Chasing the Moonlight

In the early 90's I was living in the mountains of Arizona, making jewelry and working in the music business when the occasion presented itself. Around 1992 I started to hear rumblings about a band called Type O Negative. My goth friends liked them, and my metal friends did too, but they were careful to admit it. I listened to some early stuff, and watched some really early videos.

The lead singer Peter Steele was a hulking guy with long black tresses and a hugely muscular upper body. I wasn't wild about his teeth—whether filed or no, he had a huge set of canines, which was too contrived for me. I mean I like dark gothy stuff, but being a old school Goth (we called them Death Rockers) the whole vamp thing is pretty lost on me. So I wrote them off.

Throughout the years, my friends and I have had discussions about them, even to the point of arguing about who liked them and who didn't. I find it really interesting that some people are still hesitant to admit that they like them (apparently even me). No matter how I feel about a band, I am always sad when the music biz loses a talent. It is already a waning pool. So when I heard that Pete Steele died, I was genuinely saddened that we had lost another one. Around that time I had stumbled on two songs by them, "Everything Dies" and "She Burned Me Down." I liked them.

Hey Mikey, I liked them!

It was a busy time in my life so just went on in my little own world of music, not thinking twice about it. Just for the record, if I was Steele's manager, I would have never let him do the Playgirl spread. I am sure he made lots of money for it. However it's really hard (lol) to take someone serious as a musical talent while staring at their family jewels…just sayin.

Recently I made acquaintance of someone who loves TON (type o negative) and they turned me on to the October Rust album. Holy moses, this guy had a voice that he could totally manipulate. It could turn bones to jelly in a matter of seconds. His cover of "Cinnamon Girl," makes me want to…well, dye my hair red for starters. The musicality of this band was more than competent. I was more than a shocked and disappointed with myself. Was I such a music snob that I couldn't even give a fair listen to the giant guy with the fangs? If you don't like this band, I suggest you give them a second listen, you might find yourself in my shoes. If not... no harm no foul!

Also if you do like them, I might suggest you watch the video of "My Girlfriends Girlfriend." It's pretty "special."

Aw here it is just for you, compliments of me... ah yeah..hell yeah!



this post is for you C,X,and N! Hugs...

I'm Demon Speeding

I have been watching a ton of music videos on You Tube lately. I made a playlist of great driving songs. I am famous for having a lead foot. I can't help it, I love the wind in my face and the purr of a big engine. Sadly Seattle is not the place for a loud gas guzzling car, so with a heavy heart I sold my Camero.( also known as the white ghost). Below are some of my favorites

Here is Rob Zombie's Dragula.
Can't you just feel yourself driving too fast? Little known fact Dragula is the name of Grandpa Munsters car..



Ok here's another Rob Zombie song, that is made for driving..and er speeding.

I like the aggressive stuff for driving too. This one is
especially good for Los Angeles or Seattle traffic!



Writer (and friend) Kevin Hearne likes driving to The Chili Peppers, Tell Me Baby. I like it..
I think I will add it to my running play list.



Chelsea of Vampire Book Club fame, chose Children of Bodom's Triple Corpse Hammerblow as her driving song.. Badass much? you bet! The song doesn't have a video, but you should listen to it! Metal at it's best.




Crooked Fang Bassist, erstwhile Vampire and sometimes Twitter Dj Xan Marcelles chose Type O Negative's version of Highway Star..


He also chose Foghat's Slow ride..a fantastic driving song If I do say so myself! Be warned it's the full version... just crank it up and enjoy a beer.. Ah the 70's...



This next one would be an awesome driving song, if I still had a car. It's by metal band Powderburn, and you can get their new album "One Fix" here http://powderburn.bandcamp.com/album/one-fix
This one is called " The Lights go Down" and I LOVE IT!




ok I leave you with one more of my favorites.. It's very glam but I make no excuses.. it's fun..


so tell me what are your favorite driving songs?

Bacon and Leather with Rob Halford

Back in the day, when I lived in San Diego, I ate my breakfast every Friday morning at a hipster place called the Hash House a Go-Go. For some reason they were never busy on Friday mornings, perhaps the hipsters had to do their hair or buy new skinny jeans on that day. Anyway, the “House” as we called it (and yes I am aware that is a pretty hipster nickname) was famous for making Belgian waffles with apple-smoked bacon inside of them. Not pieces mind you, full strips, and it was delish.

So on this particular Friday after I’d given my order, I noticed a gentleman who was not only dressed in leathers at 9 in the morning but looked oddly like Rob Halford of Judas Priest. He was drinking water and eating a bagel. I tried not to stare because if it really was Mr. Halford it would be utterly ridiculous. I ordered my bacon waffle, and casually mentioned to my waitress in hushed tones, that the leather man looked like a healthy Rob Halford. She laughed and said, “That’s because it is; he comes in a couple of times a week.” Seriously? … Of all the gin joints...oh wait, wrong movie. Of all the places to cross paths with one of the kings of metal, a hipster hash house? WTF Universe?

My waffle was delivered and the thing was huge, freaking ginormous, and I felt eyes on me. I looked up to see the Lord of Metal looking curiously at me and my giant waffle.

He leaned over, smiled, and asked, “Is it as good as it looks? “

I was speechless for a moment, which if you know me is no mean feat... “Yep it is, would you like to taste it?” I asked shyly. (And no that was no innuendo)

He nodded. “That would be lovely,” he replied in a fairly thick English country accent. I cut a largish corner off my waffle, put it on the extra plate and handed it over. I have to say he looked fantastic... Super healthy, shaved head, tan wearing jack boots, black jeans, a wife beater, and a studded leather vest. This guy worked out.

He tasted the waffle, made with the OMG eyes, and hailed the waitress, ordering his own waffle like a child tasting their first Snickers bar.

He then gestured towards his table and asked if I would like to join him. How could I resist this walking bible of Metal History? I moved my food over and introduced myself. One of the most charming things was that, although he was hearing Synde, he pronounced it closer to Sandy.

We talked about music, health, and why he had chosen San Diego as his current home. San Diego has a very open and comfortable gay community and he felt very at home and accepted there. He told me some pretty awesome stories about Ozzy who was born in a town very close to Rob and they had known each other early on. He talked about all the Iron Maiden issues and even a bit about the “new” metal. (Metallica, Megadeth)

After we finished, he insisted on paying for both of us, and who was I to argue? Metal God remember? I thanked him, hugged him and we both went our separate ways. I never ran into him in San Diego again, which was sad, as he was one of the most charming musicians I have met. I experienced no crazy ego on his part at all. He never once pulled the MR JUDAS FUCKING PRIEST title on me. He simply was.

I hope he is doing well...it was a fantastic day that I will always remember.

Humanity the lost art

I spend a fair amount of time on Twitter. Perhaps too much. I have found myself taking others comments personally and feeling hurt.

Have we as a generation lost the art of socialization? No one talks any more: We text, tweet, or email, but how often do we actually pick up the phone? I have a friend who hadn't made a phone call in a year. They made all their plans via text. I find that perplexing.

There is nothing like sitting with your friends and having discussion face to face, in more than 140 characters.

I think my real problem with the internet is that people don't have to be responsible. They can say whatever they like because there is no “real contact” with the other person. I have watched countless people flame each other for the smallest and silliest of issues. Someone commits a small faux pas on twitter and they are slammed. It's not right.

Were did our tolerance go? Did it leave with our social skills? Our friendships are forged on the few things we say to each other. Something happens and then you are the latest flame victim. In “real” life wouldn't you talk to the offender, try to figure it out? I think that's what we adults should be expected to do. Alas no, I think we “live” for those kinds of flamings. It's no good . . . and ruining our humanity.

As a result of this kind of behavior I find myself spending less and less time on the internet, which I think is a good thing.

What do you think?

Temple of Love

Hey all-
Recently I discovered a wonderful writer who when shes not doing her day job of editing some of my favorite books, writes some great dark Urban Fantasy. Her name is Nerine Dorman and she has a new e book coming out this month. Here is a little bit about Nerine and WHAT SWEET MUSIC THEY MAKE.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a ebook copy of her latest book.. and enjoy.

tell us a little about yourself.

In short, I'm a grumpy granny Goth who prefers lurking in her Treehaus to venturing forth beneath the blazing African sun. By day I work as a sub-editor and writer at a newspaper publisher. Sometimes they like me enough to send me to exotic destinations like Ireland or Zambia to do a spot of travel writing. For the rest, I'm a published author, a content editor for Lyrical Press and an awful musician who plays an assortment of instruments with varying degrees of sonic horror. Oh, and I like gardening.

How did the idea come about?

To be completely honest... I have no fecking clue with this novella. I sort of did *see* Severin playing rather reluctantly on stage with some blonde with big tits wanting to pounce him. Yeah, I think I started with Severin. And if you look at the cover art, that's pretty much how I imagined him when I wrote. The rest followed naturally--that he was in a situation that was rapidly growing untenable and would have to make some difficult decisions with regard to his future.

So vampires and music?

I'm so not even going to start blaming Rice for this one, but she contributed, as did Poppy Z Brite (actually a large portion of the blame is Mr Poppy's). But vampires and music have been a lifelong interest of mine so it kinda makes sense to combine the two. It doesn't help that I've been writing with Carrie Clevenger, whose Xan Marcelles happens to be a music-loving vampire. Or that one of my Lyrical Press authors, Sonya Clark, has a vampire sidekick with a music fetish in her tales.

I studied music all the way through my primary and high school years, and for a while had been aiming to break into the music industry, but somehow I ended up in the media industry in the print advertising side of things. So yeah, perhaps I'm a bit frustrated, and I live out my dreams by combining some of my favorite things.

do you play any musical instruments?

I started out on piano, all the way through to matric. Played recorder too... then picked up classical guitar in high school, which kind of graduated onto bass guitar when I was seventeen and had pretensions of stardom in an assortment of grunge, goth and black metal bands. A few years ago I got it into my head to buy a piano accordion, but you *really* don't want me to open that box. It sounds like I'm strangling a gaggle of geese.

Best thing I can say at the moment is that I'm tempted to start playing cabaret tunes on my classical with a friend of mine who's got a uke. I've even got a sound engineer friend who's threatening to record us--we're both authors and we think it will be a marvelous promotional gimmick... But it's probably safer that both of us stick to writing that next novel... And no one really wants to hear me sing.

Fav band?

Type O Negative. Hands down. Peter Steele made bass-playing sexy and he was one of my big heroes when I was playing in bands. And his voice... It reduces me to ribbons. After that, Nine Inch Nails, A Pale Horse Named Death and White Zombie. I'm also a big fan of "serious" music. I love JS Bach (especially his fugues), the Kronos Quartet (they're nothing short of brilliant) and Michael Nyman--go look up Where the Bee Dances--as well as Hans Zimmer's soundtracks. If I'm feeling farked in the head, I listen to Diamanda Galas.

whats next for Nerine?

I've got this totally screwy idea to write a "recognizably African" shifter saga because I'm pissed off at a certain foreign publisher that said my work isn't "recognizably African" enough. So I'm going to give them fucking lions and rhinos, with a couple of other weird beasties thrown in for good measure. That's my BIG writing project for this year. I'm still researching it, however.

But I'm also totally stoked that my big release for this year is coming out in May--a novel entitled Inkarna (via Dark Continents Publishing). It involves conflict between members of an ancient Egyptian reincarnation cult.

Knowing me I'll also throw in a few side projects and novellas. Carrie and I have been talking and ideas have been put down... But we're focusing right now on knocking her much-awaited debut novel, Crooked Fang, into shape.

Useful links:

What Sweet Music They Make: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=484

My other titles at Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=107

My contemporary erotic fiction writing as Therese von Willegen: http://www.bookstrand.com/therese-von-willegen

Collaborations with Carrie Clevenger:

Just My Blood Type: http://www.smashwords.com/dashboard

Blood and Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-and-Fire-ebook/dp/B006SD3F2S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326817184&sr=8-1

Follow me on Twitter @nerinedorman or like my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nerine-Dorman-author/173330419365374

Texas Two-step

THE BLURB:

Bassist and all-round slacker Xan Marcelles spends his nights at a remote tavern in Pinecliffe, Colorado. But there’s something else, he’s also a vampire, and although he reckons he has a handle on this secret, he’s not prepared for the day when people he thinks are the FBI drug him and haul him away. Ashton Kennedy isn’t human anymore and, as a member of a race of beings known simply as Inkarna, exists through the aeons by stealing bodies. At first his mission seems simple enough: break into the stronghold of a rival Inkarna House and liberate an artifact. He doesn’t bank on discovering a vampire, bound and tucked away neatly in a sarcophagus. The two unlikely allies are thrown together in a house of mysteries, and have to battle overwhelming odds against an implacable enemy. The question is, can they overcome their differences long enough to make it out alive, or undead?

Carrie Clevenger and Nerine Dorman team up once again, this time on a paranormal roadshow. What I love about collaboration between these two, is how different their voices are. Clevenger writes Xan Marcelles as a wise cracking asshole with a penchant for whisky. Dorman's Ashton is proper and polite, and swears with a bit of colloquialism attached. Throw these two together and it's one wild ride.

Add one Egyptian artifact, some cultist behavior and a ton of semi automatic weapons, what have you got.. A shit ton of fun that's what...

I'm not usually a fan of dual authors but these two have found a real balance, and the result is made of awesome..

You can purchase this ebook here for the price of a Bud Light..Yep for reals..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006SD3F2S/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

A little Night Music

Hey all! I know I have been away for a while..it's been crazy but I am back with a new interview that I hope you will really enjoy! ( ps..sorry for the weird white spot in the middle of the blog..can't make the little $%&&*** go away..)

So recently on Twitter I made the acquaintance of the enigmatic bassist for Crooked Fang Xan Marcelles. He's an interesting guy with plenty of secrets, who likes books, music and whiskey..A lethal combination and my personal kryptonite. He agreed to chat it up here on ye olde blog..so I hope we keep you amused..

S-Welcome Xan, before I get started with the questions why don't you tell us a little about yourself... Don't be shy. Oh and speaking of shy, how about a little bit about your writer Carrie too...

Right on, well my name is Xan Marcelles and I’m a bassist for a little band in Pinecliffe, Colorado called Crooked Fang. I live upstairs in a tavern called Pale Rider. Oh yeah, I’m also a vampire. Kind of always forget to mention that shit. Right now I’m featured in a short little teaser story written between Carrie and Nerine Dorman called Just My Blood Type, (download if you want, hell it’s free: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11810756-just-my-blood-type) but I got a real novel coming out next year where you get to come along with me on a crazy ride through my daily life.

Writer Carrie…oh yeah, Carrie Clevenger. She’s this weird woman that lives in Austin, Texas and came up with the early concept of me back in 2000. Yeah, I’ve been around for awhile, as you can see. Carrie has been featured in a few books and stuff, mostly short stories, and those are all listed up at GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3520560.Carrie_Clevenger She also has a site that has some of her old flash fiction back when she used to drop a new story every Friday: http://www.carrieclevengerstories.com/

Carrie cut her teeth on writing the hard way: By getting her ass handed to her in vicious critique groups. Since she didn’t finish high school, the art of writing was more like a grueling journey towards figuring out how to string words together that made sense and didn’t leave the reader asleep in their chair. Not to mention comma usage. She preferred horror writing but then she got stuck with me, and turns out I fall into the urban fantasy category (which sounds like suburban porn, by the way) so here we are.

S- ok more about you, when were you turned?

You make me sound like cheese. “So Xan, when did you go…bad.” Hush woman, and stop holding your nose. My expiration date isn’t for a long time. 1985 was the year of my demise. What can I say? Her ass looked good in red leather.

S-Your name...what nationality is it? Sounds slightly French...

It’s a stage name, can’t be walking around using my real name, else they’d ask why I wasn’t still back in the ground at the cemetery, you know? My real name is Gabriel Nez. I took my mom’s last name. Navajo, Diné however you want to say it.

S- mine is a stage name too. Luckily it's all legal now..

See, now you have to tell me someday.

S-doubtful

How long have you been a musician? Has it always been the bass?

Funny thing is, I used to work in commercial art. Sure, I fucked around on the bass, but nothing serious until I got dropped as a bloodsucker. Dad was trying to appease me (and keep me out of trouble) so he bought me a guitar. Only it was a bass guitar. I named her Betty. Old black Fender P-Bass. Anyway, after I turned, I was a little busy getting adjusted, for say, hell…twenty years or so? When I finally decided I’d had enough of the freaky business my kind likes dabbling in, I left and needed a job. I found an ad in the paper for a house band start-up. Playing the bass is like riding a bike, you might get rusty, but you’re not gonna forget two chords. Okay, I’m kidding. Anyway, I took that job, moved back to Colorado, (which was the state I died in by the way) moved into Pale Rider, and founded Crooked Fang, a cover band.

S-Ever thought about singing? Front man not your thing?

It’s been on the table once or twice. I don’t have the ego and the what’s it called? Charisma. I’m not flashy or sociable. And I might have a touch of stage fright on top of that. Besides. I love what I do now. I get to be on stage without facing the crowd so much. Focus on the frets and don’t fret.

S-Stage fright really... huh... have you ever looked in a mirror? You got nuthin to be shy about.

It’s not me I’m afraid of, just all those people. You know, getting hungry. Fucking up on stage. Even in a tinyburg like Pinecliffe…

S-Why Pinecliffe? How do you keep yourself busy? Isn't it kind of dull?

I like it dull. I’ve had enough of the fast lane life to last well, a lifetime! Being in a small town means nobody can sneak up on me because word gets around fast. It’s a sleepy place with a beating heart for rock there at Pale Rider. Plus, it’s fucking beautiful. I mean, really. Call it my retirement home.

S- Favorite bands? Why?

Let me give you a list:

Type O Negative – Why? Do you have to ask for these guys? Peter was a genius with music. The whole band had a tongue-in-cheek-and-fuck-you attitude that appeals to me immensely. They never took themselves seriously, never sold out, and neither should we.

Jimi Hendrix – He revolutionized rock and guitar methods and was gone far too soon to even realize his full potential. There’s a song for every mood in his discography. I love Hendrix’s music. Period.

Megadeth – I know, I know. Dave is a lunatic. But back in the day, they played great shit. An offshoot from Metallica, I’d say they stayed the same, whereas Metallica just kind of…got alternative.

Slayer – Duh. Tom Araya is amazing. The music is amazing. I’m amazed every time I spin their disc. Hard-hitting shit that is guaranteed to piss your woman off 90% of the time.

A Pale Horse Named Death – Sal Abruscato branched off from Life of Agony, and before that, Type O Negative (Bloody Kisses) and made an entire fucking album on his own. And it is fucking GOOD. Plus, he’s good to his fans. I’m won.

Nirvana – I arrived late on the Grunge scene, but when I first heard Nirvana, I wanted to know who the hell they were right away. So I get, “oh he’s dead, but yeah, it’s a Seattle band.” Seattle? Get out of here! But really man, Nirvana was dirty, garage band music that speaks right to your cerebral cortex. You’re riveted and buffeted by slashes of angst and self-loathing and loss. And the acoustic set took those songs and flipped them right back to digestible by common public. I bet the teenagers were pissed when Dad started jamming to “On a Plain”.

S- Even being here in Seattle, I never got Nirvana. I guess it's a Goth thing... Like other grunge bands; Alice in Chains and Soundgarden...Just couldn't fathom it...

(Probably because it was in your backyard. Local music has it harder I think.)

Johnny Cash, AKA, Man in Black – If I have to explain why, I’ll kick you myself.

Roy Orbison – I love listening to Orbison. His songs are like echoes of my own past experiences. He was a gentle man, with gentle songs of love and loss, and well I guess I’m showing a pattern here…

Concrete Blonde/Johnette Napolitano – Why do I love their music? It’s real. Johnette is a fucking goddess and she slings a big bass too. So hey, I might have a vested interest. Visually-oriented, great rock. Mankey…dude. He can fucking play.

And this is just a few bands that I love…hell I got a library of ten-thousand songs. Pick your poison. You should’ve specified a genre. Haha.
Just saying, I can go on and on and on and on…

S-Favorite book? Why?

Maya Angelou – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It deals with racism and the struggles that people of color in general all face. Plus, I really love her voice in that book. It’s unapologetic and gritty enough to jolt you. Some of the stuff that happens in that story is unbelievable. Everyone should read it, I think.

S-If you could sit down for a drink with five historical figures living or dead (and yes they can be musicians) who would they be and why?

Five historical figures, hmm.

1. Jimi Hendrix – Nope, I never met him or even saw a single show. Just to talk to him would reduce me to a jabbering puddle of fanboydom. Even the fucking Pope couldn’t elicit that kind of response from me.
2. Jim Morrison – I want to hear what really happened the night he died.
3. Peter Steele – I want to thank him for enriching so many lives and giving me inspiration in my work.
4. Robert Johnson – I want to know how that deal with the Devil worked out for him. You probably have no idea what I mean, so here’s a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson#Devil_legend
5. Marilyn Monroe – Who the hell wouldn’t want to meet Norma Jean?

S-So tell us....what's next for Xan, what does the future hold?

Well, I got a book coming out in August 2012, (yes I know that’s like forever away, but hey, it’s before the scheduled end of the world) called Crooked Fang. It’s the story of how I figure out that maybe I’m not as dead inside as I think. A series of events stumble over my legs and land my ass in a lot of weird predicaments.

The sequel to Crooked Fang, called Pale Rider, is in production right now. It’s not quite done, but promises to be a little darker than Crooked Fang. Still, it’s a bunch of new lessons I gotta learn in order to make my way in the world. Being a vampire isn’t easy, I know that.

What I didn’t know was how hard it is to stay human.

S-it sure isn't is it?

Understatement of the year. Easier to just be one or the other, for reals.

S-Well Xan I just want to thank you for stopping by my little blog here. Next time I promise to come to Pinecliffe, so we can drink whiskey and talk music like proper folks.

Sure thing, remember we’re closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. And I’m always up for talking about music. Really appreciate the opportunity.

I highly suggest you all following Xan on twitter... @crookedfang....he is highly entertaining, and will school you on music and some other more questionable things. DO IT! You won't be sorry...

Oh yes and don't forget to download that free story, it's a fun read... here is the link again! http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3520560.Carrie_Clevenger

Carrie Clevenger and Nerine Dorman worked together on Just My Blood Type as you might know, but what you may not know, is there’s a new collaboration coming out soon, called Blood and Fire. X

*****************UPDATE***********************************
 you can buy Blood and Fire at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble .. Both Nook and Kindle formats available! It's one wild ride!

ALSO THE MOST EXCITING NEWS*******************************
COMING AUGUST 2012
Xan's book CROOKED FANG now has an awesome cover and blurb and I thought I would share it with you...




Sometimes a vampire's past can bite him in the ass.
 Xan Marcelles--bassist for Crooked Fang, vampire and full-time asshole, is content with his quiet existence in the backwoods of Pinecliffe, Colorado. But life at the Pale Rider tavern is set to become a little more complicated when he gets entangled with a feisty, blue-haired damsel and her abusive soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. To add to his woes, he’s gone from hunter to hunted, and his past returns to haunt him when a phone call draws him back to New Mexico. With the help of friends from his living past, he must get to the bottom of a murder, and figure out where he stands with his lover and his band, all while keeping one step ahead of his enemies. Hiding won’t be easy for him, especially with a mysterious woman dogging him every step of the way. 

Here is the e book cover~

 and here is Xan on the print cover... Nice eh???

Nerine Dorman’s author page: http://www.facebook.com/nerine

Crookedfang’s page: http://www.facebook.com/CrookedFang