Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write young adult and clean romance novels. My first two books are part of the Snow Valley romance anthologies, Feels Like Love from Christmas in Snow Valley and Tin Foil Tiaras from Summer in Snow Valley. Skyriders is the first in a planned trilogy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Skyriders. I have always loved fantasy and wanted to create a world of my own. The Skyriders live high in the peaks of the mountains and are part of three tribes of riders — Skyriders, Waterriders, and Fireriders. As the names imply, they are able to fly using the combination of the elements and their specially shaped wings. Skyriders is the story of Ary, a teenager who wants more than anything to ride the wind, but for unknown reasons, she can’t. If she can’t learn soon, she will be forced to move to the Lowlands, leaving behind everything she knows and loves, including a budding romance with the mysterious Prince Cael.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to brainstorm in longhand and I use colored paper, my favorite is blue. I also usually chew gum when I’m writing (otherwise I’d eat way too much chocolate) and if I’m really into a scene, I forget everything else and can start popping my gum pretty loudly! I have to watch that if I’m writing somewhere in public, like the library.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I also love the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, Tolkien, (you can’t love fantasy and not be inspired by Tolkien), David Eddings, Suzanne Collins and of course, J.K. Rowling.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the next book in the Skyrider series — Waterriders.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang has been very helpful and easy to use! I also find readers through Read Cheaply, Bargain Booksy, and several others like that. I like to do contests and giveaways and use my website and newsletter or Facebook to promote much of that.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You probably won’t ever have a totally original idea. Almost every story has already been told in one way or another. But … it hasn’t been told by YOU. Find your own voice and go for it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing isn’t about waiting for the muse, it’s about writing until the muse shows up.
What are you reading now?
Tears in the Darkness: the Story of the Bataan Death March by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman; The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo; and Entwined, by Heather Dixon.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am doing another Snow Valley book for release next spring and hope to get the three books in the Skyrider series out this year. I also am tentatively planning a secondary series for the Skyrider universe that will involve the fairies who live in the valley.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Jane Eyre, Daughter of Smoke and Bone (can all three books count as one?) and some huge, complex book that takes a lot of time and mental energy to read, like Les Miserables or War and Peace.
Author Websites and Profiles
Jeanette Lewis Website
Jeanette Lewis Amazon Profile
Jeanette Lewis’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile