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ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes--Year 4
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes--Year 4
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes--Year 4
Ebook80 pages1 hourThe Trevolution

ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes--Year 4

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About this ebook

ShapeShifter fans, rejoice! Everyone's favorite bad boy bass player, Trevor Wolff, is back in fine form in this fourth collection of short fiction.

There's more Trevor, more Mitchell, more Kerri ... and some new faces, as well.

Dive in and join the Trevolution with this new entry into the beloved Demo Tapes series.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 4, 2013
ISBN9781301768899
ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes--Year 4
Author

Susan Helene Gottfried

Susan Helene Gottfried is the heavy-metal-loving, not-disabled enough divorced Jewish mother of two. A freelance line editor to authors of fiction by day, her select roster of clients tend to hit bestseller lists, and more than a few have quit their day jobs. It’s not entirely her doing, but like does attract like.Susan holds a BA (University of Pittsburgh) and MFA (Bowling Green State University) in English Writing and Fiction, respectively.She lives with a couple cats in the Pittsburgh suburbs, just West of Mars. Visit her at http://WestofMars.com and http://TalesFromTheSheepFarm.com.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5

    Apr 12, 2011

    I read this before the full length book Trevor's Song, which features the same characters, and it instantly drew me in. I liked how the author introduced the stories and snippets with explanations about why she wrote them. The stories are quick and enjoyable to read and provide further depth into the characters from Trevor's Song.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5

    Aug 7, 2009

    Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes, Year 1 will be unlike any other books on the market because it is a short volume of material from author Susan Helene Gottfried's blog.These snippets and scenes take readers behind the scenes of a band in the beginning and on the road, providing 100 pages of sheer entertainment, laugh-out-loud moments, and pure joy. Whether readers are fans of 80s hair bands and heavy metal or not, the plight of these boys on the road will have them shaking their heads or laughing right out of their chairs.In one section of the book, Gottfried uses vivid, snappy descriptions to bring Mitchell's green hair to life on the page after than band spends three days in Phoenix at the pool. "'How'd you make it worse?'Mitchell jerked up so fast, he cracked his head on the faucet. He let out a wordless yowl and jumped up and down, a hand clapped to the spot, until the first jolt of pain faded." (Page 80)In a variety of demos, Trevor, Mitchell, Eric, and Daniel are introduced, complete with their outrageous behavior and the tensions often prevalent in a band of young men. Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes, Year 1 will whet readers' appetites and have them salivating for more, like so many record companies waiting for the next biggest band.

Book preview

ShapeShifter - Susan Helene Gottfried

ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 4)

Susan Helene Gottfried

Copyright © 2013 by Susan Helene Gottfried

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Susan Helene Gottfried at Susan@Westofmars.com

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by Lakota Phillips

This collection is based on previously web-published content.

All stories have been selected and edited by the author for a print-based readership.

ISBN 978-1484043431

Chapter one

Intro

Welcome to this, the fourth edition of ShapeShifter’s Demo Tapes. You’d think with two full-length novels out now, there’d be no need for me and the band to continue to issue anything that would invite new people to join the fun, but… here we are, with another collection of short fiction, previously published on my blog, The Meet and Greet at West of Mars. As with previous Demo Tapes anthologies, I’ve taken the time to edit each story, and unlike the blog, I’ve taken the time to organize these stories into chronologic order.

These two items are what raises the Demo Tapes project over a mere search at the blog. Not that I’ll mind the hits, and comments are still (as of this writing) open if you’d like to leave one there. Don’t be shy. Authors love to hear how they’ve touched their readers. Somehow, Cheap Viagra doesn’t quite cut it. Likewise, even a few words of your thoughts at a place like GoodReads are a great way to say thanks, if blogs aren’t your style.

As for the stories, this collection, of all of them, is the hardest for me to face. Unlike the anger found in Year 1, which reflected my frustration at finding a traditional book deal—believe it or not, that was in the days before the e-book bonanza, when the indie route was still very much looked down upon—this collection also reflects a very personal, painful part of my life: the dissolution of my marriage.

Sometimes, as Trevor loves to point out, life bites you on the ass. It’s up to you to decide how you’re going to deal with that. I chose to put it into these particular stories and moments.

If you’re new to the Demo Tapes series, have no fear. The anthologies are set up in such a way that you can pick them up in any order and find you’re holding an excellent introduction to Trevor and the gang. Many of the people who get started with the Demo Tapes stories—either via these volumes or by spending time at the Meet and Greet—claim they like Trevor better when he gets to star in his own novels. Others say they loved warming up to Trevor in the novels before learning his rich backstory.

There is no right or wrong way to approach the Trevolution. Remember that, and rock on.

***

Chapter two

Val's Choice

This was a year of title changes, and Val’s Choice, posted September 19, 2009, was one of many. I’d saved this as Val Decides, but for whatever reason, posted it as Val’s Choice. It came from my desire to grow and change—and to also bring you more Val. My intent at the time was to expand the secondary characters, which meant more Daniel, Val, Eric, and even Kerri. Less Trevor and Mitchell.

After all, my thinking went, I was more than a two-trick pony. It was time to show that off.

***

Daniel was stuck in front of the biology room, trying to get away from Stan the Stud when Val ran over to him. She grabbed his forearm and kissed his cheek, a flurry of excitement, perfume, and swinging hair. You’ll never believe what I just found out!

Stan leaned in. You’re pregnant?

Val curled her upper lip and drew away from Stan, closer to Daniel. "Maybe this isn’t something I want to say in front of jerks." Every last ounce of her attention stayed focused on Daniel, who was sorry they weren’t alone. Val was never this into him when it was just them. Not like this.

Ouch. Color me wounded, Stan sneered.

Daniel turned away, not caring if he was rude. He’d be forgiven; after all, he had something Stan wanted: a drum set. Stan, probably because he was such an ass, wanted nothing more than a band. Stan and His Studs. They’d wear black leather jackets and jeans and play good, old-fashioned rock and roll—which to Stan meant songs like Johnny B. Goode.

It was a good song, but Daniel wanted to rock. His drums were a way to...

"Why aren’t you listening to me now?" Val asked, still holding his arm. She’d planted her other fist on her hip and if Val could look angry, she was there.

She was still pretty cute, though.

Daniel bent his knees to kiss her. Sorry. What did you find out? He glanced over his head. Stan, still shaking his head in disgust, was walking down the hall.

"There’s these vocational classes

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