Today I have a guest post for you from Wendy Delsol, author of Flock, third in the Stork trilogy. You can also enter a giveaway for a chance to win the Stork trilogy through the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.
Why Ya?
Because an individual on the threshold of adulthood is fascinating. Experiences are fresh. Emotions are raw. And potential is boundless.
But I didn’t start out writing for young adults. My first three novels—two of which were technically attempts—were in the contemporary-adult-fiction genre. (The third, The McCloud Home for Wayward Girls, was published by Berkley Books in August of 2011.) I began with adult fiction because it was what I was reading at the time. The other genre I read on a daily basis back then was middle-grade high fantasy. I should probably qualify that such books were put into my hands by my two sons at bedtime with a “read this” directive. Harry Potter was on a constant loop. I had no complaints. The books were a joy to all of us. No surprise, then, that there’s a middle-grade manuscript (attempt number four) on my hard drive.
By the time I was ready to begin writing book five, my oldest was about to turn fourteen, and we had recently moved from California to Iowa. The teen perspective was relevant and accessible to me (and costing me more and more in groceries and Clearasil). Moreover, our move and its inherent challenges unearthed long buried emotions in me. I was actually fairly shocked to be experiencing such angst in my forties. And, yes, it took me right back to my teen years. With a real-life teen and teen memories at my fingertips, I felt confident I could write authentically from this POV. And, yes, my Stork girl, Katla, is the new girl in town. From California, in fact.
It certainly didn’t hurt that the market for YA projects was strong at the time. It would be disingenuous of me to say that wasn’t a factor. But once I tapped into my inner sixteen year old, I knew YA was a genre in which I belonged. And intend to remain active, by the way.
I’ve often said life is a journey. While the analogy is hardly fresh, it’s so very true. I think I was meant to find my way to YA. Back to my sixteen-year-old self, if you will. So glad I did. And so glad I met Katla en route.
And now for a giveaway!
PLEASE NOTE! The first entry requires you to follow MOD PODGE BOOKSHELF, not Little Book Owl :D
PLEASE NOTE! The first entry requires you to follow MOD PODGE BOOKSHELF, not Little Book Owl :D
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule
10/5 Review @ Book Briefs
10/6 Review @ Stiletto Storytime
10/7 This or That @ The Busy Bibliophile
10/8 Interview & Giveaway @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer