Please welcome adult and young adult author, Ciara Knight who is joining us on her book tour for Rise From Darkness!
Romance in Young Adult Books:
News flash, teens are having sex. Yes, I said it. As a mom of a soon to be high school student I’m not excited about this fact, but it’s true. So, should we continue to avoid the subject in young adult books? I’ve struggled with this often. In book I of my Battle for Souls series it was an easy decision because they had just met, but when I went to work on book II this subject became more of a challenge. Would a teen couple, who is madly in love and have been dating almost a year, still not be having sex?
Is it because the characters are under eighteen? Stephanie Meyer made sure Bella was eighteen before she had pillow ripping sex with Edward, so I paused to reflect. My characters are only sixteen. Does that mean sixteen year olds are not heavy petting in the back seat of their car, or on the beach at sunset?
I certainly don’t want to offend a reader, but throwing in a paranormal element just to explain away why they are NOT having sex seems like a cop out. Yes, there is a reason why my characters are waiting but does that mean that all passion must not be mentioned?
What do you think? Should sex never occur between teen characters in young adult stories? Or, should we explain all the elements of making that choice by showing the joys and consequences of such a life altering decision?
Rise From DarknessBook One: Battle of the Souls
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Young Adult Paranormal
Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term “tormented teen”. He’s a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby’s life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.
As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.
About The Author:
Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.
Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She’s backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.
Website: www.ciaraknight.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Ciaraknightwrites
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ciaratknight
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I look forward to chatting with your friends and answering any questions.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about the restraints set on YA, yes its not encouraged and yes, there are consequences to young people having sex. But YES it is happening. Good point Ciara!
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post! Honestly, I don't mind sex in teen books as long as the characters are in love and there is a strong connection. To me, the teen books where the characters wait to have sex is unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I do admire the teens who do wait. I know how things were when I was a teenagers though, and I'm sure things haven't changed! I understand why this would be a tough decision for an author to make!
ReplyDeleteRise From Darkness sounds great by the way! I've added it to my TBR list on Goodreads :)
Hildie - I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. :)
ReplyDeleteParanormal Opinion - I agree. I SO want teens to wait, but ignoring the fact that it does happen I'm not sure is the right answer either. I think it is a complicated issue and each book should be written with that in mind. Thank you SO much for your opinion about this subject.