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!

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