Scary Modsters… and Creepy Freaks
A fantastical romance involving a girl, the music that fuels her, and her Ouija board.
Rosalyn possesses a sunny personality that is laced with quirks. Although she seeks acceptance in a world where she lives out of time, what she gets is ridiculed for her eclectic wardrobe and unconventional music collection.
One fateful night, Rosalyn bewitches Niles, a stylish man whose offbeat character perfectly complements her own. Unfortunately, he possesses a critical flaw that means relationship suicide for him and pretty much anyone.
While under the influence of insomnia-impaired judgment, Rosalyn summons Rock ‘n Roll deity Peter Lane back from the dead. Not only does he spin her hormones into a frenzy, Peter is also the precarious puzzle piece that brings sense into her world. When Niles learns that he can overcome his life-long challenge by helping Peter avenge his death, how far will he go to secure Rosalyn’s heart?
Excerpt
ROSALYN
A brunette, a raven-haired beauty, and a girl looking like a peacock all walk into a bar. No, it's not a joke; it's my not-so-mundane life that generally feels like the setup for a wisecrack.
No matter how many times my friends and I claim we are going to do something new, every Friday night we find our tushes planted at Mulligan's. However, today our weekly Friday night venture truly seemed out of the cards since my friends were originally too tired from their workweeks to consider anything short of collapsing. When you are in your early thirties and single you should be embracing life, not rotting on a sofa. Thus when my friends bailed I detoured into Warped Records which is both a second home and how I envision my little corner of Heaven. Some would call the smell of old album covers a dank stench, but to me it's a musky perfume that seeps into my pores and comforts me with the knowledge that no matter what fails me I always have my sanctuary.
Among the bins of paradise and the blaring Siouxsie the perfect gem captured my gaze and held it for ransom. Before me was a pair of eyes so unlike any other that they were nearly indescribable.
Piercing? No. That implies they shot through my skin and reached my heart; however, these somehow reached my soul. Captivating? Again that was misleading. While they did hold my attention they also kept me at bay. Perhaps haunting? Yes, they did indeed haunt me. They also seemed to follow me to wherever I stood. A true description was so elusive that the color wasn't easily defined. They were deep blue, yet also flannel grey with a hint of green. In a certain light they seemed black with specks of gold.
All of these emotions and colors were brought forth by just one picture—a picture on an album that had been slipped into plastic and unceremoniously tacked to the wall, yet somehow it jumped out at me and begged for worship.
“Who are those guys?” I asked Shane, the store's clerk. Shane's tight black pants, white Split Enz T-shirt, black suspenders, and short, curly brown hair made him look like a skinny, nineteen eighties teenager in a forty-something-year-olds body. His hot pink English Beat button sold the outfit. In an odd way our obsessions make us kindred spirits. It may be like we are third cousins, twice removed, but kindred nonetheless.
“Not a clue.” Shane absent-mindedly tapped a pencil on a note pad while his hazel eyes sat on a ragged copy of Rolling Stone that was decades out of date. “How is it you don't know? You're the super genius that no one can stump.” He sighed, conceding to the call of duty. “I suppose you want me to halt my important work and show it to you.”
“If it's not too much of a bother to pull yourself away from that fascinating article on INXS that is so old it will soon disintegrate, then yes, please. I would appreciate your struggle of removing the tack for a lady.”
With the flick of his wrist, Shane sent the magazine spinning across the counter. “Geez, you practically live here so I thought you would be more at home yanking the thing off yourself.”
“Glad to see that chivalry is alive and well at Warped Records.”
The album was presented with a bow. “Milady, as per your request.” Shane's smugness made me grin. “Anyway, it arrived with some other records from a recent estate sale. Rob seemed to know who they were.”
My eyes honed in on the price tag. “Six dollars? That's a lot for a potentially crappy band no one has heard of.”
Shane's view floated from the magazine to the notepad. “Yep. Six bucks is what this says. I hung it next to the two hundred dollar, Jagger-signed, Goat's Head Soup to be funny.”
Four men, who were partially obscured by a golden overlay of paisleys and swirls, stared back at me. Their clothes were colorful, slightly Edwardian, and accented with fur. It was all very fashionable for the nineteen sixty-eight copyright printed on the back of the cover that held no liner notes. Three of the men felt so insignificant that they were but mere blurs. All I noticed was the cute one with the sandy blonde hair and magnetic eyes whose signature started with the letter P.
My fingers glided over the autograph whose ink felt as if it were luxurious azure velvet. It also gave off an energy that put a beat in my head. What really caught my attention was a spot of what appeared to be dried blood. When I touched it, a fuzz reminiscent of the thrill I get when hearing a vintage guitar effects pedal vibrated through. I had to have that album!
Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’ roll journalist/fangirl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.
Links
Giveaway
For every 500 entries The Autism Society of America receives $5. Maximum of this donation is $20.
Guest Post
In Scary Modsters… and Creepy Freaks, rock star Peter Lane closes eyes in 1968 and reopens them in 2014. He expects to see positive changes. Instead, he sees the world in even more turmoil than when he left it. Peter’s discoveries changed me, and I can no longer turn a blind eye to the world’s problems for they are my problems too. This week I have asked authors and bloggers to post about ways to improve the world, whether it is about a charity that needs attention, how a smile can turn a mood around, or how we can all help save the planet.
I’d like to thank Aimie for allowing me to guest post today. I’d also like to thank you for taking time to read this. I hope you will find inspiration.
Oh, and about this giveaway. There is a second donation to be made, if you help me. I’ve decided to donate my promo budget to charity. For every 500 entries I will donate $5 to The Autism Society Of America. There is a cap on this donation of $20, which is the amount I had set aside for promotion on social media. So please enter and make me spend my money!
Cancer Fighting Bracelets
By
Diane Rinella
Helping to save the world can be as simple as recycling something to keep it out of landfill. Other times it involves expensive and complex science, like cancer research. All of us want to save the planet and end the suffering its inhabitants are enduring, but it seems daunting. It can also be costly. In a time of economic crisis, how do you find money to donate? Once more, who has the time to volunteer? When you work long hours every bit of down time is precious. So how do you make it all work?
The point of the Scary Modsters World Improvement Project is to help both the planet and its inhabitants. Ron Foos does both daily. Ron is best known as long time (over forty years) bassist for acclaimed 1960’s rock icons Paul Revere & The Raiders. What many don’t know is that he is a resourceful man on a mission. Having watched the suffering of numerous family members, friends, and fans, Ron wanted to find a way to increase cancer awareness, raise money for research, and to bring forth some smiles along the way. Since he had a bunch of used guitar and bass strings that seemed destined for landfill, he got to work and discovered a new talent—jewelry making.
With the little bit of free time he has between touring, composing, producing & recording, Ron recycles his used bass strings. He admits, "It’s hard to know which strings are from which recordings or tours with such artists as: Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron, Mitch Ryder, Righteous Bros' Bill Medley, The Association, Kenny G's Jon Raymond, The Supremes’ Mary Wilson, Nancy Sinatra, Billy Ray Cyrus, Paul Revere & The Raiders and many others.....” One thing we know is, they are all full of his DNA and lots of Rock n Roll history. He adds clasps, beads, and other adornments to create treasures. In turn, each month he sends a check to the American Cancer Society for a portion of the proceeds. This means that he is saving the planet, helping to fight cancer, and getting his downtime in while being productive and bringing happiness to the fans that buy them. (He even gets some serious bidding wars going!) You can’t get much of a bigger win than that.
To learn more about Ron’s cancer fighting bracelets, visit him at www.ronfoos.com
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