Michigan Author Spotlight With Jennifer Lowery

                Day three of the Michigan Author Spotlight continues with Jennifer Lowery today.  

Hi Kelli and all you fabulous readers out there *waves* Thank you so much for having me today!  

 

We’re so glad to have you! Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself:

I’m a wife of twenty-one years to a fabulous man and mother of two teenagers! We live in a small town in Michigan and love it. My son is in college, my daughter will be a freshman in high school. I write full time now after quitting my job as a Respiratory Therapist (after 13 years). Yep, it was time to follow my dream and do what I love the most! And I’m so happy I did! 

Good for you! Are you published?  

Yep! I have three books published now:

Hard Core, October 8, 2012, Lyrical Press

The Treasure, January 28, 2013, Crimson Romance

Murphy’s Law, March 4, 2013, Lyrical Press

The Maze, coming March 2014, Lyrical Press

Taking Chances, November 3, 2012, self-published short story
Are you available in print? In eBook?

All my books are available in eBook. Hard Core is available in print.

I’ve read Hard Core and loved it! Seriously. So I know what you write but why don’t you share with everyone?  

Romantic Suspense/Military Romance. And she’s good!
Are you originally from Michigan or just residing here now? Born and raised here J

We know you are a Michigan Author but do you consider yourself a “Michigan Author”? Do your stories take place in Michigan, generally?

Many of my stories take place in Michigan.

Do you create fictitious Michigan towns? If so are they ever based on actual towns? 
I create fictitious towns, but they are always based on actual places.

Tell us a bit about your work - could be your latest work or the work that most predominately features Michigan.

In my book, The Treasure, Amelia is from Cedar Falls, Michigan. A fictional town that features a restaurant similar to one in the town I grew up in. I actually had one of my friends from high school read the book and email me when they recognized it. It was very cool.

Here’s the blurb from The Treasure:

Amelia Sawyer is looking for adventure outside her ordinary life. She hires bush pilot Brody Kern to fly her into the South American jungle, expecting a dashing, debonair version of Indiana Jones, but Amelia butts heads with the brooding, gruff man.

 

Brody Kern, former Air Force fighter pilot, doesn’t need another Sawyer determined to find the elusive Paraíso.  People had been hurt or killed trying to find the mysterious place, including Amelia’s aunt, but Brody’s business partner has cleaned out their account and taken off with the money. Now Jeremy’s bookie is breathing down Brody’s neck, threatening to break his kneecaps, or worse, if he doesn’t pay his friend’s gambling debts.   

 

As Brody and Amelia hunt down the treasure with every criminal in the area wanting a piece, will it be the adventure of a lifetime—or will it result in heartbreaking betrayal?  

 

Sensuality Level: Sensual

 

Here’s an excerpt from The Treasure:

Copyright 2013, Jennifer Lowery

All rights reserved, Crimson Romance.

 

The door to the hangar flew open. Brody popped his head out. “Miss Sawyer, we have to go. Right now. Move it.”

Not the words she wanted to hear, but his tone and the red welt on his cheek got her moving. Clutching her bags like a shield, she hurried toward the hangar, tripping only once in her rush to see what happened.

She stumbled through the door. “What happened?” she asked, staring at the crumpled body of Mr. Newton and another man she didn’t recognize on the floor.

Brody, who was throwing side panels on the plane, barked, “Get in the plane.”

“That plane?” Getting in the red and white piece of tin didn’t sound like a good idea. The plane looked even less reliable than his Land Rover. And wasn’t that an engine part lying on the floor beside his toolbox?

"She’ll run fine.” Brody ran around to the other side of the plane, obviously to finish his hasty repair and put his plane back together. “Now, get the hell in.”

 Mr. Newton groaned.

 “I’m not sure about this,” she said. “What did you do to them?”

 “Nothing they didn’t invite.”

 In other words, he wasn’t going to tell her.

 “If you don’t get in this plane right now, then our friends there are going to wake up and they aren’t going to be happy. They want the map, Miss Sawyer, and I have no intention of giving it to them. Do you?”

 Amelia shook her head, looking at the two men who were beginning to stir. “Okay, okay.” She hurried toward the plane. “You’re giving me answers to your change of heart just as soon as we get out of here, Brody Kern.”

 He opened the door for her, took her bags and tossed them in the back, then lifted her in the front seat before he slammed the door closed. Once he was in the seat next to her, he brought the plane to life. It choked and sputtered before gaining power.

 Reaching over her shoulder, she put on a seatbelt as Brody maneuvered the plane out of the hangar and onto the runway, which was nothing more than a cleared path through the jungle. The plane bounced and shook as they gained speed. It was nothing like the jet she flew in on. Nothing at all.

 She had loved the plane ride over. Loved flying the second she set foot on the jet. Maybe because it was the official start of her adventure, but either way, it was more fun than this. Safer, for sure. Brody’s plane sounded like a tank rattling down the road and it rode like one too. And she thought his Land Rover was bad. It felt like riding in a tin can with seats. Very close quarters. Every time they hit a bump, her shoulder hit Brody’s.

 “Are we going fast enough?” Amelia asked, worried they would hit the end of the runway before they gained enough speed. “Do you know how to fly this thing?”

 Brody didn’t answer, just concentrated on his task. He seemed confident enough with his hands on the oddly shaped steering wheel and his eyes watching the many dials. She had one of the funny shaped wheels on her side too, but she didn’t touch it. It moved with Brody’s so she let him have it.

 Nerves pounding, heart pumping, Amelia held on for dear life as they barreled down the runway. Frightened and excited, she watched the runway get shorter. Her life was in Brody’s hands and somehow that exhilarated her. Trees rushed past, her heart raced.

 They were almost at the end of the path. Trees loomed ahead, tall and unyielding, creating a barrier. Amelia gripped the seat in anticipation.

 They weren’t going to make it.

 

This sounds so good! I need to buy it and so do you...

Buy The Treasure:

Crimson Romance ebooks | Amazon | B&N | iTunes

 

 

You said you set your books in Michigan, is it because of that old adage “Write what you know” or is it something else?

I think I set my books in Michigan because I think it so cool when I pick up a book that is written in Michigan because I actually live there, lol!

What is your favorite thing about Michigan? The lakes and the cooler weather.

Okay now some just for fun questions …

Salt Water Taffy or Mackinaw Island Fudge: Mackinaw Island Fudge
The Island or the city: Island-I worked there for a summer after I graduated High School!

That sounds like fun!
Trolls VS. Yoopers – your vote: Trolls Your favorite Michigan Season:  Fall Michigan or Michigan State: Michigan
Football or Hockey: Hockey Me too!
Your favorite Michigan City: Frankenmuth because Bronner’s is there and I love Christmas! Your favorite Michigan Lake: Lake Michigan
Your favorite Michigan Hideaway: School Section Lake
Too funny. My Grandparents used to take me here as a kid all the time.
Paradise or Hell: Paradise
What’s your favorite Michigan Highway : I-96
Favorite Michigan tourist activity: Visiting the lighthouses

And finally what’s next for you?

I am working on a Christmas anthology with two fabulous authors, titled, Christmas in Camouflage that will be released November 1^st! Mine features a Navy SEAL and is so much fun to write! I just love Christmas stories!

I am also preparing a requested submission for an editor from Sourcebooks!! Big Squee on that one! I am also writing a proposal on the series that goes along with the full she requested because she wanted to hear about that too! I’ve been walking on air since that request J

And on the back burner is Book #2 in my Onyx Group/mercenary series which is the sequel to Hard Core. And Book #2 in my Sawyer Sisters Trilogy which will be the sequel to The Treasure.

Yep! Need more hours in the day, lol.

Oh my goodness! So much going on! So many things to celebrate! Congratulations Jennifer and thanks so much for coming and hanging out with me today.

 

Thank you for having me today, Kelli!! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support! 
All my best, 
Jennifer

Find Jennifer:

Author Website   Facebook   Twitter   Romance Recipes