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Rock Radio

Rock Radio

by Lisa Wainland
Fiction - Chick Lit
417 Pages
Reviewed on 04/08/2013
Buy on Amazon

Author Biography

For as long as I can remember I have always loved books...and music.
I was lucky to combine my two loves working in radio. The first time I spoke into the mic, I was bitten by the radio bug and never looked back. It was the '90s and Florida was a hotbed of new rock bands. Creed. Limp Bizkit. Matchbox Twenty. Sister Hazel. Such a great time to be in radio as music evolved from neon to plaid and rock ruled the airwaves.
Rock Radio was inspired by this amazing time. Writing the book was a fun journey back. I wanted to take readers into the exciting and scandalous world of radio, follow the rise of a rock star with a dark past and tell the story of the passion and heartbreak that go with it all. With the best music of the ‘90s as a soundtrack, the story unfolded. Jonny, Dana and Cody were born and the rest, as they say, is...Rock Radio.
Lisa Wainland has spent over twenty years in radio. When she's not writing, she does voiceovers for radio and television. She lives in Florida with her family.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Rebecca McLeod for Readers' Favorite

"Rock Radio" is the story of an era, where unassailable personalities rule the airwaves, but behind the glass, things aren’t so pretty. Jonny Rock, the station’s main dj, can’t seem to keep his hands off the pretty interns; Dana Drew, the rock and roll kitten of many men’s fantasies, just wants a white picket fence and coordinating husband; and the gorgeous rock star, Cody Blue, is hiding from his dark childhood memories and searching for true love. Together they pursue their dreams, some of which will end in heartbreak and others in danger. The nail-biting climax of the story will have you on the edge of the seat, hoping that the good guys win.

"Rock Radio" allows you to immerse yourself in the fast-paced world of radio in the 90s so thoroughly that you may have trouble emerging again! This is the kind of engrossing literature that makes you forget everything but the story. Don’t start it right before bed, or you’ll be staying up late! The characters are memorable, from the rock dj with the wandering eye to the stalker super-fan who pushes things too far. It had me hanging on until the very last page. Lisa Wainland is to be commended for her writing and I hope she follows it up with something else. It is richly descriptive and full of industry terms and little tricks that show you the inside of the radio business in the 90s when rock was king.

Maria Beltran

Dana Drew is a popular disc jockey at WORR, a Miami rock station and the time is the late 1990's. Her boyfriend Sam suddenly dumps her and her life is turned upside down. Johnny Rock is the womanizing DJ at the same station and he is having an affair with Heather, an intern in the station and this affair will prove to be more than he can chew. Cody Blue Smith, on the other hand, is an emerging vocal artist whose difficult childhood haunts him. And then there is Larry whose obsession on Dana drives him to commit a crime. These characters are the main protagonists in the novel "Rock Radio". This is a story that is set at a time when disc jockeys ruled the world of music and it gives us a glimpse of the world behind the DJ's booth.

Fast-paced and exciting, "Rock Radio" is a story that gives us a glimpse of the swinging disc jockey scene of the 1990's. For those who belong to this era, it is a nostalgic look at a time when satellite radio, i Pods and mp3s were still unheard of. It is obviously a world that the author Lisa Wainland is very familiar with. Throughout most of the book, the reader gets to know the turbulence in Dana and Johnny's personal life as they continue to do their duties as popular disc jockeys in Florida. Behind the glittering facade are humans who have their share of trials and tribulations but the show must go on. This is the same with Cody, whose popularity cannot heal the childhood scars that have marred him for life. Coincidence plays a big role in this narrative and perhaps life is like that and in the end it is love that conquers all.