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Today on the blog I'd like to welcome YA author Sherry Soule, as part of her Moonlight Mayhem blog tour, writing a guest post on her love of YA books. Thanks so much for stopping by- take it away Sherry!
"Why YA books rock!"
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Hi everybody, I’m author, Sherry Soule—waving from the SF Bay Area, where it can get pretty foggy. And I can’t believe that summer’s finally here, and even with the fog burning off by afternoon, I’m cranking the air conditioner and chatting on Twitter about my love of reading.
Thanks for letting me visit today as part of my epic Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour. It’s an honor to be a guest and meet all these awesome booklovers.
Thus far, my tour has been so much fun for me and all the followers that participated. It is nice seeing the familiar names in the comments at each stop. For those of you who haven’t heard of my super fun Moonlight Mayhem blog tour it’s not too late to join!
I am older (don’t ask me “how” old) and I’ve always loved YA literature. I love reading this genre because it is an escape from my own quiet, somewhat boring life, and I can experience excitement, romance, and fantasy. I think most Young Adult novels are fast-paced and exhilarating, and they are often written in a style that is engrossing and easy-to-read with story-driven or character-driven plotlines. I love that there are so many books created into a series nowadays, so that you can keep sharing more adventures with your favorite characters.
Could my love of YA be simply because I’m still stuck at age 17, a teenager-at-heart in disguise?
Yup. And like many of you, I’ve read hundreds of YA books (you’re NEVER too old to read young adult novels, IMHO) and I can’t actually say I didn’t enjoy them all. Some I loved and I mean “LOVED”, and even felt compelled to email the author to let her know how much I enjoyed her book. Other novels became good friends that I didn’t want to ever part with, so they adorn my bookshelves and wait patiently to be reread again one day. Others were simply read and then disregarded with a contented smile. I am never embarrassed to buy YA books (although I buy most of my books online @ Amazon) in bookstores or carry them around with me. I love the genre and always have. Always will.
I realize that we all have different tastes in literature. Most of you will have varied genres that you read and other genres that are like old friends, and probably some of my favorite books are simply your satisfied sighs and forgotten reads. That is what makes the world of YA 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 YA novels. I like to read and write anything with a paranormal theme and it must have romance. I write to connect with readers that love paranormal/romance themes, too.
Below I’ve listed a few of my favorite YA authors and major influences, in no particular order:
Jennifer L. Armintrout
Kate Evangelista
Angeline Kace
Carolyn MacCullough
Lauren Kate
Stephenie Meyer
Christopher Pike
Lili St. Crow
Lois Duncan
L. J. Smith
Ellen Schreiber
P.C. Cast
Kristen Cast
Joan Lowery Nixon
Kiersten White
Alyson Noel
Amanda Hocking
Angeline Kace
Carolyn MacCullough
Lauren Kate
Stephenie Meyer
Christopher Pike
Lili St. Crow
Lois Duncan
L. J. Smith
Ellen Schreiber
P.C. Cast
Kristen Cast
Joan Lowery Nixon
Kiersten White
Alyson Noel
Amanda Hocking
I mainly read the paranormal genre (obviously), add that with a dash of dystopian, a healthy dose of horror, but rarely contemporary genres; however, I enjoy anything that has romance.
As you can probably tell if you’d read my books, I tend to write dark, tormented heroines. I love the angst of a female protagonist trying to come to terms with some dark secret or horrific event in her past, and usually, she ends up facing this fear, weakness, or threat, with a strong, hot hero by her side. I also enjoy writing suspense and romance, with a dash of horror or paranormal. Oh!—and I love to create an evil villain that is unquestionably devious, but complex. My antiheroes always possess some redeeming features. Because of these factors, I think it makes them much more interesting villains. And my heroines are typically intelligent, snarky, and full of fight. Like my girl, Shiloh Ravenwolf in the Spellbound series—she’s feisty, witty, and kickbutt. You gotta admire Shiloh’s spunk and determination. When I grow up, I wanna just like her…or a vampire, or a ninja. Not sure which…
Book 2 in the Spellbound series
Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.
Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!
It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem.
When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.
But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…
Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:
I love hearing from avid YA readers at www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com You can send me an email with any questions you have about the series and or if you just want to drop me a line and tell me how much you enjoyed my stories via email. Or join my Twitter, @WriterSherry for a fun chat!
Twitter hashtag: #MMBlogTour
Twitter hashtag: #MMBlogTour
It was an honor to be a guest here. Thanks for allowing me to chat up my new YA series! I sincerely hope everyone enjoys the fun post and are interested in learning more about my thrilling books. :-D
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
~Sherry
Check out my Books!