Garrett has hit rock bottom, and he is desperate to reinvent himself. After calling in a few favors, he ends up working at Sound Sync to learn the ropes of record producing from the industry's best. And he can't believe his luck when he discovers that Riley has been keeping a secret—she is an amazing singer. By producing her album, he's sure to top the record charts again. But Garrett is forced to use every trick in his arsenal to persuade the sassy girl to record.
Riley refuses to sing—or even entertain the thought of it—and sparks fly as Garrett finally meets his match. But in the heat of the moment, one stolen kiss changes everything. Will Riley be the first person to finally rein Garrett in, or will Garrett succeed in getting Riley back under the spotlight?
Reality TV leads to Under the Spotlight.
For years fans of Snapshot and Rock and a Hard Place have been asking for Garrett Jamieson’s story. At first I didn’t want to write it because Garrett is such a polarizing character, and I only wanted to write the book if I could do him justice.
After months of mulling around possible storylines, inspiration struck while watching reality TV. I’m a huge fan of American Idol, the Voice and the now cancelled X Factor. This particular season there was a thirteen-year-old girl who made the top ten. She was amazing with a God-given talent. There’s no way you could be taught to sing like she does. As the weeks went by she felt more pressure from her unemployed parents to win the show and save her family. The more stress she felt, the more she cracked when under the spotlight, and was voted off.
With this nugget of inspiration, I wondered what life might be like for that girl five years later. She’s embarrassed about her failed attempt on the show, the way she sobbed on national TV, and her continuing problems with an unstable mom. That was how the heroine, Riley Parks, was born.
For Garrett, I needed him to hit rock bottom. Later he decides to fix his life by becoming a record producer. While he’s learning the ropes at Sound Sync Studios, he meets Riley and discovers her former life as an amazing singer. Garrett’s determined to cut records with Riley, but all Riley wants to cut, is Garrett out of her life.
Under the Spotlight was a blast to write and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
