NEW ADULT - My Opinion

There’s always seems to be some debate raging about New Adult, and seeing as my current Romantic Fantasy is New Adult, I thought I’d add my views on this genre.

For me – the age of the characters immediately plays a part in whether a book should be New Adult or not.  You can’t write about 22 – 25 year olds and try to pass it off as Young Adult—it just won’t work or fit. I also think the topics written about tend to be more adult. You’re dealing with characters that have lived a bit, have experienced many things (even sex) so you’re not necessarily dealing with ’first times’.  

Also, these characters are still learning. They’re not grown ups. They’re stuck in the middle land, and it’s a great, crazy place to be.

New Adult characters have great back stories, some tragic, many inspiring, but all of them have arrived thrown into the adult world with a thirst for life and a passion for what’s to come. And that’s what really defines them for me--and that’s what makes them New Adult rather than Adult.

Whether these characters are set in school or college, ‘yawn, yawn,’ (Sorry – my personal love/hate with YA and NA) or starting a new job in a new town, or stepping away from the familiarity of home, they all have fantastic opportunities opened up to them.

It’s a fantastic genre to write in, an exciting blank page to throw a rainbow of words at. There are no immediate restrictions, no worries about whether the characters will offend. If it’s New Adult then readers should expect a little more of a rough ride than a book that sits within Young Adult, and potentially even more of a rough ride than within the Adult genre. Where's the fun if you know how to deal sensibly with situations because you've experienced it all as an adult?

‘That’s all fine, Melody,’ you may say. But hear me out, here comes my grumble:

Some people tend to have certain expectations about New Adult, and top of that list seems to be sex. And lots of it. The more the merrier, a sex scene each chapter please, I don't care that they've only just met--please make them have sex! In the car, in the toilets, around the back of the building . . . and so it goes on.

I say 'No!'

Now, I’m not opposed to a bit of horizontal wriggling, and Sachael Desires, my next book in the series does include a sex scene.

But why do people expect it as given, and complain when there's none there? Seems I’m writing in the wrong genre if that’s what I should be writing.

But, I know I'm not.

I could actually take this further and say that I’m offended by anyone who picks my book up and expects it to have a sex scene in just because it’s New Adult. Do readers expect sex in every adult book they read? Probably not—so why in every New Adult book?

 

 

When I wrote Sachael Dreams I didn’t set out to NOT write a sex scene, it was always a possibility. But with the way the story progressed, I felt it didn’t warrant one. There’s plenty of unspoken passion, sexual tension and lots of smoochy moments, but the whole of Azariah’s character, his reassurance of not using Estelle to impregnate her, would have been ruined by them having sex.

'You're a prude, Melody.' I hear some of you shout. I can confirm that I am definitely not, I have written words in the past that would set your screen on fire. And I’m certainly not shy about writing sex scenes, but the story HAS to need one, almost demand one for it to work. It shouldn’t be forced or put there just because it’s a New Adult book.

 

I’m sure Sachael Dreams isn’t the first New Adult book that doesn’t include a sex scene, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

What do you think? How would you classify New Adult? What do you think sets it apart from Young Adult and Adult? And what do you think about 'expected' sex scenes?

And now, I shall be quiet.

Melody xx

BOOK COVER REVEAL - OFF BOOK by Jessica Dall

It's my pleasure to bring you another of my fellow REUTIES book cover reveals.

Here it is:

 

 

Isn't it beautiful? Another book to add to my ever growing to be read list.

 

 

About OFF BOOK: 

Twenty-year-old Eloise has learned all she can from the School, where characters live until joining their novels. No one knows genre and plot structure better than her, but despite her knowledge, she’s yet to be assigned to her own story. All her friends are off starting their lives with their authors—and if Eloise doesn’t get assigned soon, she’ll fade away, forgotten by all.

When she is suddenly offered a job at the Recording Office, she takes the chance to write her own future. Suddenly living among the post-storied, Eloise meets Barnaby Fitzwilliam, a former romance novel hero who hasn’t lost any of his in-story charm. But just as their relationship begins to get serious, everything Eloise has been taught gets turned upside down when she’s sucked into a novel she was never meant to be part of.

Now, caught where the only rules are made by the authors and truly anything is possible, Eloise must find her way back home—or else her life might end before she ever gets the chance to live it.

Set in a world dictated by Authors, OFF BOOK explores the story beneath the stories we all know and love, taking readers and characters alike on an adventure just waiting to be written.

Add OFF BOOK on goodreads or request to be part of upcoming blog tour.

About the author:

Jessica Dall finished her first novel at age 15 and been writing ever since. She is the author of such novels as Grey Areas and The Bleeding Crowd, the Broken Line Series, and a number of short stories which have appeared in both literary magazines and anthologies. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and creative writing teacher in Washington, DC.

Find Jessica Dall on twitter, facebook, and goodreads. 

EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Melinda Michaels

A few week ago I featured the cover reveal for Golden by Melinda Michaels.  This week I was lucky enough to catch her for a few questions. If you want to find out more about Melinda and her writing then keep reading.


What inspired you to write Golden?

I have an affinity for fairytales and the constant role they play in our lives. We’re always looking for our Prince Charming and our happily ever after, but I found that constantly searching for something makes us unappreciative of what we have. I wanted to rework a fairytale to show that no one is perfect and happily ever after takes hard work and sacrifice, not just in a grand gesture sort of way, but in everyday life. 

What were the challenges in bringing it to life?

At first I was trying to make it a high fantasy novel, but I couldn’t do it authentically. I didn’t want to hurt the story by trying to make it something that it wasn’t, so there was a lot of back and forth trying to understand where it wanted to go. I had a hard time with that.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

Initially I’ll write down a paragraph detailing a whole story then put it away for a week or so. If it’s still nagging me after a few days, I’ll sit down and write an outline and synopsis. After that comes my least favorite part. I’ll write a very in depth character analysis for my main characters. If they flesh out in the analysis I know I have something and then I’ll begin writing.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

That depends! I wrote the first draft of Golden in two months, I wrote the first draft of its sequel, Roses in ten months. If I’m relaxed it is usually a faster process, but when I worry I scrutinize my work and it slows the process.

Did you always want to be a writer? Why?

At first I wanted to be an actor, because I thought I’d like to live in a movie. Then I learned there were directors who made movies, so I wanted to be a director. Then I found out that writers were at the creative center, so I wanted to be a screenwriter. When I found out all my favorite movies were actually books and I started reading, I realized what I finally wanted to do. This was all before the fourth grade so I guess yes, since I was nine years old I’ve wanted to be a writer. I think it was because I enjoyed living in my books, I could travel anywhere to anytime in history. I wanted to create worlds to live in too.

What jobs did you have/do you have before you began to write?

I’ve had a ton of jobs over the years, from waitress to assistant, to working in home health care. I was always writing though. Every free moment I got, I was working on my stories.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

That’s a good question! It may sound cheesy, but I would love to claim authorship to The Sneetches and Other Tales. I think The Star Bellied Sneetches is brilliant and I would be so annoying if I wrote it. I would brag all the time and all my friends would end up hating me.

If you could be character in Golden who would you be and why?

I would like to be Hanna and I relate to her awkward side, but there’s no doubt that I’m more like her friend Carly. I have a history of being overly dramatic and while writing it I was always agreeing with Carly.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character(s) from Golden?

I think Carey Mulligan would look most like Hanna, Jake Weary as Owen and I don’t know for William. He was pulled from several images and I’ve searched for his lookalike, but I can’t find him.



Many thanks to Melinda for taking the time to answer my questions.

Start reading Golden today!

About Melinda Michaels:

Melinda Michaels is the author of Golden and currently lives in Milford, Pennsylvania. A self-proclaimed historian with a rare sense of humor, Melinda finds an immense amount of joy in knowing useless facts, exploring historical places and drinking copious amounts of coffee. When she’s not writing she can be found researching obscured time periods for her own amusement or refurbishing old furniture.

Melinda loves Philadelphia and visits often to enjoy the city with her husband Andrew. Together they have three rambunctious pets. Archie the Beagle, Winston the Boston Terrier and Beatrice the cat.

Golden is the first in a Young Adult magic realism series.
Find Melinda Michaels on facebook, twitter, or her website. 

WIN A FREE COPY OF SACHAEL DREAMS FOR KINDLE

As the month of March heads to a crazy close for me (Family birthdays, school skiing trips, Easter holidays) I'm offering a free copy of SACHAEL DREAMS for Kindle to anyone who retweets my tweet and follows me on twitter. You can find me under this name on twitter: @melodywinter

March has been a fabulous month--it saw reviews coming in for SACHAEL DREAMS and the general feedback is amazing. I'm hoping more people will pick up the story and enjoy it as much as those that have read it.

Heading into April, I'm due to hand over SACHAEL DESIRES to Reuts Publications and the expert eyes of my editor, Kisa Whipkey. I'm running through some final edits before she gets her grabby hands on it, and then we'll progress from there.

So while everyone is reading SACHAEL DREAMS, I'm buried in sorting SACHAEL DESIRES for release later this year. It's an exciting time.

So as we approach a new month, and a full moon on April 4th, let's get this book out there!

Remember - Retweet and follow me @melodywinter for a chance to win!!!

Good luck

Melody xxx

Release Day of MELINDA MICHAELS - GOLDEN

Here is the latest release from REUTS and I have to say, I am so looking forward to reading this. Check out all the info below, a beautiful trailer and a giveaway. I'll be back with Melinda on 6th April for an exclusive interview with her where we'll discuss all things GOLDEN.

 

About Golden:

High school senior Hanna Loch just suffered a blackout in front of her entire homeroom class. She hasn’t had one in over ten years, and she’s terrified—the last time she blacked out, she woke up with no memory of her life before. To make matters worse, no one can explain why it happens. For Hanna, bad things tend to come in threes.

And that doesn’t even begin to cover it . . .

When she learns she could be a descendant of someone who lived once upon a time, Hanna must put her trust in William Vann, a descendant of one of the most hated villains ever known. Their histories are intertwined in more ways than she expected, and he has answers about her past, answers even her family won’t share.

But is it safe to put her trust in someone who appears to be danger reincarnate, while trying to escape the darkness that tried to kill her ten years ago?

A loose fairytale retelling, GOLDEN is a story that’s just right, weaving together lost secrets, vengeful enemies, and what happens when fiction becomes reality.




 

Start reading Golden today!

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER A GIVEAWAY

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 About Melinda Michaels:

 

 

Melinda Michaels is the author of Golden and currently lives in Milford, Pennsylvania. A self-proclaimed historian with a rare sense of humor, Melinda finds an immense amount of joy in knowing useless facts, exploring historical places and drinking copious amounts of coffee. When she’s not writing she can be found researching obscured time periods for her own amusement or refurbishing old furniture.

Melinda loves Philadelphia and visits often to enjoy the city with her husband Andrew. Together they have three rambunctious pets. Archie the Beagle, Winston the Boston Terrier and Beatrice the cat.

Golden is the first in a Young Adult magic realism series.
Find Melinda Michaels on facebook, twitter, or her website. 



THE BOOKS ARE HERE!!!

Boxes and boxes awaited me when I returned home from work yesterday. All of them were full of copies of SACHAEL DREAMS.

Yes! They're here!

I have to keep pinching myself to remind me all this is real. I only started this incredible journey a few years ago, and I still have more of these days to come with the release of the other book sin the series. It's unbelievable and a dream come true.

But, as my gran use to say. 'There's no rest for the wicked.'

I'm already throwing myself into my final edits on SACHAEL DESIRES before my editor gets a look at it in all its rough glory. I'm running through second edits on SACHAEL DELUSIONS and I'm writing SACHAEL DESTINY.

And - if anyone would like a signed paperback copy of SACHAEL DREAMS, or any of the other items on my website (mermaid beaded bookmarks/limited edition set of character cards) then please let me know and I'll sort a final cost out for you including postage. Items are limited, but I will do my best to get everything to everyone who wants something (other than the character sets - once they've gone, they've gone - no more will be printed for SACHAEL DREAMS)

Signed copy of Sachael Dreams: £11.00
Mermaid Bookmarks: £5.00
Limited edition character postcards (Set of 7): £5.00
Sachael Dreams Ultimate Gift Pack (All the above plus keychain): £25.00

Contact me at melodywinterbooks@gmail.com stating what you're interested in and I'll get back to you with a total cost.

Until later - keep dreaming.

Melody xxx

The Mine Series - Sachael Dreams - Ravenscar

I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look at Ravenscar seeing as it features strongly in SACHAEL DREAMS. So many people ask me, "Why Ravenscar?" so I decided to try and answer as best I could.

Firstly--the natural and rugged beauty of the coastline.

When I first started writing the first book in the series, Sachael Dreams, I set the story in the Orkneys, off the north coast of Scotland. But something didn't feel right--it was too far away and I wanted somewhere I could visit and soak up the atmosphere. And then I remembered a place that I'd heard about in a conversation several years ago, 'the town that never was', Ravenscar. Internet searches soon revealed the brilliant suitability of such a place for my novel. It is steeped in mystery, broken dreams and strange bets amongst the rich. Peak House, now known at Raven Hall Hotel, (Yes you can stay there.) is rumoured to have been a hospital for the insane at one point, even treating King George for his madness. This is not classified as fact, neither is the story that Peak House transferred ownership in a bet over two racing woodlice! But it was only when I visited Ravenscar, renting a converted barn and staying for a week, that I began to understand the true beauty and mystery that it had to offer.

The Mermaids Tables, at the foot of Ravenscar (if you fancy near enough abseiling down to the bottom) were a known fact, but to actually see the shear size of them, and wonder at their formation was completely unforgettable. The fierce incoming tide was quite spectacular as well, as you can see--look just beyond the large boulders and see the size of those waves!

Both Peak House, and the mermaids tables feature in Sachael Dreams. Both are significant in their own memorable way.

I'm lucky enough to live only an hour's drive away. I have visited often over the past few years, and stayed several times for extended vacations with two of my close friends. The building I visualise as Estelle's home is actually an old barn which you can see from the top of Ravenscar. (pictured toward the left of this photo)

The best thing about visiting Ravenscar is that within minutes of walking away from the road, you find yourself in a completely different world. You're away from cars, buildings, and people, and as you wander along the tracks that Estelle walks along, it's so easy to immerse yourself in her head, her world, her life. Ravenscar has a magical quality to it. The silence seeps into you, the surroundings calm you, and the beauty of living in such a desolate place overwhelms you.

I have yet to see Ravenscar shrouded in mist, or a sea fret. I imagine it takes on a creepy atmosphere, a frightening place to be in such a time, but again--it all adds to the mystery that is, and will remain, Ravenscar.


Links for Ravenscar:
Wikipedia - Ravenscar
Coastal Tourism - Ravenscar