New Book Blasts Off in Palm Springs

Earth: the Musical

By Jorie Parr. Photo by Gordon Parr.

Rollie Moon encounters the love of his life in a “cute meet” blown all out of proportion, to give you a hint. But what can he expect from a girl with deep purple eyes. The protagonist of a new book by Jan St. Louis, “Earth: the Musical,” Rollie takes off on an intergalactic romance.

Jan presided over an excerpt-reading/signing session at the Palm Springs Public Library on April 17, 2010. “Earth,” called the first book you can dance to, boasts a multiplex genre – romantic comedy science fiction adventure musical. She designates acts instead of chapters, and offers a soundtract to download. The cognoscenti can hunt for various clues planted within – the most obvious are characters’ names spelled backwards coding celebrities like Elvis and Einstein.

The author’s day job is deputy editor of Palm Springs Life, as Janice Kleinschmidt. But she was born in St. Louis. The abbreviation Jan has the advantage of being androgynous, in case anyone is put off by a female getting into sci-fi. One woman in the audience asked why she just didn’t spell her name backwards.

Jan’s dream scenario is that filmmaker Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Nine”) takes up the project, casting as Rollie her favorite Johnny Depp.