The Sexy Side of Non-Contemporary New Adult & Giveaway

Last week, Tamara talked about New Adult and how there's more to it than contemporary stories. Missed it? Catch up here.

Here's the thing, I'm mostly a contemporary reader. I'm one of those people who was perfectly happy to read the New Adult books that take place in a modern college in a modern city. Add some sexy times and I'm golden.

But then I read a book called Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow. It's a historical new adult novel. That means it has new adult age characters, but it takes place during Prohibition. SO GOOD. And guess what? Turns out 1920's gangsters are HOT. Seriously hot.

Here's the other thing. When I love a book, I want everyone to love it. I want everyone to read it and hear The Great Gatsby soundtrack playing in your mind like I do and fall asleep dreaming of thugs that look like this.

Book 2 in the Speak Easy Duet

Yumm, right?

So here's the deal. I'm hosting a giveaway for all of you. A giveaway for you to discover Speak Easy. Not just Speak Easy, but three other books in this Fall for New Adult 4 pack Bundle. Doesn't it look awesome?

You can buy it for yourself at the amazing price of $3.99.   It's a steal really. Speak Easy is worth $3.99 all by itself.

And in an effort to spread the word about this book I love so much and the awesome bundle it's now part of, here's the giveaway. Enter and spread the love.


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Real College vs. College in a New Adult Novel

I'll just be honest--I probably shouldn't call myself a "new" adult anymore.

I've been an adult for a while now, not that I always act like it. (I frequently do not.)

But though it's been a few years since I left college, I have a pretty good memory. So when I began reading all the fantastic New Adult novels coming out that are set on college campuses, I felt a little like this...

Because I just don't recall anything like what I was read about.

For example. Say you're the mc in a New Adult novel. This is good, because you're smart, ambitious, and gorgeous (even though you don't know it and insist you're not). You have amazing friends and even if you have a troubled past, you know what you want to do in life.

1) In NA college, the mc is often assigned a partner for a class project. His name will be Liam or Ashton or Hawk or Braden or Quinn, and he will look like this:

He will smell terrific, have bad grades but amazing test scores, and pay attention to what you like at Starbucks so he can bring it for you one day.

In real college, I had partners like Rog, who clearly chose his shirts from his hamper (do boys have hampers?) once October hit, might have had nice eyes except I never saw them since he slept all through class, and never remembered the due dates of any assignments, let alone how I liked my coffee.

 2) You may also have a professor in NA college who looks like this.

He wears bow ties and tweed jackets with elbow patches and has longish, slightly messy hair, as if he was too busy contemplating the brilliance of your last essay on transcendentalism in American Lit to remember to comb it. But it's totally clean and smells amazing--not that you've ever been close enough to sniff it!

And if you were, it's OK because you didn't know he was going to be your teacher at the time, and you guys can work it off work that out later.

In four years of undergrad and three years of grad school, I had ONE attractive young professor. And all he did was complain about how much grad school costs versus how much it pays and how few jobs actually exist out there for history PhD's so we might want to think about doing something else.

I did. I thought about doing something else all the time... ;)

3) Finally, if you're at college within a NA novel, you have a great social life. You go to cool parties and dances and bars and restaurants, and you probably eat really well. Someday a tattooed bad boy with eyes like the sea might even cook for you, and it will be something like this pasta with lemon and arugula:

He'll serve it with a caesar salad (prepared tableside) and pour you a nice chilled glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

When I lived in the dorms, on the other hand, I ate a lot of meals that looked like this:

But I suppose that's why I had romance novels...to escape the realities of every day life and live out the college fantasy of my dreams. Although back then, we didn't have NA novels like now--you pretty much went from Sweet Valley High to Danielle Steel.

Maybe I should be glad about that. I probably would have asked for a transfer!

Cheers!
Melanie

Cover Reveal: Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow & Giveaway

Remember this amazing book by our own awesome Melanie?

 

Well, now it's got a buddy! Speak Low, the sequel/conclusion to Speak Easy is down below. But first, check out the deets:

Speak Low by Melanie Harlow  (Speak Easy #2)
Publication date: November 4th, 2013
Genres: Historical, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
We always want what we can’t have.

Tiny O’Mara is tired of living in a world where men make all the rules. After bootlegging enough whiskey to free her father from the DiFiore crime family, twenty-year old Tiny is determined to gain her independence.

But it’s going to cost her.

Her alliance with sultry Enzo DiFiore is based more on their explosive chemistry than loyalty or trust. But she’s promised him some information that will help him take revenge on The River Gang, and when he offers her a job, an apartment, and the prospect of nights spent together where anything goes, she can’t refuse—which only puts her further in his debt.

She needs gorgeous childhood pal Joey Lupo to help her again—when they’re not at each other’s throats, they make a good team, and her attraction for him is becoming impossible to deny. But after she rejects his offer to leave town together, he’s tempted to let her fend for herself.

As Enzo’s need for possession and power escalate and her feelings for Joey deepen, Tiny realizes her mistakes. She just hopes she gets the chance to fix them before it’s too late.AUTHOR BIO
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. SPEAK EASY was inspired by her cocktail-culture obsession, her affection for good gin, and the view from the end of her street. She lifts her glass to NA readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI.

And now, the cover...

PLUS, in celebration, Melanie's giving away a $25 gift certificate and offering Speak Easy for $.99 ALL WEEK. If you haven't read it, now's your chance!


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Meet the Naturals: Melanie Harlow

Part Three of our story is written by Melanie Harlow, author of Speak Easy. If you haven't read Part One and Part Two please read them first. Don't forget to stick around to the end for a chance to win awesome prizes.

The Boy Next Door (Pt. 3)

A few hours later I was parked down the street from Ben’s house, debating the wisdom of going in by myself. Through the open passenger window, which no longer rolled up all the way, I could hear music coming from his yard. Normally I wasn’t shy about going anywhere solo, but I couldn’t decide if showing up alone at Ben’s party would make me look like a losery loner whose smarter friends had all gone away to college, or if it might lend me a cool sort of independent hipster vibe.

A hipster who’d run out for a Brazilian bikini wax right after his invitation.

I had to empty my bank account to pay for it, and I tipped the girl with change scrounged from the bottom of my car, but it was a necessity. With a razor I could have gotten myself bathing-suit-ready, but I wanted to be Ben-Simons-might-put-his-lips-there-tonight-ready. Just the thought of it made my core muscles clench, and for a moment I let myself imagine his dark head between my thighs, his tongue performing that butterfly stroke he was so famous for in high school. Then he’d pick his head up, his perfect mouth wet and shiny, and he’d lick his lips as he dragged that toned swimmer’s body up mine until I felt his hard--

Okay, I needed to stop.

My bikini bottoms were wet and I hadn’t even gotten in the pool yet.

I got out of my car, scooping up my purse and phone, and locked it up. The music, some kind of thump-and-grind R & B, got louder as I approached Ben’s house. Well, we didn’t have the same taste in music, that was for sure, but I was willing to overlook a few faults in Ben Simons--the more I thought about him, the more I hoped I hadn’t been mistaken about his invitation. If I walked in and he was on the couch making out with some college chick with a perfect blowout and a push-up bra, I was gonna be seriously disappointed.

As I passed Derek’s house, I heard the unmistakable high-pitched moaning noises he makes when he’s sexually excited. Even though we hadn’t gone all the way, he’d gotten off several times--too quickly, I might add--just by making out with me topless. I shuddered to think about his mother having to do his laundry, but I bet he’d just tossed those boxers and jeans into his hamper with everything else.

The lights were off, but he’d left his bedroom window open, and I rolled my eyes at the sound. His ridiculously loud whimpering had been annoying and unsexy even when I’d been the one underneath him, but hearing him out on the sidewalk was downright cringe-worthy. Ugh, how could I have even considered having sex with him? I don’t care how closely someone resembles Zac Efron, that kind of noise during sex is not acceptable. He sounded like a cat in heat.

I was just stepping onto Ben’s front porch when I heard Derek yell out.

“Oh, God, Marni...Yes!”

My jaw hit the cement. Marni? He’s dry-humping Marni, our manager at the video store? Or maybe he was really screwing her, I had no idea. But Marni was at least forty, with a smoker’s voice and complexion, and one lazy eye. Had he really gone from me to goddamn Marni?

It was sick, I knew, but I had to find out.

I left the porch and hurried to the side of Derek’s house, ditching my purse and sandals on the grass. After sidling through the rhododendron bushes (the soil was dry--I knew that fucker wouldn’t water them), I yanked and pushed on the trellis that climbed the brick wall to be sure it would hold me. Then I scaled it.

As I climbed, Derek kept up with the cat noises but I didn’t hear any rasps of pleasure from Marni. Guess he’s not doing it for her, either. When I was close enough, I grabbed the sill and leveled my eyes with the bottom of the screen. As my vision adjusted to the dark, Derek yelled out again.

“Natalie, oh God, yes, Natalie!”

What?! As Derek yowled his way to the big finish, I realized he was getting himself off, and thinking about Marni and me to do it.

“Ew,” I whispered. “Marni? Really?”

I could see him lying naked on his bed, jerking his dick with one fist and thumping his stupid Spiderman bedspread with the other. If he would just shut up, it might actually have been sort of hot because he was good-looking and had a nice body. But the sounds, ugh. And the fucking Spiderman sheets. Grow up, already. Move out of your mother’s house.

“Natalie?”

Ben’s voice startled me so much, I lost my footing on the trellis. “Shit!”

The noise inside Derek’s room stopped.

Oh my God, get down, get down, get down before he sees you spying on him. Frantically, I searched for a foothold and scrambled down, my face on fire. How the hell was I going to explain myself to Ben? I reached the bottom, backed up through the bushes, and turned to face him.

“I thought I saw you on the porch. What are you doing?” He wore swim trunks, which hung low enough on his hips for me to see the slanting V-cut of his lower abs, and an unbuttoned plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up. If my pulse hadn’t already been pounding from fright, the sight of him would have set it racing.

“Um, I heard something, and I wanted to see--I mean, I thought I might have left something here earlier, and I...oh, fuck.” I slapped my hands over my face. “How do I get myself into these situations?”

“This happens to you often?”

“Yes--I mean, no, not this exactly, but I’m not good at thinking things through before I act. I tend to be...impulsive. You know, I get an idea in my head and just go with it, without thinking about the consequences.”

Ben nodded. “Like the knee in the balls.”

I snapped my fingers. “Exactly.”

“Or the spying on boys in their bedrooms.”

Wincing, I nodded. “That too.”

“Ever spy on me?”

The mood changed instantly. “Maybe.”

“You don’t remember?”

I shrugged. “It’s possible. I spy on a lot of boys.”

“Oh, you’d remember me.”

Arching a brow, I lowered my chin and met his eyes. “Would I?”

“Mmmhmm.” He moved toward me, and I backed up through the bushes again until I hit the brick wall. Placing a hand on either side of my face, he set his hips against mine. “You know, when you were up there I could see up your skirt.”

From the feel of his erection on my stomach, I was guessing he liked what he saw. “Oh?” I was dying to get my hands on him, but for once, I told myself not to move too fast. Instead, I flattened my palms on the bricks behind me.

He nodded and brought his mouth so close to mine I could feel his breath on my lips. “I’ve always liked your legs. I used to watch you run track and imagine what they’d look like naked.”

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. Unhealthy obsessions include (but are not limited to) Mad Men, The Tudors, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, and Downton Abbey, although she wishes it were more HBO and less PBS. She lifts her glass to NA readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI.
Her debut Historical NA, SPEAK EASY, is available now.
Here's your chance to enter two giveaways. Read PART 4 of our story and a chance to win more prizes. 

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Everyone Told Me Not To, But I Did

And you will too.

I'm talking about reading your reviews. Perhaps if you're a a NYT bestseller or something, you don't even have to care about reviews. You know enough people will like your book to go buy it.

But for us newbies, the reviews are huge. It's people you don't necessarily know, who aren't your mom/sis/BFF/hairdresser, reading your words--YOUR WORDS--and then commenting on them.

Of course you want to know what they said!

Now, everyone who knows better will tell you not to do it. RESIST THE URGE, they'll say. Do not read your reviews, especially the bad ones, and for the love of pete, DON'T comment on them. Bad things will happen.

But hot damn was I excited to read my first reviews of Speak Easy. So I did.

If you've got a book coming out soon, you might be wondering what that's like.

Allow me.

First you'll read the 5 star reviews. They praise all the right things, compel readers to go buy your book THIS INSTANT, and you're all OMG could they possibly be talking about my book, holy crap they really really understand me, I think I'm supposed to BE with this person forever. You'll feel like this:

You'll have some 4 star reviews too, and they will also praise your book like crazy and say how AMAZING it is and how much they loved it. In fact, it will seem like they loved it so much that you'll wonder why they didn't just give you the damn fifth star, was it a typo, did they mean to hit 5, what do they want, sexual favors or something (call me), but those will still make you happy. Feels like this:

And then there are three stars.

Now, a lot of readers clearly think giving 3 stars is good. They might even start by saying, "I loved this book!" And you go...

Then they even list some things they really liked in the book. And you're all...

But then they list what they didn't like. Maybe they think your beloved MC behaved badly, made bad decisions, and perhaps was a bit of a slut (these are TOTALLY not from my reviews, no way).

Or maybe they think the book was too short, or they dislike the ending, or they're mad the next book isn't out yet, or they imply your historical research skills aren't perfect. And it's like this:

And it will tear you up and keep you awake at night and haunt you until you think they might be right and you go...

And you remember why you were told not to read them.

If there is a silver lining to a crap review, it is the awesome support your writer friends will give you. Because they understand. Whenever I whine about a review I don't like, my NAturals girls are always there to boost me up. They'll look at the review and say

and say that person is rabid and crazy and probably didn't even read the book. They remind me that a good book will always have people who love it and hate it because it makes people feel something.

So go ahead and read your reviews, but you might want to pour a little drink first.

Or a big one. :)

Cheers!
Melanie

Speak Easy Tour & GIVEAWAYS

Hello, darlings!

Melanie here. Today is very exciting for me because it is Speak Easy's official book birthday and the first day of the blog tour!

Book Description...

Temptation is everywhere.

It's July, 1923. By day twenty-year-old Tiny O’Mara works for her father’s smalltime bootlegging operation. By night she craves the roll-your-stockings-down lifestyle of a flapper, but with her mother gone, she’s usually stuck at home with two younger sisters—until her father is kidnapped by a mobster in Detroit's exploding organized crime scene, and it’s Tiny who has to come up with the ten-thousand-dollar ransom.

In one week.

Enzo DiFiore’s screen-idol looks and dangerous charm leave her breathless, even though he’s the son of the mobster holding her father hostage. But when the forbidden spark between them refuses to burn out, she tries to use their powerful attraction to buy more time.

And then there’s Joey Lupo, the irritatingly handsome pest from her childhood who’s got the street smarts Tiny needs to smuggle enough booze to make a quick ten grand. But he’s got his own agenda where gang rivalries are concerned, and despite his promise to protect her, Tiny isn’t sure she can trust Joey—or stop her growing feelings for him.

To save her father’s life, she’ll have to choose between them. But deciding whom to trust isn’t easy in a world where everyone wants something—be it booze, money, power, or sex—and no one cares what it takes to get it.

I even have purchase links for  Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

So for this stop on the tour, I thought I'd share some cool stuff about the book. Most of the other stops are doing reviews or excerpts--if you'd like the tour schedule, click here. You'll also get to see some of the swag in the grand prize pack! :)

10 Fun Facts about Speak Easy

1. The OʼMara family is entirely fictional, but during the early 1920s the Detroit area was full of smalltime bootleggers like Jack (Tinyʼs father) who brought carloads or boatloads of whisky and beer across the narrow waterway separating Michigan and Canada.

2. In the early days, theyʼd just cover up the bottles with a blanket--women and children were good to have in the car or boat because they made it less likely you would be stopped and searched.

3. Here are two photos from Detroit during Prohibition. How cool that someone labeled them with bootlegging terms!

4. The individual names of each gangster are ficticious, but River Gang and its “taxi service” were absolutely real, as were the police station murders and the peace pact Joey describes to Tiny.

5. I was inspired by this quote from the Ken Burnsʼs documentary Prohobition: “Itʼs not that sin is so terrible; itʼs that itʼs very attractive. Thatʼs why weʼre always tempted to do it.”

6. The headlines from the newspaper Tiny reads on the street are authentic (from the Detroit Free Press in the 1920s) as are the quotes in the article--only the names are changed.

7. The only person based on a real life figure is Raymond DiFiore; there was an actual guy in the Purple Gang who messed up words all the time. “Pishmission” was one of them! ;)

8. The meat sauce that Joey makes at Tinyʼs house is based on my Italian grandmotherʼs recipe. I will share it in a future blog post! Joey cooks more in the sequel as well...

9. I interviewed a guy in his 90s who told me how his father used to remake old Cadillac hearses for bootleggers...it gave me a great idea. Hereʼs an example of a 1920s hearse:

10. And finally, my favorite picture of all. Speak Easy is about temptation, and Tiny spends a good amount of time in the book trying to fight an attraction to bad boy Enzo DiFiore--for good reason. But she's not terribly successful, and nor would I be since in my mind Enzo looks like this:

Hi.

And now for the giveaways! Good luck!

US ONLY: One grand prize swag pack which includes: Valentine Vodka Swag, JewelNinjas Agatha Bracelet, Chrome Cocktail Shaker, MAC Lipstick, Great Gatsby Soundtrack or $10 iTunes gift card, Gatsby Style Flapper Headband, Signed Copy of Speak Easy, $25 Amazon Gift Card: Total Value: $150 USD

INTERNATIONAL: Eight (8) eCopies of Speak Easy: mobi or ePub only; value $3.99 USD

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It's time to introduce you to the NAtural men

  

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow and Giveaway

This day is very exciting for us here at the NAturals because we are revealing our very own Melanie Harlow's cover for her debut book, SPEAK EASY. WOOT!

First let's take a look at the lovely Melanie. There she is. ------>

And we'll look get some basic info.

Title: SPEAK EASY
Author: Melanie Harlow
Expected release date: July 22, 2013 Genre: Historical
Age Group: New Adult
Cover Designed by: Tom Barnes Design
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Now, to build up the moment here's the blurb for SPEAK EASY:

July, 1923. The ‘20s are roaring, and twenty-year-old Tiny O’Mara is desperate for a little anything-goes excitement. But when her father is kidnapped by a mobster in Detroit's exploding organized crime scene, she’s shocked to find herself caught up in the bootlegging wars of Prohibition—and torn between two gorgeous gangsters on opposite sides. 

To save her father’s life, she’ll have to choose between them. But deciding whom to trust isn’t easy in a world where everyone wants something—be it booze, money, power, or sex—and no one cares what it takes to get it. 

Temptation is everywhere.

And now we pause for me to tell you, this book ROCKS. There is no book out there like SPEAK EASY. You'll fall in love with Tiny from the first sentence. And my, oh, my is this book sexy! You'll want to add it to your Goodreads now. I'll wait.

Finally, what you've been waiting for. The cover:

GORGEOUS, ISN'T IT???

But there's more. Melanie's got an awesome giveaway. She's giving a $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Nobel to one lucky winner. So be sure to enter here:


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New Adult Historical -- It's a Thing! THE HEIRESSES, by Allison Rushby

Lately there have been some great discussions on Twitter and in the blogosphere about the definition of New Adult.

While much of the conversation had centered on the issue of sex in NA, recently the debate turned to a question of genre--does a New Adult novel have to be a contemporary romance?

As a devotee of both NA and historical, I was thrilled to see people saying New Adult can be anything: historical, fantasy, sci fi, parnormal. You name it!

A fantastic example was released last week: THE HEIRESSES, by Allison Rushby. When I read that this NA Historical would appeal to fans of Downtown Abbey and THE LUXE series by Anna Godbersen, I got giddy!

Click here to add it on Goodreads!

Here's the scoop:

THE HEIRESSES, by Allison Rushby
Publication date: May 7th, 2013
by St Martin's Press
Genre: New Adult Historical

Synopsis:

In Allison Rushby's Heiresses, three triplets--estranged since birth--are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone--least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London--a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things--by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother's fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

Click here to purchase on Amazon

Click here to purchase on Barnes and Noble

Enter to win one of 20 copies of THE HEIRESSES!
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The Heiresses Q&A with author Allison Rushby

Q. Where did you get the inspiration for The Heiresses?

A. This is extremely embarrassing, but I think it was actually from watching a Dr Phil show, years ago. I can't say too much as it will spoil the plot completely, but I saw a segment that involved a family and their genetic makeup and asked my husband (a medical specialist) about it all that evening. This led me to wondering how this family's scenario might have played out if genetic testing was not available to them, which is the case in The Heiresses, set in 1920s London.

Q. What other novels in the New Adult genre would you compare The Heiresses to?

A. I think the obvious comparison is Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series, because of the historical setting and the saga-like plot. I love all her books!

Q. What's The Heiresses about?

A. The Heiresses revolves around triplets Thalia, Erato and Clio. Estranged since birth, they are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance. They quickly learn they can't trust anyone in their new lives – least of all each other.

I had an absolute ball writing The Heiresses with all its dramatic highs and lows. I was even lucky enough to be living in Cambridge at the time, so had the advantage of being able to research in London whenever I needed to.

Q. Who are your favourite authors?

A. My very favourite author is P.G. Wodehouse. So much so that for Christmas I received the five book The Jeeves Omnibus set because I'd worn my old five book set out! Some other favourites are Stella Gibbons and anything at all Mitford.

Q. How long did it take to you to complete The Heiresses?

A. The Heiresses was a little different for me because it was contracted from only a short writing sample and a series guide. I wrote it very quickly, in under nine months (altogether, it's roughly 120,000 words). Usually I wouldn't be anywhere near this fast!

Q. What was the hardest part about writing The Heiresses?

A. The most difficult part was the historical research. Although I love to read historical books and watch documentaries and historical dramas on TV, I hadn't actually written anything historical before. When I started writing, I found myself stopping after every second sentence or so to research this point and that point. After a while, I realised I had to write on and put little 'x' signs where I needed to research and go back later to do all my research in one session, or I'd never get anywhere!

Luckily, I wrote The Heiresses while living in Cambridgeshire in the UK (I usually live in Australia), so could pop on a fast train and be in London in under an hour to research anything I liked. Being so close to London was an enormous bonus – from the London Transport Museum, to simply walking around Belgrave Square, it really brought the story to life for me. I even managed to crash the village set of Downton Abbey, which was a hugely exciting day, despite the fact that it snowed (Australians don't do snow well…)!

Q. Why New Adult?

A. I think it's just a fascinating time in life -- a time that's difficult to bridge and often scarier than any other change you've been through. You don't necessarily feel like an adult, but you have sudden adult responsibilities (working, studying in the kind of way where no-one cares if you go to classes or not, maybe being a parent if you have children early…). Everyone has a different experience and everyone deals with that experience differently. There are endless story-telling opportunities! 

Q. What do you feel the major differences are between New Adult and Young Adult?

A. For me, it's all about bridging that gap between childhood and adulthood and the more I see people discuss New Adult, the more this is firmed up in my mind. I do think people focus too much on the sexual content of books when talking about the New Adult genre. For me, The Heiresses is New Adult because of how the girls deal with the sex they are having in the book (and, to be honest, there isn't a whole lot of sex) and how it changes them from girls into women, along with all the other happenings in their new lives.

Q. So much New Adult work is self-published. Is there a reason you chose the traditional publishing route?

The Heiresses was a bit of a different publishing experience for me as my agent approached me and mentioned St Martin's Press was actively looking for New Adult ideas that could work in serial form. I had the basis of an historical idea that I'd been thinking about for years and the timing was great as Downton Abbey (set in a similar time period) was really taking off. Thus, The Heiresses began to take shape very, very quickly. I'd love to say all my ideas pull off so easily, but unfortunately that's not quite true (I sold my first chick-lit novel out of the slush pile and agent-less in 2000 and have many a manuscript in my bottom drawer)!

Q. Most New Adult books seem to be set in college. Can you tell us more about writing historical New Adult?

A. As it happens, when I first had the idea for what would become The Heiresses (years ago), there was no such term as New Adult. The idea itself meant that the story required three 18-ish year-old heroines (they needed to be able to inherit money, be of marriageable age, live away from home and be generally young and fabulous in 1920s London etc.), so it simply happened to fall into the New Adult genre naturally. As for the world, I've always adored reading about London in the 1920s and it's a perfect fit for the New Adult genre -- the years between WWI and WWII were a very heady, unstable time to be young in England, with death looming and a 'live for the moment' motto.

Q. What are you reading at the moment?

A. I'm actually on a short New Adult/Young Adult reading break (might have gorged myself a little there) and am reading Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which is absolutely fascinating and horrifying all at the same time.

Q. What are you writing now?

A. I've just finished a contemporary New Adult novel. While it's set in the present day, it's not college-based, but is about a charismatic modern artist and a young woman who becomes his muse. It's set in Paris, London and New York. My next New Adult novel will most likely be historical, though.

Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring New Adult writers?

A. Read widely and write what you'd love to read. I think it always shows if you're writing something you're excited about, rather than trying to write to a trend. 

AUTHOR BIO

Having failed at becoming a ballerina with pierced ears (her childhood dream), Allison Rushby instead began a writing career as a journalism student at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Within a few months she had slunk sideways into studying Russian. By the end of her degree she had learned two very important things: that she wasn't going to be a journalist; and that there are hundreds of types of vodka and they're all pretty good. After several years spent whining about how hard it would be to write a novel, she finally tried writing one and found it was quite an enjoyable experience. Since then, she has had nine novels published. She keeps up her education by sampling new kinds of vodka on a regular basis.

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naked with katy evans's REAL

You will want to get naked with Remington Tate from page one.

Trust me.

Here's the cover:

I can even help you arrange it: Add REAL on Goodreads right now. 

Now we can get NAked with NA author Katy Evans!

Who are you and what should we know about you in 50 words or less? I am Katy Evans, writer and novelist, wife, mother, daughter, friend, reader, chocoholic, pet owner, and lover of drawing little hearts. :)

Which one: chocolate or bacon? Chocolate!!! All the way.

What is the name of your book and what is it about in 50 words or less REAL is a contemporary mature new adult romance featuring a sexy badass hero who fights in the dangerous underground and an ex-olympic sprinter who's reinvented herself as a sports rehab specialist. To say sparks fly when they first lock eyes on each other is an understatement!!

Tell us your main character's name and 3 adjectives that describe him/her. (If you have multiple main characters, do this for each). 

Remington Tate - fighter. Strong. Intense. 

Brooke Dumas - fighter. caring. passionate.

Please share with us an excerpt of 150-200 words from your book. 

His lips curl and he meets my gaze. “Brooke Dumas.” He just fucked my name right in front of me. And right in front of Mel.

And as I feel his tongue twist roughly around those two words, his voice sinfully dark, like things you crave to eat but really shouldn’t, desire swells between my legs. His eyes are hot and almost proprietary when he looks at me. I’ve never been stared at like this before.

He steps forward, and his damp hand slides into the nape of my neck. My pulse skitters as he lowers his dark head to set a small, dry kiss on my lips. It feels like he’s marking me. Like he’s preparing me for something monumental. That could both change and ruin my life.

“Brooke,” he growls softly, meaningfully, against my lips, as he draws back with a smile. “I’m Remington.” 

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Thanks, Katy!