Hello all, and welcome to this installment of the Indie Books column on Big Shiny Robot (or phrase that however you want). I’m Janine K. Spendlove, and Bryan Young very graciously invited me to tell you a little bit about myself and my most recent book, War of the Seasons: The Half-blood. I will endeavor to introduce myself without coming off like a profile for an online dating service, though if I fail I’m sure you’ll let me know.

As my bio on my website (WarOfTheSeasons.com) states, I’m an active duty United States Marine currently stationed in Washington, DC. My primary speciality is KC-130J pilot, though in my spare moments I spend time with my family, run marathons, and, of course, write! I’ve spent many an hour on my deployments and travels in the Marine Corps coming up with plots and story ideas, and I’m so glad I’ve had an opportunity to share them through Indie publishing.

My most recent novel, War of the Seasons: The Half-Blood (published through Indie Publisher, Silence in the Library) had its inception on one of my many flights. The sequel to War of the Seasons: The Human (published by Silence in the Library in 2011), we get to go back to AiIionora six months after we last left it. Our lead character, Story, finds herself once more on a quest, and yet again battling with enemies new and old as she races against time. And of course, she has to face the consequences of her decisions and actions both in The Human, and in The Half-Blood.

While I by no means consider War of the Seasons to be on par with Star Wars, I’ve tried to emulate George Lucas’s story telling pattern with the original trilogy, where The Human sets the stage for a broader fantasy arc with a strong female lead and world building, yet was a self-contained adventure in and of itself. The Half-blood is my Empire Strikes Back in that it’s darker, grittier, and our strong heroine is faced with the repercussions of her decisions, and people she loves suffer for it.

So, if you’re looking for an adventure with a spattering of romance and plenty of action in another world filled with trolls, dwarves, elves, and faeries, then War of the Seasons is for you! Welcome to Ailionora.

If you’re interested in being the focus of a future Indie Books column, email editor(at)bigshinyrobot and let me know!