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How About Something Really Fun & Crazy?

I started writing my stream-of-consciousnes reading journal, Eating Magic in October 2012. It's a personal, quirky snapshot of what I'm reading at the moment and I kind of love it.  When I first started writing it, I wasn't sure where it was going, or if I could keep it going, but now it's one of my favorite things to write.

So... I decided to celebrate it's success with a #rewind.

Between February 23 and March 17, I'll be doing an #eatingmagic #rewind.

But I wanted to make it really fun, so I decided to do something kind of crazy.

Back in the day, I was writing songs and playing keyboards and guitar in local coffeehouses and bookstores. Bookstores, you remember what those are right?

I even produced a techno-emo-goth CD: The Faith of a Crucified Child, and A DVD.

At the time, I was performing under the name Heather Baker. So the name of the DVD is: My Name is Heather Baker, Welcome to My World.

And guess, what??? I even have T-shirts. (M, L and 2 S)

So what about this?

Leave a comment below, with your favorite Eating Magic blog post and let me know what you'd like to win. A CD, A DVD, or a T-shirt. You can enter up to three times if you'd like more than one item. When the rewind is over, I'll assign a number to every comment and we'll do a random drawing.

There's going to be 25 winners.

What does all this have to do with my writing? I wrote the songs and the script for the DVD, and it all helped me evolve as a writer.

The Faith of a Crucified Child

Heather Baker—the main character in the original fairy tale The Girl Who Couldn't Sing—released her first CD, The Faith of the a Crucified Child in 2000.

Read her hopeful story and

Get the link to mp3s from the original CD in
A Short Story: The Girl Who Couldn't Sing

Free this Friday on Amazon!

#28 College Music Journal Chart, CMJ Issue #704!—WOBC, Oberlin, OH, March 2001

As good as the best goth releases out now!—WSHL, North Easton, MA, March 2001

Good beats. Very pretty voice. What a picture! —KCFV, St.Louis, MO, March 2001

I like Heather's voice! Definitely a unique sound. —WDCE, Richmond, Virginia, March 2001

WOW! Modern experimental techno sound. Unique vocals! —WMHC, South Hadley, Ma, March 2001

~About the CD~

Heather Baker has produced a unique CD of musical sounds & textures, that takes the listener on a ride, to what seems like other worlds, far far away. Like Dorothy's Emerald City, Heather Baker's world is wherever we want it to be, in a dreamy land far beyond our daily lives, or up close and personal, touching us deeply inside. The synthesized sound scapes are the perfect vehicle for her haunting vocals and lyrics. Refreshingly honest, they portray the emotional complexities of real life. There are no easy answers here, in fact there are no answers at all. Heather's musical journey is one that you must hear to fully understand.

Read her inspiring story and

Get the link to mp3s from the original CD in
A Short Story: The Girl Who Couldn't Sing

Free this Friday on Amazon!

Track Listings:
1. Stop the Chain
2. Remember the Pain
3. Your Little Girl
4. Modern Day Art
5. Red
6. The Divorce Song
7. Bitter Blue
8. Full Circle
9. A Mother's Prayer
10. New World
11. Martian Woman
12. The Faith of a Crucified Child
13. You Didn't Win

Man. This album is nothing if not intense. My initial reaction to this CD was reminiscient of the Seinfeld episode where, after listening to George unload his darkest secrets, a stunned Jerry pauses, takes a step backward, and says "good luck with all THAT."

I will admit up front that I'm not a huge fan of electronica music. I typically find it too sterile, too repetitive, often too self-indulgent. Or was that jazz? (j/k!). What I am a fan of, though, is the computer and the opportunities and access it has afforded artists such as Heather to express themselves in ways not possible less than a decade ago. I guess we have Beck to thank for that.

It is against such backdrop that I review this CD.

The subject here is clearly and unambiguously divorce, specifically the havoc that divorces can wreak on children. It's honest, it's brutal, it's in your face. Maybe a little too honest. More on that later.

First, the music. As an earlier reviewer noted, Heather's voice is very reminiscant of Dolores O'Riordan, and in fact, the music itself is somewhat Cranberries-esque. At times the arrangement steps over the voice, at other times the opposite. I could personally do without some of the odd phrasings, but she doesn't go overboard. The voice is there, and it has a lot of potential. The artist bio noted that Heather put down her guitar "out of respect to all the guitar players much more talented and gifted than herself". Apparently, she doesn't consider herself to be a worthy musician, at least not as far as the guitar is concerned. While I've never heard her play, I would respectfully suggest that she reconsider this decision or at least find one of those "talented and gifted" individuals to work with her.

But enough harping about the music - the lyrics are clearly the star here. As noted, Heather holds nothing back. These are some tough words to listen to, and they must have been doubly tough to write. Certainly not every divorce is quite this painful, but anybody who's been through one will recognize the lies and betrayal inherent in the process, while anybody who hasn't will be glad they avoided it.

But my main criticism of this album is that Heather is almost too literal, almost too precise, in her language. A little subtlety or ambiguity is not always a bad thing, particularly when delving into a subject this heavy. This will come, I think, with Heather's growth as an artist. I look forward to her next effort— Woodrow Call, Music Reviewer

Read her Happily Ever After Story and

Get the link to mp3s from the original CD in
A Short Story: The Girl Who Couldn't Sing

Free this Friday on Amazon!

Photography © Jennifer M. Kiger

The Girl Who Couldn't Sing

FREE this Friday on Amazon!

When life gets tricky, Heather Baker meditates on fairy tales.

She can't sing... Yet.

But, maybe, with:

• A few more voice lessons, 
• A music degree, and
• Enough practice, 

Heather Baker's dreams of becoming the next indie singer/songwriter sensation will come true.

Enticed by Neptune, the planet that rules everything hazy and glamorous, and dogged by Saturn, the planet that rules obstacles and eveything practical--she bounces between fantasy and reality.

Which planet will win?

~ Excerpt  ~

Once upon a time there was a woman who didn't smile. She lived with a stern frown etched upon her face. On occasion, fleeting delight would catch her--like a doe in the headlights. Her lips would curve upwards, or she'd find herself unable to stifle a laugh, and someone would inevitably pronounce, "You have a beautiful smile."

She would pass the palm of her hand over her face, erasing all signs of glee, and grimace for the rest of the day in devoted penance, because life was a vale of tears and suffering, especially for women. That's what her Bible said, at least--and the misogynists.

The woman wasn't a particularly young woman, nor was she a particularly old one, but she wasn't quite middle-aged either. A late bloomer, with the planet of Neptune conjunct her Mid-heaven, she had a hard time distinguishing between fantasy and reality…

The three short stories, The Girl Who Watched for Elves, The Girl Who Dreamed of Red Shoes, and The Girl Who Couldn't Sing, chronicle the journey of a girl who believed in fairy tales and are a prelude to the Once Upon a Time Today collection.

The first novella in that collection, Beautiful Beautiful, is coming on November 15th!