We’re so pleased to have author Quinn Anderson joining us today on the tour for her brand new release, Fourteen Summers. Quinn is here to talk a bit about her characters, and there’s also a giveaway so be sure to check out those details at the end.

Welcome, Quinn!

Immature Characters and Their Growth

Many of the stars of romance novels are twenty-somethings: young professionals or college students. Navigating adulthood is a common theme in new-adult books, and considering how easy it is to relate to, it’s no wonder. We’ve all been there, right?

One criticism I often see of young characters, however, is that they’re “immature.” Immaturity is often defined as characters not acting their age, but in my experience, when people call a character this, they usually mean that character made mistakes. In fact, in my experience, the more a character genuinely acts like they’re twenty, the more likely it is someone will call them immature, whiny, et cetera. It’s not unfair to expect characters to behave in a mature manner, but it irks me sometimes to see this critique, especially when making mistakes is key to character growth.

As a twenty-something, I’m fine with admitting I don’t have all the answers. In fact, there has never been a time in my life in which I thought I knew it all. Unless the question is, “Do you want cake?” In that case, the answer is always yes. But beyond that, I got nothing. I don’t know what escrow is, tax forms confuse me, and adulting is scary. I know one day it won’t be, but for right now, you can count me among the new adults who are just trying their best.

That’s why I think it’s not only important but necessary to have young characters fumble a little. In this book in particular, Aiden, Max, and Oliver are all in college, they have never paid taxes, and they’re only barely starting to figure out what the “real world” is like. They have families who support them and safety nets in place to keep them from getting into too much trouble. It’s a good thing too, because they have a lot to learn about life.

At one point, Max thinks to himself that he doesn’t know what to do, and if anyone expects him to, they’re going to be disappointed. That, to me, is realistic. I’m sure some people will be angry with my characters for not having their shit together a hundred percent of the time. To that, I have to shrug and say sorry, but they’re twenty. I remember what I was like at that age, and it wasn’t pretty. I’m not going to give a bunch of college kids the aplomb of middle-aged bank managers.

By the end of the novel, the characters grow a lot, and I think that’s much more important than having them be perfect from the get-go. Showcasing that growth and the events that led to it is part of what makes a story about young people enriching. It’s too easy if everything is handed to them. My characters have to work for their happy endings, and it was a pleasure watching them become worldly young men.

About the Book

Identical twins Aiden and Max Kingsman have been a matched set their whole lives. When they were children, Aiden was happy to follow his extroverted brother’s lead, but now that they’re in college, being “my brother, Aiden” is starting to get old. He’s itching to discover who he is outside of his “twin” identity.

Oliver’s goals for the summer are simple: survive his invasive family, keep his divorced parents from killing each other, and stay in shape for rowing season. He’s thrilled when he runs into his old friends, the Kingsman twins, especially Aiden, the object of a childhood crush. Aiden is all grown-up, but some things have stayed the same: his messy curls, his stability, and how breathless he makes Oliver. Oliver’s crush comes back full force, and the feeling is mutual. Summer just got a whole lot hotter.

Fun-loving Max takes one thing seriously: his role as “big brother.” When Aiden drifts away, Max can’t understand how his own twin could choose a boy over him. Summer won’t last forever, and with friendship, family, and happily ever after on the line, they’ll have to navigate their changing relationships before it’s too late.

[zilla_button url=”http://books2read.com/u/mZPPMB” style=”blue” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Buy Fourteen Summers Here [/zilla_button]

About the Author

Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.

A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just one big Joss Whedon reference. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, and more. Growing up, while most of her friends were fighting evil by moonlight, Anderson was kamehameha-ing her way through all the shounen anime she could get her hands on. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and Tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her.

Her favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cat, screwing the rules, watching Markiplier play games she’s too scared to play herself, and catching ’em all.

Connect with Quinn: Facebook || Tumblr

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Fourteen Summers, Quinn is giving away a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 26, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!