinky states are closing their voter registration rolls this Monday through Wednesday.

As always, visit VotersUnite! for rules and regs pertaining to your own personal state.

Alabama
California
Connecticut
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Dakota
Oregon
South Dakota
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin



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Now playing: Volcano - Beck
via FoxyTunes

If there's any booze left in the city of Denver after the World Science Fiction Convention and the Democratic National Convention got through with it, that's about to end.

A quick aside: I need a research assistant. Someone I can turn to (virtually or for real) and say, for instance, "How much did a shot of cheap whiskey cost in 1959?"

Because looking these things up for myself usually means I end up at sites like this: Modern Drunkard Magazine's World's Best Drinking Songs.

I was going to save that link for a later post, but I thought it was important to inform you of this weekend's National Drunkard Convention, running today through Sunday in Denver.

From the website:

What to Expect: The tribe uniting. The elite inebriates finding each other. The best and the booziest. Ever go to a bar and wish there were some real goddamn boozers on board?

So what's your favorite drinking song (mine is "Streams of Whiskey" by The Pogues)? And how do I avoid massive distraction when doing online research?

And what was the price of a shot of cheap whiskey in 1959? Help!

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Now playing: Little Milton - My Baby Pleases Me
via FoxyTunes

I didn't blog yesterday, but that's okay.  I have people for that now.

When Rob Usdin of the Jersey Jamcast told me about a cool new online radio station, I passed it on to Shane, who blogged about it last night and started a discussion about who we think is already dead but isn't.  Go say hi if you have a chance (you need a MySpace account to comment, but not to read).

Which prompted him to check the Abe Vigoda status.  Hat tip to Rob at Laughing at the Pieces for showing me that one oh so long ago.

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Now playing: Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied (1948)
via FoxyTunes   

I just had one of those, "Wow, my mom and dad were once young" moments.

I was doing research for Spencer the vampire DJ's short story and read about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. ("The Big Bopper") Richardson on February 3, 1959.  Folk singer Don McLean later referred to this incident as "The Day the Music Died" in his song, "American Pie." 

It was the first time that rock 'n' roll had lost a young star to an untimely death, and to lose three at once--it was a tragedy of epic proportions.  So much talent wasted, so many records the world would never hear.  It's hard for us young'uns to imagine, after the parade of dead rock stars like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, etc.--all of whom died at the age of 27. 

What made it even worse was that the stream of great hits that had flooded the radio in 1956-57 had slowed to a trickle.  Elvis was joining the Army, Chuck Berry was in jail, and Jerry Lee Lewis--well, there was that little thing about marrying his 13-year-old cousin. 

The point is, music was getting tame again--the powers that be were fighting back against the racial integration and "moral depravity" that rock 'n' roll represented.  Buddy Holly and Richie Valens were the only guys who could save America from Death by Pat Boone.  And then they were gone, and music pretty much did die until four boys from Liverpool resuscitated it.

Anyway, I always knew that my parents had named my older sister Donna after a song by the same name that was out that year, but I never knew until last night that it had been performed by Richie Valens, who died in that crash at age 17, a few months before Donna was born.  Yeah, 17--that's not a typo.  (People my age might recognize Valens as the guy Lou Diamond Phillips played in the movie La Bamba.)

It made me realize that my folks were really touched by this tragedy, as much as if not more than I was affected by the death of Kurt Cobain.  It was the equivalent of me having a kid in 1994 and naming her "Polly."  (But can you imagine her growing up and listening to that Nirvana song?  She'd think I was insane.)

I wish my dad were still around to ask about it, but I'm going to call my mom and find out what it was like to get the "bad news on the doorstep."  And one of these days I'll turn this into a blog post by Spencer for the WVMP Radio website.  His version will no doubt be more eloquent.

(Speaking of Spencer, I've redone his playlist--added some more familiar tunes and rearranged them all to flow better.  And Nitro by Dick Dale?  The earliest punk song ever.  Go listen and tell me if it doesn't sound like it.)

How about you?  Ever have one of those "Holy cow, my parents are not aliens" moments?

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Now playing: Link Wray - Rumble
via FoxyTunes   

I just subscribed to the Urban Dictionary Word of the Day, and yesterday's was rich:

August 05: shuffle shame

"Shuffle shame" is when your mp3 music player is playing on speakers in shuffle mode, and somebody enters the room at the exact moment the worst song of your collection is being played.

I felt shuffle shame when Tony came to the office today, my iPod was playing Paris Hilton's single as he came in.

As you know, I rarely do book reviews. I suck at summing up the events and themes (you'd never know I was an English major for a time), and have difficulty articulating what I love about a book, so for me to make the effort, I need to feel strongly about it.

Which I do (do I ever!) about I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (writerstephanie) (pronounced Keen-ert, by the way, mentions Jeri Smith-Ready-as-in-ready-to-go-NOT-reedy). Stephanie will be joining us Monday for an interview, and will be giving away a signed copy to one lucky commenter. But first, to whet your appetite:

( Click to read review--you know you wanna. )

As I mentioned before, this is definitely a book that would appeal to adults and older teens alike. Some parents might object to the sexual situations and drug use, but they're handled with honesty and frankness--meaning they're neither demonized nor romanticized (believe me, no girl is going to want to run out and get laid after reading about Emily's first encounter). I can't even express how refreshing that is, and it's one of the many reasons I loved this book.

So join me Monday to learn more about Stephanie Kuehnert and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, and enter to win your very own copy of this phenomenal new book!


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Now playing: The Gits - Snivelling Little Rat Faced Git
via FoxyTunes    

Wahhh, it's already time to leave my new friends at the Desert Island Keepers blog. They really know how to treat a guest.

Stop by today to see which 6 books and which 7 CDs I'd bring with me to our desert island. Maybe a few surprises.

Ongoing contest update:

Signed copy of Wicked Game: Amberkatze's Book Blog (interview and giveaway)
Blues CD giveaway: My post about Monroe's story

I'm off now to scrutinize the typeset for The Reawakened. It'll be the last time I get to make changes to it. I'm a bit sad the series is over, but sad in a good way. And as long as people are reading it, I guess it's never really over.

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Now playing: The Killers - Why Do I Keep Counting?
via FoxyTunes

In the nick of time (it's still June, barely), I've posted the short story "Crossroads" by Monroe Jefferson.

This is the "true" tale of how vampire DJ Monroe was turned, back in July 1940, at a Mississippi crossroads. It's slightly different than the story he told in Wicked Game. That version was just to impress the crowd at the Smoking Pig, but this here is the real deal.

It even has a playlist at the bottom if you want to listen to the music while you read. (Personally I think it has more impact if heard afterward, but hey, it's a free country).

To celebrate, I'll give away a brand-new copy of the first CD that turned me on to the blues, Alvin Youngblood Hart's Big Mama's Door. To enter, just send me an e-mail telling me what you think of the story, or post a comment here. I'll draw one name at random a week from now, at 11:59pm eastern time, Monday, July 7.

But wait, there's more! Beginning with Spencer's story in August, my newsletter subscribers will get to read the stories a week before the rest of the world. So subscribe now (on my website), and get in on all the vampire action early.

Enjoy!

I'm the leadoff guest author over at the hottest new blog for readers, Desert Island Keepers. I'm giving away a signed copy of Wicked Game (or another book if you already have that one) to one person who leaves a comment on either today's or tomorrow's post.

Today I'm introducing myself by running the gauntlet of "About Me" questions the DIK ladies (hee) all succumb to. Find out my favorite love (and sex) songs, which hero I would be (hint: he has a butler and a lot of cool toys), and which series I would live in (other than the fantasy that is my real life).

Monroe's story will be up later today/tonight. I'll post when it goes live!

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Now playing: Junior Wells - Blues Hit Big Time (alternate take)
via FoxyTunes

Thanks to everyone who stopped by last night to chat with me on Jacquelyn Frank's Marathon Chat, and congrats to those who won books, WVMP swag, and the marvelous raffle bags Jacki was giving away. It was great to meet and hang out with some new readers.

There's an interview with me up at Amberkatze's Book Blog. You can enter to win a signed copy of Wicked Game. Enter once by leaving a comment or question, enter twice by blogging about the interview somewhere else, and enter thrice by joining Amber's newsletter. Triple the contest-entering fun! Entries will be taken until next Sunday, July 6.

I'm also excited to announce that the short story about vampire DJ Monroe Jefferson's 'turning' will definitely be up here at jerismithready.com tomorrow. It's done, just needs a bit of polish and formatting for the web. I finished it off last night while watching the DVD of Eric Clapton's Crossroads benefit concert, which is four hours of phenomenal music. Almost makes me want to learn to play the guitar. Almost.

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Now playing: Eric Clapton - Little Queen of Spades
via FoxyTunes

Miscellaneous confirmed/discovered:
- prisoners in minimum security federal prison camps (FPC's) do have to wear uniforms (thanks, Martha Stewart!)
- women make 77 cents for every dollar men make
- killing in self-defense is called "justifiable homicide," not third-degree murder (which is something else)
- Janet Jackson released Control in February 1986. It became one of the bestselling albums of all time.
- the comma was added to the official title of the Rolling Stones' song "Paint It, Black" by the record company, not the Stones themselves
- in Ohio they call them 'middle schools,' not "intermediate" or "junior high"
- a Great-Horned Owl sounds like this when it's pissed. Not as creepy-sounding as the Screech Owl, but I need this owl to kick some bad-guy ass, and screech owls are the size of kittens. Whereas the Great-Horned? Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of those talons and that beak.

While dorking around, I found a cool punk/ska band from the city where my family lives, Winchester, VA. Introducing...Anatomic Bomb. This has nothing to do with research, it was just one of those stumble-upons.

Also discovered this nice live version of Bruce Springsteen doing "Youngstown."

From the Monongahela Valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalachia
The story's always the same.
Seven hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world's changed
Once I made you rich enough,
rich enough to forget my name.