1. What is NA to you?
NA is fiction that centers on characters who are in their late teens to mid-twenties and experiencing a transition point in their lives. They are dealing with a particular set of issues that are directly related to their age. Things like higher education, career choices, military service, sexual development, forming lifelong relationships, etc.
2. New Adult: Genre or Category?
Genre, definitely. Although there has been a heavy influence from Contemporary Romance in these early years of NA, I don't think that's the whole picture.
3. What made you want to write for NA?
First of all I love to read them. Secondly, I love that place in your life. It was so hard when I was in it, but looking back you can see all the possibility and opportunity. It's fun.
4. What do you see for the future of NA?
I think we'll continue to see more variety in NA, things like fantasy NA, paranormal NA, historical NA. I think that while romance has been associated very strongly with NA, what's really happened is that we've developed a new type of Contemporary Romance that's edgier and younger than it used to be. Things like biker romance, rock star romance, all the tattooed guys and MMA fighters. Those have been tagged as NA, but really they are simply this new form of modern romance, and many of them don't even fit the profile for NA, but that's where the readership originated. In a sense I think that original kind of NA has evolved into this edgier modern romance and true NA will move off in the other direction of more variety and subgenres like I mentioned above.
5. What do you love most about writing NA?
I love the freedom of making it whatever you want it to be. Because of NA's strong ties to self publishing, it's been a place where you can sort of try anything as long as you can find a readership. That's a wonderful thing, especially for a romance writer like me, because in the past, romance has been a very confining genre for a lot of writers.
6. What NA books would you recommend to readers?
Wow, there's a lot, and I think I'm more likely to recommend writers than particular books. Not to be cliched, but anything by Colleen Hoover, anything by Cora Carmack. Also Nyrae Dawn, Jessica Sorenson, Tammara Webber, and for some newer (to NA) writers - Lisa Desrochers, Lisa Swallow, Beverley Kendall, and Viv Daniels.
7. What writing tips would you give to aspiring writers?
That's so tough, because honestly what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. But first and foremost: read. All the time. In the genre you want to write, but also in others. Read and read and read. Then write and write and write. Show your writing to people whose writing you respect, and go from there.
8. Would you like to share something about your book?
I have an NA romance series - the Hiding From Love Series. Three of the four books are out: Camouflaged, Hidden and Concealed. They're interrelated, but each one has it's own tied up ending, so no cliffhangers. The main characters are all friends/relatives, but it switches protagonists from book to book. The last of the series is slated to release in April and is called Buried. My brand new release is actually the first book in a new series (Lush), and qualifies as NA (heroine is 24, just out of grad school), but it's also a rock star romance, so it's appealing to a pretty broad readership, not just NA. Finally, I will be starting an all-new Upper YA/NA digital novella series - The Bittersweet Chronicles - this summer. I'm really excited about it. There's going to be a whole town in Alabama, with a high school, a college, sports teams, love affairs, drama, angst, a little comedy.
9. What gave you the idea for your book?
*Laughing* Since I just told you about ten or so of them that's sort of hard to say. It's tough to rein me in sometimes! Honestly though, I have no idea where I come up with the stuff I do. It just appears in my head and I go with it. I'm a pantser not a plotter, so it'll evolve and morph as I write, and it ends up how it ends up!
10. Where can readers find your books?
My books are on Amazon, BN, Kobo and iTunes. And you can always go to my website for more detailed information on all of them: www.selenalaurence.com
Comment below with your thoughts on New Adult and you may win an ebook copy of one of Selena's books!
NA is fiction that centers on characters who are in their late teens to mid-twenties and experiencing a transition point in their lives. They are dealing with a particular set of issues that are directly related to their age. Things like higher education, career choices, military service, sexual development, forming lifelong relationships, etc.
2. New Adult: Genre or Category?
Genre, definitely. Although there has been a heavy influence from Contemporary Romance in these early years of NA, I don't think that's the whole picture.
3. What made you want to write for NA?
First of all I love to read them. Secondly, I love that place in your life. It was so hard when I was in it, but looking back you can see all the possibility and opportunity. It's fun.
4. What do you see for the future of NA?
I think we'll continue to see more variety in NA, things like fantasy NA, paranormal NA, historical NA. I think that while romance has been associated very strongly with NA, what's really happened is that we've developed a new type of Contemporary Romance that's edgier and younger than it used to be. Things like biker romance, rock star romance, all the tattooed guys and MMA fighters. Those have been tagged as NA, but really they are simply this new form of modern romance, and many of them don't even fit the profile for NA, but that's where the readership originated. In a sense I think that original kind of NA has evolved into this edgier modern romance and true NA will move off in the other direction of more variety and subgenres like I mentioned above.
5. What do you love most about writing NA?
I love the freedom of making it whatever you want it to be. Because of NA's strong ties to self publishing, it's been a place where you can sort of try anything as long as you can find a readership. That's a wonderful thing, especially for a romance writer like me, because in the past, romance has been a very confining genre for a lot of writers.
6. What NA books would you recommend to readers?
Wow, there's a lot, and I think I'm more likely to recommend writers than particular books. Not to be cliched, but anything by Colleen Hoover, anything by Cora Carmack. Also Nyrae Dawn, Jessica Sorenson, Tammara Webber, and for some newer (to NA) writers - Lisa Desrochers, Lisa Swallow, Beverley Kendall, and Viv Daniels.
7. What writing tips would you give to aspiring writers?
That's so tough, because honestly what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. But first and foremost: read. All the time. In the genre you want to write, but also in others. Read and read and read. Then write and write and write. Show your writing to people whose writing you respect, and go from there.
8. Would you like to share something about your book?
I have an NA romance series - the Hiding From Love Series. Three of the four books are out: Camouflaged, Hidden and Concealed. They're interrelated, but each one has it's own tied up ending, so no cliffhangers. The main characters are all friends/relatives, but it switches protagonists from book to book. The last of the series is slated to release in April and is called Buried. My brand new release is actually the first book in a new series (Lush), and qualifies as NA (heroine is 24, just out of grad school), but it's also a rock star romance, so it's appealing to a pretty broad readership, not just NA. Finally, I will be starting an all-new Upper YA/NA digital novella series - The Bittersweet Chronicles - this summer. I'm really excited about it. There's going to be a whole town in Alabama, with a high school, a college, sports teams, love affairs, drama, angst, a little comedy.
9. What gave you the idea for your book?
*Laughing* Since I just told you about ten or so of them that's sort of hard to say. It's tough to rein me in sometimes! Honestly though, I have no idea where I come up with the stuff I do. It just appears in my head and I go with it. I'm a pantser not a plotter, so it'll evolve and morph as I write, and it ends up how it ends up!
10. Where can readers find your books?
My books are on Amazon, BN, Kobo and iTunes. And you can always go to my website for more detailed information on all of them: www.selenalaurence.com
Comment below with your thoughts on New Adult and you may win an ebook copy of one of Selena's books!
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