Fiery Hot Reads for Icy Cold Nights: Guest Post and Giveaway with M. Leighton

I’m so pleased today to bring you a guest post along with a little extra treat from M. Leighton, author of super-hot new adult contemporary books, including the The Bad Boys series which so far includes Down to You and Up to Me, as well as six YA series’ and one standalone so far. If you’re looking for something to steam up your windows, The Bad Boys series will do the job, so they were a perfect fit for me to choose as a Fiery Hot Read for an Icy Cold Night. I’ll be reviewing both books tomorrow!

Since I’m NA-nuts this year (ahem, if you haven’t joined the challenge, click on the sidebar image), I asked Michelle why she’s chosen to write in the category. As a bonus, I had her share her playlists for Down to You and Up to Me.

After all the good stuff, I’m giving away a set of ebook copies of both books (open to int’l entries). The giveaway will run until March 1st, and as always, blah blah Rafflecopter..:)

Why New Adult?

Well, for me, writing new adult was never a matter of doing what’s popular; it was a matter of finding what I’m most comfortable writing, finding my true voice. It was about finding my soul as a writer. I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain.

For the first year and a half of my career, I wrote only Young Adult. Young Adult was hot, as was paranormal, and I figured writing that genre would give me a greater chance of success. Not to mention that I loved Twilight, so it wasn’t hard for me to parlay that love into writing about teenagers with gifts, powers and curses.

For a while.

But in the late spring of 2011, I suffered what I can only describe as an identity crisis as an author. I wasn’t really happy writing what I’d been writing. I felt hemmed in, constricted, but I didn’t know why. I waffled over what to do about it for several weeks. I was seriously considering abandoning M. Leighton Books completely. I talked with some author friends of mine about what I was feeling and what was going on. None of them seemed to be having any troubles or experiencing the same issues. It was just me. Just my own heart.

After a few weeks of soul searching, I decided to give being a writer one last shot. I called it my “Hail Mary” pass. But this time, the gloves were coming off. I wanted to write a book that was unlike anything I’d written before. I wasn’t going to follow any prescribed guidelines or bow to any preconceived notions. Heck, I wasn’t even going to follow strict grammatical rules. I decided I was going to write a book from my heart, including real characters with real dialogue, characters with lives so real they could very well live next door to me.

Enter Trick and Cami. (The couple from The Wild Ones, Michelle’s other NA title. ~B)

Those two changed my life. And my career. They showed me how strained the tie to my writing had become. They showed me that there is a world beyond that which people expect. There’s a world that’s what we, as authors, make it. New Adult isn’t just a genre that has evolved out of thin air (or so it seems). It’s a way of thinking, a rebellion. It’s authors writing what they feel and not conforming, not carefully crafting every scene and word to fit a certain audience. It’s about the chains coming off, it’s about the freedom to write what’s true to the story and the characters in it, whether that includes sex and language and alcohol use or not. And for me, that was the difference between giving up on writing completely and embracing a passion that lives inside me, one that knows no rules or boundaries or restrictions.

New Adult is a genre, yes. But it’s also a movement and a mindset. As for me? I’m all in!

Down to You Playlist

Up to Me Playlist

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Author photo and bio from author’s website

Click on through the Read More for a bit about the books and the giveaway!

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not. Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.

Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?

Goodreads Summary

Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

Goodreads Summary