7 Seconds

7 Seconds was a mainstay of the hardcore scene in 80's and beyond--an inspiration to stay positive during a time when there wasn't a lot to be positive about.

I wrote this brief bit about them in my novel.

They have just announced they're breaking up, but we'll keep listening to what they had to say.

Now he lowered the needle onto the record. The first song began in a quick blur of guitars, the drums as fast as a blender. You wanna be the way I am but you could never understand. The singer's voice was earnest and fierce. He sang so fast the lyrics were a jumble of syllables run together, as if there were only so much time to say what he had to say before people stopped listening. 

TPRFM (the sequel)!

I'll be back at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market, Saturday 4/8/17, selling and signing copies of my book. I had a blast at the last Flea Market: talked to a lot of cool people, ate great food, listened to all those underground songs I love, and even sold a bunch of books (thank you to all those brave people willing to spend their money and take a chance on an unknown writer!).

For more info, click the link.
Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market

TPRFM!

The Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market!!!

I'll have a table Sunday, 10/30 selling and signing copies of my novel. I'm proud to be a small part of this event that's helping to revitalize Trenton. The TPRFM runs both Saturday and Sunday--check it out for the food trucks, the great community, and the scores of crafts and artistic works on sale you can't find anywhere else. I've gone to a bunch of these as an attendee and had a blast--this is my first time as a vendor. Looking forward to it!

Best reaction yet . . .

. . . to my novel (via my Facebook page): It's "like Fight Club set to music!"

"Their liberty to choose"--a review by VOYA

A brief but perceptive review of THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET from Susan Allen of VOYA magazine:

The punk music scene of Trenton, New Jersey, in the 1980s is the setting for this debut novel. In the fictional punk music Club 321, the nineteen-year-old main character, Nick Lablanche, seeks to escape from his “normal,” suburban life. He is not a punk/rebel stereotype; he is a regular guy, seeking help to overcome depression and trying to find a way to live life on his own terms. The reader shares Nick’s feelings as he walks into this counterculture portrayed by blood- and mud-stained floors, skinheads, raw sex, unfettered language, and loud, raucous music. Feelings include discovery, trepidation, exhilaration, and fear. The tension between the violent, yelling counterculture and the “suburban raised” Nick keeps the reader involved. The author kept journals of his punk-music-club-hopping days and used them in his writing to keep the punk scene real and vibrant. The writing is like the music of that time. It is stark, not many metaphors, with quick, short starts and stops. There are no long passages and the focus of the text is razor-sharp. The characters are real as well. They portray older youth and adults seeking ways to live their lives differently than what they know. They realize they have choices, some that will bring difficult consequences, but still show their individuality and demonstrate their liberty to choose. 

Liberty and individuality versus the comforts of conformity

Here's an interview I did with Kristen Gaydos of Citizens' Voice:

Punk background helps Wilkes grad pen novel