Travis Edward Pike's Changeling's Return, a novel approach to the music, wins an E2 Media 2020 Award of Excellence
Early US reviews include the January, 2020, Midwest Book Review / Small Press Bookwatch, Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf’s report “A unique literary and musical experience, the paperback edition of Changeling’s Return can be significantly augmented by an accompanying CD of the same title that is comprised of eighteen original and thematically relevant musical numbers with a total running time of approximately 53 minutes. Adapted from Morningstone, a screenplay by Travis Edward Pike, Changeling’s Return is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Changeling’s Return is also available in a digital book format.”
Author, actor and playwright Terry Hagerty’s Five Star review of Changeling’s Return states “Magic, mysticism, and mythology are not the stuff for the meek. Mankind has pondered these three intertwined subjects since he rose up on two legs and contemplated where one ends and the other two begin. But Travis Edward Pike has combined magic, mysticism, and mythology in his entertaining new novel, Changeling’s Return: a novel approach to the music to tell the story of Morgen, an American rock & roll singer, who, right before the start of a sold-out European concert tour with his band, Beantown Home Cookin’, unexpectedly finds himself in an otherworldly village on a journey of personal discovery.
“As the subtitle of the novel implies, music makes up the fourth element of the story, with a CD filled with songs that compliments and enhances the story perfectly. A rock star in the 1960s, Travis is well acquainted with the perilous ups and downs of the music industry and that experience shows itself throughout the book. He is also a lifelong student of mythology, and that knowledge is also put to good use.
“A real page turner, with terrific characters and unexpected plot twists, Changeling’s Return is a must read for fans of music and mysticism. And play the CD (bought separately), while you are reading the book, as I did, to amplify the experience.”
Andy Pearson’s UK review in fearandloathingfanzine.com in its Books, Fanzines and Other Good Reads section relates “Travis has been making music since the early Sixties and interest has been recently revised by the release of ‘Watch Out Woman’ / ‘The Way That I Need You’ (from the soundtrack of the movie, Feelin’ Good) on State Records, plus a reissue of ‘If I Didn’t Love You Girl’ on a Mousetrap Music 45. Later in his career, he became more involved in the film industry and began working on Changeling, initially as a rock opera but eventually evolving into a screenplay Travis has now adapted into a novel, which elaborates many of the themes and ideas from the screenplay and gives much more depth to the different characters.
“The novel tells the story of Morgen, a talented young rock singer whose career is on the verge of international success. However, a car accident leads to a mystical experience and he finds himself in the village of ‘Morningstone’ where he becomes acquainted with esoteric folklore and symbolism before returning to the ‘real’ world, where he is inspired to create a new album reflecting the awakening that he experienced. The novel goes on to tell how he perseveres to fulfill his destiny, despite objections from his record company bosses and those who are unwilling to accept his vision. It’s a great story and it includes a lot of almost-paganistic values relating to man’s relationship with nature and the need for a balance to be reached before mankind’s greed and supposed ‘progress’ damages the world beyond repair. In so many ways, it’s a message that is even more important now than when Travis initially began work on this project. Morgen is an intriguing character, not without his flaws but strong enough to be more than believable. I’m sure that if this story ever makes it to film, Morgen could inspire a great performance!
“Travis has also released a new CD of updated songs from his original Morningstone project, including several new tracks, a good indication of the musical ideas that are an integral part of the novel. If you can hear the album in conjunction with reading the novel, it certainly adds further depth. I’m more than happy to recommend this book, both for the fact that it’s a great read that delivers plenty to think about, but also for Travis’ exuberant enthusiasm which, if you follow his work, is nothing less than infectious. I’m so glad that this guy is still out there and sharing his creative energy!”
In February, 2020, the UK’s Shindig! magazine posted a Four Star review in its landmark issue #100, in which it disclosed “Son of independent film-maker James A.Pike and unanticipated star of his father’s feature Feelin’ Good, which spawned the monster fuzz Shindig! top-tenner “Watch Out Woman”, Pike is an unmatched decade-spanning creator, storyteller, writer, filmmaker and musician.
“In his latest book, a novel adaptation of his mid-70s screenplay Morningstone, Pike’s observant eye narrative transforms the original story into a hotbed of 21st century action, sitting somewhere between David Essex’s ‘spoils of rock ‘n’ roll’ par excellence Stardust and the rites, intrigue and horror of The Wicker Man.
Changeling’s Return tells the tale of protagonist Morgen, a fledgling kitchen porter turned rock ‘n’ roll singer, turned seismic household name, on the eve of an adventurous European concert tour, but instead of kicking back at a prearranged press party with the rest of his band (Beantown Home Cookin’), Morgen takes a hired sporty two-seater for a spin with catastrophic consequences. Leaving the wreck in a ditch, Morgen makes his weary way to the nearby hamlet of ‘Morningstone’ where he encounters villagers lost in an insular world with no phone signal, an overworked auto mechanic, an ‘obligatory’ schoolmaster, a stone circle, and a host of witchy supporting characters seemingly drawn from a Shakespearean fantasy. First things get a bit trippy, and then there’s this whopping epiphany, resulting in a Brian Wilson-tinged re-awakening, dividing band mates and managers with Morgen’s music and lyrics taking an overtly environmental direction.
“Featuring a handy accompanying soundtrack CD of Pike’s music, re-imagined to compliment the updated story, this is a joyful little pairing.” -- Louis Wiggett.
US publisher Mike Stax’s Ugly Things magazine review of Changeling’s Return appeared in his Spring 2020 issue #53, in which he wrote “Travis Pike should be a familiar name to UT readers by now, having been the subject of several interviews and reviews in these pages covering his sixties garage adventures in Boston with Travis Pike & the Brattle Street East (featured in the teen movie Feelin’ Good), Travis Pike’s Tea Party (whose ’68 single “If I Didn’t Love You Girl” packs dance floors to this day), as well as his work as an author and publisher. Changeling’s Return is his newest gift to the world, a novel that draws on his experiences as a musician and also stirs in elements of fantasy and the supernatural. Sub-titled ‘a novel approach to the music,’ Changeling’s Return started out in 1975 as a theatrical concept album, was revived in 1987 as Morningstone, before being turned into a screenplay, and finally this novel. Like Pike, the book’s protagonist, Morgen, was raised in Boston and is the lead singer and songwriter of a band— not Travis Pike’s Tea Party, but Beantown Home Cookin’—and the setting is not the Sixties, but the present day.
“While on tour in England, the story takes a strange turn after Morgen finds himself marooned in a remote hamlet called Morningstone steeped in ancient occult practices—shades of The Wicker Man or HP Lovecraft. There he experiences a dramatic mystical epiphany that changes his life’s purpose, his songwriting and the band’s music completely, resulting in all kinds of fallout and friction with those around him. It’s a compelling story with many surprising turns, and a powerful message about mankind’s impact on the environment and the urgency of changing course.”
E2 Media (UK), first recognised Travis in 2019 with our Lifetime Achievement Award, which is one of a number of awards Travis has picked up over the years. Now, we are delighted to announce that Travis Pike’s acclaimed book, Changeling’s Return has won our 2020 Award of Excellence. The book is a fascinating story about singer Morgen and his adventure following an accident that leaves him stranded in the isolated village of Morningstone where he has no contact with the outside world. A good novel is one that you don’t want to put down and Changeling’s Return certainly ticks the box in that respect. Travis is a wonderful storyteller and the imagination and creativity of his writing takes the reader on a supernatural musical journey. The criteria for our awards are far-reaching and there are many aspects we take into account that influence our decisions. We have recognised Changeling’s Return for several reasons but primarily because the book is a thoroughly entertaining read and a great story. Travis Pike’s background and long career have certainly played their part in the decision, as have some of Travis’ previous works. We cannot recommend the book more emphatically and if music or reading is your thing then Changeling’s Return is a book you simply must read.
As Dick Clarke, E2 Media Managing Editor, put it in his Five Star review, “Wow! This novel had me gripped from start to finish. Changeling’s Return is a masterpiece of character driven fantasy. It is an exploration of music, mythology, magic and mysticism all rock and rolled into one. There is witty dialog. There’s magic! And, of course, twists and turns along the way. Couple all of this with a diverse cast of characters and you have a recipe for a magnificent fantasy novel. A truly a first-rate reading experience coupled with an outstanding music album. Will we see Changeling’s Return on the big screen?”
Otherworld Cottage Industries Paperback, CD and digital downloads are sold on Amazon, and otherworldcottageindustries.com, boasts a link to Youtube where visitors may audition complete song albums and individual songs, and a link to a Trailers and Widgets page, where visitors may read and explore any of the Otherworld Cottages books and DVDs currently in release. But both Otherworld Cottage Industries and Amazon are experiencing COVID 19-related production and delivery delays ,and while digital downloads pose no problems, customers hoping to receive a paperback book or CD in time for holiday gift-giving, are advised to place their orders now!
Travis Edward Pike
Otherworld Cottage Industries
+1 323-733-0710
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The Fool in Concert from the Changeling's Return, a novel musical concept album.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.