January 17, 2017

Interview with Author Brittney Joy #BookSpotLight #AuthorSpotlight


Cowboy boots have always been Brittney's shoe of choice. An animal lover to the core, her parents didn't know what they were signing up for when they put her in a summer horse camp at the age of ten. She was hooked. The horse bug bit her. Hard.
Horses quickly became her true passion. At twelve Brittney started working at a local stable, cleaning stalls and leading trail rides. At thirteen her parents finally broke down and bought her a horse – a spunky bay grade mare named Austie. Brittney grew up on Austie’s back and, when it came time to go to college, she packed her mare along too.
Brittney and her family now live in their own piece of heaven in the Oregon countryside. They stay busy with their menagerie of silly horses, cackling chickens, wooly sheep, and one very naughty goat. When Brittney isn’t writing, she’s riding or reading. And she wishes she could do all three at the same time.


What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?:
I actually have a full time job – I work in sales in the pet/equine industry (which is a fun industry!), but hope to make writing my full time gig one day. However, if I never got into writing, I would have loved to be a horse trainer. I actually trained horses to pay my bills during college and I currently have two very spoiled horses now. BUT, I could definitely have a barn full of ponies to play with all day long.

Do you have a certain writing ritual?:
I think the only thing consistent about my writing is that I try to do it as much as possible. Most of the time, I like to curl up in my office armchair, light a candle (different scents for different moods/writing), and close the door to the outside world (except for my dog, Lucy – she’s always curled up beside me). However, I write whenever and wherever I can. I write at the kitchen counter while dinner is cooking. I write on the deck when the summer evenings are warm & long. I write in my local coffee shop when I need a change of scenery and some distraction (I can’t always write around people/noise). I travel for my “real” job so I am often writing on planes, in airports, and in hotel rooms. My most consistent ritual is that I try to write every day – whether that’s one sentence, a few pages, or just pondering a scene.

Do you read others reviews of your books?:
I do. I actually love reading reviews – especially those that are specific as to what they really enjoyed about a story. And, if I get a negative review, I remind myself that everyone has their own personal tastes. I’ve read many best-selling books that I didn’t particularly like – but that doesn’t mean the writing wasn’t fabulous or that other people didn’t enjoy the story. 

Favorite color:
Purple! If you look at my website this will become obvious. ;)

Fictional character you’d like to spend the day with:
Marlena from Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” – I’m fascinated by circuses and I really loved this story! Maybe I could join Marlena for a circus act and perform with the horses?? That’d be AMAZING … just keep her crazy hubby away from me. 

Favorite Food:
Does wine count? Also, Reese’s peanut butter cups and anything with cheese.

Favorite song/singer:
I’m obsessed with all things Taylor Swift! Her lyrics and songs have so much emotion wrapped up in them. Basically, I can only hope that I write with the same emotional strength that Taylor Swift injects into her songs.

Guilty pleasure:
Any and all TV shows related to The Bachelor! I countdown the days to each new season of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise! I am also enthralled with reality TV and can’t get enough Real Housewives (Beverly Hills & New York are my faves), Vanderpump Rules, or The Voice. My Netflix guilty pleasures are Fuller House & Gilmore Girls. Also, Reese’s peanut butter cups. YUM. 



Sixteen year old Lucy Rose is spending her first summer away from home and she has two things on her mind: an abandoned, violent horse and a blue-eyed cowboy. Only neither is hers. 

Lucy has never attracted much attention from boys, but she can’t seem to ignore her blue-eyed co-worker, Casey Parker. A true cowboy, Lucy becomes enthralled by his gentle way with the horses at the Red Rock Ranch. However, she is very aware that Taylor Johnson, rodeo queen extraordinaire, already has her spurs in him. And, there’s no crossing Taylor.

. . . Not until a mysterious horse appears on the ranch and pushes Lucy and Casey together. The two are willing to do anything to save the black gelding that doesn’t want a thing to do with them . . . or the human race. But, every step forward with the broken animal makes Lucy fall harder – for him and for Casey
.

****

Taylor and Lucy mesh together like a tight cinch and a broncy horse – an explosion waiting to happen.
. . . Blonde and sassy, Taylor Johnson is used to guys falling at her feet. Blue ribbons always come easy. And, dropping a grand on new cowboy boots and a pair of chaps is the norm. So why does the new stablehand keep getting under Taylor’s skin?
. . . A newbie to Red Rock Ranch, Lucy Rose is comfortable in a ponytail and jeans. Her makeup routine consists of a dirt smudge and chapstick. And, if she had her choice, she’d spend every minute with her beloved horse Chance . . . and far away from Taylor, the rodeo princess in need of an attitude adjustment.
But, in a twist neither saw coming, Taylor and Lucy are forced to work together. Will they play nice? Or will their summer at Red Rock Ranch go out in a bang?


****


Two Girls. One Kingdom. No way out.
Nova Hart knows nothing of Sterling, the kingdom she was born in. She has never been exposed to strict rules, a controlling monarchy, or black magic. So when Nova and her Dad travel back to Sterling to rescue her recently orphaned cousin, she quickly understands why her family packed up and left Sterling sixteen years ago - before Nova could crawl. Stunned by the way magic is used to control the kingdom, Nova is ready to leave the second she arrives, but what she doesn’t know may stop her. Inside the boundaries of Sterling, Nova is being watched, hunted - for a power she’s not sure she has.
Princess Jade has never stepped foot outside the castle, bound by its walls for protection as she’s the sole heir to the throne – and the magic that comes with it. But the Queen’s not ready to give up her royal status. Not now. Not ever. Queen Katrina sees Jade as a hurdle, rather than her legacy. And Jade has started to wonder if the castle walls are truly there to keep her safe.
Fighting for freedom against a queen that wants to crush them both, Nova and Jade are forced to discover their own powers as their separate lives become intertwined by Chael, a royal guard with secrets of his own. But does Chael have the knowledge to help them break free of the queen, or is he using them both to secure his own agenda?






No comments:

Post a Comment