Gregory S. Lamb's Blog, page 9
November 23, 2013
Book Release Party Stop: Interview/Book Review – Candy Ann Little, Author of “Murder of an Oil Heiress”
Today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing both my review of a highly entertaining piece of fiction as well as an interview with Indie Author, Candy Ann Little.
Candy Ann, this is my first time hosting another Independent Author during a release party and blog hop, and I’d like to thank you for providing everyone with the insights about your writing process and your thoughts regarding the release of your latest novel. Personally, I thought it was a barn burner written in a popular genre that you seem to be pretty experienced with, so let’s get started:
Q: Would you mind giving readers a quick overview of the plot line for “Murder of an Oil Heiress?”
A: Mallory Dillingham wants to take over the family oil business. She also wants her sister’s husband, Joe. She’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants including: lying, blackmail and seduction.
As she wages war on everyone, innocent people will pay the price. Can her family overcome the destruction caused by her devious plot? Will her actions led to murder?
Q: Where and how did you decide on the theme and setting for your novel?
A: I wanted to set it in a state that is well known for oil, and, since I loved the 80’s TV show Dallas, I choose Texas.
Q: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
A: This story is based on a dream I had. My friend Rosalie was always telling me to write a love scene that wasn’t Christian. She wanted something steamy. So I used a scene out of my dream and sent it to her, totally as a joke. She loved it and sent it to a mutual friend, Lori. They both kept telling me I should make it into a book. So I did!!
What genre would you say is a best fit for “Murder of an Oil Heiress?”
A: It’s a mystery, although not a traditional one. It also deals with love, betrayal, forgiveness and the bonds of family.
Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A: Two years. I wrote the first 8 chapters in a year. Then took a break for six months. Then I wrote the next 8 chapters during NaNoWriMo. And it took several months to finish the last chapter because I couldn’t figure how to tieeverything together.
For those unfamiliar, NaNoWriMo is short for the National Novel Writting Month, that takes place every November. The misnomer is that NaNoWriMo isn’t just “national,” it is global and is happening all over the world, right at this very moment.
Moving on,
Q: How did you decide on the point of view you used to present your characters?
A: I always use more than one point of view. I like having different perspectives. I especially wanted both Mallory’s and Joe’s POV in this story.
Q: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A: Books by Mary Higggins Clark
Q: Who do you think should pick up a copy? Maybe you could tell us a bit more about how you decided on your target audience.
A: Of course I’m going to say that everyone should pick up a copy. I do have bills to pay. LOL!! But seriously, I’m a newbie to this genre, so not quite sure how to answer. I feel it is geared more to woman because of all the emotional stuff going on. I also warn my Christian friends that it’s not a Christian book. Since my other books are Christian orientated, I don’t want someone reading this and getting offended.
Q: I read almost everything on my e-reader these days. Is there an eBook version? What about other media such as audio books?
A: Yes, you can download from Amazon, B&N and Smashwords.
Q: Are you working with a publisher specializing in partnerships with independent authors? As an Indie, others will want to know what your publicity and marketing Strategy is.
A: My publisher, Inknbean Press has a great reputation for working with indie authors. That is why I choose them. I have 3 self published books and my publisher has helped me with promoting them even though they aren’t published by them. We haven’t done much with marketing yet. They will be using FB and Twitter. They are also sending out press releases and announcements in newspapers. However, as an author it is still my job to market as well. Thankfully I’m not shy and have no problem talking about my books!!
Well, Ms. Little, I think I could probably interview you all evening and continue to learn more from you about how one might succeed as an indie author. You’ve certainly shown us all what is in the art of the possible and I thank you so much for sharing your insights with us.
For readers interested in taking advantage of the Book Release Party festivities, here are some links:
RAFFLECOPTER for GRANDPRIZE — http://bit.ly/1gFB6Qe
Where to get a copy of your own on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Oil-Heiress-Candy-Little-ebook/dp/B00GM5918E/
My 5 Star review of “Murder of an Oil Heiress” can be read on Amazon, or you can read it right here:
Wow – Dallas Revisited – This Time on Steroids
In the opening passage of this dramatic romp that echoes back to the days of the popular 80s TV drama “Dallas,” readers will enjoy getting to know each of the cliche’d characters that make up the dysfunctional rich family running the business of America’s oil.
The Dillingham family lives together in a large home on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The patriarch, Richard is a widower as a result of the youngest daughter, Sarah’s birth. Brother Robert and older sister Mallory, the despicable antagonist are the instruments of drama that author Candy Ann Little sets in motion from the first steamy sexually charged passages. Poor Joe Barnes, the blue collar outsider married to Sarah plays the melodramatic victim to the sex charged wiles of Sarah’s older sis, Mallory. The title almost gives away who eventually is murdered is in this “You just can’t put it down” mystery drama.
As the story comes to a climax, every character is a suspect. It isn’t until the final pages that we find out who’d done it and why.
Candy Ann Little is a master of using drama and a staccato style dialog combined with a weaving of plot elements that will keep you reading. As the story came to a head, it evoked emotions that made me feel like I was watching a noir detective interrogation. The plot seemed to accelerate along with my pulse. Plan for a sleepless night, because you won’t want to put this one down until you find out who’d done it.
November 21, 2013
Book Review – Marsh Island by Indie Author Oliver F. Chase
Modern Noir Mystery Thriller – Solid 4 Stars
Those in the mood for an armchair adventure won’t be able to put this one down. Oliver Chase’s mystery thriller, Marsh Island is a page-turner. Chase writes with a refreshing style in the genre of Sanford and Burke.
Former Army Ranger and Gulf War veteran, Phillip Pfeiffer makes his living as a private investigator. His duties amount to delivering proof to angry wives interested in catching cheating husbands. That is, until he’s hired by Bernice Trimble. She wants to find her missing beau or at least have his death certificate in-hand so she can shove it under the nose of a recalcitrant insurance company.
A thin trail of clues guide Phil through a series of misadventures that begin when he opens his motel door to find a dying sea captain felled by a deranged killer. When Phil calls the cops, he is accused and then run out of town by the local constabulary, chased by mobsters in Las Vegas, sent to Portland on a snipe hunt, and jailed in the Bahamas after being left for the sharks.
Things weren’t adding up for Phil in his search for Bernice Trimble’s husband. A lesser man might have quit but not this guy. When the trail of clues goes cold and when Phil is denied access to the information he’s after, a tenacity that once saved his life in the wreckage of an Army helicopter kicks into overdrive. Phil and his very best friend are spun down a rabbit hole of death, mayhem, and a quirky underworld of sex, secrets, and treachery.
For me, an Oliver Chase novel is welcome company for a stormy Saturday night read while sitting in my living room next to the fireplace. Chase creates dialog reminiscent of a noir film, only better. Marsh Island is written in a first person narrative with realistic dialog allowing us to see inside Phil’s heart. His relationship with Maff, a lab assistant and best friend was particularly well done. The story opened with a taut gaze into the mind of a killer – frightening actually – no one wants to be that up close and personal with a mad man even if he is just a kid.
When Phil takes over the story, the mysterious opening never quite leaves the reader’s mind. The ending is just about as exciting and devastating as it gets, especially if you are one who enjoys getting to know the characters as much as I do. With fast paced action and realistic descriptions, all loose ends are neatly tied up. I’m left with the assurance that the follow on story and conclusion of the series will be equally as good.
Chase has the credibility of an author who’s “been there and done that,” giving Marsh Island the feel of authenticity. With the year nearly at a close, “Marsh Island” was one of my favorite mystery novels. Bring on the sequel Blind Marsh and come on storm! All I can say is: Sanford? You’d best watch your back.
Oliver F. Chase is one of the authors AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. is so lucky to have on board. See what other works Chase’s publisher has in store on the AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc webpage:
http://aecstellar.com/Home_Page.html
Follow AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AECStellar
Check the latest on the release of Marsh Island: https://www.facebook.com/events/22616...
November 5, 2013
Interview with Amber Skye Forbes – Indie Author of “When Stars Die”
To begin, I want to say that it is an honor to be able to interview you just as your new novel is being released. It’s an exciting time for an author, albeit a busy one. I enjoyed reading When Stars Die. For me it was an adventure as well as a chance to gain insight into the Young Adult genre. I’m pretty sure your readers will be as impressed as I was with your ability to create suspense. I was equally taken by the imagery you created. I sure hope you have more like this one.
Readers can find my review of Amber Skye Forbes’s When Stars Die here on this blog.
So we should get started:
Q: Would you mind giving readers a quick overview of the plot line for “When Stars Die?”
A: Amelia Gareth discovers that her brother is a witch, so she joins a convent to cleanse the taint from her family, as witches are abhorred in her world. She believes that by becoming a nun, she’ll become closer to Deus, the god in their world, and he’ll forgive her family of witchcraft. But she soon learns that redemptions is impossible; however, she is still determined to get into Paradise. The only person who may be able to help her with this is priest, Oliver Cromwell, but will he really be able to help?
Q: Where and how did you decide on the theme and setting for your novel?
A: When Stars die was originally going to have its own world, with continents and everything, but I realized that I mainly focused on one country, Warbele, so I knew it just needed to be a country in our world, albeit an alternate universe. I wanted to make up the country because I wanted it to have a vastly different outlook from the rest of the world. The rest of the world finds the murder of witches inhumane, but Warbele does not. Warbele is also separated from the rest of the world, for reasons that will be revealed a little bit in book 2, and a lot in book three.
As for the theme, which is stars, I came up with it because I am overall fascinated by stars and that we are made of star stuff. When stars die, they go out leaving a lasting brilliance. Even if some of them just quietly scatter away from their cores, their stardust does not go to waste. Similar to humans, as Amelia muses, we leave something behind, and she desperately wants to leave something important behind when she dies. So stars will be a motif throughout the trilogy, and the way I treat stars in each book will determine the titles. The second book is called The Stars Are Infinite.
Q: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
A: I think the Salem Witch Trials actually inspired me to write this book. I knew I wanted to write about witches, with a different, original twist from the usual stories of witches, and I also wanted to add convents, as a witch being a nun in a convent is blasphemy in Amelia’s world.
The rest just came from my head—really no external sources. Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty inspired the Victorian aspect, but everything else just poured from my brain—and sometimes I’m still in disbelief that it all came from me.
Q: What genre would you say is a best fit for “When Stars Die?”
A: Paranormal romance simply because the romance aspect of the big is important, though it’s very dark. Some reviewers have said that if you’re expecting Twilight, you might as well turn away because my book is not your typical paranormal romance.
Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A: I would say a year. I started it at fifteen and switched between that book and its sequel.
Q: How did you decide on using a first person point of view for your main character?
A: First person point-of-view will probably always be my favorite POV to write in, simply because it is a very intimate view into a character’s thoughts and feelings. Since I am a very emotional writer, first person makes a lot of sense to me.
Q: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A: I suppose A Great and Terrible Beauty and any of Cassandra Clare’s books. Like I really think that if people enjoyed those books, they’ll certainly enjoy mine.
Q: Who do you think should pick up a copy? Maybe you could tell us a bit more about how you decided on your target audience.
A: I really think teens should because the book is aimed toward them. Amelia is still young and very indecisive, so she experiences typical teen feelings, even though what she’s going through is not typical teen things. However, I know more adults will inevitably buy my book simply because way more adults than teens are buying YA books due to teens often not having the money to buy books. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who is buying my book, so long as they enjoy it.
Q: I understand this is your first published novel but you’ve written others? In fact you wrote the sequel to “When Stars Die” first. Could you tell us a little bit about your process?
A: I have written others before it, but they were very immature novels with unsalvageable stories. The Stars Trilogy, even though I started it young, was a trilogy I felt very strongly about because I knew that the story could mature as I matured, and that it had a lot more potential than anything I had ever written.
I wrote The Stars Are Infinite at fourteen, and it was a 180,000 word monster. I began re-writing it when someone told me 180,000 was way too much. I parced it down to 96,000, but the story still wasn’t where it needed it to be. Then Georgia McBride came along and began looking at it, and she really unearthed the potential that the book held. So after writing it, I realized that When Stars Die needed to be the first book because a lot of what readers learn in the second book is too much in the beginning, so When Stars Die breaks all that information down throughout the duration of the book.
I have already finished The Stars Are Infinite, and I estimate it, after revisions, to be around 93,000, perhaps last. But sequels often are longer than their first books.
Q: I read almost everything on my e-reader these days. Is there an eBook version? What about other media such as audio books?
A: Yes, there will be an e-book version, and I have every confidence that it will do well, especially because my marketing efforts and AEC’s have generated so much buzz than I ever could have expected in the beginning. Authors do NEED to do marketing on their end because they are now able to with how prolific the internet has been as an advertising medium. So I have been seeking tons of interviews and doing guest blog posts and what not on my own, as well as receiving exposure from AEC’s end. But, again, we as authors do need to contribute to marketing efforts, whether it is a big or small press, and not fully rely on our publisher to do it. I have seen books with big presses do abysmally with sales because there is no buzz surrounding them, the author doesn’t seem to be taking any effort to generate that buzz, and the publisher only seems to be looking at Kirkus Reviews and other review-oriented things, which are likely not read by your average reader.
What I like to do with the extra money I have at the end of the month after paying ballet tuition is buy book blitzes on book PR sites. They’re often only 30 bucks, and even if they don’t generate sales, they generate exposure, and that is what I’m primarily seeking right now, which is why I believe the e-book version will do well—and hopefully print sales will correspond, though my research has yielded that e-books often do far, far better. So I’m very attentive of the publishing industry and what small presses like AEC are doing to generate buzz for their books. I love to follow Spencer Hill, especially because it is such a successful press, and I know AEC can and will get there.
And I would LOVE LOVE LOVE an audio book, but that is totally contingent on what AEC Stellar thinks. I understand Val Vogel’s book is being translated into Chinese, which I think is amazing because his book will do very well over there since the Chinese economy is so large and business-oriented. I think that was a very smart business move. So hopefully my book will have an audio book—among other things.
Q: I understand you’re working with a publisher specializing in partnerships with independent authors like yourself. Could you tell us a little bit about how you made your connection with AEC Stellar, Inc. Publishing?
A: I found AEC Stellar through Shannon Thompson’s blog, and I can’t even tell you how I found her blog. I must have found it while going through the reader on WordPress. But I saw she had a paranormal romance like mine being published by them, and I was very curious, so I clicked on them. I read their guidelines and everything, and I liked how they were willing to work really, really hard with their authors—like they didn’t expect absolute perfection. I mulled on them for a few days, in fact.
I had a blurb that I knew was ready, as they didn’t require query letters, so I subbed, they asked for a partial, loved it, and I was accepted. After reading over the contract, I liked the terms and signed with them.
I have loved being part of AEC Stellar. It really is a partnership because Ray is really willing to listen to any ideas that any of we authors have to improve upon marketing efforts or whatever. I know authors in other small presses are often dissatisfied with marketing efforts and bring this up, but the presses aren’t willing to change what they do. In fact, they’ll get straight up offended, but not Ray.
This flexibility is why I want to stay with them, why I want to continue publishing. Ray and I had a recent talk, which will remain hush-hush, and it made me realize just how glad I am to be with AEC. I KNOW I will find success with them. I feel like I’ve found success right now, but I know with them, I am confident I will reach my dream of being a bestseller—after all, we do have one who is.
You can find and follow Amber and her writings at the following locations:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberSkyeForbes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmberSkyeF
Blog: http://amberskyeforbes.wordpress.com
Webpage: http://amberskyeforbes.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18387010-when-stars-die
Book Review: America’s Greatest Blunder by Burton Yale Pines
Five Star Review - New Take on America’s Role in WWI
Grab your note pad, because when you start reading this refreshing treatment of World War One History, you’ll want to be able to reference it again and again. America’s Greatest Blunder is a thoroughly researched work presenting a critical analysis that is easy to read and digest.
I’ve always been fascinated with the complexities of history that resulted in the human tragedy that took place in the trenches during those years. I thought I’d read most of the authoritative works on the subject, of which most were sited in the author’s bold and speculative analysis of the period. America’s Greatest Blunder should be required reading at the National Defense University, the Service War Colleges, and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Institute.
From the outset Pines admits that the premise of this latest work is speculative. He boldly states that had America not blundered into declaring war against Germany on 6 April 1917, the outcomes of the 20th Century would have been different and possibly less traumatic for humanity on the whole. Pines presents a chronology of events from the very beginning when Arch Duke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, all the way through to the end when President Wilson was unable to get the United States Congress to ratify the Treaty of Versailles.
Throughout the presentation of this work, Pines supports his theory with solid evidence and a thoroughly researched rationale. Unlike many historical works, Pines explains the “why” and “how” behind the key events that shaped the twentieth century. Age-old lessons of history come through loud and clear. For example, the single issue President Wilson offered congress in seeking a vote to declare war against Germany was the belligerent’s use of “unrestricted submarine warfare” against American shipping. Pines reminds us that The United States had no Vital National Interests at stake and that the country was under no direct threat.
At the conclusion, it may seem that the author was pretty rough on President Woodrow Wilson’s execution of foreign policy. However, the points made on the heels of such a well-supported work are, in retrospect, thought provoking. The argument being that Wilson’s primary reason for caving in and abandoning his neutrality stance was to gain a position of influence while negotiating the terms of peace. In Wilson’s case he wanted “peace without victory.” The irony was that he mortgaged those principles for his agenda of establishing a “League of Nations.” In the end, history continued to play out. What occurred was in Mr. Pines’s final analysis, just the opposite by phrasing the result as a “victory without peace.”
I highly recommend America’s Greatest Blunder as a “must read” not only for students of foreign policy and academicians of history, but for the casual reader as well. This work has an extensive bibliography and the evidence the author uses to support each of his points is thoroughly sited. However, the author’s writing style is smooth and easy to follow making the reading experience refreshing and enjoyable.
Readers can also enjoy a Q&A with the author on the book’s Amazon Sales Page:
November 2, 2013
October 31, 2013
Book Review: “Dread Night” by Indie Author, Ryan Attard
Get Your Spook On – When you read this Five Star Novella -
Erik Ashendale hates Halloween. He and his talking cat, Amaymon accept a job from a nerdy kid named Francis Halowitz who’d been dabbling in druid magic. The problem, according to the young druid, started when one megalomaniacal wanna be druid discovered a darker side of magic.
Tobias Fartham – yes that is the name author Ryan Attard selected for the antagonist in this spooky fast paced drama. Tobias, believes he needs a more appropriate moniker, so he calls himself “Dreadnite” and proceeds to create havoc with dark magic in reprisal for having been rejected by a teenaged girl he’d been lusting after.
As All Hallow’s Eve approaches, Dreadnite becomes more bold and attempts to cast the ultimate spell, “a Hallow spell.” The wizard Ashendale deploys his magical talents and converts his feline cohort into human form so that the two can battle their dark rival Dreadnite. The story’s climax occurs at the stroke of mid-night on Halloween when the two heroes confront Dreadnite in a final battle.
In this short novella, readers will enjoy Attard’s sense of humor and his grasp of the young adult genre. Well worth the $.99 for a quick romp with a few spooky kids who shouldn’t have been playing with magic in the first place.
October 30, 2013
AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. – Book Give Away – Two for Free Until 1 Nov
2013: A Stellar Collection
This collection of short stories is intended as a tribute to the hard work and tremendous support these authors have given AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc. in our first year of business. There are stories from our first eight authors and, as a bonus, two key members of our marketing team. The genres range widely, but each has a note from the author to help explain the origin of their work.
Grab a free copy in your favorite digital format from Smashwords -https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369202
By Ryan Attard
Dread of Night
Halloween short story. Follow Eric Ashendale, fixer of weird and magical conundrums, on this brief holiday adventure as he deals with a teenage megalomaniac who’s been dabbling in the dark arts. This story is part of “The Legacy Series” – the first full length novel of which is being released in December.
Free through Nov 1 ONLY.
Available in various digital formats from Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369219
October 28, 2013
October 23, 2013
Book Review: Headhunters on My Doorstep by J. Maarten Troost
Five Easy Stars
The Very Best of Arm Chair Adventure
What better place to escape a dark wet windy Portland, Oregon Fall afternoon than diving into the pages of Troost’s latest work. Head Hunters will take readers on a journey that will have them dreaming of myths of the south seas, originally documented by Robert Louis Stevenson, now recycled and examined by one of the best adventure writers of our time.
I’ll admit, I’m a big Troost fan. After reading “Sex Lives of Cannibals,” and “Getting Stoned With Savages,” I was hooked on anything Troost wrote about the Pacific Islands. In the first passages, with a true and blatantly honest account involving personal reflection, Troost shares his experiences of recovering from alcoholism. At the same time he relates his struggle to that of Robert Louis Stevenson’s and the bouts of illness that drove the 19th century author to sail and visit the various remote islands of the Pacific.
Throughout this easy flowing non-fictional account of Troost retracing Robert Louis Stevenson’s footsteps taken over one hundred years ago, readers will gain a historical perspective of the region. Troost, in his sometimes cynical and laconic reporting style doesn’t hold back. He’s a master observer and reports his observations within well researched context. His chosen title captures several themes that will come clear to readers, resonating through to the final pages.
Troost fans who enjoyed his earlier works won’t be disappointed. He revisits several of the islands where he lived and worked while writing his other books. He points out some of the environmental impacts that global warming is having on the indigenous inhabitants of the remote atolls of Kiribati. The story culminates in Samoa – the resting place of none other than Robert Louis Stevenson.
October 16, 2013
Walker Creek Music Camp – Deep in the heart of California’s Central Coast Cattle Country
At first I was hesitant to write about a personal experience. Posting what could be perceived as self-aggrandizement on a blog, which I’ve dedicated to fiction, seemed like a bad idea. I decided to go with the rationalization that I’d actually be writing a review of an event I attended. What I discovered was something much more and although this is perhaps the longest blog entry I’ve made, I hope my readers and followers have the patience to read it through to the end. What I’m sharing is a record of a transformational experience that can be had by anyone with an open mind and heart.
I’ll begin by admitting that I was a casualty of piano scales in my youth and just about gave up on learning to play music all together until just a few years ago when I heard Blue Grass music done right. Unable to resist, I took up Blue Grass Banjo and gave it a year before smacking into a wall that put me right back where I was as a kid, sitting on in front of a piano memorizing sheet music. I thought maybe I just needed some inspiration, such wonderful word and concept. By happen stance, last summer I bumped into Mark Nelson, a musician who encouraged me to come to the Walker Creek Music Camp.
This was to be my first contact with any kind of encampment involving the creative arts. It was also a spendy proposition causing me to formulate expectations of what I would come away with at the end. Would I be freed from the bonds of the rut I found myself in as a fledgling banjo picker? Would I return home armed with a new fiddle tune that I could play on my banjo, or maybe another set of picking patterns to keep me busy during practice sessions?
I thought maybe yeah, this experience I was about to have might help me bust out of my comfort zone. I loved that warm cozy place where I could relax behind the anonymity of a group of other musicians in a slow jam were I could continue to shrug off any opportunity to take a lead break. I also wondered if I’d have the courage to one day fulfill one of my bucket list dreams; playing and singing in front of other people.
When I arrived at Walker Creek, the sun was shining and the place was a buzz of activity with people of all ages. However, the atmosphere still had a laid back feel to it, even though everyone seemed eager to get accommodation and class assignments in order. I could already tell that the event was well organized. Weeks earlier, when I signed up on the secure website, which worked flawlessly, I plugged in my debit card info, including that three number code on the back of the card. I took a deep breath because it was a big chunk of hard earned cash that instantly vaporized from my bank account. My concerns immediately vanished when I received an email reply indicating I was registered for the beginner Old Time Banjo Class.
Silly me, even though I like the sound of Old Time Music I didn’t think I was ready to learn the claw hammer style on the banjo. I’d already invested time with the Skruggs style and as a newbie, I knew I’d only be able to learn one thing at a time. I decided to email the event coordinator, Ingrid Noyes. I explained my situation but had no idea who Ingrid was. Remember, I’m a beginner clueless on the who’s who in the world of American Folk and Blue Grass. To my delight Ingrid emailed me back right away and we fixed my little issue with on-line registration. I thought cool, I had my ducks in a row, but I found out later I was mistaken.
For me it is difficult to articulate the emotion of happy anxiety, but that is what must have been working overtime in my cranium. It must have caused me to be somewhat disoriented that first day. As soon as I arrived, everywhere I went, I heard the sounds of music being played on guitar, banjo, fiddle, and the sweet melodic tones from the mandolin. Voices singing in harmony tickled my senses and I realized, how could I possibly be able to join in with all of those who were playing and singing. I thought I was in way over my head! and I was, at least at first.
On that first morning, I was so pleased to find myself in a small room with only eight other musicians. Among those present, there was a standard representation of Blue Grass instruments. Bill Evans, a world-class banjo player and teacher, led the class. His assistant, Luke Abbot from Santa Cruz was holding a stand up bass. I’d already experienced some introductory music theory from Luke the previous afternoon. In his lesson I discovered the pentatonic scale, which gave me another tool to learn how to play by ear. All said, I thought I was in the right place until we started out jamming on “Soldiers Joy.” Yeah, sure I’ve heard that tune, I can play it, but just barely. It was a warm up tune for the others but for me it was a huge struggle. To my delight, Ingrid Noyes showed up at the door right about the time I was going into panic mode.
For an event coordinator managing a crowd of four hundred participants, let alone a large staff of music teachers, not just ordinary music teachers either, must have made for a pretty stressful weekend. Ingrid somehow managed to recruit some of the best Blue Grass musicians in the world to inspire all of us and teach us. Realizing this, I didn’t expect any personal attention from her. I got it though. She escorted me to the class I should have been in and made sure I was in a safe learning environment.
After Ingrid left to attend to other responsibilities, I thought, wow! In my former profession, attended several big events and periodically had to conduct some project management. What ran through my mind was, all the planning and execution she had to put into everything from venue coordination, meal menu, housing/accommodation, curriculum and the list goes on…point being, as an accomplished musician herself, Ingrid took the time to make me feel valued as a student of music.
I entered the small room where the class was being held. Everyone was strumming on their guitar, mandolin or vamping a banjo along with our teacher, Sid Lewis, who was tapping out rhythm with his foot on a tambourine while strumming guitar and calling out chords. Standing next to him was his assistant Kyla Kent. With her left hand wrapped around the neck of her Bad Boy she gave me a bright smile as I took a seat. She wasn’t really strangling a Bad Boy, it is the name she gave her stand up bass. Anyway, I soon realized I’d found my home in Jamming 101. By the end of the morning I knew I’d be returning to Portland with something new and good in my musical tool kit.
After the honeymoon phase of “day one” in Sid’s class, I realized that the instruction I was receiving was first rate. At my age, I’ve been the recipient and provider of instruction on many occasions and I know talented instruction when I’m the beneficiary of it. Sid came well prepared to provide us with the very best musical instruction possible. He reached out to each of us individually and what he offered to one student, easily rubbed off on the others. I think the big word is synergy – the whole being bigger than the sum of all parts. Oh, and by the way, this guy Sid Lewis isn’t just a first rate teacher, he’s got the credibility of being an extraordinary musician of all genre, equally proficient with guitar, mandolin, and yes, even the banjo. Why he chose Blue Grass and why the banjo as his primary instrument may remain a mystery to me. Regardless, I’m so fortunate to have been the recipient of his instruction.
After four days of immersing myself in a community of like-minded people, all presumably seeking the same thing on their musical journey, I set about trying to identify the light bulb moments and revelations that will bring me back to the Walker Creek Music Camp. A little chronology applies here:
Light bulb moment #1 – On the second morning I sat with a couple from Ashland and we chatted over breakfast. Most of our conversation revolved around where we were from and what instrument we came to camp with. Later that same evening there was a Blue Grass Karaoke. This wasn’t some honkytonk Karaoke with an old analog TV and VHS tape scrolling lyrics across a screen while cheesy audio blared from cheap speakers.
Did I mention the WORLD CLASS musicians who Ingrid invited to Walker Creek to teach us? Yeah well, they were the back up band. Names like Keith Little, Ron Thompson, Bill Evans, the Canote brothers, Sally Van Meter, Sharon Gilchrist, Heidi Clare, and Fletcher Bright, just to name a few, played as the backup band for the students brave enough to sign up for this Karaoke event. The couple from Ashland did a Mandolin-Guitar combo singing and playing a sweet love song that conjured up some undefined emotions for me and that is when it hit me. They knew this would be a chance to share the stage and perform with the world’s best musicians. They came prepared!!! They followed one of the Ten JamMandments Sid Lewis taught us in Jamming 101!
Take Away #1: If I can return to Walker Creek prepared, I too might be able to check off another box on my bucket list. When or where else might an ordinary amateur/recreational musician be able to play along side such talent?
Light bulb moment #2: The night following the Karaoke, the teaching staff gave a concert. The performances were; yes, you guessed it, WORLD CLASS. I’ll call out one performance in particular as an example. Mark Nelson played some slack key guitar with Sally Van Meter on dobro. They did a Hawaiian tune that I can’t remember the name of, but man what I saw was magic. To the accompaniment of their beautiful instrumental island sounds, I watched happiness and laughter emerge from both of them as they played. Even at their experience level, I could tell they were having the time of their lives. Along with the rest of the audience, I bore witness to a musical conversation that probably doesn’t happen all that often.
Take Away #2: I was raised in an environment where showing emotion was darn near forbidden. Later in my professional life, allowing emotion to emerge at the wrong time would have been fatal. For those reasons, I spent a lifetime learning to keep emotions in check. As a result I missed entirely too much joy and laughter. When I finally listened, saw and felt what was happening on that stage, I knew I wanted to experience that kind of joy. I realized then that the joy and happiness that comes from being able to play music with others is something that grows exponentially. I decided my chance for that kind of enjoyment can only be achieved if I practice and improve.
Light bulb moment #3: I let a couple of gals from LA talk me into attending a vocal workshop. I vaguely remember going to a house concert in Portland and recognized the names Sammy Lind and Caleb Klauder from the Fog Horn String Band, so I thought, yeah I’ll go. Doesn’t mean I have to sing or anything. I’ll just hang back and blend with the others. Wrong! Sammy and Caleb sang us some Carter Family songs then demonstrated the lead and harmony parts. I somehow got swept up in the group energy and found myself singing. I even tried harmony and felt/heard for the first time the joy of using voice as an instrument.
During the workshop after we learned our parts, Caleb asked us to mingle and sing with the other the other students. I found a guy about my age in the back of the room by himself singing the harmony so I wondered over that way as we sang. Before we finished the song, everything in our little area of the room started to sound really good. I looked over and realized Sammy Lind was standing next to us singing. When we were done, in his most humble way, Sammy told us we sounded really good.
The vocal workshop culminated in all of us doing a kind of flash mob acapella harmony version of “Give Me The Roses While I live,” right there in the dining hall after dinner.
Take Away #3: Both Caleb and Sammy have amazing voices, especially when they sing together. Both of them are humble and soft-spoken genuine people. It took my entire Fifty-three years to discover that if you are really good at something, you don’t have to talk about it. Talent will speak for itself. Guys like Sammy and Caleb are the kind of role models I want to follow and emulate. Maybe not as a vocalist, but as a gentleman like the two of them.
Light bulb moment #4: I suspect many people have experienced themselves in the midst of another person’s cliché, or at least seen one in a movie. The kind of thing I’m referring to here is the child prodigy. I was lunching out on the patio with some other students from San Francisco. One of them was a younger lady who told me she was finishing a Masters Degree in Social Work. While we were engaged in conversation, a cute little girl with a violin case walked over to her.
The younger woman with whom I was chatting had a warm magnetism that somehow attracted this little girl to set her violin case down on the bench between us. The girl maybe wanted to talk to the young woman, I’m not sure, but instead of speaking, she opened her violin case and very carefully picked up her bow and made some adjustments to it before reaching for her instrument. Then she began to play – like an angel she played with precision and passion, unfettered by the possibility of making a mistake. She didn’t though. Her pitch and intonation were both perfect. I just sat and listened closing my eyes and taking in the sound in all of its purity.
Take Away #4: All of us know kids are fearless. Why is it so hard for us adults to shed the bonds of our fear of being judged by others? This is something I will be working on and my new role model is a young girl with a fiddle who played one afternoon at Walker Creek.
Light bulb moment #5: One of my classmates in Sid’s Jamming 101 set the bar pretty high when it came to establishing musical goals. At the end of the camp, students were invited to perform in a concert. Sid encouraged us to participate and we did…with gusto. For me it was another check mark on my bucket list. I always wanted to have the courage to play and sing in front of other people.
After our group performance, the student I’m referring to, along with a few of her friends performed a song she wrote, titled “Between a Rock and a River.” The lyrics were touching. My classmate was courageously opening herself up and baring part of her soul. Had I not listened to her wonderful song, I would not have taken advantage of the ten-hour drive back to Portland to reflect on the experience I had at Walker Creek. Instead I would have plugged in an audio book to alleviate the boredom from the long drive home.
Take Away #5: I’m going to allow myself to be inspired. I’m going to learn to bare my soul so my heart will be open to what I hear. I’m going to learn how to be a better listener so I don’t miss anything.
Summing up this experience I’m reminded of something another of my classmates at Walker Creek shared with me. She’s a cancer survivor-twice over, which may explain her contagious smile. She gave me a lot to think about. She said she believed that her encounters with people and situations were not by chance, but rather by some penultimate design.
On my drive home somewhere on I-5 just north of Roseburg, nature called and I pulled into a rest stop. What could be more cliché’ than a girl with a guitar and a cloth hat on the ground beside a cardboard sign that read, “Out of Work – Anything Helps.” If I’d encountered this same situation a week ago, the outcome would have been different. After all, I live in Portland, I’m used to seeing this same thing everyday.
I passed by this young lady in a rush to take care of my business, but not before the sounds emanating from her guitar soothed my auditory receptors. On the way back to my car I decided I would stop and listen. The first thing I noticed was a capo on the third fret. My brain went into overdrive – I’m thinking hey I have a banjo in my car, do I dare? The root chord she’s playing is a D shape making the key…what was that again, up three half tones making that the key of F…STOP, STOP! I heard the voice of one of my classmates from the camp telling me not to overthink the music.
I set aside my little fantasy of playing along with her – it wouldn’t have sounded good anyway. She sang her original lyrics to a good old American folk rock strum and picked out a fill or two between verses. I stopped everything I was doing and allowed myself to listen to the whole song.
I heard her sing her last line of the chorus,
“…I know you’ll find me. You’ll come and carry me home.”
After the last verse of a sad tale that may have been inspired by life’s hard knocks, She repeated this last line of the chorus and softened her volume as she came to the end. I looked at the cloth hat lying empty on the ground in front of her cardboard sign. I put some money in it. She looked up at me and smiled and asked, “Did you like it?” I couldn’t answer, I just nodded in the affirmative and tried not to break eye contact with her even though tears were streaming from both my eyes. I turned away not wanting to spoil the moment, got in my car and drove away.
When I was done imagining all the possible reasons behind that girl being there at that moment, sitting on a chair at a rest stop with a guitar, I cried a little more in the privacy of my car. A little while later, I came to my senses and realized what happened. I’d become transformed. I still don’t know all the places this transformation is going to take me, but I do know that one of those places will be Walker Creek.
For more information about Walker Creek Music Camp, visit their website at:
http://www.walkercreekmusiccamp.org
For information about Jamming 101, I urge musicians beginners and beyond to visit Sid Lewis’s website:
For additional musical inspiration for those who like to read, I also recommend following Sid Lewis’s blog. Among his many talents, he’s an entertaining writer:
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