Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A book for all seasons

A lot of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies are published about two months before the season in which they're set. For instance, Jamie's Valentine's Day book appeared in December, and Catherine's Christmas book came out in October. That's because Simon Pulse figures you want to read a seasonal book.

My books are no exception, and I recently realized that when my fourth book comes out, I'll have a book for every season! Here they are:

Summer: The Boys Next Door

A high school junior pretends to date the boy next door to catch his older brother, her childhood crush. This novel is set on a beautiful lake in Alabama, much like the one where I grew up. It begins a few days before Memorial Day and lasts until the middle of June, so if you love those seasonal books, you'd better hurry for this one! You can read more about it here or sneak a peek here.

Fall: Major Crush

A beauty queen turns band geek in a small Southern town. I was not a beauty queen, but I was the first female drum major of my high school marching band. I love fall, I love school, I love football, and I LOVE BAND. If that back-to-school feeling excites you too, this book's for you. Major Crush is also my first published novel, and I will always have a soft spot for it (and the hero, Drew). You can read more about it here.

Winter: The Ex Games

A snowboarder challenges her ex-boyfriend to a battle of the sexes on the slopes. It's coming out this October 6, just ahead of winter, The X Games, and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Mark it on your calendars to get you in the mood for cheering on your favorite chick-athletes! You can read more about it here.

Spring: Going Too Far

Published by the MTV Books side of Simon & Schuster rather than the Simon Pulse side, this novel is about a seventeen-year-old who avoids prosecution for a high school stunt by spending spring break on night patrol with the nineteen-year-old rookie cop who arrested her. It just came out in March, and I feel very happy and VERY grateful to all the readers who bought it, because it's already in its third printing. You can read more about it here, or listen to the soundtrack and read the first chapter here, or see what book bloggers have said about it here.

As for writing books seasonally--I never seem to do this. I wrote the summer and spring books in fall, the fall book in winter, and the winter book in summer. And I'm not a seasonal reader, either. Right now, personally I'm not looking for a book set in the late spring or the summer to get me in the mood for the beach. I'm simply on the hunt for the next great story. If a novel were able to transport me from Alabama's tornado season into the dead of winter (somewhere else, because Alabama does not have a dead of winter), I would admire the author and think that was pretty cool. How about you?

2 comments:

pens said...

Definitely not a 'seasons' reader. A great story is a great story no matter when it is set. I have never really understood the idea of 'beach read' either.....

Debbie Rigaud said...

I'm with you, Jenn. I don't set out to be a "seasons" reader. But when I find a good one, it puts me in a festive mood--kinda like seasonal movies do. :-)