This book is a backstage pass to the ups, downs, and all-out craziness of arena rock-deep discussions with Rod Stewart, jamming with legends like Mick Jagger and Justin Timberlake, gaining groupies, and striking out solo. Stevie Salas was one of many boys coming of age in the 1980s-when the American dream was rock superstardom. As lead guitarist for a San Diego band, Salas played backyard parties and school dances and even scored the music for the cult classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. When he auditioned for Rod Stewart-where he was the youngest band member by a decade-Salas's life truly hit a turning point. Salas pulls no punches to describe the initial skepticism and hazing he faced as the youngest member of Stewart's band, the night he stood up for himself on the tour plane, and the emotional late-night talk with Rod Stewart that restored the frontman's faith in his young, untested guitar player and his new group that was struggling to find its groove. Yet they became a band of brothers and formed a camaraderie they share to this day. When We Were the Boys revolves around the year Salas began as an inexperienced musical prodigy and finished as a seasoned rock 'n' roll veteran-more mature as a man and musician.

THE WORD JOURNEYS BLOGS began in 2007 with a post originally intended for a writing workshop. Since then, the blogs have covered the spectrum of writing topics and perspectives on cultural events, with a sweep that has drawn in bestselling authors, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musicians, Pulitzer Prize winners, world champions - and most of all, hundreds of thousands of men and women, boys and girls, all passionate about writing and the creative arts. Fiction. Non-fiction. Humor. Poetry. Native tongues. Music. Film. Education. Beautiful landscapes. Unforgettable People. You'll find it all in Word Journeys Dispatches, Vol. 1, with 51 representative pieces from one of the most popular blogs on the Internet for writers, educators, and everyone who loves a good read and a lively discussion.

In this new collection of more than 50 poems and essays, Robert Yehling "(Shades of Green, The River-Fed Stone, The Champion's Way)" returns to a prime source of inspiration and fulfillment - the back roads. Blending challenge with adventure, and natural observation with awakening, he uncovers the textures, rhythms, loves, tears, laughs, and ever-renewing cycle of life off the beaten path - visiting a few cultural icons along the way. "Backroad Melodies" reminds us of those treasure-laden roads deep inside ourselves that we all too rarely explore. "With clarity of thought and mastery of word order, Robert Yehling alarms the conscience, stimulates the brain, tugs at the heart, and tickles the funny bone-all to excess." -Charles Redner, poet, author, publisher of "The Hummingbird Review" "You're talkin' my language. And drivin' my landscape. The colors. The sky..." -Luis Alberto Urrea, American Book Award-winning author of "The Hummingbird's Daughter" and "The Devil's Highway," finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The current issue features Hollywood-themed poetry and essays by our esteemed cast of new and established authors, including Dances With Wolves author Michael Blake, extraordinary poet Martin Espada, screenwriters Adam Rodman and David Milton, and a special lyrics package from Stevie Salas and lyricist/ poet John Doe. An interview with former Poet Laureate Billy Collins provides a fun look into the poet's mindset.

In 1982, Julie Moss ran the Ironman triathlon for her college senior research project. Her idea was quirky, even crazy; only a handful of hardcore, highly trained enthusiasts competed in the little-known, 140.6-mile combination of swimming, cycling, and running. Julie brought no experience or appreciable training beyond running two marathons. She did bring a latent willpower that, the world soon found out, wouldn’t be denied. What happened next changed Ironman forever . . . After becoming the unlikely leader during the marathon, the final leg of the Ironman, Julie fell and lost all bodily function fifteen meters (50 feet) from the finish. While on hands and knees, she watched her rival pass her. Thirty seconds later, she crawled across the line—stunning the millions who were watching on television. At age twenty-three, Julie became the instant global icon, and the public face of fitness and endurance sports — which exploded in popularity, partly because of her inspiration. That this young co-ed would represent such a new sport was unlikely. That she would inspire millions to change the courses of their lives in the three decades years since was unthinkable. Yet, it happened. And keeps happening. In April 2017 Julie won her age group in the Ironman North American Championships—racing 25 minutes faster than her 1982 Ironman. How does a 58-year-old woman beat the time of her 23-year-old self? Which begs the question, could she also beat her 1982 time in the more demanding Kona?  That’s the goal, and the world will find out in October 2018. Crawl of Fame is the long-awaited release of her incredible story. Julie describes how she found her greater purpose while lying across the finish line at Ironman 1982 — and how that greater purpose as a woman, athlete, endurance sports symbol and, now, iconic figure has defined her life and inspired others since. Several endurance sports athletes have written memoirs, but none have changed a sport so dramatically as Julie Moss. Now, readers will join the inner and outer journey of one of the world’s most impressive athletes, a woman who has already inspired millions — with millions more to come.