Vortex Series Blog Tour with Janine Caldwell

Please welcome my guest, Janine Caldwell, to my blog today as she stops by on her January book tour!

Author Janine Caldwell

Since I’m relatively new to the publishing scene, I thought I’d let you know a little more about me and my books. I’ve alway been a literature fanatic and have a degree in English to prove it. But pesty jobs and paying bills got in the way of my creative time, so it wasn’t until my thirties before I really could sit down and write seriously. I tried my hand at screenwriting and loved it, but when I began to discover the world of young adult fiction, I knew I found my calling to write novels.

About six years ago, I was involved with a local youth group. We were studying Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson. The girls in the group also introduced me to the Twilight series. They were pretty early to jump on the twi-hard bandwagon since Stephenie Meyer is practically our neighbor. I know YA fans have varying opinions on this series, but hate it or love it, she pushed me to get going on my own series. Something about her living only miles away from me was truly inspirational.

I’m first to admit I’m a sucker for fantasy and romance. I knew my books would have to incorporate these elements because that’s what I like to read. I’m also currently obsessed with the idea of alternate worlds. Like what would happen if you could change your life to what you think you want it to be. And then, finally, there’s Sedona. A place so unique and amazing, it’s hard to describe. Lucky for me I only live 45 minutes away from this special place.

Sedona is known for its vortexes. I mean, come on. Vortexes? Mysterious supernatural energy? This place was just begging to be the center of a fantasy series. So, The Vortex Series (Rematch and Double Fault with Deuce still to come), is the accumulation of all the above things. I really hope readers will enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them.

As far as my dream cast for The Vortex Series, an eighteen-year-old Johnny Depp would be the perfect specimen. That dark, wavy hair, depthless brown eyes, and that jaw line! I can’t think of one teenage actor today who could do Trent justice like a young Depp. 

For Cassie, it would be Mary Ashleigh Green. She needs to be athletic, physically strong, have caramel-colored long hair and unforgettable, piercing green eyes.

Here's a bit more about Rematch:

In REMATCH, Cassie and Trent's worlds are about to collide, but not in the way you might expect. After a rocky start to their senior year, Trent is determined to hide from Cassie how their lives are supernaturally linked. But when Cassie's past continues to torment her, she's soon looking to Trent for answers. Trent must choose between admitting what he is and his role in her past, or running aware from her forever.

DOUBLE FAULT is the 2nd book in the Vortex Series and Cassie and Trent's problems have only just begun as they navigate through a parallel world filled with mind-blowing complexity. With Cassie's tennis career hanging in the balance, she continues to watch her world crumble while fiercely hiding a secret hat might cause her to lose what's most dear to her heart.

Author Bio:

Janine was raised in the Bay Area and has a B.A. in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. After 30 years in California, she and her husband moved to Arizona and are currently raising their two sons in Anthem. Janine has always had a passionate love for literature—anything from the classics to the hottest YA series. Inspired by her visits to Sedona, she wrote her first YA series (The Vortex Series) based on the romance and mystery of the red rock formations. She is also grateful for the students in her life who remind her what the teenage years are like, good and bad. When Janine is not writing, she’s practicing yoga, spending time with friends, and taking care of her family.

You can contact Janine at the following links:

www.janinecaldwell.com

www.twitter.com/J9fiction

www.facebook.com/AuthorJanineCaldwell

www.goodreads.com/author/show/5804836.Janine_Caldwell/blog

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13574626-rematch

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13600930-double-fault

http://www.amazon.com/Rematch-The-Vortex-Series-ebook/dp/B007JLRY7A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334152543&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Double-Fault-Vortex-Series-ebook/dp/B007JLS01O/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334152614&sr=1-2

You can purchase Rematch and Double Fault at Amazon by clicking the link below* 

As an Amazon "Affiliate", I receive a small commission if you purchase through this link ;-)

How Indies are Democratizing the Arts & Why I Love Ben Semmens

This guy's voice is haunting me - in a good way.  The fact that I was able to discover Ben says a lot about the changes in how we are able to enjoy music, art and books.  The digital age has democratized our access to the arts.  Now, instead of "gatekeepers" deciding what we listen to (or books we read or art we see), artists can go directly to the public.

Many of us have known for years that the "best" music wasn't necessarily what was showing up on our radio.  Large corporations "own" the music business (and the book business and every other business).  Corporations cannot predict what the next big thing will be so they try to replicate the last big thing.  Sure, there are exceptions to this but for the most part, corporate supported art is homogenized.  In the past, if you're someone who likes the unique, the different, the truly new then you may have had to work to find it.

Not anymore.  The digital age has made it relatively easy for consumers to find new and interesting art.  I stumbled upon Ben's PledgeMusic page and heard "Constant Dream" one day when I was surfing the net.  And Ben is Indie.  Without the backing of a label, he sold over 60,000 downloads of songs from his first album Western Lights.

When I heard Ben's music, I could see why it might be tough to get a big label recording contract.  His voice is great, but his music is a bit tough to categorize.  If the corporation can't categorize it, put a label on it and get it onto a particular shelf, they're not very interested (especially for new or emerging artists).

When artists are pushing the envelope - going deep into creativity - their work can be hard to categorize.  Musicians may mix jazz with funk and add a little surfer vibe and what do you get?  Something that's hard to label.  But dang, that would be some cool music huh!?

It's the same with writing.  Some authors write mystery or romance or thrillers or sci fi.  But what if a writer mixes sci fi with western?  Or maybe mythology with action and throws in fantasy?  It could be a great story but may never see the light of day because an acquiring agent knows he/she can't sell it to a large publishing house because it defies quick and easy categorization.

Some consumers want the standard, the same, the thing that feels familiar.  That's fine.  There's plenty of that out there.

But for those of us who enjoy stretching ourselves a bit - listening to something we don't normally listen to - read a genre bending book - we are blessed with more choices than ever, right on our computer.

The beauty of iTunes and Smashwords and Amazon Kindle and other platforms is that individuals with something to say can say it and categorizing doesn't matter as much.  It's not actually taking up physical shelf space and it can stay there in perpetuity, finding its audience as slowly as it needs to.  An artist doesn't need to change their voice or mainstream their art to be heard.  Artists now are able to go directly to the people and don't need to get through the establishment "gatekeeper."

How democratic is that!  Vive la revolution!

If you like the different, the unique - if you like to take a chance - sample new things for the pleasure of every now and again finding something you love - then support the Indie artists of the world.  Musicians.  Novelists.  Poets.  Artists.

Here are two of Ben's songs for you to check out for yourself.

I'm not a Twilight fan, but this is the only video I could find for "Constant Dream" that I can share.  So if you love Twilight, keep your eyes open and enjoy.  If you can't stand the sight of Bella and Edward, then close your eyes and enjoy Ben's beautiful voice.

"Constant Dream" could be in the soundtrack for my forthcoming novel Emily's House.  It perfectly captures the way Emily feels at the beginning of the book.

Ben is working on his first solo album and I hope we don't have to wait too long to hear his new tunes.  Here's one that I hope he'll include (and the photo montage is nice too).

So check Ben out and let me know what you think.  And, if you have favorite Indies, share with us here.

Book Review Friday: Shiver & Linger by Maggie Steifvater

I know, you're wondering why I have a picture of Anne Rice here when this post if about Maggie Stiefvater.  Here's why.  Back in my college days, I devoured Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.  If you haven't read Anne Rice and enjoy paranormal romance and vampire lust,  you must check out Interview with the Vampire to see where it all began. 
But I had not read much in the way of romance novels for years.  I had picked up Twilight to see what it was all about and because I loved Rice's vampire novels, I thought I would enjoy it.  If you love Twilight, I mean no offense, but for me Stephanie Meyer is no Anne Rice!
While at the library recently searching for something new, the YA librarian pulled out Shiver and handed it to me.  "This is really good," she said.  I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try.  But truthfully I was afraid it was another Twilight wanna be.

Maggie Stiefvater

Thankfully, Shiver is no Twilight.  Stiefvater's lyrical writing recalls for me what I liked most about reading Anne Rice's books.  When poetry meets prose, the reading feels magical.
The premise of Shiver is simple enough.  Girl meets wolf.  In summer wolf turns into boy. Girl loves boy.  The love can last only for the summer unless they find a way to keep boy from becoming a wolf again.
In Stiefvater's capable hands, this girl in love with wolf story is beautiful and profound rather than comic and cheesy.  She starts with a well thought out mythos for the werewolf.  Rather than the wolf being ruled by the full moon, they are instead beholden to the temperature.  Wolf in the winter, human in the summer.  This provides a poignant ticking clock to the love story.  They may have only the summer to love a lifetime.
Stiefvater not only creates a new mythology for werewolves, but she creates a romance that feels real.  Every romance story has to have a complication to their love.  In the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, the whole werewolf thing is the complication for the lovers and provides interesting twists and turns and makes the ride more fun.  For me this is one of the few of the genre where the love feels organic to the story rather than forced.
In Shiver, the love story between Grace and Sam is center stage.  Stiefvater introduces other characters such as Grace's parents and Isabel and Rachel, but they are in the background in Shiver.  The first in the series is told in the dual first person of Sam and Grace, switching back and forth between the two deftly.  Sam loves poetry and is a musician so his voice is more poetic of the two.  The reader is never confused about which one is telling the story.
Linger is Book 2 in the series and while not as strong overall as Shiver, it was still a wonderful read.  In Linger, the love story between Grace and Sam is still the main story, but Stiefvater also introduces a new character, Cole, and Isabel has a larger role as well.  This produced what for me was one of the few problems with the book.  In Linger there are four first person narrators and at times it became jarring to switch between story tellers so frequently.
In Linger Stiefvater explores further what the characters refer to as "wolf logic," as they try to figure out what makes the infected shift from human to wolf and other issues regarding werewolfdom.  At times it felt like Stiefvater herself was trying to figure out this wolf logic and there was a little "muddle in the middle" as pieces of the puzzle were being worked out.  But before long the book picked up pace again and it was a page turner to the end.  The last 60 pages kept me up past my bed time (and made me cry!).
One of the things I really enjoyed about Linger is the handling of the relationship between Grace and her parents.  Stiefvater laid the groundwork in the first book.  Grace's narcissistic parents are too busy with their own lives to be parents to Grace.  In fact it is Grace who seems to parent her parents.
In Linger the parents provide that additional tension and conflict to raise the stakes.  For me, it was so realistic it called to mind my own melodrama when I was 17 and dating a 19 year old who my parents were sure would corrupt me and make me "ruin my life."  (FYI, I married him and we're still together, 23 years later!)  Grace's parents have been so wrapped up in themselves that they haven't been around to pay attention to Grace let alone her needs and wants.  But when she does something they don't approve of (i.e. that may end up reflecting poorly on them), then they get up in her grill and attempt to control her.  Stiefvater's depiction of the adults shows the all too present condescension and paternalism of parents toward their teen children; the assumption that just because you're seventeen, you know nothing about your own heart.
I highly recommend both Shiver and Linger.  Now I can't wait to read Forever!