
My novel Rye is self-released and available for $9.99 in paperback [ http://ryethenovel.com/ ] or $4.99 for the Kindle [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2F1VS8 ]. Hi. I've been the lyricist for ten albums with my band Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Creating my novel, Rye, was an amazing opportunity to spread out beyond the limitations of songwriting, where I only have 10 or 15 lines to tell a story. This was a chance to invent people and then spend months with them, learning who they are, what excites them, what they're afraid of, how they get off, and what they do when the pressure is on. I began Rye after attending a reading of erotica; I figured, "What the heck! I'm a writer, why not give it a shot?" I'll admit I was looking for a new way to express myself. I love songwriting and working with my band, but it's kind of exciting doing something new: working alone at my dining room table, sipping coffee, petting the cat, watching the cars outside the window (I live in Brooklyn, there's always something passing outside the window!). Matt and Rye and their dynamic came to me immediately, while Rain began as an incidental partner popping up a third of the way into the book. Rain entertained me and wouldn't let go of my imagination. Just like Rain! As I wrote, the three of them wanted to interact; I was taken on an adventure: learning the stories these people wanted me to tell. Creativity works that way. You have an idea where you're headed, and you discover the route along the way. I like that. Rye began as erotica, but something else happened. It became so much more: the novel talks about who we are, what we long for, our fears, and the labels we fight against yet live by. In these pages, I worked with themes I really care about: family, love, hopefulness, freedom, desire. Yeah, in erotica. Who woulda thunk! I hope you enjoy reading Rye as much as I enjoyed discovering these characters and their story.