Originally posted on February 16, 2012
I think most normal, hot-blooded American women (and other nationalities—don’t want to exclude any of our sisterly neighbors!) have a rock star fantasy (or several). I know I do. You’re reading words from a woman whose rock star fantasies go way back…I had crushes on the likes of George Lynch, Nikki Sixx, Joe Perry, Bret Michaels, Glenn Tipton, Warren DiMartini, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, and Jason Newsted back in the late 80s (yes, usually guitarists do it for me). Nowadays, I still have crushes…Sully Erna, Wayne Static, Corey Taylor, Joey Chicago, and Jerry Horton, to name a few.
And that fantasy has propelled some of my stories. In fact, it’s one of my favorite themes, and I’ve decided to write a new rock star fantasy book each year, just for the heck of it. The main reason is because Tangled Web is one of my best-selling books, so I know it’s one that people want to read. I also see that Tangled Web gets linked to lots of other books with the same theme, so I know it’s a popular topic, and I want to keep my readers happy.
My only problem with the rock star fantasy is keeping it fresh and credible, and I think I’ve pushed it as far as it can go. Bear with me here. (Well, maybe not, but it would involve stories taking place outside of Winchester.) Here’s what we have so far:
- Tangled Web is the story of Katie and Johnny, old friends from Winchester. Johnny and some friends form a band called Spawn. They leave Winchester in the hopes of finding fame and fortune.
- Lost (one of the Nicki Sosebee books) [republished in 2020 as Breaking News] shows us how Nicki deals with rock stars. Brandy’s brother Gunner has formed a band called Telepathic Nonsense. Gunner is the only band member from Winchester.
- MADversary (coming soon!) [republished in 2020 as Love and Music] features Tyler and Megan. Tyler left Winchester with his old band, and while he’s the only Winchester native in his current band, he still hails from that town.
Here’s my point. If I want to keep things believable, Winchester needs to stop overflowing with rock stars. Or, perhaps, the only way around that would be to convince readers that Winchester is the next Sunset Strip of the 80s or Seattle of the 90s as far as the music scene goes. But that’s not the Winchester I’ve created, and I can’t rewrite it all now. (Besides, in the words of Annie Wilkes in Stephen King’s Misery, if I did, that’d be a “dirty cheat.”) I have a couple of ideas for characters you’ve already met, but if I introduce any new ones, they’re going to have to live elsewhere.
So…back to the realism angle. I’ve become familiar with a few of the popular rock star titles out there (and there are hundreds!). There aren’t many believable ways to pair a rock star with a nobody girl, and some of the books out there—while clever—aren’t very credible. Why? you might ask. Well, I think Nicki voiced it best in Lost:
Stupid. It’s every girl’s fantasy to f*** a rock star, but it’s a bad idea. That makes you a f***ing groupie slut, and Nicki was not a f***ing groupie slut. If she f***ed this guy, she’d become a statistic…she’d be one f*** in a long line of unmemorable f***s to this guy, and that was one thing she’d never wanted to be.
Seriously, now. Don’t fight this idea. Just give it proper consideration. In your deepest, darkest rock star fantasies, did you ever imagine that the guy adored by millions of women would really choose you just because you’re you? Now, yes, sure, I sometimes think stranger things have happened (and, let’s face it, fantasies aren’t always realistic), but it’s highly unlikely a rock star will settle for an average, ordinary girl. In fact, to just meet the guy and have a chance to hold a real conversation would be stretching it. But I’m sure there are lots of girls out there who could get laid by a rock star. I don’t think that would be too difficult.
So…that limits me as a writer, that realism clause I have with myself. If I can’t believe it, I won’t expect you to either. And I realize that on many fronts I push it (I’m not kidding myself), but I want there to at least be a shred of possibility. If the shred doesn’t exist, you won’t believe it for a second.
So here are some future plans for the coming years in terms of Jade C. Jamison rock star fantasy books. Remember Riley in Tangled Web? We’re going to explore his character a little more, and once he matures, he’s not such a douche.
We’ve also got to try out all the members of a rock band. We’ve now spent time with guitarists (Johnny) and bassists (Todd in Lost) and soon you’ll be introduced to a hot vocalist (Tyler in MADversary, but—oh, goodie!—he plays guitar too. I can hardly contain myself!), so now we’ve got to check out a drummer. We want to give them all a chance, after all.
But, first, I must present you with MADversary. It will be out the week of February 19, so literally right around the corner! I hope it’s a little bit realistic, a lot hot, and a furiously fun read for you. Please let me know what you think—I love to hear from you!
UPDATE 3/15/24: Well…it turns out I followed my own advice. Even though I’ve written various different contemporary romance novels, I’ve focused on rockstar romance…because I was right! It’s my most popular, bestselling genre but, more than that, I love writing it. As I said in this post all those years ago, I’ve always had rock star fantasies.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite rockstar romance is! And, while you’re at it, you can see what my readers’ faves are as well!
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