.jpg)
Synopsis:
LOVE IS A DRUG.
In 1980 NYC, eighteen-year-old J.J. Buckingham is an uptight trendoid.
Working as a mannequin painter and a counter girl, she moonlights as a creature
of the nightclubs. J.J. falls for aloof, crazy-talented artist and bicycle
messenger X-It. In order to win his love, she succumbs to the dark machinations
of drug dealer Marko Voodoo. X-It will love her if she’s the queen of
underground Manhattan, right? Her plan backfires with horrendous consequences.
J.J. must scrap her way out of a maze of drugs, clubs, and danger before she
realizes she’s worthy of a better life. And true love might just come in the
form of a clean-cut geek in Buddy Holly glasses.
The Reviews are in!
This book completely captivated me from start to finish. In
fact, the first night I read about a quarter of it before bedtime. Then I
tossed and turned for an hour thinking about the book, until finally I turned
the lights back on, and read until a few hours before I needed to wake up. ~
William Hertling
X-It is a coming-of-age novel that is easily identifiable with
for anyone who ever felt less-than-cool enough, or alone, or as though they
weren't living up to personal expectations, which, I believe, encompasses most
of us. Reminiscent of Maggie Estep's "Diary of an Emotional Idiot,"
X-It contains some perfect moments of quiet truth. ~ Wendy Whiplash
From the very first pages I was drawn to J.J. - From her
dripping purple hair dye through her slow, dark, and painful decent into the
80's punk/club scene. Jane George truly created a dynamic character with
incredible depth. To me this book read like a memoir, making it even more
powerful and at times bittersweet. ~ Karen Toz
Purchase Links:
Kindle Edition: http://www.amazon.com/X-It-ebook/dp/B007PSY7X6/
Paperback Edition: http://www.amazon.com/X-It-Jane-George/dp/0985130717
About the
Author
Author
and illustrator Jane George lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a
BFA in illustration from the California College of the Arts and has won awards
for her art.
A
dedicated writer for over a decade, she produces and publishes her YA fantasy
and literary titles under her personal imprint, Paper Grove Publishing. Find
out more at: www.Jane-George.com
Author Question &
Answer
Why did you choose New York City as the setting for X-It?
‘Young people with a creative bent
who make a pilgrimage to New York City’ is a common theme among many
novels. New York has a vibrancy, and a meanness, all
its own that can provide a certain amount of validation to those who seek to
make a name for themselves. And that dynamic has only grown over time to
include a lot of cultural myth and illusion. With all that going on, how could
I resist setting a novel in New York City?
The story takes place during 1980 and 1981. Why is that time period
significant?
Events such as Reagan’s election,
Lennon’s assassination, Princess Di’s wedding and the first space shuttle
launch are mentioned in the book. That time illustrates the push-pull between
the beginning of the “Greed is Good – get your slice of the pie or you’re a
chump - Era,” and raw, punk rock authenticity. I lived in New York City in the
early Eighties and it left a strong impression. Many landmarks mentioned in the
book, such as the lighted Maxwell House sign, no longer exist. So consider X-It
my love letter to a snapshot in time.
Is X-It autobiographical?
X-It is a work of fiction. Like all
writers, I pull from my observations and experience of the world. There are parallels
anyone can draw between the book and my life: I did work as a mannequin painter
in Williamsburg, and my father did suffer a brain injury in an airplane
accident when I was ten, for example. However, while fed from my experiences,
the story itself is fabricated from my imagination. That’s pretty much my
definition of art.
Why did you write X-It?
Because there’s a lot of illusion,
manipulation, and bullshit that young adults must sift through once they’re on
their own. And because people DO prevail over all that mess. Not always, but it
happens.
Big thanks for hosting me today!
ReplyDelete