Last week I shared my satisfaction and joy (New Adult / Upper YA / Mature YA: Here, at last!) after reading two fabulous New Adult (NA) novels: Easy by Tammara Webber (which I will review in a couple of days) and Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (for review, click here). Last night, I finished (at 1am) the touching Because of Low by Abby Glines. I just thought I would expand a little by giving some background to why I love reading NA and why I love writing it.

I dived into Harry Potter. I devoured Twilight. Now what?

I’m not a teen anymore (humm! haven’t been for a while). But in some unexpected, time-defying ways, I grew up with those heroes. They nurtured my thoughts, my dreams. I cheered for them, cried with them…. and fell in love with them (you, broody vampire, yes you!).

I’m now desperate for the next adventure, for the next step in my ‘growing-up.’

‘Coming-of-age’ doesn’t only happen in high school. A lot of the excitement, joys and heartbreaks also fill those ‘in-between years,’ when you’re legally an adult but don’t always know how to be one. Or why you should even try to be.

But hardly any book deals with this transition into the ‘big bad’ world, about these life-changing, earth-shattering ‘first-times.’

The first time we leave home, our family, our parents, the friends we grew up with, but didn’t always choose.

The first home, the first job, the first real love.

I want to write about those days, those years, and share the stories with you. You may be experiencing these emotions right now… or you lived through them some time ago and want to understand how and why they define who you are now.

Come, come away with me to Oxford University, England. October, 8^th 2012.

I had fantastic comments last week both on this blog and on Twitter. They made me think and raised great questions. I have one for you and  would be grateful if you could share your thoughts. Do you consider HIGH SCHOOL or COLLEGE the place for the ‘first times’? And why? It can be based on your own experience or what you observe (with your kids, for example).

Also, if you have read NA books you have loved, please let me know. I’m always looking for a new NA read and a book to review.