Oct 23, 2013

Guest Post: Why I LOVE the Young Adult Genre by Sherry Soule

by Unknown on October 23, 2013

“Why I LOVE the Young Adult Genre”

Guest post by bestselling author, Sherry Soule

Today bestselling author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! All the previously published books in the Spellbound series have been rewritten and republished with more epic romance and suspenseful thrills. The new versions also include exclusive bonus material and brand new scenes. Even additional scenes from charming, bad-boy, Trent Donovan’s point-of-view! To help promote the new editions, she is doing this awesome book promo to share the update with fellow booklovers.

Hi everybody, I’m author, Sherry Soule—waving from the SF Bay Area, where it can get pretty foggy just like in Fallen Oaks. I can’t believe that winter and the holidays are right around the corner. Thanks for letting me visit today, it’s an honor to be a guest here and meet other fellow booklovers.

Since I was a child, I recognized that books were a way to travel to other places and have remarkable adventures. Even though I am older (you’re NEVER too old to read young adult novels, IMHO) than the average teen reader, I’ve always loved reading Young Adult literature.

I think I love reading YA Lit because I think that most novels in this genre are fast-paced and thrilling, and the stories are written in a style that is engrossing, with story-driven or character-driven plotlines. I also love that there are so many books created into a series nowadays, so that you can continue to have additional adventures with your favorite characters.

Could my love of YA Lit be simply because I’m still stuck at age sixteen, just a teenager-at-heart in disguise?

Could be. And like many of you, I’ve read hundreds of YA books and I can actually say that I enjoyed them all. Some I genuinely loved and these books became like good friends that I didn’t want to part with, so they adorn my bookshelves and wait patiently to be reread again one day. Other novels were simply read and then disregarded with a contented smile.

And you know what? I am NEVER embarrassed to buy YA novels (although I buy most of my books online through Amazon) in bookstores, or carry them around with me. I love the genre and always have and always will.

Of course, I realize that we all have diverse tastes in literature. Most of you will have varied genres that you love to read, and probably some of my favorite books are simply your forgotten reads. That is what makes the world of YA Lit, and reading as a whole, so dang fascinating. Each one of us will enjoy different types of characters, plots, and of course, a writer’s voice, the way only they can tell a story.

Personally, I like to read and write darker, edgier young adult novels. As you can probably tell if you’d read my books, I tend to write dark, tormented heroines, too. I love the angst of a female teen protagonist trying to come to terms with some dark secret or horrific event in her past, and usually, she ends up facing this fear, vulnerability, or threat, with a handsome, strong hottie by her side. Oh!—and I love to create an evil villain that is unquestionably devious, but complex. My antiheroes always possess some redeeming features, and because of these factors, I think it makes them much more interesting villains.

My heroines are typically intelligent, snarky, and full of fight. Like my girl, Shiloh Ravenwolf in the Spellbound series. You gotta admire Shiloh’s spunk and determination. When I grow up, I wanna just like her. Or a vampire. Or a ninja. Hmmm, not sure which…

Anyhoo, thank you so for letting me chat about my love of young adult literature. I hope you enjoyed this post. Now go feed your mind and read a book! Preferably mine. :-D

Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Official website: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com

Spellbound Series Universe blog: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Deadly Witchcraft. Ghostly Threats. Doomed Romance.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Fallen Oaks. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

When sixteen-year-old Shiloh Trudell takes a summer job at Craven Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes enchanted by his charms.

Finally, Shiloh’s met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent is immersed in the cunning deception that surrounds the mysterious Craven Manor. So much so that he may lose sight of what is truly important to him. And she can’t decide whether she wants to shake him or kiss him. Yet neither one of them can deny the immediate, passionate connection growing between them.

But underlying everything is the fear that Trent may be the next victim on a supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him…

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, Shiloh will finally begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist and decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.