Haster Interview Part 2: Living the Life

Hello and welcome everyone to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  I hope everyone caught yesterday's post.  Our guest this week is none other than California's own Haster.  Today we kick off part 2 of their interview with another heavy hitting song from their album Searching

Believe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38HrRAzVlHE&feature=youtu.be

Everyone remembers their first.  Tell me about your first gig.

BT: My first gig was at Chain Reaction for a bunch of friends, it was a extremely fun night, but looking back god we were bad!

DH: -My first gig ever was with a past band back in High School and we were able to play UCI during ‘Rush Week’. My singer decided to paint his whole body white... that was the last show with him hahahaha

JS: Whisky-A-Go-Go, Hollywood CA. I was definitely nervous. All of my old band members were there and they happened to be my best friends at the time. My old band was super heavy… I never even really sang… just made weird groaning noises and slammed my face in the ground. That first show gave me perspective on the necessity of sounding pretty vocally live and not focusing completely on the performance. I sounded like balls… Bob was 2 weeks new and looked like a deer in headlights. David through his foot on the monitor and didn’t move. It was a bad show… but hey, it was fun and we got a ton of support. We have come great lengths since then.

What has been your most memorable gig?

BT: Playing the House of Blues for the first time because it was my dream as a kid seeing all the shows I have seen there.

DH: -First time Haster played the House of Blues Anahiem in 2012. It was goal for me since day 1 to play the House of Blues and I was a dream to play in front of all my friends and family

JS: Our second House of Blues, Anaheim show this past year. We pretty much packed the house with people from all over. I spent the better half of the night signing autographs to real fans – people that were there for HASTER that I had never met. I have never had fans before and, when we closed the curtains after playing a killer set, the crowd roared with enlivenment. They loved us. I collapsed in awe of the scene, closed my eyes, meditated, and just hought “This moment is what makes it all worth it. Enjoy this moment.” I took it in and indulged… it was amazing.

Tell us about some of the albums/songs Haster has recorded.

BT:Our first EP “Searching” came out in 2010 and we are finishing up on our first full length album.

DH: -We release our first EP “Searching” back in 2011, and have released a cover of Mumford and Sons “White Blank Page” and we’re able to release our first full length album later this year in 2013

JS: Our first EP was an adventure. I was writing the lyrics on the way to the studio, unhappy with the pages and pages of words that had spewed out of my pen. I did the same thing with Fuller, the first track we recorded for our new record (out September 2013). I was happy with the original lyrics but the day before I went to Christopher Eck’s Studio to throw down vocals on it I attended a good friend’s funeral. The guy died for no reason… just partying, loving life, and acting silly- as he always did. He jumped on a balcony and somehow fell off. The landing didn’t kill him but he passed in the hospital days later… after a period of recovery. It was out of nowhere. This guy had a stadium-sized church filled to the brim. People were forced to stand, sit in aisles, and whatever… but they were all there for this guy. He was literally the most popular, lively person on the planet. Needless to say, I rewrote the whole song on the road to the studio. It was an emotional, frantic mess. I was on the freeway driving like a maniac, tears pouring down my face, swerving through traffic with one hand and writing in a notebook in the other.

Living the Dream

I know it’s cliché to ask, but what’s it like being on stage in front of a massive crowd?

BT: It’s a blast, I personally feel more comfortable on stage than off stage watching shows now because when i’m watching a show i crave to be on stage.

DH: -You get really fired up. For me whenever we play in front of 3 people of 3,000, I feel the same and want to give the best show we can

PN: In the beginning I was naturally nervous, but after playing shows for 2 years, it feels normal. It feels like I am an athlete on the field and its time to execute everything I have worked for.

JS: It is bliss. I totally dig theater and acting… it is what I do. I just graduated with a Screen Acting Degree from Chapman University and am moving to LA to pursue that and network for HASTER. For me, the bigger the crowd… the easier it is to be myself. It’s tough to have such emotional, real content in the lyrics and have to relive them in front of 20-30 people at a dive bar. I find the audience enthralled… but my in between song demeanor is off. I feel vulnerable and awkward. The second the music hits: boom. It’s gravy… but in between? Man its tough trying to act funny/normal in front of a small crowd after virtually crying minutes earlier while singing a song about real shit. In front of a big crowd? The show becomes a spectacle… all of the clean transitions fall into place and serve as pillars for my stage-personality. Since the audience is so dense I am not singing to an individual, but rather, a giant blob of people. I can do that all day! I love it!

Everyone has that one band they would love to open for and also collaborate with.  Who would be your dream band to open for?

BT: Tool or Chevelle. I look up to those bands so much, i would die to even meet them.

DH: -Tool. I would do anything to open for them

PN: The more I think about it, I would have to say Korn. I grew up with them, they are a huge influence in my writing, and my go-to for structuring song ideas. Seen them live countless times and I think we would fit right in on the same bill.

JS: If I could open for KoRn I would die a happy man. I have worshipped Jonathan Davis since I was a little kid. I remember my brother showing me A.D.I.D.A.S. off of “Life is Peachy” when I was 9 years old! JD made the anagram to mean All Day I Dream About Sex… at that age? I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I laughed for days/weeks, told all my friends, and eventually bought all of their CDs at the Best Buy in my hometown, which had terrible ID checke-ers…. Hahah. I had no business buying KoRn at that age… but since then? Its history. I love that band… even though I don’t listen to them all the time anymore I have a deep respect. They inspired me into this business.

What venue(s) have you always dreamed of playing at?

BT: Dream places to play would be the Honda Center, Staple Center, or Madison Square Garden.

DH: -House of Blues was that, but now I’ve checked it off my Bucket List hahaha but now it’s the Honda Center here in Anaheim, CA for me

PN: San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernadino, home of Mayhem Fest. Main stage, after sunset, bonfires in the grassy knoll. PERFECT.

JS: The answer to this question was House of Blues, Anaheim up until I played it three times. Now? I would do terrible things to play at Club Nokia. Its such a sick little spot… great vibes, cool bar, huge standing room area and a badass sound system. You can’t go wrong!

That's all the time we have for today.  Join us tomorrow for Part 3 where we have a little fun with the band and learn which members of Haster would survive a zombie apocalypse and who would end up dinner. 

Haster Interview Part 1, Basics

Happy Tuesday everyone.  Welcome to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  Today, we begin our three part series where we interview Haster, an incredible Hard Rock/Metal band from Southern California.  Before we begin, I'd like to share a song off their debut album Searching.

Mind Control Campaign
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p52luWCsRGs&feature=youtu.be

Let’s start by getting to know Haster.  Tell me about the band, the members, and how it originated.

David Heida (Lead Guitars) DH

Jarrett Stockmar (Vocals) JS

Brian Tew (Drums) BT 

Patrick Nolan (Rhythm Guitar) PN

Bob McCool (Bass)

JS: Hey guys, this is Jarret Stockmar and I sing for the band Haster. We are an Orange County band set on bringing back those emotional tones of the 90’s . I joined the band back in late 2010 by responding to an ad on Craigslist. I had a 6 month to a year downtime between then and my last project. I was bored and figured, “why not?” Little did I know David Heida, band manager/guitarist, Brian Tew, drummer/keyboard/programming, and I, would be recording our first EP within three months. Five months later it was released and we found Bob Mccool… the most talented musician I’ve ever met. From there it was a cake walk. We used our original EP to boost promotion and basically relied on those songs for a good two years.

How long has Haster been together?

BT: 3 years

DH: -Since early 2010.  I met Brian Tew (drums) through a friend I work with. Jarret Stockmar (vocals) joined in late 2010.  We finished our EP “Searching” in April of 2011. Bob McCool (Bass) joined right after that and Patrick Nolan (Rhythm Guitar) joined two months ago as we’re finalizing out new record

JS: Haster has been together since… I guess April 2010…. That’s when Brian and David met up through a friend and started jamming together. I don’t think they had any idea that it would become this.

What made you guys decide to become musicians?

BT: Seeing the percussion section during my brother’s middle school concert band performance.

DH: -Bands like Nirvana, Silverchair and Metallica opened my eyes and ears to hard rock and from the moment I heard ‘Nevermind’ i wanted to play music

PN: Patrick: An outlet for my instinctive creativeness I have had for as long as I can remember.

JS: I have been singing my entire life. Since I was little I dug theater. I always acted in school productions and was in choir throughout middle school. This, coupled with my insane passion for the 90’s nu-metal movement, drove me to basic insanity. I sat in my mom’s car or in my bedroom playing with my drum pad, singing along to bands like KoRn, Flaw, Staind, Limp Bizkit, and Slipknot. I learned to scream by screaming along to Slipknot-Iowa and their self-titled album. I joined my first band when I was 15 and was the frontman for two more afterwards.

What has been the source of inspiration behind your songs?

BT: For me it’s an out word expression of frustration and anger i can get out through playing the drums. Usually I incorporate music i’m listening when we write songs.

DH: -Life. We write our songs through what we experience everyday and I think it comes through in our music.

JS: For me life is becoming increasingly uneasy as it goes on. I was raised in the Private-School system. It was a fantastic opportunity, and I certainly made the most of it, but everything I learned back then as fact, in terms of this is the way things are, have been proved to be a mere framework of one perspective, a defense mechanism even. As I grow older the truths I used as padding for safety have been stripped to null and I’m vulnerably exposed. I draw inspiration from this. I love the idea of going back to my innocent years and loving in ignorance. It was bliss… preserving childhood has become a typical parent’s goal because a child/s innocence is the most beautiful thing in the world. 

This concludes part 1 of our interview.  Join us tomorrow as we find out what it's like for Haster to perform, their 1st and most memorable shows, and about their first album Searching.  I leave you tonight with another song from their debut album Searching.

Take Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5YEOE_2aVk&feature=youtu.be

Week 3 Preview: Haster

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  I have a special treat for you this week.  A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking to and interviewing an incredible band.  Who are they?  They are none other than California natives, Haster.

Haster is a fun, incredibly friendly, social media hard rock band from Orange County, CA.  Their first album, Searching, is now available on iTunes and are currently working to put out their next album this October.  Join us all this week as we find out more about this heavy hitting band and hear some incredible music.  I'll leave you guys today with something to rock out to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq5vImzW8BA&feature=youtu.be

Check out more songs, videos, and shows for Haster at: http://www.haster.co
And follow them on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Hasterband
 

Interview on the Cathy Brockman Blog

I was interview earlier for the Cathy Brockman Romances Blog.  I wanted to share a little bit of the interview as a preview.  To see the full interview go to http://cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/interview-with-andrew-hess/

Next week, I bring a special treat to everyone.  Instead of an author, I have a fantastic band from California as my guest.  Next week I get to interview Haster.  http://www.Haster.co

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my interview and have a great weekend.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our lair!! It’s already August! Where has the year gone? School is about to start back and the weather is still hot and so are the stories! To celebrate August and Back to school we have kidnapped oops invited some really awesome  victims  oops guests to come and sit  out on the Patio and tell us about their summer  and new releases.

Today’s victim oops guest is Andrew Hess! *Muses escort Him  to a cozy seat in our new Gazebo.

Cathy: *hugs, takes seat* Hello Andrew. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to have a chat with us. How are you today?

Andrew. I’m very well.  Thank you for inviting me.

Cathy: How was your summer? Did you do anything special?

Andrew: Summer has been very busy.  I just got engaged back on July 4^th; so there’s been a lot of wedding planning and have been busy with my blog and editing a couple of other books.

Cathy: Congratulations! Tell us a little about yourself

Andrew: My name is Andrew Hess, author of The Phoenix Blade. I’m from Long Island, NY and spent several years in the New Paltz and Poughkeepsie areas. I love writing novels, poetry, movie scripts, and creating new and innovative ideas for future projects

 Cathy: Ahh!! That’s cool! *muses huddle around*What made you decide you wanted to become a writer?

Andrew: It started while I was in college.  I came up with the idea for my book, The Phoenix Blade, and the writing took over me.  I kept writing every night and was the part of my day I looked forward to the most.  Everyone always has their favorite book or books they would always remember.  I wanted mine to be the ones that make people think and inspire other writers to follow their passion as well.

Cathy: What genres do you normally write?* Mysterious Muse grins*

Andrew: I can write any genre.  My first two books were poetry that told a story when read from cover to cover.  The Phoenix Blade is a four part series that is Action/Drama.  I’ve written mysteries, horror movie scripts, and even have a few romance and psychological books in store for the future.

Cathy: Where do you get your inspiration?

Andrew: Most of the time, I get my ideas from dreams or some random thought that crossed my mind. 

Cathy: How many books do you have out?

Andrew: I have currently have three books.

The Phoenix Blade: Follow the journey of Andrew Lancaster and his friends as they are thrown in the middle of the biggest government conspiracy to hit the United States. Andrew is contacted by a man known only as the Benefactor; claiming to be a government official that has been monitoring Lancaster and his friends. He is told they have enough evidence to arrest them for treason, but would like to hire them instead for a top secret government project. As a bonus the Benefactor says he will reveal something Lancaster has wanted to know for the last six years. Who killed his mother?

http://www.amazon.com/The-Phoenix-Blade-Andrew-Hess/dp/1482052733/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1375134810&sr=8-3&keywords=Andrew+Hess)

Chamber of Souls:

Have you ever found yourself taking a journey into unfamiliar territory, and saying it’s just another adventure? Was there a dream that was horrific enough to make you beg to wake from, or did you want to see more? Step into the Chamber of Souls; there’s always room for one more. http://www.amazon.com/Chamber-Souls-Andrew-Hess/dp/1462018386/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375135494&sr=1-2

Hall of the Forgotten : The Hall of the Forgotten is a series of poems inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s Cask of Amontillado. A man who has been picked on, lost, and pushed aside wants to put his past behind him. What better way to cast them out than to encase them in their own private cells underneath a secluded mansion. http://www.amazon.com/Hall-Forgotten-Andrew-Hess/dp/1481287664/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375135494&sr=1-3)

Cathy:  Wow that’s awesome! *Muses ooh and ahh*Do you have a favorite book you have written

Melissa Bowersock Interview Part 2

Hello again, and welcome to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  We continue today with our interview with the author of Stone's Ghost, Melissa Bowersock.  Today we take a lighter approach to the interview as we learn more about Melissa.

I'd like to  change things up and get to know you a little better.

If you could only bring three items with you to a deserted island (non-writing items or people) what would they be and why?

Gah, non-writing??? That sounds like pure hell. Ok, if I couldn’t write, I would have to have my camera (and lots of memory cards!) and a big book of watercolor paper and a set of paints and brushes. I’d have to be able to do something creative! I guess if all else failed, I could learn to do sand sculpture.

Haha, I don’t think I could live without my computer or notebook either.  But I find your ideas to be very relaxing.  I’m not good with drawing or painting, but at least when you’re rescued from the island you’ll have a lot of amazing pictures and paintings.

The world is going to end tomorrow.  How do you live out your remaining time?

Yikes, there’s a question! With that short time, it would be simple, actually. I would sit with my husband on our patio with our dog, having a cup of coffee, watching the hummingbirds at the feeder, watching the sunset and talking about all the things we’ve done, the places we’ve been, the joys and challenges of our lives. I would want to spend my last hours feeling the immense gratitude for my life and looking forward to the next great adventure.

That’s a very beautiful way to spend your remaining time. 

Someone wants to make a movie based on your life.  Who would you pick to play you?

Sheesh, you ask tough questions! The first person that comes to mind is Sandra Bullock (regardless of the fact that she is 20 years younger than me (at least I used to have the same color hair!), just because she can be very animated and plucky. Another one that comes to mind is Meryl Streep, not because she looks like me, but because in the movie Julie and Julia, I loved her joie de vivre.

Both are incredible actresses.  I think they both do a wonderful job playing a variety of characters. 

Alive or dead, who is the one person you would want to interview and why?

I can’t pick just one! I would dearly love to sit down and chat with Einstein, Galileo, Stephen Hawking, Neil Armstrong, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther, Carl Jung, Joan of Arc, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mozart, H. G. Wells, Beethoven, Jules Vern and (I’m sure) many more I can’t think of right at this moment. I am fascinated by how people compose, create, make that astonishing connection, that leap of faith, that leads them to a new reality. I would be in pure heaven if I could talk with people like that. I have often thought that I would love to have Barbara Walters’ job!

Barbara Walters really has talked to virtually everyone during her life.  And that is quite an array of artists to interview.  I think creative intellects like Beethoven, Mozart, Einstein and Galileo would be interesting to talk to today to get their opinion on the world comparatively to their time.

Okay, crystal ball time.  Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

Five years out, retired (from the day job, not writing), settled into a small quiet community away from crowds and traffic, writing, gardening, enjoying periodic visits to the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell and, of course, launching book after book. Ten years out, pretty much the same thing!

That sounds like a piece of paradise without an island to me.  I hope you get there.

Any questions you would like to ask me?

I notice you studied psychology in school as well as creative writing (and we share a love of Poe). I’ve found writing to be amazingly therapeutic; do you find that, as well?

I find it very therapeutic.  My first two books (Chamberof Souls and Hall of the Forgotten) were a way for me to deal with issues and people from my past and helped me learn more about who I am and what I really want out of life.  They helped me learn how to forgive and evolve beyond what hurt me back then.

Any final words for our readers?

I’d like to encourage anyone who writes to keep at it and not give up. The industry is changing weekly, daily, even hourly, and the opportunities for writers are endless and constantly evolving. The world of independent writers has shifted from competition to cooperation as we’ve found that the high tide lifts all boats. It’s a great time to be an indie.

Where can we find you?

Pretty much everywhere! I’m pretty accessible and welcome connections with readers.

Website: http://www.newmoonrising.net

Blog: http://mjb-wordlovers.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Melissa-Bowersock-author/164670386962492?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MJBowersock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/460535.Melissa_Bowersock

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=43585169&trk=tab_pro

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Bowersock/e/B002BLJON0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MelissaBowersock

Hope you all enjoyed this interview.  I encourage everyone to get their copy of Stone's Ghost, available now on Amazon.com:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStones-Ghost-A-Novel-Redemption%2Fdp%2F1484918428%2Fref%3Dtmm_pap_title_0&h=ZAQGky9RQ

Make sure to check out my other posts from the Writer's Revolution and check out where the Revolution began by picking up The Phoenix Blade; also available on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/The-Phoenix-Blade-Andrew-Hess/dp/1482052733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375397353&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Phoenix+blade

Melissa Bowersock Interview Part 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to back to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  Today we take a closer look at Melissa Bowersock as she talks about her new book, Stone's Ghost.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I have been a writer forever.  I’m one of those people who can’t not write.  However, I decided long ago I wanted to keep writing as the fun and passionate vocation that it is, so I have always had a day job to pay the bills; allowing me to write whatever, whenever I want without pressure.  Currently I work for the National Observatory and I’m on a team that is building a large telescope in the Chilean Andes.  I live in Arizona with my husband and an Airedale terrier, and I’m also a certified hypnotherapist.  Nothing like a little variety!

That’s an impressive job.  I agree that is a variety of credits to your name.  With so much going on, what inspired you to write?  What type of genre do you write?

I write in multiple genres; whatever story gets stuck in my head and needs to bleed out through my fingers onto the paper.  I’ve got 10 novels and they range from action/adventure to romance to fantasy to spiritual to satire.  I’ve also written one non-fiction, the biography of my aunt who was an Army nurse and prisoner-of-war during WWII.  Like I said; variety.  But I found early on that traditional publishers did not see this sort of versatility as an asset.  After my first two books (historical romance) were published by a NY house, I thought I had an “in” in the business, but when I switched to a different genre, I was thrown to the back of the line like a newbie.  Luckily, with the huge changes in the industry and self-publishing, we authors no longer have to grovel at the feet of the gate-keepers and hope and pray they like our work.

You would think they would look at versatility as an asset for a writer.  I think it’s great that you didn’t let that setback deter you from what you love to do. 

Now as I understand it, you have a new book out.  Tell us about it.

My new book, Stone’s Ghost, is a modern ghost story about love and loss and friendship, mistakes and consequences and redemption.

Sounds intriguing.  Tell us about the main character, what makes them unique and what makes them tick.

Matthew Stone is the main (living) character. He’s a very successful small business owner with a gorgeous girlfriend and a bright future, but he has a distinct moody side to him. If you’ve ever heard Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s version of the Christmas song, What Child is This, there is a refrain that clearly describes Matt: Holding on, holding off, holding out, holding in. That’s my guy. When he encounters a female ghost and they become friends, he finds all his stoic defenses crumbling and he is forced to re-examine his beliefs, his relationships and the real value of life.

Sounds like a great read.  What inspired you to write this book?

I got the idea one evening when I was watching Arizona Highways on TV. They did a story on the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and how it’s said that some ghosts came with the bridge when it was brought, stone by stone, from England and rebuilt over the Colorado River. I actually envisioned the story being more about the ghost’s disorientation at finding herself in the desert southwest, but I wasn’t very far into it before Matt’s barely-contained paradoxes became the main story. I love it when stories insist on writing themselves, even when it’s not exactly what I had in mind when I started.

That’s happened to me too.  I wrote a book with one intention and it took on a life of its own.  I think that’s when a book really take on a life of its own and becomes more than just a story.

Now tell us a bit about your other books.  Were they self-published or traditionally published?

My first five books were traditionally-published, the first two by the NY house and the next three by small presses. By that time, my first two books had gone out of print and the rights reverted back to me, so I began to investigate self-publishing options just to keep them viable. I published them with my original titles through iUniverse, then discovered Create Space, Amazon’s self-publishing company, and have used them ever since. Self-publishing is a lot of work, as all aspects of the process fall to the author or a paid contractor—editing, formatting, cover design, marketing, etc.—but I find having total control to be hugely satisfying.  Never again do I have to wonder what the title of my book will be, or how it will be marketed. Now when I publish a book, it is exactly as I have imagined it.

I have used both self-publishing options in the past and agree the self-publishing route is better for the author to have complete control, but have a serious drawback of having all of the editing, marketing, etc. fall on them as well.

So tell us about the other books or blogs have you written?

How much time do you have? I’ve got 2 historical (western) romances, The Rare Breed and Superstition Gold. These were my first two books and were originally published by the NY house, albeit under different titles (Love’s Savage Destiny and Love’s Savage Embrace). I always swore I would write another one and call it Love’s Savage Armpit.  I’ve got 2 contemporary romances, Remember Me and Lightning Strikes. My fantasy, similar to Lord of the Rings, is The Blue Crystal. I’ve got 2 action/adventure novels, The Appaloosa Connection and Queen’s Gold. I’ve got a spiritual novel called Goddess Rising, and a satire on romance novels called The Pits of Passion, which I never thought anyone would publish. It lampoons every cliché of the genre in outlandish fashion, so I always warn people this is not your mother’s romance novel. The biography of my aunt, Marcia Gates: Angel of Bataan, was my last before Stone’s Ghost. My blog is at http://mjb-wordlovers.blogspot.com .

Wow, that’s a lot to have written and quite impressive.  You really do like variety.

Let’s change pace a little bit.  Who is your greatest writing inspiration?

I had an English teacher in high school, Miss Okimoto, who was the first to encourage and support my writing. My classmates probably hated me because she would usually read my papers aloud as examples of well-written work, but she was the first to actually recognize my ability. Beyond that, I find exceptional authors to be hugely inspiring. If I’m in a funk and having trouble writing, all I have to do is read John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany or Rita Mae Brown’s Six of One and I am all fired up again. Inspired writing begets inspired writing.

I couldn’t agree more.  There are certain writers or books out there that give you that spark that reignites the creative fire.

That's all the time we have for today.  Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of our interview with Melissa Bowersock.  Make sure to pickup your copy of Stone's Ghost; now available on Amazon.com

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStones-Ghost-A-Novel-Redemption%2Fdp%2F1484918428%2Fref%3Dtmm_pap_title_0&h=YAQF_zo6z

Melissa Bowersock

Hello, and welcome back to the Writer's Revolution.  I am your host, the author of The Phoenix Blade, Andrew Hess.  Today we continue learning more about Melissa Bowersock and her latest book Stone's Ghost.  Yesterday, we took a look at this amazing author.  Today, Melissa is sharing a chapter of her book.

Chapter 1

The Javalina Cantina had still not quite hit fever pitch when Matt pushed through the door and walked out into the heat that shimmered up from the asphalt parking lot. He wasn’t sure which was worse: the stale, dead air inside the bar or the stifling heat outside. While midnight was only minutes away, the asphalt still held a store of heat from the day that it released consistently throughout the night. The high humidity of the summer rainy season kept the air thick and cloying, making him feel almost as if he were trying to breathe through a wet towel over his face. There was no getting around the fact that July in Lake Havasu, Arizona, was just plain ugly.

Not that his customers cared. Owner of a water sports shop, Matt Stone did a brisk business this time of year with Sea-Doo and Waverunner rentals, bathing suit sales and all other things wet and fun. While older folks, “snow birds,” flew north for the summer back to Michigan or Washington, the younger generation more than made up for the lack by invading Lake Havasu with plenty of money and beer coolers in hand. As long as California did not slide off into the ocean, Matt couldn’t help but make money.

“Hey,” Simon called, bursting through the door behind him. “You’re not going, are you?” Simon Alvarez was one of Matt’s employees, shorter and stockier and full of energy. Simon spent a good part of his workday checking out the tourists on the personal watercraft, making sure they could function out in the water without killing themselves or losing the craft. His hours in the Arizona sun just turned his normally brown skin even darker. He and Matt occasionally ended a night at the bar, decompressing from the business of the day.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Matt said. He’d stepped outside to clear his head of the smoke, the noise, the smells, but heading home was sounding more appealing as the moments went by. He was a little tired of all the commotion inside.

“It’s still early,” Simon said. “Come on back in and have another beer.” Simon’s words were only slightly slurred; he was obviously not quite parboiled yet.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” Matt reminded him. “We open at seven. I’d like to get a little sleep before then.”

“Seven?” Simon groaned. “Oh, shit, this is Friday, isn’t it? Damn.”

“You go back in if you want, but I will see you at seven,” Matt suggested heavily, his ice blue eyes as cool as shadowed snow.

Simon mulled over his choices. Younger than Matt by several years, he was not that far removed from the college crowd they served; finally the lure of one more beer won out. “I’ll be there,” he said. “But in the meantime ...” Smiling crookedly, he disappeared back into the depths of the bar.

Matt just shook his head. He felt old. At thirty he was no senior citizen, but sometimes the demands on his life weighed him down. The store, his mother, Carrie … How did he end up being Mr. Responsible? He used to be more like Simon, more willing to close down a bar than walk away from one. He glanced back at the cantina, hearing the music and laughter inside. Truth be told, he didn’t even want to go back in, so it wasn’t as if he were denying himself. Tonight he just felt … tired.

Sighing, he walked to his car and lowered his tall, lean frame into the sleek sedan’s front seat. Turning the key, he remembered when the low, throaty rumble of the V-8 soothed him like nothing else. Not tonight. He pulled out of the deserted parking lot and headed for the London Bridge and home.

The London Bridge, he decided as he drove up the approach, had to be the ultimate in kitsch. Leave it to an American to bring the storied stone bridge from England and plop it down over a spit of river in the southwest desert. Before that, Lake Havasu City was nothing but a trailer park beside the Colorado River; now it was known everywhere because it had THE BRIDGE. The aged span sported Union Jacks and ornate lamp posts at intervals, objects more at home with bone-chilling fog than the hot desert air that bleached out the colors and faded the metal. It was the ultimate incongruity—

Suddenly a dark form, blacker than the night sky and human-shaped, appeared directly in front of his car. He had no time to jam on the brakes or swerve, although he did both, but before the car could respond he had barreled directly over or through the thing standing in the road. Immediately hauling the sedan over to the side of the road, he set the brake and popped the car into neutral. Without even checking for traffic, he scrambled from the car and ran back to see what he had hit. He just prayed to God it wasn’t dead.

Heart pounding, he searched the dark roadway. It was empty. No trace of anything wet on the pavement that might have been blood, not even a stain. Even his frantic braking had not left a mark. He glanced further down the road to see if a truck or a bus had preceded him, perhaps belching exhaust or smoke, but there were no other moving vehicles anywhere. He considered a low-hanging cloud but knew no cloud ever looked like that, black and almost solid. He scanned the lanes in both directions, searched the sidewalks on both sides. Nothing. He even glanced over the sides of the bridge, noting that the ripples in the water below reflected only the normal flow of the river, nothing like what he would expect if something had fallen or jumped from the bridge. There was no evidence that there had been anything there at all.

Breathing deeply, still shaking, he shook his head as if to clear it. He wasn’t that loaded. He hadn’t even finished his second beer. How could he have imagined something so real? He hadn’t been nodding off; he wasn’t sleepy before and certainly was not now. There was no reason for him to see something that wasn’t there. He looked again westward down the roadway toward the island; nothing there at all, not even a leaf moved in the heavy air. It just didn’t make any sense.

He walked uneasily back to the car and examined it. The front was unmarred and shiny, as clean as the day he washed it last week. There were no dents, no bits of fur or fabric caught in the grille. He remembered the fleeting sense of the dark shape coming at the windshield but when he examined it, there were no scratches, no marks. There was nothing to indicate he had encountered anything at all.

“This is nuts,” he said to himself. Wiping his face with a still shaking hand, he pushed the shock of thick black hair off his forehead. His reaction, the way he felt, was completely at odds with the fact that there was nothing there. Obviously there was no reason to stay, no reason to search anymore, yet he felt leaving would be irresponsible somehow. He had an uneasy sense of incompletion, yet … what was there for him to do?

“There’s nothing here,” he said out loud. His own voice ringing in the emptiness of the night irritated him. “Screw it,” he said finally and got back into the car. Checking his mirrors, looking around in all directions, he slid the gearshift into first and pulled slowly away from the curb. Gaining speed gradually, he continued to monitor his rear view mirror as he drove on across the bridge.

He saw nothing else all the rest of the way home.

Pickup your copy of Stone's Ghost today; now available on Amazon.com

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStones-Ghost-A-Novel-Redemption%2Fdp%2F1484918428%2Fref%3Dtmm_pap_title_0&h=RAQHVvodS

Make sure to tune in tomorrow to find learn more about Stone's Ghost.