January's FEATURED AUTHOR: Susan says a thing or two...

Oh Happy Day! Susan's back... And today she's got a post for y'all, about--who else--Trevor and his personal armor. Check it out!

I need to thank Drey for having me back yet again. I love guest blogging! I always get to meet neat people -- that's you cool readers who I haven't gotten to meet yet via either my blog, the Meet and Greet, or else through my promotions blog, Win a Book.

My main character, Trevor Wolff, loves to meet new people, too. Especially women. Trevor's as much a hound dog as he is a Wolff -- and yes, I love these puns. So does he, in fact.

That's part of the magic of Trevor. He lives life with zest, and has little patience for anyone who doesn't. That doesn't mean he's all bright and shiny, happy every moment.

In fact, Trevor's the opposite. He comes from a dark place, a household that was full of alcohol and physical abuse. He sniffs at people, shows obvious disdain, puts on a holier-than-thou show. Until you look beneath the surface, it turns a lot of people off; with Trevor, your first impression is usually wrong.

It's hard to overcome first impressions. We hear often that they matter more than anything else, that they can make or break any number of relationships you will have in your lifetime. Going to hit on that hottie across the bar? Picking your kid up after the first day of preschool? Walking into a job interview? Make sure there's no spinach between your teeth because you won't get a second chance to make that all-important... yep. First impression.

So how do you overcome this stigma, when you're someone like Trevor?

By not caring that it exists in the first place.

It's through this feigned disinterest that Trevor hooks you. He knows you're not going to like him, in his leather pants and unbuttoned silk shirt (in a solid color, usually grey or brown). He knows you'll turn up your lip at his black motorcycle boots and his insanely long hair. So he beats you to the punch. He doesn't like you. And you're the one who gets greeted with a sneer. The patented Trevor Wolff sneer, of course.

This is his safety zone. The people around him see it (although they pretend they don't); they know it for what it is. It amuses them, even.

The one thing it doesn't do is turn them off. Because, you see, the magic of Trevor is that zest for life I mentioned up at the top of this post. Trevor demands that life be fun -- but also that it be honest. Honesty never killed anyone, he says. Lies do.

Perhaps he has a point. It's hard for me to judge, since I'm the creator of the Indomitable Trevor Wolff. I do know that the people who love Trevor, even the ones who decide his sidekick, Mitchell, is more their speed, keep on coming back for more.

That's how we like it. It makes Trevor fat and satisfied: he's living his life just right, thankyouverymuch.

As for me? It inspires me to bigger and better. Stay tuned; there's a lot more of Trevor to share with you.

lol Susan... Trevor is such a hound dog... =P But he's welcome 'round here any time, just don't mark my furniture. *grin* I'll take his feigned disinterest along with his leather pants and silk shirts, lol!

January's FEATURED AUTHOR: Susan's favorite reads...

Today we have Susan back (yes!) to share her favorite reads, as part of my Featured Author series. Read on to see what Susan has to say, and feel free to share some of your favorites...

Thanks to Drey for having me back ... and back... and all back all month long! She's asked me to talk about what sorts of books I, as an all-powerful author, like to read.

I think it's easier to say what I don't like to read, and that's non-fiction (usually including memoir). Oh, I'll happily sit down with a narrative non-fiction book like Seabiscuit, but otherwise, forget it. I need storyline, dialogue, characters. What can I say? I'm wired for the form we call fiction.

The other genre I generally don't read is Christian fiction. Go figure, since I'm not exactly Christian. Yet... once again, I'll gladly fess up to reading -- and liking -- authors such as Lisa Wingate. I can do wholesome. I can't do preachy or faith-based.

Romance? Steamy, chaste... it's all good. I gravitate toward the fun, like Lisa Marie Wilkinson. Or the funny, like Christie Craig. I love historicals; anyone who knows me knows I'm a fan of Carrie Lofty for that reason. And I'll gladly grab a Lauren Dane, an Anya Bast, and a couple of hand-held fans for when they get hot.

Back to historicals, though. I am a sucker for a good historical novel. Throw in some Biblical women and we are set. If you've yet to encounter India Edghill's novels, please fix that. Rebecca Kohn's The Gilded Chamber was every bit as wonderful.

It almost makes you wonder why I don't write Biblical historicals, myself.

Others have wondered the same thing about me and mysteries. I gravitate toward them, for some reason I can't figure out. The early entries in Jill Churchill's Grace and Favor series are among some of my favorite cozy mysteries, although I'll pretty much stop anything for one of Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity books. Yet I don't shy away from the darkness that Cody McFadyen brings, either. And there aren't many darker than McFadyen. Or if there are, they haven't come to my attention yet.

Can I do middle-of-the-road? You betcha. Linda Fairstein, Lisa Scottoline, Marcia Muller, Kathy Reichs. All are more middle of the road than the cozies or the gories (I once called them the Sick Shit. The name fits, even if it offends), yet I love them just as much. While I generally shy away from police procedurals, there are always exceptions... both Jonathan and wife Faye Kellerman can attest to that.

And don't forget science fiction and fantasy. I'm a sucker for a great dystopia -- ask my SciFi/Fantasy professor from my graduate school days. I tried to write one, myself, instead of a final critical paper. I still have it... maybe one day it'll come out from under the bed. Robin Hobb is another auto-buy. The Tour Manager and I share her books, in fact.

What have I forgotten? Oh, yeah. The stuff we call literature. As well as urban fantasy -- shapeshifters and vamps and the fey. Love it, love it, love it. If you've seen any of my book talks over at The Meet and Greet (more commonly called my blog), you know I have favorites in all these categories. Young Adult? Yep, I'll read that, too.

But at the end of the day, you guys know what my favorite type of book is: rock and roll fiction. I've made a list of books that fit this loose mold at my website (http://westofmars.com/west-of-mars/rock-books) and am slowly working my way through the list and reviewing them at my new (and totally off the radar. For now. Rocks 'n Reads blog). Too slowly, but then again, I'm not one to limit myself to one particular genre for too long -- and with a wish list that's now over 2000 titles long, I'm not about to start. There's just too much good stuff out there. I can't limit myself. I don't think you should, either.

Help expand our horizons. Leave me the name of a favorite book in the comments. Let's see if I've read any of them! (or if they're on the wish list. With over 2k titles, they very well may be).

January's FEATURED AUTHOR: Susan's books!

Today's feature is on Susan Helene Gottfried's books! She's my January Featured Author, by the way. If you missed it, there's a link on the right sidebar to the interview that posted last Wednesday.

So, Susan's books... She's written two, and that doesn't include all the fun that she puts up on the Meet & Greet! What are they, you ask? Well, keep scrolling down (yeah, past the pesky FTC disclosure)!!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes — Year 1

A band’s demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter.

Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, The Demo Tapes — Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel — but never encounter — Susan Helene Gottfried’s debut novel, Trevor’s Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who’s ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

Find out more about ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes - Year 1!

ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes — Year 2

The Demo Tapes: Year 1 introduced the reading public to ShapeShifter and the two men behind this fictional band: Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss. The Demo Tapes: Year 2 brings you more of the short fiction that brings these people to vivid life.

Year 2 delves more deeply into love, friendships, and the inside workings of ShapeShifter. New faces have arrived as the band tours and climbs the ladder of success, but most of all, Year 2 puts you square in the lives of Mitchell and Trevor, just where you like to be. Vive la Trevolution!

Find out more about ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes - Year 2!

Update: Susan is going to donate all royalties between now and January 31st to the Red Cross (see comment below)! So if you're going to buy a book or two, do it now!

January's FEATURED AUTHOR: Susan Helene Gottfried!

I'm so excited to have the inaugural issue of drey's Featured Author spotlight. Kicking us off with a bang is one of the nicest and funniest authors I know, Susan Helene Gottfried!

drey: Hello, and HAPPY NEW YEAR, Susan. Welcome to drey's library, and thank you for being drey's very first Featured Author. Thank you so very much for taking the time to do this Q&A!

Susan: Well, thanks for having me back, darling! I was afraid after Trevor had stopped in awhile back, he'd scared you off. Glad to see that's not the case.

drey: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an author? What were you doing?

Susan: I think I was six. I was walking with my dad through the local mall and I saw the mass market paperback display of the best-sellers. Right then, I knew that was what I wanted to do: be a best-selling author.

drey: Who/what inspires your writing? Where do you get your ideas?

Susan: I get my ideas from EVERYTHING. The other night, I saw someone had devoted an entire blog to peanut-butter-free recipes. Somehow, that evolved into an entire character-building detail for one of the many characters who hangs out on my blog (and to whom I'm devoting a full-length novel).

drey: What do you like to indulge in, when not writing?

Susan: Good question! Reading, of course. Working out. I love to be outside -- although not as much in the winter. All those bulky clothes...

drey: Screen version of Shapeshifters The Demo Tapes: Who's your dream team? TV series or movie? *grin*

Susan: Oh, movie, definitely. But for cast? I don't know. I've spent years trying to figure that out and I keep coming up empty. No one's exactly *right* -- at least as far as I can tell. But then, I have such a definite picture of each character in my brain that I'm doomed to rely on the imaginary casting agents you've just given me.

drey: Good, bad, or indifferent: (Dark / Milk / White) Chocolate + __________________ (fill in the blank).

Susan: Dark chocolate. As for with it... peanut butter's good. So's caramel. It's best naked, though.

drey: Electronic readers are becoming more affordable and available. There's been quite a bit of discussion about their impact on paper books, the environment, people's reading & buying habits... What's your take?

Susan: I love the idea. I love the royalties I get -- they're MUCH higher than print royalties. I have friends who've built really nice careers as writers via e-presses only. I have friends who swear by their readers and won't read anything in print.

My only beef is e-readers. They're entirely too expensive for something that doesn't do more than read books. I bought myself an iPod Touch to be my e-reader and I'm in love with how functional it is. Life is a lot easier with it. AND I can read all the books I want!

drey: On the publishing side--what do you think publishers and authors ought to do about this side of the digital revolution? Jump in wholeheartedly, and blaze the path for others to follow? Watch from the sidelines till there's some consensus on what the new business model is going to be for the digital age? Cross their fingers that this is all just a fad & will blow over soon?

Susan: Look, someone's got to lead the way, right? So to sit back and wait ... that's both smart and stupid. Smart in that you get to watch all the others screw up, and you can learn from their mistakes. Stupid because you *could* be selling books and making a profit.

I've heard the complaints that e-books are just as expensive as print books to produce, and that's fine. No arguments about the need for art departments, editors of all variety, and that end of the industry. But when we're talking warehousing and shipping expenses (particularly in an industry that uses a returns model as its business model), that's where e-books become cheaper.

The publishers ought to be exploiting that. But... they've got a big hole to dig themselves out of -- namely the fact that most books are money-losers for them. Right now, they are stuck with needing a high retail price to cover their losses. They can't take proper advantage of this new electronic frontier. They're losing out.

drey: What's next? Will we have more of Trevor & gang? Or are you planning on dropping a surprise in our laps?

Susan: Some of both. I have printed off the first incarnation of what will be Demo Tapes: Year 3, but right now, there's not a lot of demand for it. I'm trying to finish off the follow-up to the book that began all this Trevolution stuff, and I'll put THAT out. Novel-length Trevor. With a story arc and all the things you're used to in a book. (No pictures, though. Not unless someone pops up to donate their talents to the cause.)

And yes, there's another character who's got her own novel. If you read the Meet and Greet with any regularity, you've already met her. And that's all I'll say about that. Part of me would like to see how agents and editors will react to her story, so maybe that, too, will be delayed (the process from when a book is sold to a major publisher until it hits the shelves is about two years). It's too early to tell.

Thank you for swinging by, Susan!! Find her online at West of Mars and check out Susan's bio and the Meet & Greet, among other things!

Birthday bash - day 10! Susan Helene Gottfried & Trevor Wolff share some thoughts...

I love Susan. Not only does she come by to bring my birthday bash to a close, she brings along a friend! And not just any friend--she bring Trevor. Yummilicious (as imagined) dude fresh off the pages of Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes... mmm...

Susan says:

When I was six, I decided I was going to be an author. When you're six, there's only one sort of author in the world, and that's the best-selling variety. Mid-list, self-published, struggling… Those are concepts for adults. As far as a kid's concerned, any published book is a huge success. They're all best-sellers.

In the simplistic world view of a kid, being an author (and therefore a best-selling author) that also meant one important thing: I'd be rich. Loaded. I'd have power around town; I'd have my assistant get me reservations in the swanky restaurants, the ones that mere mortals had to wait six months for. I'd have a huge mansion, on at least ten acres. No neighbors in sight. A staff to run it all. And gates. Don't forget gates; nothing says power and best-seller like gates.

I'd get free tickets, be in the front row to every rock concert I wanted to go see. My name would open doors.

I'd be Somebody.

Even through college, I used this dream to fuel my passion. I'd cut pictures of mansions for sale out of the back of the New York Times magazine. I was going to be the main breadwinner; I was going to have a house-husband who could do whatever he wanted while I spent my days writing books. At night, we'd go out. A club. An arena. An outdoor ampitheater. At least one concert every night, VIP all the way. I'd be in the thick of it -- and it would be all music-related. Of course.

And my wardrobe! Oh, I'd actually be fashionable. Skinny, of course, and decked out in clothes featured in Vogue.

That was my drive, my motivation.

And then, something happened. Maybe it's that I went and fell in love with a computer geek who made enough money to buy us a nice house, even if it's far from mansion (let alone gated) status. Somewhere in the excitement of this new life, I lost the need to be treated like the rock stars I write about.

One thing I didn't lose, though, is the drive to be a best-selling author. That's not going anywhere so fast.

Nope. What is gone is the whole Be Somebody angle. The desire to have people point at me when I go out in public and whisper in awed tones, "There's that writer! I love her books!"

That hasn't changed. I'd love it if more people loved my books. What writer wouldn't? And sure, it'd probably sell some books if I was picked out of a crowd at a hockey game and given a mention as a local celebrity. Put up on the Jumbotron as I coolly waved and kept talking to the person beside me.

But in truth? I like the idea of being an anonymous face in the crowd. I like not having to worry about paparazzi in our celebrity-obsessed society. I like that no one has to rub it in my face that I'm a lousy dresser. I like not having to worry about stalkers, about the safety of my husband and children. I can stand in line at the grocery and be relieved that I'm not seeing my own face looking back at me from the cover of a tabloid. Yes, it's true: one of my nightmares in life is that someone I went to high school with will sell the skinny on who I was back then…

Hey, if the Tour Manager knew me way back in seventh grade and married me anyway, I couldn't have been all bad, right?

We'll never know. The beauty of being a writer in the world today is that it's a low-key job with a high-profile payout. No one needs to see my face in order to believe in the words inside my book. In fact, maybe it's better if you guys don't see me. That way, you'll never look at my author picture and go, "What is she wearing? If there's ever someone I want to stuff behind a gated home, THAT is the prime example!"

You know, come to think of it, if you guys would buy enough copies of The Demo Tapes so I could afford a stylist, the world would be a better place… I don't need a better home, or seats in a fancy restaurant. Just some clothes. That's not too much to ask for, is it?

Susan, Susan, Susan... When I was six, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. And do the whole Top Gun thing... In my simplistic world, if I didn't like you, I'd just push the trigger. & fly off. Way fast. *grin*

Trevor butts in ('cuz he just can't not butt in):

So, Susan's supposed to be blogging for drey 'cause it's drey's birthday and all. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Supposed to be sucks.

For those of you who can't figure it out, I'm Trevor Wolff. Susan writes books that I get to star in. You should read them, even if you can only buy one so far. But first, read what I've got to say. Then go buy our book.

I love birthdays. Not that getting older is such a great trip. So far, it's pretty much sucked. Getting sleep on the road is harder, even though now my band, ShapeShifter, has this bus we roam around in. This bus has got bunks, but I think they're too much like coffins so I sleep up front, on the couch under the TV. Or I try to sleep. It's not so easy when you're vibrating, youknowwhatI'mtalkinabout?

Used to be, I could crash anywhere, anytime. Not like Mitchell; he's the king of sleep. If he's the king, that means I can be the prince, but since Trevor Wolff's no prince of anything, that means I can't even try to sleep better. So I make do. I'd rather make out.

And girls. I love girls. Here's one good thing about getting older: the younger girls, the ones without … experience? They don't look as good anymore. Suddenly, I want a woman with curves on her. I want someone who can turn our hour together into something mutual. Who knows that part of the getting is giving, and it's better when we both give and get.

And when we're cool about leaving on time, leftover cake in hand. Trevor knows how you girls like your cake. I'm telling you now, you don't need cake when you've got Trevor, but whatever. Some of you like both. Smart.

Now, as for drey. You see, drey's got a birthday. That's why I'm honing in on Susan's guest post here. 'cause, see what I just said? Trevor Wolff loves himself a girl who's got some experience and some living under her belt. Not to mention something to fucking say.

That's drey.

Know what else is drey? I've taken a peek at those e-mails she and Susan toss back and forth. She's one of them always happy chicks. ALWAYS happy. It's probably a pain in the ass in real life, but I've seen the rest of Susan's e-mail. There's not enough happy people there, or people raving about our book. Count on drey to fix that. She always makes Susan smile, and when Susan smiles, I get to star in really good scenes. Or my new Word of the Minute, or whatever Susan decided to call it. Check it out. I'm digging the comment trail. Maybe if the band tanks, I oughta do comedy.

ANYWAY, Mitchell's Mom and Susan and even Mitchell's big sister, Amy. They like to say that with age comes wisdom. Trevor here doesn't know about that. He just knows that you women get better with age and he likes to like you all the more.

Happy birthday, drey. Come on over for some love, Trevor style. Ever wanted to howl like a Wolff? I'll be glad to show you everything you need to know, and then some.

About Susan:
If you can't tell from the guest posts above, Susan Helene Gottfried is an author. *grin* Her other passion is music. Find Susan online at her website,westofmars.com, and her blog, The Meet and Greet.

Giveaway!
One copy of Susan's book is up for grabs, if you live in the USA. To enter, 'fess up: Were you ever in a band? Were you ever a band groupie? Wanted to be in a band? Or be a groupie? =) I've never been in a band. But would've gladly traded my left hand to be a groupie for a-ha. *blush* What can I say--I was young... As always, +1 for followers, +2 for sharing this giveaway. Remember to let me know where & how. This giveaway ends at 6:00pm CST June 26th, so dig up those deep dark secrets now! lol! If you don't want to wait till next Friday to find out if you've won--or if you really don't want to share those secrets--click on the cover to purchase your own copy from Amazon!