I met Jeannette Kantzalis through Twitter by chance one day. Another writer I really enjoy happened to re-tweet something she said so I figured I should check out who she was. That chance moment, that one little sliver of time, allowed me to find one of the most exciting creator owned projects I’ve seen in the last year (have I mentioned I love Twitter for this sort of thing?). Let’s get to the real reason you are here; To learn more about Jeanette’s ambitious project!
Josephine the Outlaw King is truly amazing in its scope. It’s not just a book, or music album, or videos, it’s all of those things set in the same universe, telling the same story, complimenting each other in every way. This project is truly a multimedia affair the likes of which is rarely seen. I’ve been lucky enough to preview some of this project and since she just released a new video teaser I thought this is the perfect time to let you in on this stunning work of art.
The project was started by Jeanette as a blog on her MySpace page in 2006. From those humble beginnings, the fan base sprouted and the requests for more started coming in. Jeanette, already a musician and songwriter, decided it was time to add novelist to that list and create a full length tale about Josephine. I’ve been able to read the novel and I can tell you it is a fantastic piece of work.
The story follows our heroine Josephine Lilliwhite, a middle aged woman with a storied past but an exciting and hopeful new future. She has a new man, a new home, and a second son on the way but things go horribly awry when her jealous ex tracks her down, determined to end any joy she may have that doesn’t include him. Unfortunately for him, what is born out of his murderous rage is not satisfaction but the Outlaw King. We ride along with Josephine in her quest for revenge across the Inland Empire. It’s an incredible backdrop for an immersive and bloody tale with as many twists and turns as the dusty roads she travels.
I’ve only ever found a few novels that can be compared to poetry and this is one of them. The words are descriptive and vibrant; the pictures they paint, while sometimes gruesome, are still beautiful to behold. Jeanette’s experience as a songwriter shines through in the way she puts words to page. They have a very song-like feel to them, a beat and rhythm that you don’t see in your average novel.
If that weren’t enough there is an entire album to set the mood and ingrain even deeper the righteous justice that drives Josephine to complete her bloody task. Jeanette wrote, produced, and recorded all this in her home studio, something that just a few years ago would have been a daunting task. Today’s technology has made this possible and opened us up to a world were people with talent and vision no longer have a barrier of entry to creation. Having heard a preview of the album I can tell you it is a joy to listen to. I’m having a hard time writing a description of the music that does it justice. Instead I’ll send you here to listen a couple tracks yourself. It has a very retro feel while still sounding modern and fresh.
Finally the videos serve to bring these words, sounds, and themes to visual life. The first video (and the preview above) were both directed by Aron Paul Orton. The direction is fantastic and greatly compliments the music. The tone in the preview is also very much present in the music video as well. It tells a great little story that I won’t ruin here. Dark, sexy, and entertaining it plays out more like a short film than just a music video and I look forward to future releases.
Each on their own, the novel, music album, and video project are worthy of praise. Combined together they create a harmony that is not to be missed. Everything here fits together like pieces of a puzzle each complimenting the other and building an overall vision, that while broad in scope, still remains laser focused on a singular purpose. It’s all here to tell the story of the Outlaw King, our very own Josephine.
Are you ready to join Josephine on her epic journey? You can starting February 14th, valentines day. A very fitting release date. In the meantime be sure to check out the preview video here listen to the sample tracks here, and of course follow the project on facebook and twitter @abrokeheartpro. Jeanette has already mentioned that she has ideas for the second novel and I for one can’t wait. Be sure to check it out now and get ready for the exciting release date. Josephine is waiting for you.
You are so fortunate to have met Josephine and her creator, Jeanette. I have been reading the story since she first started back in 2006 and have been waiting with barely contained excitement for the release of the final project. I am so happy to see this marvelous work being shared with a larger audience. Thanks for sharing your discovery!
Thanks, Nadine!