One of many good parts of being an author is developing a community of writers--be it online, with people around your own age, people that live near you, a diverse group, etc.--that you can bounce ideas off of, and that you can exchange work for editing purposes. I've had the pleasure of editing each one of Jayna Ostler's novels. She just released her newest novel, Seven Cities, yesterday at her book signing at Eborn Books located in the Layton Hills Mall in Utah.
Check out these pretty covers. Jayna is a Young Adult Fiction author primarily, which is a genre we both enjoy reading.
Swallow was her first published novel in 2014. It begins with seventeen-year-old Ashton, who feels he can only control two aspects of his life; his art and whether or not he eats. He's a loner by preference, skips class and hides out in the same hallway, and it's not until a new student chooses the same location that he's forced to get to know someone. Her name is Kaelee, and she has her own demons, but she seems determined to share more than just a hallway with Ashton. This novel touches topics such as eating disorders, depression, and abuse of medication. While there is a lot of negative energy surrounding the characters in Swallow, you get those glimpses of light throughout that show hope, even when it seems like there is no happy ending in sight.
Also in 2014, Jayna published The Openers. It follows two opening bands, Smudge and Flip Spit, as they tour with Octopus Pie. Quin, the drummer for Smudge, was raised on music, and with the support of her parents who have known their own adventures, she sets off on hers with the twins Bronte and Steg, their queen of the merch Ptero, and Pierce Broadway, their lead singer, manager, and the ever moody alcoholic. Underneath all the excitement, there are the problems of real life, including a long distance relationship that is falling apart and the stress of a band member who seems to be spiraling out of control. Meanwhile Shirk, lead singer for Flip Spit, thinks this tour is a dream come true, playing music and traveling with his best friend and band. But over time, he's worn down by wanting a change, but his band's not so willing to be flexible with their sound, and tensions begin to run high as their once unified team seems to be looking in different directions. Quin and Shirk find calm in the storms during the mornings they meet for coffee and simple jam sessions. As they continue to spend time together, they might find a pull to each other as strong as the pull to the music.
Stereo was published in 2015. Lonica is torn in two, between loving Steven Lero (aka Stereo) and hating him. Time and time again, he fails her, but time and time again he makes up for it and then some. He's her best friend, and though he's blind to the fact she's in love with him, and is very much taken by a different girl, Lonica's his #1 person and wants her to know that (as long as he's not busy running a radio station out of his house). Everyone tells her she should move on, but it's hard to do when he keeps reeling her right back in. Sometimes when I read a novel that has a character that wants to be with the wrong person, I bang my head against the wall because why can't she move on?! What about that character is so compelling that she can't let go? This was not one of those times. I read this while both falling for Steven and wanting to wring his neck, both hoping he and Lonica would get together and hoping she'd tell him to scram. I think we all have someone like that in our life, whether romantic or not. This book had a lot of fun parts, mixed with some topics to be approached more somberly.
Now, in 2016, Seven Cities is available for purchase. Jayna has a passion for music that is obvious through all her novels. This is a blast from the past when classic rock is just rock, and one of the stars on the stage is named Malcom Talbot of Hell's Fighters, whose talents might not be as impressive as the punch he walks right into at a bar. The owner of the fist is named Dee, and while she isn't aiming for Malcom, she breaks his nose. As a member of a roller derby team, she's seen plenty of wounds and offers to fix the damage, which then triggers a series of meetings between rock star and derby queen (who travels around with some members of her team playing music as the band called Margo and the Shock Girls). This is a quick read, bouncing from city to city as Dee and Malcom fight the odds to try and find each other again.
Jayna creatively has woven many of her novels into one another. Pay attention when you read, you might find a character or a band mentioned in one that is from another. Of all four, The Openers and Seven Cities are the most obviously related, but it's fun to try and pick out pieces here and there throughout all the novels. She is a talented author for certain, and I'm excited to see what she puts out into the world in the future. Thank you, Jayna, for sharing your words and worlds with us.
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