Jeanette Lewis's Blog, page 13

Tin Foil Tiaras — Song Contest Entries

Hi everyone. Happy 4th of July weekend!

I’ve already announced this in my newsletter, but here’s the recap…

We are picking a love song for Kyle and Cameron from Tin Foil Tiaras. I usually come up with a song for my couples while I’m writing, but this one eluded me. So you get to do it. Here are the rules:

1. You can enter up to five songs max.

2. Entries must be received by July 31, 2015.

3. I will put all the suggestions into a poll hosted on this site and voting will go through August 10.

4. The song with the highest number of votes wins and whoever submitted it will get the gift card.

5. If more than one person submits the winning song, I’ll hold a random drawing for the gift card … or maybe we’ll do two or three cards.

6. Submit entries either by posting in the comments here, my author page on Facebook, or emailing them to authorjeanettelewis@gmail.com.

Thanks!

FYI: In case you’re wondering, Wade and April from Feels Like Love do have a song — Broken, by Lifehouse. Not the most happily-ever-after, I admit, but it just felt right when I was writing their story.

Also, don’t forget to check out Skyriders, my new YA adventure novella.

Just released – Skyriders!

I’m so excited to release Skyriders, my newest Young Adult novella and the first book in a planned trilogy. Skyriders is the story of Ary, a teenage Skyrider who lives with her family high in the cliffs of Mount Ellyd where the wind currents are strong and riding is easy – for everyone but Ary.

Let’s get one thing straight right off. We’re not fairies; we’re Skyriders. Fairies live in the valley; we live in the mountains. Fairies have multicolored wings that stream fairy dust; our wings are pure white, and the only thing streaming off them are ice crystals when we ride so high the morning dew becomes frozen diamond drops.

Up there, the mountains look like wrinkles and the forests are smudges. The air is sharp and the clouds are brittle, like spun sugar. The cold bites our cheeks and the wind whips our hair as we turn into it, gauging the speed and the lift. We angle our wings to catch the current; then the wind takes over and we are riding. Swooping, spinning, turning, and dancing. There’s nothing like it … so I hear.

Go here to get Skyriders from Amazon

Go here to read an excerpt from Skyriders

Excerpt from Skyriders

The Crystal Caves are open to everyone and the schools even take field trips here. But I’ve never been, because no one can carry me this high. No one but …

Cael is across the chamber, wandering around with his hands clasped behind his back. He lives here; he can come to the cave anytime he wants. This trip is specifically for me.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” My voice bounces and echoes around the room.

He turns and raises one eyebrow. “Why shouldn’t I be nice to you?”

“Well, you should,” I say. “But there’s nice and then there’s nice.”

He comes toward me. “So which one is this?” he asks in a slightly husky voice.

I’ve forgotten how to breathe. The crystals throw rainbows of light across his face, and I can see them reflected in his gray eyes as he comes even closer.

“This is nice, definitely,” I squeak.

My heart is hammering crazy fast, and then gets even faster when he leans down and softly brushes his lips across mine.

I tremble, and then he kisses me again and I’m kissing him back and I forget everything else except for the feel of his mouth on mine. His arms slide around my waist and mine are around his neck and I discover his hair is exactly as silky as I’d imagined.

Go here to get Skyriders from Amazon

Excerpt from Tin Foil Tiaras

Tin Foil Tiaras

A Snow Valley Romance

by: Jeanette Lewis (All rights reserved)

“Careful of the mud,” he said, pointing at the low spot ahead where water had pooled, creating a large mud puddle across the trail.

The banks on either side of the puddle weren’t high, but they were steep and covered with long grass. Annalisa and Josh were picking their way along the edge and Cameron could see the mud creeping up over the soles of their shoes.

“I’ll be so ticked if I ruin these,” she moaned, holding out a sequin-clad foot.

“You and your shoes,” Kyle said with a light chuckle. He turned his back. “C’mon, I’ll piggyback you.”

“Ah …” He was much bigger than she was and he was obviously strong, but she’d always been self-conscious about not being a stick.

“What’s wrong, afraid I’ll drop you?” he teased.

“No, but I’m not exactly light …”

“Oh brother,” he bent his knees and held his arms out to his sides. “C’mon, jump.”

Her throat felt dry as she put her arms on his shoulders and gave a small leap. His hands clamped behind her knees as he straightened, seemingly without any effort.

“Hold on,” he instructed.

Cameron didn’t need to be told. She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to choke him. His hair tickled her nose and smelled like shampoo and his shoulders were warm and muscled under her arms.

Kyle maneuvered around the mud and she prepared for him to stop and set her down, but he didn’t. He kept going, walking easily down the trail with her on his back.

“Uh … you can put me down now,” she finally said.

“Yeah, I could,” he agreed … and kept walking.

“We’re over the mud, thank you very much,” she didn’t really want him to put her down, but it seemed polite to suggest it.

“Okay,” he said … and kept walking.

“Now you’re just showing off,” she muttered good-naturedly and he threw her a grin over his shoulder.

“Yup.”

She tightened her arms slightly and her heart leapt when she felt him squeeze her knees in return.

Oh yes, taking the day off had definitely been a good idea.

Gift Card Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us out yesterday. The winner of the gift card is Lisa Banks Bennett!

We will be holding more promos and contests so check back. And don’t forget, when Tin Foil Tiaras comes out as a separate title on July 15, I’ll be holding a contest to pick Kyle and Cameron’s love song.

Give us a Boost and Win a $25 Gift Card!

Release week has been amazing, thank you all so much for the incredible response  I just found out, we have a shot at hitting New York Times best-seller lists!! Wheee!! But — I need your help to keep the momentum going. If you can help, we’ll add you to the raffle for a $25 Amazon gift card going on TODAY only.

What we need is:

Likes, Facebook Shares, Tweets, email blasts, pins on Pinterest, Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble—whatever vendor you use.

If you have two secs and can help do any or all of the above, then come back and let me know what you did and you’ll be entered into the raffle for each one!

And we’ll announce a winner tonight at 9pm MST

Thank you!!

Tin Foil Tiaras

My story in the Summer in Snow Valley set is called Tin Foil Tiaras. I really had fun writing this one because I’m a dramatic kind of girl who loves fancy gowns and tiaras and sparkly things. I even got to buy my own tiara and yes, I totally did wear it while I was writing. It’s for research, you know.

Synopsis

Cameron Elliott has come to Snow Valley to coach Annalisa Drake in the Miss Snow Valley pageant, and prove to her demanding boss that she deserves a place at the prestigious Westbrooke Agency. But Annalisa’s handsome and protective big brother, Kyle, is determined to keep his sister from becoming a reluctant beauty queen. Kyle insists some things are more valuable than a title and as crazy as it sounds, Cameron might just believe him.

Excerpt

Careful of the mud,” he said, pointing at the low spot ahead where water had pooled, creating a large mud puddle across the trail.

The banks on either side of the puddle weren’t high, but they were steep and covered with long grass. Annalisa and Josh were picking their way along the edge and Cameron could see the mud creeping up over the soles of their shoes.

“I’ll be so ticked if I ruin these,” she moaned, holding out a sequin-clad foot.

“You and your shoes,” Kyle said with a light chuckle. He turned his back. “C’mon, I’ll piggyback you.”

“Ah …” He was much bigger than she was and he was obviously strong, but she’d always been self-conscious about not being a stick.

“What’s wrong, afraid I’ll drop you?” he teased.

“No, but I’m not exactly light …”

“Oh brother,” he bent his knees and held his arms out to his sides. “C’mon, jump.”

Her throat felt dry as she put her arms on his shoulders and gave a small leap. His hands clamped behind her knees as he straightened, seemingly without any effort.

“Hold on,” he instructed.

Cameron didn’t need to be told. She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to choke him. His hair tickled her nose and smelled like shampoo and his shoulders were warm and muscled under her arms.

Kyle maneuvered around the mud and she prepared for him to stop and set her down, but he didn’t. He kept going, walking easily down the trail with her on his back.

“Uh … you can put me down now,” she finally said.

“Yeah, I could,” he agreed … and kept walking.

“We’re over the mud, thank you very much,” she didn’t really want him to put her down, but it seemed polite to suggest it.

“Okay,” he said … and kept walking.

“Now you’re just showing off,” she muttered good-naturedly and he threw her a grin over his shoulder.

“Yup.”

She tightened her arms slightly and her heart leapt when she felt him squeeze her knees in return.

Oh yes, taking the day off had definitely been a good idea.

You can buy Tin Foil Tiaras as part of the Summer in Snow Valley box set and it will be released as a separate title on July 15. But the whole set is on sale now for only $0.99 so don’t miss the great deal. Go here to get it.

You can also get info on my next book, Skyriders, here.

Catching Caytie, by Cindy Roland Anderson

I have to admit, I’m jealous of Cindy’s shoes. Her book covers always have the most awesome shoes. The cover for Cindy’s Snow Valley romance, Catching Caytie, isn’t finished yet so I can’t post it here. But I’m sure it will be fabulous and rumor is it’s got a killer pair of cowboy boots.

Synopsis

To escape being trapped in an unwanted marriage, Caytie Holbrook hides out at her uncle’s ranch in Snow Valley, Montana. She intends to stay long enough to inherit a trust fund her grandmother left and then move to Italy…that is until she meets Jace McAllister, an incredibly sexy—although somewhat grumpy—cowboy who threatens to disrupt her plans

Excerpt

Jace suddenly appeared in the doorway. The baseball cap he wore didn’t hide the concern etched on his face. “What’s going on?”

Ilene twisted the corner of her apron in her hands. “I think I pushed him too hard.” She visibly paled when Kellen slammed a door shut.

“Want me to go talk to him?” Jace asked.

“No, honey.” Ilene looked toward the kitchen. “I better go do it. I need to apologize.”

Ilene glanced over at Caytie. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Kellen has always been such a sweet boy.”

“He’s hurting.” Caytie offered her a smile. “For the record, I’d bid on Kellen.”

Jace’s eyebrows shot up. “Pardon me?”

Ilene laughed. “I’ll let Caytie explain. She can tell you all about it while you eat dinner. Your plate is in the fridge.” She moved across the floor and said, “By the way, Jace, I’m counting on your help with the ladies auxiliary fundraiser at Founder’s Day next week.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

“That’s the spirit,” Ilene said. “With your good looks, you’ll bring in a lot of money.”

“What?” Jace asked.

Ilene kept her back to them and waved her hand. “Ask Caytie.”

She disappeared through the door, leaving Caytie and Jace alone. He looked at her expectantly. “Well?”

She sized him up, not sure if she liked him better in a cowboy hat or a baseball hat. “Remember, don’t shoot the messenger.”

“Geez, am I gonna be as ticked as Kellen?” He took off his ball cap and ran a hand through his hair.

Probably. “That all depends on how you feel about auctions.”

His chocolate colored eyes looked confused. “As long as no one is trying to sell my favorite horse, I like them fine.”

“Great,” she said, passing by him on her way toward the kitchen. “Your horse isn’t going to be auctioned off. You are.”

About Cindy

Cindy Roland Anderson is the bestselling author of clean, contemporary romance filled with humor, romantic tension and some pretty great kissing scenes. Cindy has a degree in nursing, and worked in the NICU until she recently retired to write full time. She loves to bake, not cook (there is a difference!) and enjoys spending time with her family.

Cindy is lucky to be married to her best friend John. They live in Northern Utah and are parents to five incredible children. Over the past few years their family has expanded by adding a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and four adorable grandchildren. Cindy loves to read, almost as much as she loves writing. And she loves chocolate—probably a little too much.

Fun Facts

Cindy has won a few things on the radio, like $5000 dollars when they were poor college students, and a trip to Mazatlan when Oliver North, a family friend to her in-laws, called the radio station to win the contest for who knew the most famous person.

Cindy once chased down a criminal in downtown Washington DC when she discovered he had just broken into several cars, including her mother-in-law’s. When the DC cops asked her what she was going to do with the guy if she’d caught him, she told them she wasn’t sure but wanted to tell him how wrong stealing was. That made them laugh, and one of them good-naturedly suggested her naivety might have something to do with where she was from as he pointed to the “I’m from Utah” T-shirt she had on. Incidentally, they also thanked her since the thief dropped two of the duffel bags he’d stolen out of one car in order to get away from the Utah woman chasing after him.

Visit Cindy’s Website for more info.

Summer in Snow Valley comes out tomorrow! Get your copy here while it’s on sale for only $0.99.

Romancing Rebecca, by Kimberly Montpetit

Out of all the Summer in Snow Valley stories, Kimberly’s story, Romancing Rebecca, intersects the most closely with mine. My main character, Cameron, stays at her B&B. We had several late night email sessions where we discussed things like whether Aunt Rayna would serve pancakes or waffles at breakfast and whether Cameron’s bedroom would have a brass bed. (Answer to both questions: Yes!)

Synopsis

Rebecca Dash loved spending her teen summers swooning over Jane Austin and helping her aunt at the Starry Skies Bed & Breakfast in Snow Valley. But as a recent college grad, she’d rather write sappy romance novels than go out with guys that make her a nervous wreck. When a team of fire-fighters set up camp on the lawns of the B&B and Captain Wade catches her eye, Becca soon learns that there’s more to a happily-ever-after than a flirty firemen with muscles the size of the Montana hills.

Excerpt

Becca’s eyes flew open and her heart thumped, as if she’d been startled awake. Had she been dreaming or was it just the backfire of a car going by on their road? That didn’t make sense. Starry Skies Bed & Breakfast was at the end of the road.

The rumble of a vehicle grew louder. Like it was right next to her window.

Lights flashed over the side yard. Several big diesel engine trucks with extended cabs—and a fire truck pulled into the small dirt parking lot. A bunch of drunk guys off-roading at two a.m.?

Becca threw a jacket over her pajamas and headed into the kitchen. Headlights shone through the plate glass windows like beacons. She shot a glance upward, but the stairs and landing were quiet. Hopefully the noise from the trucks wouldn’t bring them irritated guests in the morning.

By the time she reached the opposite hallway Aunt Rayna was opening the door. “What’s all the ruckus, darlin’? Don’t they know we have to fix breakfast?” Even woken from a dead sleep, Rayna had a sense of humor. All Becca wanted to do was strangle a few truck drivers.

And what were fire trucks doing out here anyway?

“Maybe we should call the police?” Becca suggested. It suddenly occurred to her that if there were five trucks or more they were sorely outnumbered. “Nobody is naturally pleasant in the middle of the night.”

She cupped her hands and stared through the window. Men wearing big heavy yellow coats and boots were unloading from the trucks. Taking off their very distinctive hats. Firemen hats. Faces blackened by soot. Before Becca could protest, her aunt yanked open the door and marched out into the chilly night in her slippers and billowing purple robe.

“Oh, drats!” Becca exclaimed. She should have pulled on some jeans. Combed her hair. There were men—young men—swarming all over their yard.

Tall men. Chiseled men. Despite the dirt and soot on their faces, their awkward fire-fighting uniforms, they were all rugged and handsome and too cute for words.

Becca pulled her robe tighter just as Aunt Rayna waggled her eyebrows. “Aunt Rayna! No shameless flirting in the middle of the night!”

“Rebecca Dash, just go with it. Have some fun.”

“My flirting skills are lacking even when I’m well rested and well fed.”

About Kimberly

Award-winning author, Kimberley Montpetit (AKA Kimberley Griffiths Little) once spent all her souvenir money at the La Patisserie shops when she was in Paris—on the arm of her adorable husband. The author grew up in San Francisco, but currently lives in a small town along the Rio Grande with her big, messy family.

Kimberley reads a book a day and loves to travel. She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland, sailed the Seine in Paris, swam in the ocean at Cannes, ridden a camel among the glorious cliffs of Petra, shopped the maze of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Fun Facts

Kimberley loves to belly dance and once performed a tribal dance in a coffee house with her husband and three teenage sons in the audience. The group dance became a solo when the other dancers didn’t show. You can often find her shimmying while doing the dishes. A die-hard lover of chocolate, Kimberley can eat a whole pan of brownies in a single day and loves ketchup on her spaghetti. It’s a childhood thing.

Visit Kimberly’s Website for more info.

Summer in Snow Valley is on sale now. Six great romances for only $0.99! Go here to purchase from Amazon.

Love in Light and Shadow, by Lucy McConnell

Love in Light and Shadow is Lucy’s contribution to the Summer in Snow Valley Set. I got to proofread her manuscript when it was in the final stages and I loved the way she used light and shadow imagery throughout. The characters are fun and there is some pretty great chemistry between them. It’s definitely a fun summer read.

Synopsis

Mercedes O’Shay has sworn off gorgeous men because they have a tendency to break her heart. When she meets her new neighbor, Chet Bauer, she immediately puts him in the Do Not Date category based on his well-defined muscles and stunning blue eyes. But the more Mercedes learns about the cowboy who reads classics and forges iron, the more she realizes the heart doesn’t see in black and white; it sees light and shadows.

Excerpt

Mercedes looked at the freshly mowed grass. Having an English teacher for a father, Mercedes had been raised on a steady diet of classic and contemporary fiction. She was about to ask Chet what types of books he read, when Whitney raised her hand and called toward the children at the buffet table, “Honey, don’t use that much dressing!” She let go of Chet’s arm and sprinted away. “Excuse me,” she said over her shoulder.

Chet stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded toward the buffet table. “Sawyer has a history.”

Whitney pulled a bottle away from a younger version of herself.

“When he was four, he drank an entire bottle of ranch dressing.”

“Yuck.” Mercedes pressed her hand to her stomach. “When I was two, I ate a stick of butter.”

Chet grinned. “The inside of a pumpkin pie.”

“That’s not so bad—it’s the best part.”

“Before it was cooked,” he said with a triumphant grin. “Licked it up like runny ice cream.”

“Ugh!” Mercedes stuck her tongue out.

They chuckled.

“So, no one gets your name?” Chet asked.

Her shoulders fell. “They all think I’m named after the car.”

“The car was named after Daimler’s favorite niece, so even if you were, technically you’d be named after a girl who captured her uncle’s heart.”

Mercedes’s insides went all gooey. She tipped her head, studying him. This was exactly the type of line that had her dropping her defenses around men. Okay, not that good of a line. No one had ever known that little factoid. She glared just over Chet’s shoulder, working to keep the flutters in her tummy in check.

Chet took a step back. “My family’s always teasing me about knowing useless facts. Usually I censor them better. That one snuck past me.”

Mercedes felt bad. She should censor herself, not him. “I liked it. What else have you got?”

Chet scratched under his chin. “Did you know the same guy who led the attack on the Alamo invented chewing gum?”

“You’re making that up.”

“I’m serious.”

“What else?”

Chet blinked. “Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.”

“And?”

“Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.”

“No sir!”

“And grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.”

She lifted her hand. “That one would be worth testing.”

“Did it.”

“What happened?”

“I had to clean the microwave.”

Laughing, Mercedes asked, “Where were you when I had to go to all those stuffy dinner parties with my parents?”

Chet motioned for her to sit and scooted another chair closer.

Mercedes found herself relaxing a smidge because of Chet’s easy way. He moved with the grace of a man who used his body, knew what it was capable of, and was comfortable in his skin. She also liked that he wasn’t ashamed to be seen in work clothes. Most of the guys she’d dated would have run into the house and not come out until they were all decked out. She could handle talking to him.

Just. Talking.

They were going to be neighbors, after all.

About Lucy

Lucy McConnell has always been a reader and a writer. Once caught up in a story, she disappears into a cave until the first draft is done. She writes fantasy, clean romance, Christian romance, historical fiction, and cookbooks (under the name Christina Dymock). When she’s not writing, you can find Lucy volunteering at the elementary school or church; shuttling kids to baseball, soccer, basketball, or football, depending on the time of year; skiing with her family; wakeboarding; cycling; baking; cooking; or curled up with a good book.

Fun Facts

Though she grew up in Utah, Lucy didn’t take up skiing until she was 32. It still scares her to look down a steep grade, but since her kids are usually half way down the hill before she gets up the nerve to push off, she has no choice but to suck it up and do her best. She watches a horrendous amount of Christmas movies and DVRs them so she can watch them in the middle of the summer too. Lucy bakes…a lot! But, she swears chocolate desserts come out better when mixed with a little Elvis Presley music. It’s totally true; you should try it.

Visit Lucy’s Website for more info.

And don’t forget, the whole Summer in Snow Valley set is on sale now for only $0.99!

Get your copy here!