So what is "Dream in Color" about, Sarah?

Good afternoon!

As a writer, we all think the greatest thing in the world will be the day someone asks us the question, "What do you do?" and we can answer, "I'm a writer and my book is due out on....."

Yes, that is a tremendous feeling!

Way better than telling people you're a writer and having the next question be this: "Oh? What have you published?" and having no answer to that.

Non writers believe, and they don't mean to be cruel about this, but non writers believe that if you write something it will get published...poof...like magic or something. Writers know this is far from the truth.

Dorothy Parker said, "I hate writing, I love having written."

We writers know how she felt.

So why do I bring this up? Because here's the NEXT question you get in the convesation with someone, once you've told them you have a book coming out.

"WHAT'S THE BOOK ABOUT?"

Which is why I'm addressing you all today. My newest beloved minion comes to me from the realm of Rick Springfield fandom, a place I know and love very well. And I realized that I haven't truly opened "Dream in Color" up to its true fan base: Rick Springfield fans!

Let me start by saying that this book was written in love after a couple years of joining, following, and being in online fan groups for Rick as well as Randy Mantooth (TV's Johnny Gage, sigh.) I met some spectacular women. But what I also discovered, and what many entertainers have discovered in the past decade is that many fans are fans for life. When Randy Mantooth went across the country in 2000 for "Project 51" (The show "Emergency" was entered into the Smithsonian Institute and many of the show's props, including the squad, had to travel across the country, so Randy went with it, doing signings and raising money for local fire departments.) my eyes were opened on a lot of levels. Some of what happens in "Dream in Color" between Ramona and Jesse actually happened during fan meet and greets for either Rick or Randy. (I owe those two men a lot!)

After meeting Randy (sigh) I then hit a concert at Potowatami Casino in Milwaukee to see Rick. I got the last two tickets available, but it was worth it to see that show! The next year I went, he'd just released Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance (Possibly his best album EVER) and was doing a signing, where I not only met him, I got a picture with him! (double sigh)

All along the way I met women who were like me...fans from their younger years. We're all older, we've all been through real life, but somehow when we come together, aging star and aging fans, it works and it's beautiful.

So what's the book about?

Some of you will recognize the title, "Dream in Color" as being a Rick song from his "Rock of Life" CD. There's a line in that song, "She sleeps under a rainbow, she won't dream in color, she thinks that her soul is painted gray or black and white." That line pretty much wrote the book for me.

Ramona is a woman in her late 30's, with a dead end life. Terrible job, horrible boss, overbearing mother, no romance, and a gassy dog. But her whole life she's held on to one thing: Her love for Jesse Alexander, former pop star turned recluse. When Jesse comes out of retirement to do a string of shows in the Upper Midwest, Ramona throws all caution to the wind and follows him with one goal: Meet him so that he can fall in love with her.

Of course, along the way there's comedy and a gassy dog.

You can see more about "dream" a www.thewildrosepress.com

Have a groovy weekend!