A Look at the New Adult Genre

New Adult with Jody A Kessler

When I first started writing I knew my characters were out of high school, but they were still young and dealing with issues that come up in the late teens and early twenties: partying, drugs, alcohol, separation from their parents, figuring out where their life is headed, or maybe having that first deep connection with a new love.  Not high school flirty or sneaking out of the house, a real relationship with real emotions and real problems — only less life experience. It’s a time of making mistakes, but still being young enough to recover gracefully. I didn’t realize that my novel was going to fall into a genre that is unfamiliar to many people.

New Adult bridges a gap between Young Adult and Adult. Readers are looking for a great narrative but also want the emotional intensity of teens, and maybe a bit steamier than YA as well. So, the main characters in New Adult are usually between 18 and 25 years old. It’s a step up from YA and let’s face it, for many of us, early adulthood was the best — or the worst — and the most thrilling times of our lives. A lot of younger adults are still riddled with teen angst, impulse control, and are experimenting with what the world has to offer. There’s less fear and no holding back when life presents a new challenge. Or, for some, the opposite is true: extreme uncertainty about taking that giant leap forward and beginning their independence. Whether they are fresh out of high school or maybe in college, they are beginning their adult lives. It’s a huge transitional time for many people and offers a lot of fuel for crafting a great story.

The New Adult genre is becoming more and more popular. Publishers, including Harper Collins and Crescent Moon Press are signing New Adult authors and the genre is growing, especially in online markets. I hope the trend continues and we will see some talented authors come into the limelight.

What about you? Do you read NA or have a favorite NA author?

 

Here is a look at my New Adult Paranormal Romance, Death Lies Between Us.  New release from Crescent Moon Press.  
                                                                                                                                                          Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it. 

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?

Jody welcomes visitors to her webiste www.jodyakessler.com