Shifted Perspective Blog Tour!

Welcome to the Shifted Perspective Blog Tour! I've got J. Bridger, here on the blog today! There was two main settings involved in Shifted Perspective and I think that they tell a lot about both the characters in the story and who Bridger is as a person. She's here to share more on the matter so check her out!

Book Description:

 Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna and an eccentric set of cousins in California. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it only happens monthly and is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he's anxious to be rid of. He didn't realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a family legacy he hates. To make matters worse, after moving to Los Angeles to learn more about his heritage from his Aunt Moira and his cousin Kalista, Caleb now struggles through life-and-death matters. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world, especially Kalista's boyfriend Peter, the Southern California alpha's son, who also happens to be grade-A sociopath. Worse, Caleb's floundering to keep his secret from Joanna.While his family offers him some support, they may not be enough as Caleb realizes that the rules in shifter society---number one being don't kill humans---are not so ironclad. Some werewolf out there is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest and it might just be with the alpha's blessing...

J. Bridger has had an eclectic life. She’s worked in the psychiatric ward in a hospital in La Paz, Bolivia, been a veterinary intern giving all sorts of better-left-to-the-imagination exams to dogs and cats, and had her own spate in creating and running a television ad campaign. Currently, in her day job, she is getting her certification as a medical Spanish interpreter in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. By night, she’s a fledgling author, who has just penned her debut novel, Shifted Perspective; she is currently working on its sequel, the next installment of The Tails of Change Series. J.’s always loved things that go bump (or that howl) in the night and devoured Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker starting in middle school. Her favorite shows are no less preternatural and include Big Wolf on Campus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Teen Wolf. While she’s been writing fiction for eight years and been published in several academic journals for her psychological research, this is her first venture into published original fiction. J. Bridger lives in Raleigh with two Yorkies, a beagle, and a Schnauzer-Yorkie mix (as well as far too many dust bunnies).

One of the things I like about my novel, Shifted Perspective, is the locations that it encompasses. It has basically two main settings---Los Angeles and Mt. Airy, North Carolina. As far as Los Angeles goes, I admit I had input and corrections sometimes from a friend who lives in Laguna Beach. However, I’d also been out there back about six years ago and toured UCLA’s campus as a prospective grad school fit. It was gorgeous of course, and my guide showed me all the glory and just coolness of Rodeo Drive (not that I could afford it). I even did one of those cheesy tours for “see the stars’ homes.” I didn’t see any famous people, but I did see a lot of different houses surrounding L.A.

I think my favorite because I’m a big cheese ball was seeing the house they used for the exterior shots of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (I’m a huge Will Smith fan) and then actually realizing it’s not that big. Filming angles just make it more impressive, but it serves as sort of the measuring stick for what’s luxurious and how to compare my main character, Caleb’s L.A. family’s mansion to other L.A. landmarks. Obviously, it’s no Spelling mansion but the Katsaros family does well for itself.

The location, however, that means the most to me is Mt. Airy, North Carolina, which literally is Mayberry. It’s the hometown of Andy Griffith but also of my grandmother. When I was about thirteen, we went on a tour of all the parsonages and churches my great grandfather had preached at as a Methodist minister and Mt. Airy was our final stop. The Rockford Methodist Church where Caleb hides out after his first transformation is where my grandfather spent years building his congregation. It’s pretty cool that’s survived since the 1920s.

Similarly, while writing the novel, I ventured back to Mt. Airy to get a new feel for the town since fifteen years of memories aren’t always reliable. I still found the downtown as quaint as ever, and I loved visiting their main street, which had souvenirs of all types from classic TV and, of course, of the Mayberry gang from Otis to Barney Fife. Again, what made it into the novel is based on that from Caleb’s dad owning a tourist trap gift shop to the small time two screen theater on main street.

I hope that my love especially for a town that was such a big part of my family shows through and that the readers get a sense for both locations and what makes them unique and colorful.

A big thanks to J.Bridger for being here on the blog! I really love hearing all about what makes author's tick so I appreciate the look into your world-building! It's been a fabulous time reading Shifted Perspective and getting to know ya! If you would like to learn more about J.Bridger and her other books check her out! 

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