Spotlight Saturday: Guest Post and Giveaway with Lisa Orchard, author of The Super Spies and the High School Bomber

Hi, everyone!

Welcome to another edition of Spotlight Saturday at Darlene's Book Nook, where we feature authors and their books!

We will be joined today by Lisa Orchard.


About Lisa:

Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on mysteries by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then. “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber” is the second book in the “Super Spies” series. Her first book was published in March of 2012 and it has received rave reviews.

After graduating from Central Michigan University with a Marketing Degree she spent many years in the insurance industry, pining to express her creative side. The decision to stay home with her children gave her the opportunity to follow her dream and become a writer. She currently resides in Rockford Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on the third novel that stars the same quirky teens. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH LISA:

Website| Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Lisa!

Lisa has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her!

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you today. I’m a guest of Darlene’s today and my name is Lisa Orchard. I’m the author of the Young Adult Thriller series “The Super Spies” and I’m thrilled to be here. Thanks Darlene for inviting me here today. :)

I’m excited to be here and share with you my inspiration behind my books. First of all I love mysteries. For me, there’s nothing better than a good thriller. I love trying to figure out “who done it” and see if I’m right. So, when I started writing my own stories the mystery/thriller genre was a logical choice.

I also wanted to write stories that had life lessons weaved through out them. Something my readers could learn right along with the characters. I had to do this and still keep the story interesting. :) No small task…that’s for sure! However, I believe I accomplished my goals because I’ve received great reviews on both my books.

When I started writing “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” I chose the Young Adult Genre because I love this age group. Everything is new and exciting and frightening all at the same time. This age group is just starting to test their independence and their decision making skills. It’s a very tumultuous time. In my books my characters sometimes make the wrong decision. I did this on purpose to show the young reader that wrong decisions are not permanent. They have to live with the consequences of that decision but they will survive it. :)  I feel this is important to communicate to our young people today…so they aren’t afraid of making decisions.

As I look back on my own teen years I realize that these times were some of the happiest times in my life. I’ve remained close with many of my friends from this time and I believe the bonds that I developed during those years are some of my strongest ones. I wanted to bring that sense of friendship to my stories as well; not only friendship between peers but friendship between siblings too.

Relationships are confusing during this period, because teens don’t realize the expectations they place upon their friends. In my humble opinion it’s important for teens to realize that they’re not going to have the same kind of relationship with everyone. In my book “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” Sarah has an epiphany when she realizes that she’s not going to have the same kind of relationship with her friend Jackie that she has with her sister. She suddenly understands that this is okay because everyone is different, another life lesson in the book. :)

So there you have it! My inspiration behind my writing. :)

Currently, I’m working on my third Super Spies story and it’s titled “The Super Spies and the Pied Piper”. That is subject to change. :) But I’m almost done and I’ve gotten good feedback on it! :) I’m also working on a coming of age young adult novel and I hope to get that completed this year too. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my post and if you’re so inclined, check out my books! The covers, blurbs, and links are below. I’d love to hear what you think! And just for the month of January the first book in the series is $.99! :) Check it out!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Lisa!

Here is some more information about the first book in Lisa's Super Spies series, The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer.

 

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission. The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying…

Buy Links:

Amazon /  Barnes & Noble

Two lucky winners will win a digital copy of the second book in Lisa's Super Spies series, The Super Spies and the High School Bomber.

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where Sarah and her sister Lacey are now living with their Aunt and Uncle. Still reeling from the fact her parents have disappeared, Sarah starts the school year with her new friend Jackie Jenkins. When Sarah learns the school has been bombed, she’s filled with dread. Uncle Walt is a teacher, and he was in the school when the bomb exploded. Taking matters into her own hands, Sarah decides to search for him. The rest of the Super Spies are right behind her. When a fireman chases them away from the school, Sarah becomes suspicious. She decides to investigate. The FBI arrives on the scene. Sarah realizes this bombing could have even bigger implications. Searching for the bombers, Sarah is introduced to the world of terrorism. She fears that the bombing and her parents’ disappearance are connected and terrorists are involved. To make matters worse, the bombers are determined to finish the job. Can the Super Spies find the bombers before it’s too late?

Buy Links:

Amazon /  Barnes & Noble

To enter the giveaway, you must complete the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway is open worldwide and will close at 12:00 AM CST on January 26, 2013.

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