Contemporary

Why PJ Sharon writes New Adult novellas @pjsharon #RLFblog #NewAdult

Hey Readers,
Thanks so much for joining me today at the Romance Lives
Forever Blog, and thank you, Kayelle for having me.

Writing an NA Novella Series

I’ve been at this writing/publishing thing for a while now
and one of the most common questions I hear from readers is “How do you
come up with your ideas?” The second most common question I hear is, “What
made you want to write for young adults?” The answer to both of those
questions is the same. I had a crazy teenaged life! Writing allows me a kind of
do-over by taking my experiences and helping my young characters learn, grow,
and find a hopefully ever after end. It’s been very cathartic for me. It also
allows me to impart to readers some hard lessons learned without being preachy.
I tend to write books I wish I had had to read as a teenager. Like many of us,
I went from reading Nancy Drew Mysteries to Stephen King with very few options
in between. I am thrilled to be part of the phenomenon of great young adult and
new adult stories exploding onto the book market.
When I first wrote Savage Cinderella back in 2010, I had no
idea it would lead to a series of novellas six years later. Brinn’s story came
about after I’d been walking in the woods with my dog. I had a vison of a young
girl running through the forest in tattered clothes, dark hair flying.
Alongside her ran a bear (I live in the Berkshires where this seemed logical
somehow). The questions that followed led me to pen the story of a kidnapped
girl left for dead in the High Country of North Georgia, where she survives in
the wild for several years…until a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer,
finds her and convinces her to come back to the world. More a Tarzan story than
a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale—and far-fetched perhaps—but it became
a Holt Medallion winner and grabbed the imagination and hearts of 3.6 million
readers on Wattpad!
Being that my character, Brinn, was eighteen and living on
her own, the story fell into the New Adult category—a change from my other
novels which fit neatly into the young adult genre. Although it is contemporary
and a romance, there are also elements of suspense/thriller, since Brinn is
soon stalked by her kidnapper and must face off with him to truly gain her
freedom. As much as I enjoyed telling this story, it was difficult to write
parts of it from the perspective of the villain and live in his sick and
twisted head for so many months. But when I was done, I always had in the back
of my mind that Brinn’s story wasn’t over…it was only just beginning. I stewed
on where to go with the character for quite some time while working on a
dystopian trilogy and a non-fiction project for the next few years. And then
novellas (shorter novels about 20-40 thousand words, or half the length of a
full novel) became popular again and the ideas for more of Brinn’s journey began
to flow.
Finding Hope, the first in the novella series, picks up a
year after Brinn’s return. Well into her recovery, nineteen-year-old Brinn finds
her life with Justin has become a safety net she relies on, but something is
missing. After years of living wild in the mountains, taming her need for
danger and independence turns out to be her greatest challenge. When Justin’s
friend Cody—now in the FBI—asks for her help in solving a kidnapping case, it
sparks new purpose for Brinn—as well as major complications in her relationship
with both men.
Lost Boys, the second novella in the series, follows Brinn
and company when Justin’s friend Cody has disappeared, and Brinn is determined
to find out why. Despite an escalation in the tensions between them over Cody
and Brinn’s complicated friendship, Justin agrees to join her on a journey that
leads to the mysterious jungles of Colombia, where whispers of human
trafficking bring them face to face with an old enemy.
Brinn and Justin join forces with friends to do the
unthinkable—enter the dangerous jungle on a rescue mission, sparking a battle
for the lives of nine young boys and a fight for their own survival. Brinn’s
haunted past rears its ugly head as she is forced to once again take on a
brutal killer. But in risking her life to save her friend, will she lose the
one man who has sacrificed everything for her?
Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle which has spurred a “team
Justin” vs. “team Cody” rivalry among my Wattpad readers, but the
underlying theme is Brinn’s growth, recovery, and discovery of herself as an
individual—themes I think need more focus in Romance—especially for young
adults. I’m currently working on the third novella, Sacred Ground, which will
pit Brinn and friends against a crooked mining company in Wyoming while on a
search for a ghost from Justin’s past. I’m expecting a late Spring release and excited
to have a few more ideas for future adventures.
If you haven’t yet found the joy of reading novellas, think
of them as a quick, tasty, and satisfying reading snack…without the calories! I’d
love to give away an e-copy of the original novel that started it all, Savage
Cinderella, to one lucky commenter.
Do you read novellas?
Why or why not? Discuss…
Be well, keep reading, and let your favorite authors know
how much you appreciate their stories by leaving a short review on Amazon, Barnes
and Noble, or Goodreads.
Peace and blessings,
PJ

Savage Cinderella

Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in
the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow
grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature
photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a
tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the
hope—and the danger—that may await her.
If you enjoy this journey of romance, suspense, and hope, follow
Brinn, Justin, Cody, and a cast of new characters through a series of novellas
(30-40k word short novels). Each story will bring a new adventure, another
crime to solve, and more danger for Brinn and company as they delve into the
world of human trafficking and beyond.
Genre: New Adult
Author: PJ Sharon
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG 13
Buy Savage Cinderella
blisher: PJ Sharon Books
Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Cinderella-ebook/dp/B007JPBEGS/
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savage-cinderella-pj-sharon/1109552478?ean=2940014765206
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/savage-cinderella

PJ Sharon Social Media

PJ Sharon is an award-winning author of young adult books,
including Pieces of Love, Heaven is for Heroes, On Thin Ice, and Holt Medallion
winner Savage Cinderella. Follow the Savage Cinderella Novella Series with Finding
Hope and Lost Boys.
Healing Waters completes her YA dystopian trilogy, The
Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, which RT Book Reviews calls “An
action-packed read with a strong female lead.”
Her debut non-fiction title Overcome Your Sedentary
Lifestyle (A Practical Guide to Improving Health, Fitness, and Well-being for
Desk Dwellers and Couch Potatoes) is a holistic living, self-help guide packed
with easy to implement tips sure to motivate today’s sedentary masses toward a
more balanced and active lifestyle. For more info on PJ’s books and updates on
new releases, sign up for her newsletter
or visit her website.
In her “real life” job as a Massage Therapist,
Personal Trainer, and Yogi, PJ has been called “a powerhouse of positivity
and productivity.” Her mantra is “find balance in all things, and
live every day to the fullest.” A black belt in the art of Shaolin Kempo
Karate, avid kayaker, and singer of Italian art songs, PJ has two grown sons
and lives with her brilliant engineer of a husband in the Berkshire Hills of
Western MA where she writes YA…because every teen deserves a hopefully ever
after.

The Romance Lives Forever blog features authors and new books from all genres.