more Herb Martinez in action

note: click on each image to enlarge.

ROCKIN' with esteemed pinstriper Herb Martinez at the Grand National

Herb Martinez and I shared the "Battle of the Hot Rod Books" booth at the Grand National Roadster Show. I figger we met about 5,000 people between us.

Herb was autographing his two books: PINSTRIPE PLANET (Motorbooks) and HERB MARTINEZ'S GUIDE TO PINSTRIPING (Krause Publications). The first introduces you to the world of pinstripers, from historic figures like Tommy the Greek (Herb's mentor), Ed Roth, Von Dutch, and Dean Jeffries, to currently well established names like Jimmy C, "Wildman" Ishii, Makoto, and Neil Meillard, and young turks like Dirty Donny, Simon Watts, and Skratch--to name only a few.

GUIDE TO PINSTRIPING is long overdue. Until now, it was difficult to find even a classic guide on the subject. Now, it's a matter only of how confident you are--are you willing to take up 'dances with brushes'?

Herb has been pinstriping vehicles for decades, having learned his trade during a long apprenticeship with some of the best customizers in both Northern and Southern California. He grew up in Oakland, CA and at age 12 a neighbor showed him how to hold a pinstriping brush. His first official work began at the Oakland Roadster Show in 1960.

I should add that Herb and I formally met at the TRPS rock art show, where we both realized we were kindred spirits. My ART OF ROCK has been a bible for him ever since it was published in 1987. Both of us are unabashed fans of the great pen-wielders like Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, David Singer, and Victor Moscoso

Hundreds of people watched Herb in action this past weekend, pinstriping cars like this one owned by Rich Guasco. "Pure Hell" is a 1929 roadster which won the prestigious "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award in 1961. The name also is synonymous with Guasco's other drag racing cars. This one's painted in 'Pure Hell Purple,' and was aching for a master prinstriping.

My Dad, book designer Philip Grushkin, was a revered calligrapher. I watched him execute exquisite lines throughout his life. Not very different from pinstriping. The thing I learned about watching both my Dad and Herb perform their eye-to-brain-to-hand magic is . . . it's all about an understanding of zen.

ROCKIN' with the Fabulous Jimmie Vaughan at the Grand National

Jimmie Vaughan stopped by my booth at the Grand National on Sunday to pay respects to the ROCKIN' book. He also wanted to point out that I'd neglected to include the 1982 "T-Bird Rhythm" LP cover art in the material I'd devoted to him. He was of course right (although, in my defense, I'd have to say that isn't my favorite photo of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, so that's why I likely overlooked it). I prefer the boys a little more slicked up, Chicago-style.

But it's also true that "T-Bird Rhythm" is a fabulous album of fortified and funkafied Texas and Gulf Coast blues. Nick Lowe, of Rockpile fame, was the producer.

Jimmie's '54 Ford pictured here won a nice award at the Grand National. Unlike some rockers who tend to hide their presence, Jimmie was everywhere, admiring all the great creations.

Hopefully I'll be at the Lone Star Round Up in Austin, TX not too long from now, and will finally hear Jimmie playing Steve Wertheimer's legendary Continental Club. Now THAT will be a butt-rockin' night, for sure.

ROCKIN' and makin' friends at the Grand National Roadster Show, Pomona, CA

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note: click on each image to enlarge.
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What an outstanding weekend!

I sold and autographed nearly a hundred copies of ROCKIN' this past weekend at the Grand National Roadster Show, "The Grand Daddy of Them All" (originally held in the Bay Area, now in its 58th year, and the fourth at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA under the direction of John Buck Enterprises). Nearly 150,000 people apparently attended on Saturday alone.

This show also featured the "75 Most Significant '32 (Deuce) Hot Rods," coordinated by, among others, Larry Erickson (senior designer at Ford, and designer of the Billy F Gibbons "CadZZilla" featured in ROCKIN') and Greg Sharp, historian and curator at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum (also located at the Fairplex).

I met hundreds and hundreds of gearheads and rockers. Let me introduce you to four fine gentlemen.

Mike "Woody" Atwood (shown here in front of Rich Guasco's 1961 AMBR-winning rod) is the Captain of the Saucony Pacers Elite Development Racing Team, out of Chino Hills-Glendora, CA. He's also assistant manager of the Pacers Running Company, and a grad student in education-kinesiology-physical education. He and the team are gunning for the USATF club national championships. You can read more about Mike at www.PacersRunningCompany.com. He's also a longtime Mike Ness/Social Distortion fan as you can see, and has the shirt (and now the book) to prove it!

Mike Szuba is a member of the informally named "Rusty Nuts" car club back in Maryland, running a '47 Ford. He's also founder and director of the Jalopyrama event in Glen Burnie, MD, held annually to raise funds for the Providence Center in Arnold, MD which assists 450 developmentally disabled adults each day. You can learn more at www.jalopyrama.com. After Mike purchased his copy, I spontaneously decided to donate a book to this worthy cause, and Mike spontaneously asked me to sign his shirt, which I did there on his shoulder (he has the signatures of many famous rodders and drag racers all over the shirt as well).

Frank Schaefer (left) and Pete Hold (right) suddenly appeared before me, ranting and taxing me about an obscure song called "Hot Rod Queen," waxed by the very obscure Roy Tann in 1957. The song appears on the rarely seen and hard-to-find "Chrome, Smoke & Fire" picture disc set (1991) on the Blast First label that's a compilation of the best hot rod records as hand picked by artist Robert Williams (and all four sides are shown in ROCKIN'). Note to Frank: Tann also recorded the even more obscure "Your Driver's License Please."

PS, that's my booth you see. I shared it with legendary pinstriper and esteemed author Herb Martinez, and yes, it was a royal 'battle of the hot rod books.'

Much more in the next several blogs about my great, good time ROCKIN' at the Grand National.

ROCKIN' soon in THE RODDER'S JOURNAL (February-shipping issue a-comin')

Attention everyone who'll be at the Grand National Roadster Show this weekend at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA.

Please stop over at THE RODDER'S JOURNAL booth and ask to see the new issue shipping the first of February. It's got eight pages on ROCKIN'.

THE RODDER'S JOURNAL is absolutely the finest modern-era publication devoted to rodding, custom cars, and drag racing. I'm honored to be in it, and will share more with you about it in the next week or so.

Let's get ROCKIN' at the Grand National Roadster Show at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona this weekend!

I'll be selling and autographing ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY books at the Grand National Roadster Show January 26 - 28 at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona. Come by, say hi, get your book signed!

Address:
LA COUNTY FAIRPLEX
1101 West McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA

My booth, which I'm sharing with pinstriper Herb Martinez (author of several books, including PINSTRIPE PLANET), is in Building 4 (Main Hall), space 264, near the stage and the ladies bathroom (!).

Here are the hours I'll be there:

Friday Jan. 26th:
2 pm - 5 pm; 6 pm - 9 pm

Saturday Jan. 27th
10 am - 1 pm; 2 pm - 5 pm;
and 6 pm - 9 pm

Sunday Jan. 28th
10 am - 1 pm; 2 pm - 3 pm

The Grand National, produced by John Buck Enterprises, is the oldest running indoor hot rod show in the nation. It's back for its third year at the Fairplex, although it's actually in it's 57th year (with roots in Northern California).

Watch this blog for lots of great photos!

ROCKIN' honoured as 'Book of the Month' in January '07 OCTANE Magazine (UK)

The prestigious OCTANE Magazine (published in the UK) honored (or, honoured) ROCKIN' by naming it "Book of the Month" in the January, 2007 issue (#43).

It's hard to put into words what this means to me. For a time (before I got on to Fast Freddie Lorenzen of mid-'60s NASCAR fame and the great A/Gas and C/Gas competition drag coupes of Stone/Woods/Cook and Big John Mazmanian) I was a UK buff, growing up first as a huge fan of Jim Clark, the great Formula One driver for the Lotus team. I read--avidly, cover to cover--all the sports car magazines I could find in Englewood, NJ, rooted for the Ford GT's to beat the Ferraris at Le Mans, and if you asked me in high school what car I most wanted to drive, it probably would have been the Austin Healey 3000.

So to see my book reviewed alongside columns by Jay Leno and Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd), and interspersed with features on . . .

. . . Richard Petty; the Lotus Cortina; the long-lost "Serenissima" Ferrari-like street racer; and the cover story on all the aircooled Porsche 911's . . .

plus

. . . a huge and authoritative review of cars in films and a nostalgic look at Wellington boots . . .

plus

. . . reviews of books from all over the world ("The Incredible Blitzen Benz;" "The Jaguar XK120;" "British Mini Racing") and all those incredibly mouthwatering British ads . . .

well, gosh.

ROCKIN's editor, Dennis Pernu, also pointed out that the reviewer not only completely 'got it,' he saw the book as "a John Peel radio show on paper." Now that is a special comment indeed, because Peel was England's greatest DJ, a man of the most electic and informed tastes. By the time the review got to saying, "loud, thrilling, and utterly engrossing," well, it had me at John Peel.

I hope you can find OCTANE at your local bookstore's magazine rack. You'll see exactly why I'm so proud as hell of ROCKIN' and the friends it's made . . . and now, being seen, in such a nice light, across the pond.

ROCKIN' with Ann Arbor, MI's Commander Cody and Jean Jennings, now President of AUTOMOBILE Magazine

Jean Jennings, one of the most influential members of the automotive journalism community--longtime editor, now President, of AUTOMOBILE Magazine--penned her entire February column on ROCKIN'.

She began by writing, "It's heartening to know that there are others out there in the world with a love of music so completely intertwined with a love of cars that you can't tell where or when one stops and the other begins."

We met over the phone just before Christmas, when she'd received her copy of the book. She talked my ear off about Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen, as they were of course originally from Ann Arbor, MI (where AUTOMOBILE is headquartered).

She and I swapped stories (or, in Jean's words, "free-associated") for the better part of an hour. I told her about my standing a foot away from the stage at back-to-back Cody and Asleep at the Wheel sets at Homer's Warehouse in East Palo Alto, CA in the early '70s. Nothing could be finer. But she also knew George Frayne (Cody) was a fine artist, as was his late brother Chris who did so many of the Cody band posters and album covers (as shown in the book, and recalled in Jean's column).

Jean is a true-blue rocker. You'll have to read the entire piece to see why. But for now, let me say that she totally understood the entire point of the book, which is captured in the immortal psychedelic-era saying (highlighted at the bottom of her column) . . .

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU GOT ON THE BUS, IT'S THAT YOU GOT ON THE BUS.

The emphasis points are all mine (Jean Jennings and Dennis Pernu, my editor, both place the accent on THAT). But it's all the same thought . . . to get on that bus, whenever you got on the bus, you gotta be a rocker.

Sista boogie-woman Jean Jennings, thank you for remembering what it was ALWAYS all about.

Grushkin soon (!!) to be ROCKIN the streets of Philadelphia with Rich Brigidi

Rich Brigidi just got in touch with me!

Many of you who read the Bob Frump-penned piece in ROCKIN' (pages 164 - 165) about Rich's awesome Olds 442, the baddest street racer in Philly (and, in my humble opinion, the epitome of what Bruce Springsteen was singing about in "Racing in the Street") have asked me, "does Rich still have the car?"

The answer is a resounding YES. But there's a twist!

"Paul, my friend, you've written a soulful book," Rich recently wrote me. "You--just like Bob--deserve to climb in that bad boy and hear it fire up. I'll gladly accept your advanced reservation for a ride in the Olds. But did I mention there's a 2007 Shelby sitting next to it?"

Ah, decisions, decisions!

Rich also apologized for bringing up the next thought that would likely come into my mind. "See, I got another caption for these pics. I wish I could say that I thought of it, but I didn't. I saw it on a poster. How's this . . ?"

FOR ERECTIONS LASTING MORE THAN FOUR HOURS, CONSULT A PHYSICIAN.

Grushkin's ROCKIN' walk-thru at the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show

Didn't have time to do much walking around, but "these were a few of my favorite things."

The winner . . . (top photo) The Rick Dore-created '57 Cadillac roadster, with paint by Marcos Garcia, Lucky 7 Customs (Trendsetter of the Year). Now, I would climb into that in a heartbeat.

ROCKIN' with Cole Foster of Salinas Boys Customs, at the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show

Cole Foster and I finally met! I'd been admiring his work for years. Suddenly there he was in front of me at my set-up at the SF Rod & Custom show. It was a nice, nice moment.

Many of you rockers know Cole led the collaboration on Mike Ness' '54 Chevy custom (shown here, and also the car Mike's driving in the photo on the book's foreword page, taken by his wife Christine). Cole lowered the car, later dropped in a 327 with a powerglide, re-worked the front suspension, smoothed the firewall, and chopped the top. Later it went off to Marcos Garcia's Lucky 7 shop in Antioch, CA for its killer paint job.

It's said that Cole "creates cars that are so clean they don't have lines--they simply flow." He's built customs and bikes for guys like Sammy Hagar, and is very well known for constructing Kirk Hammett's '36 Ford (shown on ROCKIN's page 232 in bare metal).

You can read lots more about Cole in Gearhead Magazine #14.

One ROCKIN' '53 Buick, courtesy James Hetfield (Metallica)

James Hetfield (Metallica) brought his newly built '53 Buick Skylark custom to the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show this past weekend. It was featured in the main arena. His rat-rod "Eight-Ball" (pictured on page 233) was displayed in one of the other buildings, near the Gearhead Magazine booth.

Many of James' compatriots in the Beatniks-from-Koolsville car club (see John Diaz' shirt back shown here) were there as well to cheer him on--and honor all their friends' rides.

Great car, James! Very kool.

ROCKIN' with promoter Pete Paulsen and DJ Johnny "T"

There's good rockin' tonite!!

Pete Paulsen (shown at right) is a member of the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show's Hall of Fame. We first met at the HOF luncheon on Saturday, where I spoke.

Turns out Pete's not only a legendary show promoter ("Hot Antioch Nights," "Truck 'n Bike Mania," etc. etc.) in the San Francisco East Bay, he was a band manager in the '60s. In fact, when he stopped by the DuPont "Hot Hues" booth where I was autographing books, he pointed out that the picture of Stanley and the Four Fendermen, whom he managed (see page 25), was taken in front of his own Cadillac (as Pete's showing us here). He also sent me this neat poster, with Stan and the Fendermen but also including Tom Thumb and the Hitch Hikers!

Johnny "T," holding ROCKIN', was DJ-in-charge at the SF show. He also spins the wax and shoves the carts, so to speak, at Pete Paulsen's automotive events.

Rockers and Gearheads--my kinda people.

ROCKIN' the newest wave at the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show

Heros all.

John D'Agostino, pictured here, is a builder and showman of some of the most classic custom rides ever to roll on the streets of the West Coast, and is a member of the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show's Hall of Fame. John, whose showroom is in Discovery Bay, CA, absolutely loved ROCKIN', and plans on taking a quantity to Europe later this year. I'm honored by John's interest and his praise for all the work which went into creating the content for this book. You can see much of John's legacy at www.johndagostinokustomkars.com.

Marcos Garcia, pictured above on the podium, this year joined John in the Hall of Fame and was honored as Trendsetter of the Year, a most prestigious achievement. Marcos owns Lucky 7 Rod and Custom Coachworks, headquartered in Antioch, CA. You can see many of the cars he imagined, reworked, or redesigned at www.lucky7customs.com. Congratulations to Marcos and his whole crew!

FYI, standing behind Marcos is George Hague (left), the show's director who invited me to speak about ROCKIN' at the Hall of Fame luncheon, and Greg Sharpe (right) from the Wally Parks NHRA Drag Racing Museum in Pomona, CA at the Fairplex, where the Grand National show will be held in two weeks (and where I'll be as well, turning everyone on to ROCKIN').

Finally, it was a great honor to autograph books for Marcos' friends, some of whom are in the Beatniks Car Club (along with James Hetfield from Metallica). The four guys here are (not necessarily in this order!) Ron Castillo, John Diaz, George Garza, and Tony Edwards. Gentlemen, the pleasure was all mine!

ROCKIN' down some San Francisco history

Sitting at the Dupont "Hot Hues" booth at the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle show this past weekend, I reflected back across time to the many hot rod shows I'd attended here when it was known as the "Grand National" and also when the good ol' Grateful Dead did their legendary "sound test" here on March 23, 1974.

Thirty-three years ago!

I was just finishing up four years at Stanford University and covering the event as an editor at the Stanford Daily. The "sound test" was meant to road-test the abilities of the Dead's multi-multi-multi-speaker "Wall of Sound" system, which would take them into the largest arenas and stadiums in the US throughout 1974.

That day way back then, I elected to sit in the very last seat in the house, in Section 36, to see if the Dead were able to "reach me."

They did.

Here's what the Cow Palace looks like from Section 36, last seat in the farthest row, against the wall. "Love That Sound," indeed.

FYI, This is the main arena only. The Rod, Custom & Motorcycle show is so huge it takes up all the side exhibition halls and several other buildings besides (more on some of the cars I discovered while walking the show, in a separate blog). In this pic, the Dupont setup is on the right, where the green and blue Mustang is displayed.

ROCKIN' with my newest friend, Tammy Tresko, from the Golden Gate Street Machines Unlimited car club

Tammy Tresko belongs to the Golden Gate Street Machines Unlimited car club, founded in the summer of 1987 by the late Art "Tac" Tacderan. Since January, 1990, the GGSMU has hosted the "Grand National" Roadster Show, now known as the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show (held this past weekend at the Cow Palace), meaning they help bring a "quality experience" to this enormous, historic show. The club--now grown to over 50 members, and with wonderful rides among 'em (see the roster at www.ggsmu.com)--meets once a month at the Elk's Lodge in San Mateo, CA.

Tammy also is one of the ticketing managers at the San Francisco Symphony, so when I wanna get cultured (again), she told me I must contact her!

I meet so many people in the course of making big, significant books. There are rock-star aspects to all this, and if you're not careful, your "fame" can go to your head . . . real quick. It's people like Tammy that keep my feet on the ground. Tammy loves ROCKIN' for the same reasons I constructed it: hey, it's about cars and rock & roll.

You're a sister, Tammy Tresko! Good to meet you!!

Just back from ROCKIN' the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show (day 2)

So much to see! So many wonderful moments throughout the two days!

Here's just one (many more to be shared with you over the next couple of blogs).

I'd say well over a hundred people came up to me at the DuPont "Hot Hues" booth where I was selling and signing ROCKIN' and told me that (being primarily Bay Area people) they'd read about the book in the Contra Costa Times, the San Jose Mercury, or the San Francisco Chronicle. Some guys said their wife had seen one of the feature pieces and made ROCKIN' a Christmas gift.

So, here's Ron Wolfe and his girlfriend, holding their second (!) copy of ROCKIN' along with the Merc, as proof that great newspaper stories are indeed read, and history books are indeed discovered and given as gifts to people who really, really, really appreciate them.

Rockers and gearheads--great people, all--and that's the thought I'm taking with me as I sign off and dive on into bed.

one ROCKIN' Saturday . . . on talkshow radio in MN and MA; at the Hall-of-Fame luncheon; and the SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show

great day in the morning! and afternoon! and evening too!

4:30 am Pacific - on the air live with the Midwest legend himself, Charlie Boone, at WCCO Minneapolis.

11:00 am at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco, speaking (with Powerpoint slides) at the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show's Hall-of-Fame luncheon, before some 200 honored guests.

2:00 pm inside the show itself, at the DuPont "Hot Hues" booth, where I met hundreds of great gearheads and signed and sold more than 50 books.

11:30 pm back home, going live on Boston's WBZ, hosted by Jordan Rich, for more than an hour, reaching 38 states in the wee, wee hours (with tons of phone-ins!).

Here's one photo which summed it all up. Stan "Mac" McLintock, the SFRC&MS's Security Manager, suddenly appeared in front of me at the DuPont display, smiled broadly and said, "Lemme lay down some Jackson's, I'm here for my book." It was that kinda day.

More tomorrow (after I get back from my second day at the show).

ROCKIN' in GEARHEAD (part two)

Here's what the cover looks like, and the spread on Stanley Mouse inside.

Now, go git it at your favorite store!!

ROCKIN' in Gearhead Magazine #15, out now!!

Hey, ROCKIN' made it into Gearhead Magazine #15, which has been shipping for the last two weeks (see photo of one day's worth of shipments, yesterday).

Yup, I'm a proud fella. For the past several years, once I got deep into the car-music thing, I've secretly wanted to be in Gearhead, The Rodders Journal, and Kustom Magazine (Italy). Watch the blogs in the weeks ahead, and you'll see if Dreams #2 and #3 came true.

Editor/Publisher Mike LaVella wrote the Gearhead piece. He quoted me liberally, and well. He and I especially like the section where he states, "So in the end, the rock and rodding world represented in ROCKIN' is truly a Socialist utopia, where wealth and fame take a back seat to an individuals drive and (his) contributions to the genre, no matter if they were enjoyed by dozens or millions. When you think about it, that's the only way to get an accurate representation of the cross-section of people that share this passion, so props to the author for seeing the whole picture, then representing it so well."

Well, duh! Except . . . that's the whole point. "It doesn't matter WHEN you got on the bus, it's that you GOT on the bus." Everybody's welcome, but you gotta rock.

Stanley Mouse and I agreed that Mike could publish a few more of the spectacular archival shots of Mouse's earlier (early '60s) career as a monster shirt artist, before he came west to join the psychedelic revolution and create some of the most iconic rock posters ever. Just one more reason for you to open up the new Gearhead and wallow around.

Thank you Mike. I'm honored to be in the mag.

ps. that's just part of Mike's collection of kits, lunchboxes, and bizarre items devoted to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his pals.

attention all ROCKERS and GEARHEADS: Grushkin appearing at SF Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show (Cow Palace) Jan 13-14

HEADS UP!!

I'll be selling and signing ROCKIN' books at the DuPont "Hot Hues" booth Saturday from 2:00 pm till 8:00 pm. On Sunday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

For those of you attending the SFRC&M Show's Hall of Fame Luncheon this Saturday, I'll be discussing the making of ROCKIN', with a wonderful Powerpoint presentation.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone.

ROCKIN' a hit at the Contra Costa Times

Tony Hicks, well-regarded rock critic for the Contra Costa Times, dug deep on this marvelous front-page-feature piece which ran today in the paper's A&E section. Circulation is very impressive--113,000 on Sunday--reaching the well-populated East Bay (across from San Francisco, from the Bay itself--Oakland and Berkeley--then inland to the valleys which host Concord, Walnut Creek, San Jose, and halfway to Sacramento).

Besides interviewing me, he spoke with Mike LaVella (Gearhead Magazine, and author of the new HOT ROD WORLD OF ROB'T WILLIAMS), John McCord (co-owner of the "rock museum-ish" Down Home Music store in El Cerrito), and Dan Dunn (director of the esteemed Blackhawk Museum in Danville, CA, which displays 90-100 classic cars at any given time).

Then in the sidebar below, he really outdid himself, recalling Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," Snoop's "Still a G Thang," and Sammy Hagar's "Cruisin' and Boozin", all in a valiant attempt to top my 20 best car songs.

He also ran photos of Charlie Ryan and his we--remembered coupe; Xzibit and a custom Cadillac from the original "Pimp My Ride" days; and Snoop with Lee Iacocca, just having filmed one of their highly amusing, set-on-a-golf course commercials. Oh, and there's me with Billy F Gibbons at the Petersen Automotive Museum booksigning, and a studly shot of Ike Turner (who co-wrote "Rocket 88").

To top it off, Tony and his editor Randy McMullen chose to open the piece very boldly with Tom Medley's classic shot of the Beach Boys in front of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood.

Now that's comprehensive. You can check out the piece online at http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/16394496.htm

ROCKIN' will have a looooooong shelf life, with that cover art

I was passing through my local Borders a few days ago, and as all authors do, I went to see where they put ROCKIN' after the holidays.

You can imagine the elation I felt when the cover art absolutely LEAPED out from the shelf in the music section. That was the plan, right from the start--stop people in their tracks. What's THAT all about??!!

It's also in the transportation section, as we'd forecasted. So it looks like people will find it easily after they keep reading about in the newspapers and magazines (lots of big articles still to come).