Shelley Sly - MG vs Romance

Please welcome Shelley Sly to the blog today!

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Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Jemi!

So, I love middle grade. There’s something thrilling about writing for kids, and the conversations I’ve had with young readers have been the best part of my job as a writer. But I didn’t start out writing MG.

I started out writing romance.

I’ve written short stories of all different genres, but when I decided to get serious about being a

writer, I was set on writing romance novels with college-aged protagonists. (I guess today it would be classified as New Adult Romance, but back when I wrote my first few novels, it didn’t have such a clear genre.)

Here’s what I loved about romance:

• The moment when the hero and heroine meet. I love introducing two important characters and seeing how they react to each other!
• Showing the sweet side of the hero. My favorite heroes are the ones who are just so loving and thoughtful… even if they try to be a tough guy on the outside!
• The ups and downs of the relationship. I enjoyed putting my hero and heroine through some challenging, heartbreaking times, as long as it ended in a happily ever after!

I didn’t even plan on switching gears and writing for children. But working in an elementary school and being around kids every day inspired me to write for them. It’s not the same as writing romance, but there are things I love about middle grade, too:

• Even though there’s no romantic love, I still have fun introducing two important characters, such as two soon-to-be best friends, or two long-lost relatives.
• There might not be a swoon-worthy hero, but I like showing the depth of young characters, too. Maybe the carefree class clown has a very sensitive side, or the rough and tough tomboy secretly loves pretending to be a princess.
• Other relationships, such as family or friendships, can have ups and downs just like a romance. I enjoy making my characters argue and stop speaking to each other, only to be good friends again later.

Two totally different genres, and yet, they’re more similar than you’d think! I’m pretty attached to MG right now, but I do look forward to returning to romance sometime in the future.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about writing in multiple genres!

Shelley Sly lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with her husband and their chocolate lab mix. She writes middle grade novels about friendship, family, and figuring out where you fit in. Shelley is the author of WISHING FOR WASHINGTON, and her brand new release, ONE HUNDRED THIRTY STARS. You can find her online at www.shelleysly.com.

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Thanks Shelley! I adored Wishing for Washington and can't wait to read One Hundred Thirty Stars!

I love reading in so many genres (obviously MG is on that list) & I've dabbled in writing multiple genres too. I can totally see me branching out into other genres & age categories once I've got myself some more time!

How about you? Do you write in multiple genres? Want to?

Wishing for Washington!

One of my favourite blog buddies has a book out!

The lovely Shelley Sly's debut novel Wishing for Washington is out and about and it is AWESOME!! Tallia is an awesome character and I LOVE Shelley's MG voice - fantastic! The kids never stop aiming for their goals no matter what happens - lots of fun in this story. And lots of heart as well! One of my favourite things about the book is the relationships the kids have with the adults - varied, fun and realistic. I really enjoyed this story and know my students will too!

As punishment for playing doorbell ditch, twelve-year-old Tallia Thompson and her goofball brother Isaiah are shipped off to their grandparents’ house for half the summer. There’s nothing fun about being stuck in Maryland, a.k.a. Snore-a-land, except for one thing: the close proximity to Washington, D.C.

Tallia would do anything for Isaiah, and what he wants most is to meet the President of the United States. So together, they formulate a plan to get to the White House—a plan that involves spending a bit of money and concocting a bunch of lies. And, ultimately, a plan that ends up changing Tallia’s perception of her family forever.

Completely awesome!! So, where can you pick up your e-copy? Try these...

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Goodreads     

If you're waiting for the print version, it should be ready on July 2nd, so not long to wait!

What do you think? How far would you go to meet the president (or prime minister or any of your heroes!)?

Congrats Shelley!