The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom: Interview and Giveaway The Devil’s Jukebox by Marcel Feldmar

Please share a little about yourself, your genres.

I grew up in Canada, and ended up in Los Angeles, via Denver and Seattle. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I stopped playing music that I actually set out to complete a full-length novel. For years it was poetry, song lyrics, music reviews, and the occasional band interview. I would get ideas for longer stories, but never had the time to devote to them. I always seemed to be inspired by the darker side of things, in music and fiction, so there was a genre waiting for me to fall into—the only thing was that I didn’t feel like the Devil’s Jukebox fit into Urban Fantasy or Supernatural Fiction. So I thought I’d come up with my own genre… Paranormal Pop Fiction. I think it works for what I’m doing, and it’s got a nice ring to it.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Well, my latest is my current and only (so far). The Devil’s Jukebox is basically a tale of a group of high school friends who become involved with a couple of Immortals—and what happens twenty years later. These friends reunite and join forces with the Immortals to find a mysterious jukebox that holds the power to revitalize the Muses. Of course, power can be wielded for good or evil, so there is also a race to find the jukebox before its energy can be used to corrupt the Muses.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

I have definitely mined some experiences from my past for scenes within the book. Shifted and twisted into something new, but yeah—there are definitely pieces of my life within the Devil’s Jukebox. People too… I would say there are a couple of characters that were inspired (not influenced) by people I knew, people I know. I don’t know if those people would be able to tell, a couple might get the connection, but I’m hoping if they realize how they inspired me they’ll be a little flattered. The Devil’s Jukebox, actually, is the story of my life in an alternate reality.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

I didn’t really write this with a specific message or theme in mind, but some of it was spurred on by a reaction to how music, and in some ways all art, gets treated as background noise. I’m not going to go off on a rant, but I just hope that some readers will walk away a little more open to the power of music and be ready to let it inspire them.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

Ha! I’m sure that there are many things that my readers don’t know about me. Not sure how deep I should get here. Can’t let all of my secrets out. I think that readers might be able to figure out quite a few things by reading my writings, but perhaps my secret admiration of cheezy romantic comedies might surprise some. I mean, of course, there’s Some Kind of Wonderful and all those John Hughes films, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday… yeah, sigh, flutter… Bell, Book, and Candle… always a great one… but I mean who knew that I gave a few thumbs up for Music and Lyrics, You’ve Got Mail, Joe Versus the Volcano, and He Said, She Said. I still, however, do not like Ghost.

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

I used to play music… well, I used to play drums. In a band, so it was kind of like playing music. Now, I work a full-time job, and write when I can, but as a distraction from “novel” writing—I still scribble out the occasional poem. I guess poetry could be considered a hobby at the moment. I also love just sitting around and watching re-runs of Psych. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. If I enjoy something—I’m willing to admit it. Even if it means telling people that yes, I actually like listening to Coldplay (only their first two albums).

Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?

If I had been the one who wrote The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper, or the first three books in Madeline L’Engle’s Time Quintet (I never made it to the last two books - but A Wrinkle in Time, The Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet make up a perfectly contained trilogy), I would be a supremely satisfied author. Although if I had written all of those books I don’t think I’d be able to write anything else, ever.

Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

I’d really like to write a decent Science Fiction story - probably sliding into the cyberpunk realm, but I don’t think I have a solid enough grasp on the science. I love reading it—when I read William Gibson’s Neuromancer in high-school it blew my mind. Then Neal Stephenson with Snow Crash… oh my god. I’ve read that book so many times… now I want to read it again. I think that if I had the time to work the research side a little more I could pull it off, so maybe someday…

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

I’m currently about one third of the way through what will hopefully be novel number two. My Mother-in-Law, who really enjoyed The Devil’s Jukebox, is hoping that it’s going to be a sequel. She even suggested that I title it The Devil’s Replay. Unfortunately for her, It will be a completely separate story, although I’m not discounting the possibility of a Jukebox sequel in the future. I don’t want to jinx anything by letting the title out too early, but it falls into the same genre (Paranormal Pop Fiction) and it is set in Vancouver. It contains more magic, less music, and probably way too many cocktails.

What book are you reading now?

Right now I am working my way through a couple of books… Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, City Of Devils by Justin Robinson, and I’m re-reading Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series in anticipation of the new one.

What is in your to read pile?

Oh so many books. I wish I didn’t have to work, so I could just read and write, and read some more… Top of the “I need to read” pile: The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Winter. Seriously, this one is like 700 pages. There’s also The Resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth, the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Fun times ahead, right?

-Marcel Feldmar

The Devil’s Jukebox

Marcel Feldmar

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Pop Fiction

Publisher: Peabo Productions (Self-Published)

Date of Publication: July 8th, 2014

ISBN: 9781495947469

ISBN: 9781310876769

Number of pages: 294

Word Count: 80,000

Cover Artist: Sam Soto

Book Description:

A group of friends are reunited after twenty years to learn that their destinies are entangled with the immortal Muses and a mysterious lost jukebox.

From Vancouver to a New Orleans cemetery, roaming through Los Angeles to Las Vegas; it’s a supernatural road trip laced with rock ‘n’ roll.

Available at Amazon iTunes BN Smashwords

If you order the paperback version of The Devil’s Jukebox

through CreateSpace between now and August 31,

you’ll get 20% off!

Just use the following discount code: RR5RTBTN

…and the magic will happen.

excerpt eclipse

Martin looks around the room, smiling through darkness and music. Another night slumming at the Industrial Eclipse. Everyone’s a regular. Everyone’s dancing, flirting, listening to music, drinking. Another escape from normal life. There is comfort in the lights, the darkness, and Martin walks towards the seats in the back room to wait for Charlotte and Phillip. He sits for a few minutes, alone, other than the occasional interruptions by random kids taking breathers between dances. He enjoys watching all the death puppies shake and sway. Nightclub lust in black fishnets and eye shadow.

Jonathan appears, holding a drink in one hand and a clove cigarette in the other, swaying to the background beat.

“What are you doing here?” Martin asks.

“Your girl told us we were meeting here, so why not? I mean, the music could be better, but the chicks are hot. Sebastian should be here soon as well.”

“She’s not my girl.” Then Martin sees her walking across the floor, and he smiles.

Charlotte walks slowly, peering between darkness and movement. When she notices them, she moves in their direction with a big grin on her face. An Images in Vogue song hits the playlist, and Charlotte yells, “Talk later, dance now!”

She pulls Martin into the mess of bodies. He shrugs, decides to go with it. This is Charlotte, and with her, he can ignore all of the lame dancing and spaced-out goths experimenting with MDMA and Industrial grooves, dancing in the shadows and staring at the floor in attempts to impress others who are also busy not looking at anything but their own feet.

After a few hits of the dark waved tunes they go back to sit with Jonathan. Sebastian is there too, looking a little uncomfortable as all the hairsprayed girls twist and turn across the room.

“Well, if it isn’t Mister Church,” booms a voice behind Martin.

“Phillip.”

“I’m glad we’re all here, but I think we should talk somewhere a little quieter.”

Charlotte spins around him. “Not now. That can wait.”

And she’s gone again, lost in a blur of music and movement

When the club starts to shut down, people drift outside and disperse into the early morning air. The earliest breath of sunlight is sometimes refreshing, but after a long night in the club it’s a little frightening. Martin looks apprehensively at the glow of the exit sign. He always feels close to some kind of vampire life when he steps out of the club’s doors. He’s not quite ready to leave, not alone. He stands against the wall; he should be talking to someone, mingling, doing something other than what he always does in these post-social situations.

His friends are here, but they’re all occupied with conversations and people-watching. It’s a blast to recount the various hook-ups and random crash and burns that took place throughout the night. He finally moves towards Annie and Phillip, who are standing near the bar.

“Martin! We were wondering when you would stop holding up the wall and say hello,” Annie says. She gives him a big hug.

“Hey, yeah…” Martin gives her a sheepish smile.

Sebastian comes up behind him and nudges his shoulder. “C’mon man, let’s go.”

“Why stop now?” Phillip asks, “You should come over and hang out for a bit. Company would be good, I think.”

Charlotte joins them and says, “It’ll be fun. We can finally talk shop, right?”

“Absolutely,” Phillip says.

Charlotte gives Martin a little smile, which distracts him completely.

“Dude, can’t beat that!” Jonathan says. “Early-morning goth party!”

“Annie? Care to join us?” Sebastian asks hopefully.

“Not tonight, boys, though it sounds fun. But I’ll see you soon. We have to practice for our show next week.”

“That’s right,” Sebastian says. Annie winks at him, turns on her heel, and glides out the door.

“You bastard.” Jonathan jabs Sebastian in the ribs, one eyebrow raised.

“No, it’s nothing like that…” Sebastian trails off, looking at the door that had let Annie disappear.

Jonathan stares at him. “Seb, you like her, don’t you?”

Sebastian rolls his eyes. “Whatever, let’s go.”

Annie knows the subject of the jukebox might come up tonight, but she’s not ready for that yet. Better to stay out of it until she knows more about what’s going on. It’s been a couple of weeks since she spent the night talking with Charlotte and Phillip, and it’s been strange hanging out with her friends since then. But it started to feel more so after they got together last week for one of their random acid trips. That had ended… Annie shakes her head and realizes she can’t remember how it ended.

“Oh, not again,” she groans.

After Annie leaves, the rest of them come together. They move through the streets, travel in a cab for as far as fifteen dollars will take them, and when they reach the dark house, Phillip moves past the hanging Christmas lights to put a record on the turntable in the corner.

“So, let’s talk music,” he says.

Martin falls back onto the couch, scattering a stack of comic books. He gets a disapproving glance from Phillip, while Sebastian and Jonathan flip through the vinyl piled up against the wall.

“Drinks?” Phillip asks.

“Of course.” Martin sends him a thumbs up.

Charlotte sits back in a chair, watching. It feels like the calm before the storm. Or more like the calm before the next storm. It’s only been a week since Pandora arrived. Thankfully Phillip had pushed her away, with a little help from Dion—and someone a little more unexpected: Fortuna.

Fortuna isn’t like Charlotte and Phillip, but she’s definitely not one of the Muses. According to Phillip, Fortuna has been around for a long time. Longer than Pandora. If Fate and Destiny were sisters who now hated each other, Fortuna would be their grandmother.

“Charlotte? What are you thinking about?” Martin asks.

Charlotte smiles at him. “Nothing, this just feels good, you know?”

Martin smiles back. He knows. He’s been having trouble sleeping for the past week—or more like trouble dreaming. The dreams are all bad, and sleep feels like something that he needs to avoid, but right now there is just a feeling of contentment. Charlotte feels it too, and she hopes the feeling will last. After Pandora left, it had taken all of the strength Charlotte and Phillip could muster to push that night out of everyone’s minds.

They had done it partly to spare the others the memory of the nightmare experience, but it was also to protect them from Pandora in the future. She wouldn’t be able to find them as easily, or use what they know, if they didn’t know anything. But the memories will come back, and when that happens, Pandora will be back as well. Even now, Charlotte knows that there is a slight memory lingering among the friends, even though it’s just a memory of having forgotten something.

Jonathan sits, slightly uncomfortable. He’s been quieter than usual for the past week, and he’s not sure why. He feels like something has been stolen from him, but there’s no evidence of anything missing. It’s a feeling that has been hovering ever since they had all got together, and although he remembers the beginning of that night, he can’t remember how it ended. He just remembers that he had woken up on Sunday morning and the world looked different. It even sounded different. That’s when he decided he needed to understand more about the things that exist between what he saw and what he knows. He knows there’s no such thing as ghosts, but he’s pretty sure he saw one that night. He’s a little apprehensive about sharing this with anyone, so he tries to ignore it. Jonathan shakes his head, trying to get a low hum out of his ears. It feels like he’s been living underwater. Nothing feels like it should, and he doesn’t like it.

He looks around Phillip’s place and knows that he’s not the only one feeling this… strangeness. Martin looks really tired, Charlotte seems a bit distracted, and even Phillip is acting a little on edge. Sebastian seems the most out of sorts, though, and Jonathan wonders if it has something to do with Annie.

Sebastian does feel different. He had seen something recently, but he didn’t know what. He was with his bandmates, and Charlotte was there, too. They all dropped a couple of hits of acid and wandered into the night. He can picture the sidewalks and how they seemed to shift and glisten against falling shadows, and then the shadows came to life. That was all he could remember until he opened his eyes the next morning and realized he was in his own bed. He was awake and convinced that something out of the ordinary had happened, something that was floating on the edge of his mind like a wraith of memory.

Now he’s ready for a change, ready for something new, and it has to be soon. A new home, a new city, a new life. Something. There’s still the band, but that doesn’t feel like a good enough reason to stay in Vancouver. Sebastian flashes on a memory of Annie, how she looked when she left the Eclipse. She seems almost like a new person. He’s known her for a long time, but suddenly she’s someone he really wants to know. It’s not the music that’s keeping him here.

About the Author:

Marcel Feldmar was born in Vancouver, moved to Boulder, ended up in Denver, went back to Vancouver, moved to Seattle, and ended up in Los Angeles. He is married with three dogs, and enjoys well made cocktails. He is also a coffee addict and an ex-drummer for too many bands to mention. He recently traded in his drumsticks for a couple of pens, and proceeded to complete his first novel. The Paranormal Pop Fiction tale entitled The Devil’s Jukebox.

http://www.marcelfeldmar.com

http://www.facebook.com/jukeboxdevil

https://www.goodreads.com/MFeldmar

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