My Favorite Themes
Jennifer Laurens
Jennifer Laurens
Young love is the subject of zillions of songs and books – including some books of mine. One of my favorite themes is forbidden love. (Overprotected, A Season of Eden) I also enjoy writing about unattainable love. (the Heavenly series )
Since a lot of readers prefer HEA endings, I try to encourage my characters that direction. But since I’m an organic writer (meaning I have a skeletal outline of a story, set the characters in it and let them go where they naturally want to go) sometimes I can’t control the outcome or MAKE it a HEA.
Like in A Season of Eden. Eden’s a confident high school senior who always gets what she wants. When she meets the new choral director, James Christian, she’s taken by his youthful enthusiasm. She wants him. She doesn’t care that he’s her teacher—he’s only twenty-two and she’s eighteen—in her mind, she’s a legal adult and so is he.To paraphrase Eden: “If we met in a club or somewhere outside of school, our age difference wouldn’t be an issue.”
This story could have gone different directions if James hadn’t been a young man with integrity and character. Even though Eden does everything in her power to encourage him, he holds his own— to nearly the breaking point—but does Eden really want to break him? Or is she just enamored with someone who has strength, discipline and integrity? (characteristics she hasn’t seen much at home and doesn’t really have herself).
Of all my books the ending of Eden is the one most readers have a comment about. Some want the end defined. Others love that the end is left to the readers’ interpretation based on the reading experience.
I believe in intelligent readers capable of coming to a suitable conclusion. That’s why the ending of Eden is satisfying.
But you can decide for yourself if it’s HEA.
Jennifer Laurens
Writer of YA books including the Heavenly series, Falling for Romeo, A Season of Eden, Nailed, Magic Hands & Overprotected.
Giveaway
Two winners will each receive a copy of A Season of Eden. Thanks to Jennifer Laurens for donating the prizes!
Details:
Open internationally
Ends March 25th
To enter, fill out the form below. Do not include your email in the comments section.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I love the sound of Season of Eden, and I love how the characters are in a forbidden love affair but only because of the context.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know if Jennifer herself thinks they have a HEA or if she sees them on another path
ReplyDeleteI don't always need, or want, a HEA when I read, so long as the end is satisfactory.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read A Season of Eden, but I do like when the ending is left to my imagination, it's always more appealing :]
ReplyDeleteThanks you for the post and for the giveaway!
I filled out the form as Mikki Mano :]
I have to read this book now to find out how it turns out. When I was in high school, there was actually a case of this. The male teacher (who was very young and fresh out of college) and high school senior sneaked around, and he moved to another school after that first year. They ended up getting married shortly afterward.
ReplyDeleteSound like a HEA? Well, he went to jail seven years later for "inappropriate relationships" with his students (who were NOT eighteen). I should have stopped after the first paragraph, huh? :-P
Thanks for hosting the giveaway~ great comments!
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ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to see how I interpret the ending. I've read stories that ended similarly - sort of left up to the reader's mind.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to read this one for awhile, the idea of a student falling for a teacher is an interesting comment. I'm not sure how a HEA would work in that case. I'm not entirely sure there is one that is completely happy.
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! Haven't heard of this book until now - on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Leanne
BTW I read Overprotected and it was AWESOME!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this giveaway! I love Jennifer Laurens and I can't wait to read some of her books! :)
ReplyDeleteA season of Eden looks interesting, and the ending sounds promising. (:
ReplyDeleteI love Jennifer, she's really nice ^^
ReplyDeleteI love the forbidden love component to this story. It makes it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. :)
this is the first i've seen this book. i love getting new books and authors to read. thanks for introducing it to me : ) and thanks for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful! Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, this is just a great giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to see how it ends. I'm hoping it ends good or at least satisfactory :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway, i really want a copy of this!
ReplyDeleteJennifer laurens' books are just great. And of course love is a fundamental ingredient! I'm always torn between open endings and happy endings...it totally depends on what I'm reading
ReplyDeleteSo wanna read these
ReplyDeleteJenifer Lauren's book are great but I have not read A Season of Eden. So thank you very much for the chance to win it
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have nothing against HEA. I do like them. But at the same time, I like tragic, heartbreaking endings. It's just different if after you've read a book, your heart has been ripped out. But...from time to time I do look forward to books that will make me smile in the end. And I just love the idea of A Season of Eden! :)
ReplyDeleteI havent had to chance to read Jenifer Laurens books yet. :( They are very hard to find in Canada. But I'm not giving up! *FINGERS CROSSED*
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I really want to read this. I don't always have to have the happily ever after ending. I like it when it makes sense. There are two other series I read, neither with a HEA, and I loved them. The none HEA ending breaks your heart, but in all the right ways I guess. Sorry, little rant there. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! I haven't read anything of Jennifer Laurens yet but the books seem like great reads. :)
ReplyDeleteI find the book really interesting...
ReplyDeleteI actually searched on it, and wanna read it...
Thanks for the giveaway again
This book looks great!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read it!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thank You for the giveaway - this is the first time I heard about this book, it has now become a must read
ReplyDelete-Carla
They all sound sooo goood! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteChelsea
Nice giveaway! This book sounds really interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! I read an excerpt of this and am dying to read it now!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway..I was actually looking forward to read Heavenly.>:)..You just make it the more interesting..>:D
ReplyDeleteMy 200 Followers Giveaway(INT-8 Books up for grabs)
I read Overprotected and I loved it. Now I am anxious about Heavenly and Season of Eden. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteI've only read her Heavenly series, but I can't wait to read more books of J.Lauren's!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! Now I want to read this to find out of Eden gets her way this time with her love interest (her teacher). Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI've been stalking this book for months. It's becoming unhealthy.
ReplyDeletethanks for the great giveaway..and for making it internatinally
ReplyDeletesouds like a great book.. I've heard about JL books, really ineresting
Thanks for the giveaway! I really loved her Overprotected book so am looking to expand my collection of her books! Here's hoping!
ReplyDeletethanks for making this international giveaway..
ReplyDeletei haven't read any jenniferlaurens books..but i think season of eden a great books...iam really interesting to read..^^
I think the premise of A Season of Eden is so interesting and I can't wait to see how it's handled. Even though the 2 characters are both adults they still have a teacher/student relationship and that is obviously taboo. Can't wait to read the book.
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