My Rock Stars Are Not Your Rock Stars

Have you seen in the Intel commercial where Ajay Bhatt, co-inventor of the USB port, is given the rock star treatment? I love it, and it made me think how my rock stars would be perceived by others. Aside from the fangirl in me who thinks Geoff Tate's operatic voice is, and always has been, inspired and basically any non-Extreme band on Hair Nation could make me choke on a pastry in their vicinity (like the guy in the Intel commercial), my rock stars are probably not your rock stars:

Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist and bestselling author who specializes in string theory. He is the son of Japanese immigrants who rose to recognition after his entry at a national science fair in the 1960s gained the attention of leading physicists at the time. While his professional theories remain inaccessible to the majority of us, his rock star comes from being able to translate physics and the intricacies of our world into language we can all understand. Last week when he appeared on Fox News to discuss how NASA cut funding to track asteroids that could potentially be on a collision course with Earth, one might have thought Keith Urban had appeared in my living room and called me "doll" for all the excitement I displayed. Or maybe Kaku channels my long-ago infatuation with my high school physics teacher, who single-handedly plummeted my geek-perfect GPA. How could I transfer out of his class when he looked like this? I wasn't stupid, you know. At any rate, Michio Kaku is a rock star in my book.

Texas Ranger's Second Baseman Ian Kinsler is a rock star, not only for his prowess on the field, but for ignoring throngs of single women hitting on him at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo to sit with a young fan for a full hour discussing the game. For helping to restore baseball's heart, he's a favorite in my book.

Lastly, every person on the Reader's Digest heroes archive and those who never reach the limelight. When I can't clear my pallet of that sour taste that so often accompanies negative news media, I read through a story here and get my Pollyanna-groove back on.

Who are your rock stars?

Auctions and Debuts and Bosoms, Oh My

Before I jump into all things books, I want to pass along a link to Brenda Novak's Online Auction for Diabetes Research. Brenda began this tradition many years ago, but it's blossomed into THE place for publishing industry heavy hitters to give back and THE place to browse in May for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. If you haven't yet checked it out this year, go. Now. I'll wait. The bid for Stephen King's Danse Macabre is surprisingly low right now as is the African Safari six-night romantic vacation for two. Be sure to read the fine print. This offer excludes telephone and laundry-a romantic stretch for me. The laundry, not the phone. Seriously, from editor and agent evaluations of your manuscript to signed Aerosmith and Jonas Brothers guitars, there's something for everyone. Have fun browsing!



In other exciting news, aside from being a faithful Vortex reader, Kim Lenox's follow-up to her highly successful debut novel, Night Falls Darkly, hit shelves this week. So Still the Night is the second in her Shadow Guard series, which follows a shadowy order of immortals tasked with tracking down and reclaiming the most evil and depraved mortal souls. I became such a shameless fangirl after book one that So Still the Night has screeched to the forefront of my to-be-read pile for the weekend. Kim's stories are filled with the dark, rich history of true crimes that plagued Victorian London, unforgettable Alpha heroes, steampunk elements and gifted prose. Visit the Silk & Shadows blog and comment before midnight tonight for a chance to win a free copy. You knew there was a reason you had Vortex on feed, right?

Today, I thought I'd share some of the titles in my absurdly large reading pile. Normally, I don't have more than one book going at a time. My mistake was succumbing to the temptation to read just the first paragraph, okay-the first page, holy crap-is it dinner time? So, this weekend, after Kim's book, here's the lineup:
























Notice how physics completely balances out the Smart Bitches humor? And Peter Abraham's young adult novels were my reward for finishing edits. LOVE him like Stephen King does, I do.

What are you reading?