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Lily’s Cabin and the Twin Peaks
Jennifer Archer for THE SHADOW GIRL Blog
Tour
I’ve been going to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on vacations since I
was a child, and to the Spanish Peaks area in southern Colorado since I met my
husband when I was seventeen. His family owned land on a ranch there and pulled
a travel trailer up to their lot during the spring, summer and fall whenever
they could get away for a vacation. I fell in love with the Spanish Peaks, so
my husband and I bought land there and built a cabin when our children were
small. It’s in a secluded location; I can’t make a quick trip to a store if I
run out of milk. When we go up there, we
take plenty of groceries!
When the idea for The Shadow Girl started percolating in my brain, I
knew I wanted the main character, Lily, to have grown up in an isolated
place. The Spanish Peaks came
immediately to mind. Lily’s sometimes lonely existence makes her bond very tightly
to the land around her. She feels a close connection to the mountains and
forests surrounding her home, and feels safe and secure in their midst. She knows
every hill and valley, each curve in the road.
While writing Lily’s story, the Spanish Peaks, or “twin” peaks, became
a symbol to me of the relationship between Lily and Iris, the presence Lily
senses with her always. In addition to binding her to the land, Lily’s
isolation also makes her cling tightly to Iris. Other than Wyatt Pierson, a guy
Lily’s age who lives down the road, Iris is her only friend. This makes the
possibility of losing Iris – or of one day finding out she isn’t real – all the
more devastating for Lily.
Here’s a brief excerpt from the book that describes the Peaks and hints
at how they symbolize Iris and Lily. After you read it, make sure to watch the
video that follows where I’ll show you Lily’s cabin, complete with a view of
the two Peaks outside her bedroom window. Watch for a glimpse of my dachshund,
Harry, hanging out on the front porch! He’s in the same spot Lily’s dog,
Cookie, would probably choose to chill out.
My parents and I live in a cabin my dad
built in the Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado. My bedroom is in the
upstairs loft. As I roll to face the window beside my bed the first things I
see are the two peaks in the distance, their frosty heads twinkling beneath a
hazy wash of moonlight. My parents and I call them the twin peaks, and they’re
so close together that I used to imagine that they held hands. The west peak
changes colors with each season, but the east peak remains black and gray,
somber and dark. It’s slightly taller than the west peak and stands a step
behind, as if to watch over the smaller one. “Good morning,” I whisper to them
both. And to Iris, whose presence fills me.
Book Description
About the Author
Jennifer Archer is the author of Through Her Eyes, as well as several novels for adults. Jennifer lives in Amarillo, Texas. You can visit her online at jenniferarcher.com.
At the age of ten, Jennifer Archer made up her mind to become a writer. Then she grew up, became “sensible,” and earned a business degree with a minor in accounting instead. After years of trying to find her way through a confusing maze of debits and credits she realized that, for her, accounting was no more sensible than becoming a World Federation wrestler. So in 1993, she enrolled in a creative writing class, and five years later, sold her first novel. Since then, Jennifer has published several novels for adults, as well as numerous non-fiction works.
Jennifer has been a finalist twice for RWA’s Golden Heart award and in 2006 was a finalist for the prestigious Rita Award and a nominee for a Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award. Her debut Young Adult novel, THROUGH HER EYES, was an April, 2011 release from Harper Teen. She has taught creative writing and has presented numerous talks and workshops for educators, students, writers' organizations and bookstores.
The mother of two grown sons, Jennifer lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, Marge and Harry.
Jennifer has been a finalist twice for RWA’s Golden Heart award and in 2006 was a finalist for the prestigious Rita Award and a nominee for a Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award. Her debut Young Adult novel, THROUGH HER EYES, was an April, 2011 release from Harper Teen. She has taught creative writing and has presented numerous talks and workshops for educators, students, writers' organizations and bookstores.
The mother of two grown sons, Jennifer lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs, Marge and Harry.
Here's what the prize pack includes:
1. Kindle Paperwhite with cover
2. Silver violin/heart pendant w/silver necklace chain and round case
3. Autographed copy of The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer
4. Autographed copy of Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
Will be given as 4 separate gifts to 4 different winners.
