Shooting Stars contains four original sets of lyrics, beginning with the poignant song Heaven’s Jewels that serves as the trigger for the heroine’s quest. My Sierra Mountain Home celebrates life amid the majestic peaks surrounding beautiful Lake Tahoe, Sailin’ a Dream captures the spirit of dancing with the wind across crystal blue water, and Jenny commemorates the dawn of a lifelong love story.
Shooting Stars author Laurie Samsel Olson penned the lyrics for the first three songs and her son, Jesse Olson, composed both the words and music for Jenny. Responsible for breathing life into all of the music is Sean McCool, an accomplished singer/
songwriter from British Columbia. He skillfully molded Laurie’s lyrics into amazing songs, then single-handedly arranged and recorded all four compositions. The resulting CD not only echoes the important message of the book but also entertains listeners with masterful interpretations of the songs that underscore the lives of the characters. Sometimes heartrending, sometimes awe-inspiring, each tune is unforgettable and the CD is a must for any Shooting Stars fan.
The musical thread of Shooting Stars is echoed in its loving dedication to the late singer/songwriter John Denver. Laurie was introduced to his music in 1972 at the age of 18 and considers him to be the single most significant influence in her life outside of her immediate family circle. Shooting Stars, while fictional, is her heartfelt tribute to his efforts to leave a positive footprint on the world through his music and his environmental and humanitarian pursuits.
To hear the song "Heaven's Jewels" play against a changing backdrop of spectacular landscape and wildlife photos, go to Heaven's Jewels Video.
To listen to clips of all four songs and purchase either a conventional CD or digital downloads, go to Shooting Stars CD.
Shooting Stars is Laurie’s second book. Her first, He Was Still My Daddy: Coming to terms with mental illness, was a non-fiction account of her father’s struggle with mental illness and her efforts to come to grips with his condition. Published in 1994, the book received positive reviews across the country and was endorsed as recommended reading by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. A former journalist, Laurie moved from Portland, Oregon, to Northern Nevada in 1997 where she currently manages a pharmaceutical assistance program for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities.
Sean began his professional music career in the 1960s as a boy soprano at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, Ontario. Along with a handful of other elementary school choirboys, he was dispatched to various churches around the city to perform on weekends at weddings and funerals – fifty cents for funerals and a dollar for weddings! In 1973 Sean moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where he attended the University of Victoria and obtained a Bachelor of Music degree. Over the next three decades he worked with some of the most well-known rock, country, and show bands in Western Canada. In recent years he has traveled globally with Holland America and Princess Cruises as the lead singer and guitarist in a popular onboard band called Party of Four. Sean was delighted to set the lyrics in Shooting Stars to music and embraced the challenge of bringing to life the character of Jack Diamond through song. Sean’s own unique compositions range from tongue-in-cheek satire heralding the apocalypse to sentimental ballads sweetly celebrating a father’s love. He is currently working on a CD of his songs. For more information about Sean, visit his official website.
Jesse operates his own electrical contracting business in Northern Nevada and enjoys composing songs in his spare time. He wrote the lyrics and music to Jenny as a teenager experiencing the angst of first love more than a decade ago and has since written dozens of pieces either single-handedly or as part of a team. Professional demos of several of Jesse's songs have been produced by Larry Beaird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
