Saturday, May 25, 2013

Ten more days until Jordi and Jace!!

There's a hot, new reality show premiering within the pages of your Nook or Kindle in June, 2013, and it is called "Fierce." It's a show that dares talented young adults to tear down any walls standing between them and their dreams, to demolish the gatekeepers - both real and imagined - and live their lives according to three simple directives:

DREAM BIG. LIVE LARGE. BE FIERCE.

Eighteen-year-old Jordi Hemphill fortuitously answers the casting call. This small town girl is ready to risk it all for the life of her dreams, one she had carefully crafted on her Vision Board throughout her adolescence.



Jordi is no stranger to how her plus-size figure affects how people see her. Her hope had always been that her talent would be much, much larger, ultimately overshadowing any perceived shortcomings. Unfortunately as her fan base grows, the voices of her harshest critics also escalate. Hateful voices want to remind her that dreams only come true for a select few, and she just doesn't "fit" in. It's up to her "Fierce" family to rewire the negative chatterbox that had been drilled into her psyche her whole, short life by those who should have loved her the most.



The loudest, most loving voice comes from fellow contestant, Jace Riga. This handsome veteran lost his leg in the war, and ended up finding music to help him heal through his recovery. He sees Jordi as no one else ever has, and offers her something she thought she'd never find.



Ultimately it is on the road to everything she wants that Jordi finds what she truly needs, and it was nothing like what she had always planned. Instead, it's the truest, most authentic kind of love... the love that can only come from inside.





Join along for the "Fierce" book tour launching tomorrow (Sunday, May 26) and hosted by the ah-may-zing Brandee's Book Endings. There will a lot of goodies including a BIG giveaway. (Imagine how many books you could buy with $100!) So join us!

And dream big. Live large. BE FIERCE.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

"Fierce" Playlist for the teaser "Imogene Strikes Again"

If you listened to the interview I did with my good buddy Brian Crow on his "American Psycho" radio program on April 26, 2013 (podcast available for you to review if you missed it,) then you already know what kind of influence music has had on my writing career. From the first novella I wrote at the tender age of 14 to my latest novel, "Fierce," music is the pulse that beats under the surface of the words I write.

"Fierce" covers a lot of musical ground considering these characters are contestants on a singing show. Some of the music was fictional, referring to the songs Giovanni Carnevale wrote throughout the Groupie Trilogy. But other songs inspired important scenes, which I will include here as teasers as we get closer to that June 4th release date. Don't forget to follow Brandee's Book Endings to find out about exciting giveaways and all the blog tour information.

(Videos are embedded in these blogs. Those readers on Goodreads, click "View More on Ginger Voight's website" at the bottom of the page to enjoy.)

Teaser #1: "Imogene Strikes Again"

By seven o’clock that following Monday morning, I was back on the studio lot, racing from one building to another in order to make my appointment with Imogene. One did not show up late for an appointment with Imogene. I had already made that mistake once and she bypassed me completely for the next contestant who had “found it important enough to show up on time.” I was five minutes early this particular Monday. Instead of cracking that stony face with a smile, Imogene simply glanced at her watch and glanced over the tops of her glasses to look me over. With a muffled “harrumph,” she told me, “Get on with it. I haven’t got all day.”

My hands were shaking as I lifted the sheet music to the stand in front of me. I had finally decided on the song I wanted to sing, a Celine Dion tune that was sure to show off my range and give me something a little more current than an obscure tune from a musical.

She stood in front of me, arms folded in front of her, glaring over the tops of her glasses as I sang the first couple of bars. Her countenance was as severe as her cropped silver hair, and her pursed lips and narrowed eyes gave nothing away in how she thought I was doing. My voice lost a bit of steam as I made it to the chorus, and actually cracked when I went for my upper register. She held up her hand with an exasperated sigh.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“Don’t apologize to me,” she said. “Apologize to the music.” She stalked over to the table which served as her desk. It was overrun with sheet music, which she flipped through impatiently. She finally found the one she was looking for, came over to me and thrust it into my hands. “Here. Sing this.”

I glanced down. It was another Celine song, but an upbeat number I had never performed before. “Why?” I asked. When I looked up at her, she had an arched eyebrow that indicated she did not like to be questioned about her choices.

She indulged me an answer anyway. “Because your other choice bored me. It’ll bore the audience.”

“But I don’t know this song,” I offered helplessly.

“Then learn it,” she said. She folded her arms, leaned back against the edge of the table, and waited.

I cleared my throat as I read through the music. When I opened my mouth, I had zero self-confidence I could pull it off. The more I struggled, the more awkward it got. Finally, with another exhale of exasperation, she stomped over to me. She took up the next verse with a powerful voice that demanded I look at her as she sang, but the minute my eyes came off the page she was pointing her finger back down to it. She wanted me to follow the notes as she demonstrated how it was supposed to be done.

Even without a backup band, her voice boomed through the empty auditorium that had been constructed on the soundstage. When she finished, I could think of nothing to say.

“This is an entertainment competition, not a high school pageant. You will not win by playing it safe. You need to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. You need to own what you can do on this stage. This song can do that for you. Or it can break you. Your choice.” She walked back over to the table and screamed out, “Next!” to dismiss me and invite the next victim into her little lair. I passed Shelby as I made my way down the steps. She gave me a sympathetic smile as she squeezed my arm. Rather than watch her time at the gallows, I escaped and made my way to the food truck outside. Pepper and Lavender sat together at one of the tables nearby, and beckoned me to join them. They already knew from the look on my face where I had been and what had happened.

“Imogene strikes again,” Lavender smiled, her full lips painted a pale purple color indicative of her stage name. She wore fabulous wigs in varying shades of purple as well, and today she wore a grape-colored bob to match her 60s mod-style plastic dress.

I nodded as I sat. “Tell me I’m not the only one she hates.”

Pepper laughed. “She doesn’t hate you, baby. She’s a hard-ass, but it’s to make you better.”

“I suck right now,” I responded as I put the sheet music on the table. “She’s given me this song to sing.”

Lavender smiled wide as she picked up the sheet music. “This is a classic. I used to do this for my drag shows. It’s a lot of fun.”

Pepper nodded. “It’s a cover of an old tune with a big sound. You can definitely pull that off, easy.”

I still wasn’t convinced, so after I ate the two of them dragged me to an empty sound stage to show me how it was done. Like Imogene, their voices were big enough to carry the song. Together they filled the empty space with a huge wall of sound. Once they hit the chorus, I finally joined in. They spent the next hour teaching me the song until I no longer needed the sheet music.

More than that, Lavender used her considerable performance skills to show me how to deliver the song. She tried to teach me some dance moves, but I felt like a clumsy idiot as I tried to imitate what she pulled off so flawlessly. She was patient as a saint, as was Pepper, as we fell into an impromptu group choreography I was glad no one else could see.

At least, I thought no one else could see it. When we finished, we were rewarded to hear applause from one lone spectator hidden in the darkened shadows of the empty sound stage.

It was Jace, who had a big smile plastered on his face as he approached. “Bravo! Encore! Encore!” I blushed at least five shades of red while my two companions bowed for our appreciative audience of one. “If that is a group number, it’s brilliant.”

“That’s all Jordi,” Pepper said. “Imogene picked it for her to perform on the premiere.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” I said as I gathered my stuff.

“She’s feeling a little insecure,” Lavender told him quietly with a wink and a nudge of her elbow. She glanced over at Pepper, nodding toward the door so they could leave us alone.

Apparently Jace had some convincing to do.

“So what’s the problem with the song?” he wanted to know as he walked over to where I stood.

I shook my head. “I don’t think I can pull that off. I was definitely a weak link in that trio. They not only know the song, they know how to sing it. I feel like a big fat idiot.”

“Hey,” he said firmly as he looked me in the eye. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.” The tone in his voice left no room for argument, so I said nothing. “Sing it for me,” he instructed softly.

I cleared my throat and glanced down at the sheet music, having completely forgotten every single word of a song I had just sung over and over for the last hour and a half. I started to sing, following the notes on the page, and Jace indulged me for about a verse before he finally took the paper from my hands.

“Sing it to me,” he corrected. He took a couple of steps back and gave me a stage. I looked into those deep, green eyes and took a deep breath before I launched into a song that talked about loving someone deeper than a river and higher than a mountain. I sang this to a virtual stranger, memorizing every line in his handsome face as I went through verse after voice of everlasting devotion. By the time I got to the chorus, my huge voice made it all the way to the rafters and back. I got stuck a little on the second verse, so he joined in.

Butterflies tap-danced in my tummy as he sold the song very convincingly through his body language and the look in his eyes. When we hit the chorus, he linked his hand in mine with a smile that I couldn’t help but mirror. He pulled me through a couple of dance moves as we brought it home, our voices echoing in the empty space. He spun me around and I twirled around him, allowing myself to fall completely in character of the song. We were laughing as we finished and he pulled me into a lingering hug. “You are so not a weak link, Jordi,” he said into my hair.

He pulled back a little, but still held me in his embrace. His arms were linked around my waist, pressing me into his strong chest. Long moments passed between us as we did nothing more than look into each other’s eyes. I honestly didn’t know what to say. Nervously I bit my lip, which drew his gaze in that direction. I felt every single nerve ending go up in flames. What it took Eddie physical intimacy to achieve, Jace had managed with just an absently placed glance.

I cleared my throat as I pulled away. “I guess I should head over to see Jorge,” I said.

He nodded as he stepped back. “Yeah, I have an appointment with Imogene.”

I had to smile. “Good luck.”

He laughed. His eyes were thoughtful as he studied me for a moment, then he turned to leave. Before he got to the door, he turned back. “Wanna grab some lunch later?”

A flood of warmth washed over me as I looked into his hopeful eyes. I didn’t know what I saw there, or what I wanted to see there, but the way it made me feel was head and shoulders above the high I got from anything else, even food. Just being in his company made me feel better about me. I felt accepted… wanted… for the first time ever.

Lunch was the least of my concerns as I nodded with a smile.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

"Fierce" is coming!

If you have been patiently waiting to see where my spin-off story, "Fierce," takes the characters you came to know and love in the Groupie series, the wait is almost over. "Fierce" will release June 4, 2013*. (*On or about, depending on the venue you purchase your book.)

SYNOPSIS

All her life, Jordi Hemphill was told that she needed to change to fit in and be accepted. She talked too much, laughed too loud, and most definitely, indisputably and inexcusably weighed too much. In fact, she wore her size-20+ clothes without so much as an apology. She didn’t care to fit in. She didn’t want to be beautiful. Instead, she wanted to wear her hair in funky colors, she itched for tattoos and piercings, and dreamed of a life much bigger than working at the local Burger Palace for minimum wage. She had been born with the voice of a superstar, and something inside her told her it was OK to dream big, even if she had to do it in secret.

On her eighteenth birthday, she takes every last cent she has and buys a one-way ticket for Los Angeles. She is sure her talent will get her noticed by those more open-minded to see it. Then and only then will she show all the naysayers in her hometown that she was a somebody no matter what they thought.

Unfortunately Los Angeles wasn't any more welcoming. Jordi didn't fit into their pop machine no matter how well she sang. Other pop princess had the "full package," whereas Jordi still needed to change if she wanted her dreams to come true. It took a plus-size TV producer to take a chance on her, casting her for a reality talent show called "Fierce," which put attitude and talent far above the traditional pop star image.

Thanks to Giovanni Carnevale, the lead singer of "Dreaming in Blue" and “Fierce’s” rock star judge, Jordi gets a chance to fight for her place on a national stage.

But will America embrace this alternative diva? Or will they too expect her to conform in order to be accepted... to be loved? Despite the acceptance of new friends and supporters, old ghosts continue to haunt Jordi on her new journey. It will take handsome fellow contestant, Jace Riga, to finally help expose and exorcise the demons that drive her self-destruction.

"Fierce" continues the story introduced in the Ginger Voight novel, "Mogul," where Jordi joins a hodge-podge of other contestants to battle for the championship that dares every single hopeful to live large, to be FIERCE.

Ginger Voight, the author of the best-selling "Groupie" series, brings fame once again to the forefront with her new adult story, "Fierce." The characters you grew to love in the "Groupie" trilogy and "Love Plus One" are back to help the incomparable Jordi Hemphill carve a place for her as a pop princess despite the odds in this coming-of-age Rubenesque romance.


Right now you can enter to win a $25 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble through several different blogs along our cover reveal tour, which will also feature a few teasers of the story. Be sure to enter and keep your eye out for the book release tour because some big things are coming. You won't want to miss it. Follow me on Twitter so you can catch all the updates! You can also "like" my official Facebook author page, or the "Fierce" page itself.

For those who don't know, "Fierce" was a very personal story for me to write. This coming-of-age novel introduces us to Jordi Hemphill, a plus-size young adult who goes through a tremendous rite of passage in front of a national and even worldwide audience. Her battles are both external and internal, as she fights against an emotionally abusive upbringing and those outside voices that reinforce her biggest fears. Fortunately for Jordi, she meets a handsome veteran named Jace Riga, who meets life's challenges on one leg better and more enthusiastically than most people do with two. He teaches Jordi a thing or two about self-acceptance by perfectly accepting her for who she is, where she is, even when she believes she's so far from perfect.

I have to admit, I fell pretty much head over heels for Jace during the writing. That's one of the best parts of being an author, in my humble opinion. You have an idea of where the story is going to go and who the characters are going to be, but they will often surprise you by being so much more than you ever dared imagine. Jace was like that from the minute he impersonated Yogi Bear just to make Jordi laugh. He was sexy and he was romantic, both when he was singing and when he wasn't. He was brave and strong and real as the anti-bad boy rocker. He could sing, he could croon, he could strut and he could step out of the spotlight to share the glory with others. He was wounded, but wasn't egocentric, so getting to know him was a true joy. He's a burgeoning rock star without all the nasty baggage poor Vanni had to carry. He's had his heart broken by his high school sweetheart, who wasn't able to get past the loss of his leg, so he is in no way superficial when it comes to the "perfect" look. Instead he focuses on inner beauty, and Jordi captures his interest from the first time he hears her sing.

Their road to be together is as rocky as Vanni and Andy's, littered with foes far worse than Holly, Julian and Leo. This, compounded with Jordi's deep, dark secret that motivates her self-destructive choices, will drive the angst and drama throughout their journey on a reality show competition to see who takes home the big prize.

There are moments when this book lifted me up and moments when it broke my heart. I truly hope that you all enjoy this next chapter in the Groupie universe. You don't have to read the Complete Groupie Trilogy to get up to date with what takes place in "Fierce," but those who have read "Love Plus One," "Under Texas Skies" and the Groupie trilogy will have a deeper appreciation for the cameos of their favorite characters. If you want to catch up, the Complete Groupie Trilogy is on sale for only $6.99. That's three books for one low price. Or you could start simply with "Groupie" for only $0.99! All other books are reasonably priced at $2.99.

Disclaimer: This book will frankly talk about eating disorders, body perception and abuse. It also begins a whole new trilogy which will not complete until 2014.