She may not have heard an orchestra playing Stars and Stripes on her front lawn this morning...

...but I did

So today is the release of my good pal Ellen Meister's incredible, incredible book "Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA".

To learn some really fun things about Ellen, please visit our mutual friend Myfanwy Collin's blog.

And here are the first stellar reviews for Applewood:

From Publishers Weekly
Cat fights erupt among Applewood's soccer moms in Meister's eager-to-please debut. The local PTA, driven by über-wife Suzanne Podobinski, is raising money to build a small stadium at the elementary school when a location scout, searching for a place to film a movie starring George Clooney, happens into their Long Island town. The PTA quickly dissolves into factious committees, and Meister uses the ladies' competitiveness to delve into the histrionic relationships of suburban housewives: lawyer Maddie Schein has an inferiority complex that's exacerbated when she imagines her chiropractor husband has a crush on his cousin; brash, show-offy songwriter Ruth Moss secretly longs for satisfaction after three years of caring for her impotent, half-paralyzed husband; and mousy Lisa Slotnick, married to a millionaire computer geek, is in for a rocky ride after her alcoholic singer mother shows up. As tension mounts, the ladies cast aspersions, scheme, connive and resort to blackmail (a ploy that comes in handy after Suzanne is spotted in a poolside ménage à trois). The comic book"inspired cover and Lisa Kudrow blurb are the icing on this cupcake of a novel. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
It's every woman's fantasy to have a film--location crew select her hometown for the next movie starring a major cinematic sex symbol (in this case, George Clooney), and when an Applewood, Long Island, elementary school, is deemed a possible site for Clooney's upcoming flick, the members of the upscale community's PTA go into hyperbolic overdrive to turn fantasy into reality. As members of the PR committee, it will fall to Maddie, Ruth, and Lisa to polish Applewood's somewhat spotty reputation when the producers come to town. Accomplishing such a massive public-relations coup would be difficult enough, but add Maddie's failing marriage, Ruth's clandestine affair (with the school superintendent, no less), and Lisa's alcoholic mother to the mix, and you have women facing challenges that make the typical Saturday morning PTA bake sale look like a piece of cake. With sexy characters, sharp dialogue, and snappy pacing, Meister's sassy, saucy debut novel could well turn into a movie of its own. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

I met Ellen for the first time four years ago when she was still on an agent search for her manuscript. Here we are together at brunch in New York City:



Ellen is on the first row, far right, that's me as usual hiding in dark glasses on the far left, and with her hands on her shoulders standing above Ellen is Susan Henderson, my fellow partner in crime in the Neil Gaiman fan club.



By the way, Neil and Ellen share publishers. How cool is that! Maybe they'll get to hang out at the Harper/Collins Christmas party together? Of course Sue and I will crash, or dress as maids and pass around trays of champagne...

Seriously. Buy Ellen's book. I've read it. It's freaking amazing. And...there's a chance that Lisa Kudrow will say something about it on the Jay Leno show tonight. Lisa did the audio version of Ellen's book, as well as providing her with a blurb for the cover. I've made it easy for you to buy -- just click on the Amazon link on the right under my "recommended reading". Okay? Okay!

I repeat. HOW COOL IS THAT???

So yeah, I do hear an orchestra playing Stars and Stripes, I do see fireworks in the sky, and today I am celebrating bigtime for my dear friend Ellen.

Later,
xo

Join the Rebellion!

Rebellion—New Voices of Fiction

Thomas Jefferson said,
“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”

We agree.

Rebel Press is proud to present an alternative to the safe and familiar names put forth by the major publishers.

This anthology offers fiction that is off the beaten path, by authors who write for art’s sake, for the love of the craft, authors who aren’t afraid to extend the boundaries of the short story.

Please enjoy these fresh new voices.

Join the rebellion.

Robin Slick
Susan DiPlacido
Tom Saunders
Steve Hansen
Katrina Denza
Myfawny Collins
Marcus Grimm
T.J. Forrester
Grant Jarrett
Matt St. Amand
Tripp Reade
Donald Capone

AVAILABLE NOW!
Rebel Press

A Very Sad Day

Julie Slick, Adrian Belew, Ken Latchney, and Eric Slick clowning around in the funhouse room at the Escher Museum in Holland, July 20, 2006

Today is a very sad day. Please see Eric's tour blog for further information.

Later,
xo

The insane crazy news post...

Today is a crazy day. Julie and Eric are still on break from the Adrian Belew Power Trio tour but I again encourage all of you in the Philadelphia area to please, please, please come out to the World Cafe on August 14 and see them live -- here's the link for the tickets once again; Susan Henderson, I'm sorry but I have no new Neil Gaiman photos for you (sob...what's a girl to do?) but you've more than made up with it with your lovely pictures of Steve...so really, for once I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing -- writing. So far today I pounded out a two page article for a brand new print magazine, edited four more chapters of my novel Baby Boomer formerly known as The Tour and which I'm now seriously thinking of changing to "Daddy Left Me Alone with God" so that I can meet my self-imposed deadline to send it out to a new agent by the end of this month (unless Julie attaches herself to my hip next week with her boyfriend away, in which case it will be a week or two late and I will seriously hate myself)...but I just took a little break to surf the net, and well, as you can see by the above photo, I managed to find some interesting stuff.

First, let's talk about that photo. In fact, let's not. Why not just follow the link so you, too, can learn all about Tampon Crafts!

Next, as you know I am a compulsive Googler and I've obviously been googling Julie, Eric, Adrian Belew, etc. for any reviews of their show or any other info I may have missed. Imagine my surprise this morning to find a new entry over at Icerocket for Eric Slick. Ha! I don't want to ruin the surprise, but apparently Eric + Slick = two dogs = getting carsick.

So really, I'd better get back to work before Julie fills up my entire social calendar next week (she's currently IMing me from her boyfriend's place right now, plotting out the various restaurants we'll be visiting and I just turned her on to a new vintage clothing store I discovered in Northern Liberties which I know she'll want to check out...sooo...unless something earth shattering happens in the meantime, it's back to working on the novel for me as of NOW.

I leave you with a photo of Sue's new main squeeze, a/k/a "Steve". (He's adorable, Sue, but he's no Neil Gaiman.)



Later,
xo

Adrian Belew Power Trio - two week time-out

Julie Slick, Adrian Belew, and Eric Slick following what I hear was a triumphant concert in Holland


Julie freaking out when she saw the license plate on their rental van for the tour - 2AB (two, Adrian Belew) 666? I'm glad I didn't know about that until now...creepy, huh

So things are back to normal here in the Slick household - i.e., crazy again because both J&E are home for two weeks of rest, practice, and hanging out with friends before the Adrian Belew Power Trio goes back out on the road in early August.

Saturday afternoon we picked them up at Newark airport and within ten minutes of being home there was a knock at the door -- in walked Julie's boyfriend, Matt, and within the next five minutes in walked Eric's girlfriend, Carolyn. So we ordered a bunch of pizzas and tried to pry some tour stories out of them, but, you know, they hadn't seen their significant others for ten days so Gary and I snuck upstairs and sulked. Ha ha - not really, we understand, so we left them alone like good old and decrepit unneeded except for a ride home from the airport parents and little by little we're getting some info -- from Eric, not Julie, who took off with her boyfriend after pizza on Saturday. I guess maybe we'll see her again tonight. Or not. Whatever. It's all good.

Strangely enough, both Matt and Carolyn are going out of town for a few weeks this coming Friday -- Matt to Iceland with his father and Carolyn will go on tour out to the west coast with the School of Rock All-Stars so by this time next week we'll have more Julie and Eric than we know what to do with. (Just kidding, but I am holding out hope that I can at least bribe Julie into doing something with me like trying a new restaurant. Eric is the consummate music freak and he already spent four hours alone last night just practicing on his electronic drum pad...practice, practice, practice is his plan for the remaining time off before the tour picks up again)

Eric did update his tour blog last night and it includes some great photos of the Herzberg Festival (Germany's version of Woodstock) so you can get your Belew fix from that today. Cool? Cool.

As for me, I continue to work on my novel and really can't concentrate on much else, especially this blog which I somehow stayed away from all day yesterday, but I did just read in my comments section of prior posts that Sue Henderson was adopting someone at 1:00 a.m. which sounded so covert I thought maybe she was meeting one of those cruise ships and picking up a little Lebanese baby or something; then I learn she adopted a greyhound and named it Steve, which I find particularly funny because I have a writer pal named Steve Augarde from the UK and I'm sure he'll be quite honored to know about his namesake...and to be honest, if I didn't already have a dog named Monty, Steve would probably be my next choice. Too, too funny.

I was also quite pleased that Amaretto Mick came 'round and visited my blog, saw his photos, and left me a lovely post.

Anyway, I see in one of her comments that Sue observed it feels like decades since I posted a Neil Gaiman photo so okay, even though I got in "trouble" for it last week, here's half-a-Neil...which is better than no Neil and in fact, pretty damn perfect because his head is bent down and....

He's writing, he's writing!



Later,
xo

Adrian Belew Power Trio -- homecoming!

Julie Slick in Germany -- a typical shot of Julie, pick in mouth, many admirers looking on

So yay! The Belew Power Trio returns to the U.S. today and things went so well Ade is giving Julie and Eric a couple weeks off to spend at home with their significant others before they launch the east coast portion of their tour on August 8 at B.B. King's House of Blues in New York City.

Gary and I are picking them up at the airport in a few hours, so while I run around the house blowing up balloons and arranging all the flowers (ha ha, just kidding), here are some links which talk about the tour, the band, and other assorted related stuff to keep you busy:

First, here's some preliminary commentary about Zappanale from Andrew Greenaway;

Second, here's a blurb from Krimson News;

Third, here's a bunch of photos from Zappanale 17 brought to you by our good friends, The Zappateers;

Fourth, stay on that website and go to their forum and read more about Zappanale 17;

Fifth, DGM Live gives a shout out to Julie for her contribution to Eric's tour blog as well as a link;

Finally, there's some cool stuff on the Planet Crimson forum board.

So that's it for now...I will obviously have a lot to talk about once I see J&E in the flesh and hear all about the week in Europe, their performance last night (where I saw crowd estimations at 30,000? Could that be possible? Holy crap!)...and of course any writing news that comes my way.

Later, (said the excited groupie mom)
xo

While I pound away at my novel...

That would be Eric Slick and Adrian Belew enjoying the music of other bands at Zappanale, which I just lifed from Eric's blog

Okay, so while I work like a fiend on my novel, I am referring to you Eric's tour blog, which he not only updated today, it includes what I think is a hilarious post from Julie...you have to know Julie and read between the lines to laugh as much as I did, probably, but both kids can really write (ahem...wonder where they got that from) and I just had a blast reading their somewhat different accounts of the tour so far.

And please, it is my goal to sell out the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia when Adrian and Julie and Eric play here on August 14. So in case you missed the link I posted here a few days ago, you can buy your tickets right here!.

Also, I see Neil Gaiman will be in one of my favorite cities on Tuesday, New Haven, Connecticut. Anyone want to go with me to Yale and hang out and hear him read?

Speaking of Neil, of course this could only happen to me. While Gary was in Germany, Thomas, who is German but speaks English as a second language and is the head of the Arf Society and the man responsible for the yearly Zappanale concerts, came up to him and said "How is your wife and how do you feel about her having a boyfriend? I read her blog all the time...are things okay with the two of you? She has a very handsome lover...a famous writer" (or something like that).

Gary naturally came home and asked me all about it because he doesn't read my blog. I was completely caught off-guard but then I broke up laughing when I realized who/what Thomas was talking about

Oh man, too bad you weren't all here for my explanation. Hilarious!

I finally pinned it on the dog. "I think Thomas must be thinking about Monty. I said I couldn't go on tour with the kids to Europe because of the other man in my life..."

Which of course is the truth. Good thing Gary didn't ask me "When did the dog start writing?"

Okay. Back to work for me.

Later,
xo

Amaretto Mick Gets Around!

Robert Plant and Gail Zappa with Amaretto Mick at Zappa Plays Zappa in the UK


Eric Slick with Amaretto Mick prior to Eric's performance with Adrian Belew in Germany

Ha ha -- I guess you have to either be Eric's mother or a big Zappa fan (of which I am both) to appreciate this so...here are two pics for those hip enough to have a chuckle.

Okay then. Back to working on my novel...I will return later with a Belew tour update and some other cool stuff.

But in the "equal time" department:



Me, Julie, and Julie's boyfriend Matt eating our first toasties ever (during Julie's tour with McRad) outside of St. John's Cathedral in my favorite place in the universe, the UK. Thank you Eric II from California, bass player for Leiana and many other bands. Eric II was on tour with us, took this pic, and sent it to me yesterday when he stumbled on my website.

Later,
xo

Adrian Belew Power Trio on Tour -- Europe

Julie Slick on stage at Zappanale 17

So Gary is home from Germany and telling me all of these great stories -- none of which I can share here, damn it (ha!) -- and since I just noticed Eric updated his tour blog for the Philadelphia Inquirer, maybe you should just read about it here.

I will say that Gary recorded the whole show on video and we watched it last night crying. It was that good. When I saw Eric's drum solo, I got the chills.

I also cannot believe my daughter now plays in her bare feet. First she becomes a vegetarian, now she's barefoot. I love it! Gary told me Adrian even comments about it on stage.

Last night they played Italy and I'm dying to hear from J&E how that went, but luckily I got two e-mails this morning, one from my friend Andrew and the other from my new pal, Marco. By the way, make sure you click on these links. Andrew was at Zappanale and should be providing a detailed review of the show within the next day or two -- he's also the one who furnished me with the above photo -- and Marco is an accomplished bassist the same age as Julie and all of the music you hear on his site was written by him on his computer. I met him via my blog -- one day he just instant messaged me out of the blue. I usually don't instant message with strangers but his screen name was Geddy Lee and my curiously got the best of me. I usually get IMs from strangers with the names of Cliff Rigid or Lactating Female so, you know, I automatically hit "ignore" or "block" but this time I didn't and I sure am glad.

Okay, here's Andrew's e-mail in part:

"It was a great time, and I enjoyed chatting to Gary and the kids. After the Power Trio set (actually, back of the stage during the finale) Eric shook my hand and asked whether I enjoyed the show - to which I of course said "Absolutely!" I knew he and Adrian were enormously talented, but Julie knocked me out also. You're one lucky lady. Will write more soon..."

And from Marco about the Italy show:

"Hi Robin -

just got home from the Roma gig. Your kids were great. I
was impressed by Eric's playing, so powerful. Julie is a great player
too - reminded me a bit of Squire - and she's charming.

Adrian...
well, no words needed. I wish I could meet them, but I had to run away after the gig was over.

All the best, and talk to you soon."

So that's pretty cool and of course I'll be stalking Google in the U.S., Germany, and Italy for more reviews, etc. and will post them as soon as I find them.

In writing news, I didn't even realize it but I have a new story up called "Interception" at Poor Mojo Almanac and I notice they also gave me a Wiki page. Since I have absolutely no clue at all how to fill out my Wiki page or what I'm supposed to do with it, if any of you reading isn't as technology challenged as I am, please email me with instructions so I can have a nice pretty page over at Poor Mojo with I guess my bio info and publishing creds? Or knowing me, it will be something off the wall altogether but still...I hate having things like a blank Wiki, don't you?

Okay, back to my working on my "Oh my god I only have to weeks to go before I send it out" novel...will be back if I hear from Julie or Eric.

And don't forget to get tickets for the Adrian Belew Power Trio show at the World Cafe Live on August 14!

Later,
xo

Yes! Adrian Belew at World Cafe Live!

Yay! The World Cafe Live show for the Adrian Belew Power Trio for August 14, 2006 in Philadelphia is confirmed!

Buy your tickets right here!

And in order to entice you further, here's something I just found on the Yes Forum Board:

I had a wonderful opportunity to see Adrian Belew's current solo tour on Saturday night in Chicago. As Lostinmusing has posted elsewhere in this forum, Ade is touring with a brother/sister combo, Julie and Eric Slick, who are absolutely fantastic. If you have a chance to see this show, DO IT. You will not be disappointed.

Ade played at the Double Door, made famous by the Smashing Pumpkins as their venue in their early goth days. The place is a complete dive, but it was filled to capacity, or close to it. There were two opening acts. The first guy was awful--don't remember his name--Eric Somethingorother--don't care to. Those around me thought he was awful, too, but we were all polite. He appeared to be a Beatles-wannabe with a mop top haircut. The second guy was wonderful, also on acoustic guitar, but quite a cut above the other one. His name was Andreas Kapasalis. I bought the CD he had for sale, and will expound on him more later. He also played solo, but the CD features music from his trio. I found this guy to be very interesting. His guitarwork had a lot of harmonics, and he also had a tendency to do some "tribute" pieces, i.e., he played Frame by Frame, but what was good about this is he made the piece his own. He also did a version of Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo, which was quite interesting as this was translated from keyboard to acoustic guitar.

Onto Ade. His setup was very simple, in part, I think, because the stage was small. He played a Variax the entire night, which allowed him to get a range of sounds with just one instrument. The fare was typical Ade, mostly solo work from his last three releases, including Ampersand from Side One, as well as a smattering of KC material from the 80s. He left most of that until late in the gig, except for Dinosaur, which he performed as the third song into the set. The KC pieces he played also included Three of a Perfect Pair, Elephant Talk, Frame by Frame (which he ended the main portion of the gig with) and a blistering version of Thela Hun Ginjeet, which ended the show.

A word about the brother/sister combo. Both are immensely talented "Young Bucks" . At one point, Ade noted their ages--Eric is 19, Julie is 20. Both have as much hair as Ade is lacking, lol. Eric's kit is small, but that goes to show you that you don't have to have a lot of bells and whistles to be a good drummer. Julie--all I can say is WOW! I spent the entire gig in front of her. She played a Fender jazz bass (I think), except for one of the Crimson songs where she switched to a Gibson fretless. She played using a pick and not using a pick--and I heard a lot of influences, primarily Squire and Geddy Lee, but obviously, also a bit of Levin. She played barefoot too, which Ade also pointed out towards the end of the gig.

*****

Man, I was glad to just get the Philly tour news. I was sitting here all teary eyed because according to my clock, Adrian and J&E just finished their set in Germany and I've been beating myself up for not being there.

Soo...hope to meet up with a lot of you in Philly on August 14.

Later,
xo