YA Indie Carnival: Kiss & Tell

17.2.12


Okay, so my books don't have so much kissing in them... Well a little perhaps but not much. What I want to talk about is the subject of age & kissing. My first book, Raven, got some negative comments about the fact that the main character, Lilly, falls in love with a 17 year old when she is very nearly 14. I was surprised by how disgusted some people were by this. Do they not live in the real world?? Oliver, the boy in question, is totally adorable. He's honest, reliable, faithful, and he would never do anything that Lilly wouldn't want to do. And at no time in my book did I talk about anything other than a mere peck of a kiss.
I started going out with boys when I was 13 and some were much older than me. I met my husband when I was 16 and he was 19. Personally, as long as people are responsible, I don't see a problem! What do you think? Should female characters only have relationships with boys their age? Bear in mind that it is a fact that girls mature much earlier than boys do (so 14 probably equals 17!!!)
For more Kiss & Tells with my fellow Carnis, click the links below...

2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self
22. Courtney Cole Writes



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6 comments :

  1. Great discussion question! I was in 8th grade my first kiss--so that's what 13-14? and the guy was a sophomore in HS so 15-16? I also dated a guy in his early 20s when I was a senior so I have no prob with the age diff. Political correctness run amok perhaps?

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  2. Excellent discussion topic. There are so many things to think about when writing YA. I don't have a problem with an age gap of 3-4 years with teens. My next book has a 19 and 16 year old getting together. I think it's fine.

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  3. WOW...then I would REALLY be in trouble! I have a 13 yr old who astral projects to Planet Popular where she's ALL OF A SUDDEN in her 17 yr. old body. [and the kissing excerpt today shows what happens with her "first kiss"]. Gulp. I think if the story works it works. Like you say...14 yr olds kiss 17 yr olds every day. I had an objection by a reader because in Winnemucca the M.C. Ginny starts out at 17, engaged. The reader didn't buy it. Vampires? Sure. Flying monkeys? Fine. LOL! I think there's some places readers just don't want to go, for whatever reason. And that's OK.

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  4. Amazing! In this day and age, really? Yup, they need to jump into the real world, I think--not as rare as that critic thinks!

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  5. Thanks for your comments girls... you've strengthened my resolve to just go with the flow! Maybe I worry too much! lol
    XX

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  6. Since I wrote this post, someone has left me a pretty shitty review on Amazon. This person said they only managed a few chapters but then were put off by the relationship between a 13 year and a 17 year old. Really? If they'd only read a few chapters, they wouldn't KNOW about the relationship would they?? Not only that, but there isn't much of a relationship between them in the first place!
    Oh dear... some sad people just have an axe to grind don't they? It's very petty, very petty indeed. Sigh. Why can't people be just be nice?

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