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Saturday, January 06, 2018

Spotlight Saturday: Riley Jean


Welcome to Kira Adams' Spotlight Saturday! Every week I will be featuring a different author in the industry. Indie, trad, small press, etc. The point is to help get the word out about new authors and books they are releasing. Maybe you will find your next favorite author. Maybe you will find a story that will touch your soul. Maybe you will participate in the giveaway in hopes of winning a prize. Whatever the case may be, thank you for being here. 


This weeks featured author is Riley Jean.














• What inspired you to begin writing?
I started writing almost six years ago. It was just after I graduated college and got married. For the first time in forever, with no wedding to plan and no finals to study for, I had time to devote to my very own hobby. So, I rediscovered my love of reading. It quickly became an obsession. I devoured over 250 books that year. I lived and breathed words. Even my dreams were narrated. Naturally, my own creative juices started to flow.

I didn't set out to write a book. It was more like journaling. Thoughts about friendships, family, life lessons, grief. Sweet moments from the chaotic year that my husband and I first met. Because these days I can't remember why I walked into a room, and there are some memories I never want to forget :]

What began as a creative outlet to document my thoughts evolved into a cohesive story about angst, romance and coming of age that I was honored to share with the world!

• Who is your favorite author(s)?
Colleen Hoover and Amy Harmon. These women inspire me daily. Colleen with her community outreach and dry humor, and Amy with her humility and faith. Did I mention their unforgettable stories? "Slammed" and "Making Faces" are my all-time favorites!

• Do you have anything else in the works apart from your book/series?
Sadly, I am not like other authors that can whip out multiple masterpieces each year. (How do they do that?!) Or even balance writing and social media (FAIL). My first book took me three years to write, and I'm currently two years into my second. I'm SO excited for this one! It's the highly-anticipated spin off from my first book, titled "Lose Somebody." It follows Ricky Storm, a wandering artist who unknowingly meets a beautiful violin player moments before she goes missing. The next day when he recognizes her face on a flyer, he must retrace his steps, follow the clues, and ultimately battle with his own inner demons to save her. 

Meet Ricky Storm in Use Somebody, out now! And lookout for Lose Somebody in 2018!

• If you had to choose a fictional character from one of your books to have lunch with, who would it be and why?
Recently I've spent A TON of time in Ricky's head, so of course he springs to mind first. I find him fascinating. He traded in his tattoo gun and motorcycle to travel all over the country. He's seen sights, met people and lived a life on the edge that I secretly envy. If only I wasn't so... you know... conventional :]

But honestly, it makes me laugh to picture it... the two of us sharing a meal. Ricky's a bit rough around the edges, and I'm rather awkward. It takes a special leading lady (enter Giselle) to bring him out of his shell. We'd probably spend the time alternating between sitting quietly and me bringing up topics discreetly written on my hand while pretending not to be intimidated.

• What is the one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors? 
Write from the heart. Don't scribble out a trendy trope for the sole purpose of making money. Tell YOUR story. Be unique. Take your time. Polish. Readers will feel the difference.





One broken girl. One irresistible boy. Can he bring her back to the light, or will they both succumb to darkness?

For straitlaced Scarlett Rossi, college was supposed to be all about finding herself. But when a whirlwind romance goes tragically wrong, what she finds is much darker than expected. Reeling from the fallout, she returns home, lost, alone, and scarred. Determined to rebuild what was stolen that night, she embraces the fighter within.

With a heart of gold and a smile like the sun, Vance Holloway can light up any room. So when his charms are rejected by the new girl at work, his curiosity is piqued. Vance sees right through Scarlett's stubborn walls. And he'll stop at nothing to break them. Over ice cream, music, and a handful of moments, he slowly earns her trust. Finally Scarlett's found somebody safe... that is, until he falls in love.

So begins an explosive tryst of push and pull between one broken girl and one irresistible boy. Scarlett won't survive another heartbreak. Can their friendship survive a compromise?

Vance may be set on healing her heart, but he has no idea what he's up against. As her walls continue to crumble, grief looms and triggers resurface. Until both are faced with the heart-stopping truth: what really happened the night she swore she'd never love another man, and whose hands are stained with his blood?


Join Vance and Scarlett on this powerful journey of romance, mystery, and redemption.

Use Somebody is a full-length standalone novel.































Life has made me fearless, God has made me strong, and being married to my best friend has me laughing every single day. Sunny Southern California is where we call home. I enjoy scrapbooking, autumn sunsets, and surrounding myself with music and books. By day I am Pepper Potts: pencil skirt rockin’ executive assistant to a top leader at a Fortune 100 company. By night I am Riley Jean: reader, writer, rock star in disguise.






1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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