S.W. Hammond's Blog, page 5
April 21, 2021
The Ballad of Stevie Pearl
The world’s most successful and celebrated pop star. A Native American making a name for himself in LA. The two collide in a tattered love story, set in the glittery backdrop of Hollywood.
Stevie Pearl is the biggest pop star on the planet. Her earnest Texan roots blend with California idealism to construct a force never before seen in the entertainment industry. The attention surrounding America’s sweetheart is absolute pandemonium, and after a decade of the limelight, her stardom is beginning to feel like a prison.
Alex Nopah is an illustrator. The graphic novel he draws for is budding into a super-franchise. Hired as a consultant for the new motion picture, Alex is introduced to Hollywood and the woman that will forever change his life. Born on a reservation, Alex’s unshakable upbringing polarizes the wealth and attitude of LA and the new life he’s constructed for himself.
THE BALLAD OF STEVIE PEARL presents itself as a sickeningly sugary-sweet tale of a young woman crossed between the bubblegum pop of Taylor Swift and glamor of the Kardashian’s. Breakups, drama, and paparazzi act as a smokescreen, shadowing the true genius behind an empire and a powerful businesswoman taking command of her career. Faced with corruption, collusion, and greed within her own organization—juxtaposed against systemic racism, sexism, and classism within society—much like Stevie Pearl, the story’s teeth sink deeper into the mind than its glossy exterior.
The novel is supported by a humorous and entertaining ensemble of characters, breathing life and stirring a powerful connection between you, Alex, and Stevie. This unexpected tragedy reads as a quirky romantic comedy up until its final pages, combining pop culture references, witty dialog, and a poignant soundtrack for each chapter. The diverse character selection and provocative undertones makes THE BALLAD OF STEVIE PEARL a modern fish-out-of-water crossed with Romeo and Juliet.
The Ballad of Stevie Pearl – Soundtrack
One of the unique and fun aspects of The Ballad of Stevie Pearl is that each chapter is named after a song. In fact, I don’t even call them “chapters” – I call them tracks, i.e. Chapter 1 = Track 1. These songs set the tone, feel, and subject matter of each chapter – the lyrics or melody paralleling the words on the page. It’s a neat little addition, giving the story a real-world connection and creating a richer experience for the reader who wants to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
Taken as entire playlist, all of the songs played back-to-back – kind of like reading the book from cover to cover – the soundtrack tells the story of Alex and Stevie in a new way. Having already read and connected with the book, you can relive each “chapter” just by listening to the song – even welling with joy or tears when a particular crescendo peaks.
April 13, 2021
The Lunatic
She’s curious, shy, gentle, loving, and trying so hard to figure out where life has taken her. Luna The Tuna has been with us for a week. We got her from a local rescue, and her story is pretty vague before that. She was found roaming the streets Los Lunas, NM and dropped off at a shelter. She hung out there for a while without much luck and was eventually put on death row. Fortunately, the rescue here in town takes dogs from kill shelters and tries to find them homes.
Once again, she was at the rescue for another few weeks where she had an operation (spay). Strange people poked at her, she was trapped in chainlink cages, sleeping on concrete floors, surrounded by deafeningly loud cellmates, and not much understanding. The whole system is pretty heartbreaking when you lift the veil. I’m not saying I could do better or have more compassionate solutions, but I also didn’t want to spend another minute in there. I wanted to take them all home. But, ultimately, they gave her second chance. They brought us together.
February 9, 2021
Cover Reveal – The Ballad of Stevie Pearl
It took quite a while to arrive at the final version of Stevie Pearl’s book cover, but I’m finally happy to share it with you! What do you think?? I like it. I’m liking it more and more the longer I look at it. No matter what your momma taught you – books are judged by their cover. Does this look like something you’d want to read?
From the very start, I knew what I wanted for Stevie Pearl. I wanted a modern spaghetti western movie poster. I wanted Alex standing in the middle of street like a gunslinger, the Hollywood sign hovering above him on the mountain in the distance. He’d be guiding Stevie behind him with his left hand, using his body as meat shield to protect her from the gunfight that was surely about to ensue. Art galleries would line the vacant Santa Monica street and his Jeep would be parked off to the side. The whole thing would have been a modern take on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly movie poster – the same coloring and feel, but with The Venture Bros. style animation.
September 17, 2020
An Editor For The Ballad of Stevie Pearl
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That’s what my desktop looks like–I see Stevie all day, every day.Update time. So, not only have I chosen an editor for The Ballad of Stevie Pearl, but she has already sent back her finished revision! I should do a whole article based on the struggles of editing this novel under our current social climate, but that’s for another time...
Niko, who was originally asked to be the copy editor, stepped up big time and took on the role as my content editor. I am so happy, and so thankful for her. In full disclosure, she actually finished the edit a couple of weeks ago, and I’m just now putting meaningful time into her review… Wow, I suck! I’ve been surprisingly busy in my other life; building websites, shooting video, and editing commercials.
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I've Chosen An Editor For The Ballad of Stevie Pearl
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That’s what my desktop looks like–I see Stevie all day, every day.
Update time. So, not only have I chosen an editor for The Ballad of Stevie Pearl, but she has already sent back her finished revision! I should do a whole article based on the struggles of editing this novel under our current social climate, but that’s for another time...
Niko, who was originally asked to be the copy editor, stepped up big time and took on the role as my content editor. I am so happy, and so thankful for her. In full disclosure, she actually finished the edit a couple of weeks ago, and I’m just now putting meaningful time into her review… Wow, I suck! I’ve been surprisingly busy in my other life; building websites, shooting video, and editing commercials.
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August 5, 2020
Alex Nopah Has A Website
Artists, Comic Con’ers, Climbers – your fandom has its official home: www.alexnopah.com
Stevie Pearl has a website, but not Alex Nopah? Not anymore. The humble artist has found his online home where he showcases his artwork, lets the world know about upcoming events, and has a special portal where you can email him.
It’s fun bringing these characters a little closer into reality. If you didn’t know better, you may believe The Ballad of Stevie Pearl is based on a real story. In reality, it kind of is–all of the elements of the novel are real–these are real things that happen in our everyday world. They’re just presented through my imaginary friends.
July 29, 2020
Stevie Pearl Has A Website
Pearl Party Crashers, your fandom has its official home: www.steviepearl.com
Now that the writing portion of The Ballad of Stevie Pearl is finished, my mind has shifted to creating other elements that might be fun / engaging for readers. Blame it on the day job, but websites are easy to come by around here. And it only seems right that the biggest pop star in the world has one of her own.
I’m not sure what the official website of Stevie Pearl will transform into, but right now it’s some bonus interactive content for fans. Just another place they can discover within her universe and allow the story to linger with them. Inside jokes, tons of supporting content of the novel, and a special message from Stevie to fans who have read her story.
July 20, 2020
Winter Camping In Southern Utah
Mexican Hat and Valley of the Gods Camping - Utah 4x4 ● SWH Adventures
Exploring Southern Utah, north of Monument Valley. Footage around Mexican Hat, Valley of the Gods, and Johns Canyon Road. Filmed January, 2019.
July 13, 2020
First Impressions – People Are Praising 'The Ballad of Stevie Pearl'
A few advanced readers have gotten their hands on my new novel, The Ballad of Stevie Pearl, and I’m humbled by what they’re saying.
It’s only been a few days, but those getting an early taste of The Ballad of Stevie Pearl have had some pretty encouraging things to say! Wow. I’m always pretty neurotic about this part of the process–I really have no idea if my words are conveying what’s going on in my mind. So much is lost in translation and written language can be quite tricky… any language, for that matter.
There have been some problems–I suck at catching mistakes. Typos. Leaving words out. I am so grateful to my early readers for helping catch these flaws; struggling through an early edition to help make the end draft the best it can be. I always feel like reading my early work is a huge chore–I only want people to see the best version I’m capable of. In our modern society, getting anyone to read a book is a huge ask–having them do some work and help me fix things seems insurmountable. Thank you.
The plan is to still get this novel in the hands of a capable editor. That has been a bit of a struggle… Given our modern social climate, with cancel culture silencing civil discourse, the editors I’ve approached have declined to work on the project… I’m not going to get into this discussion now–I do have a lot of thoughts on the topic, and it’s a serious issue that deserves considerate deliberation. With that said, and especially with the early comments, this book will see the light of day. It will not be kept from you.
