Interview: Samantha Young, author of 'On Dublin Street'
When I was putting together these questions for best-selling On Dublin Street author Samantha Young, the song We Are Young by the group Fun kept going through my head. I'm pretty sure she's living the lyrics about setting the world on fire and burning brighter than the sun. She joins HEA to talk about hitting the best-seller lists (lots of screaming), her hit On Dublin Street (lots of fans) and what she'd put on her ODS playlist (lots of cool songs).
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Samantha! Please tell us about the moment when you learned that On Dublin Street hit the USA TODAY and New York Times best-seller lists. Once you were done screaming …
Samantha: I was on the phone to my mum — probably asking her about cooking instructions since I'm an utterly useless cook — and I had my e-mails up on the laptop. We were just chatting away when my e-mails binged. I'd received an e-mail from my agent congratulating me. I nearly burst my mother's eardrum! Of course, I didn't explain to her why I was screaming so she started to panic, and then I started to laugh hysterically, which made her panic more. Once I calmed down and told her why I was screeching, she started screaming and then began shouting to the other room to my dad … so I reckon her neighbors found out the news at the same time we did. I then spent some time on the phone with my wonderful agent wearing a big cheesy grin. I think for the rest of the night and the next day I probably wandered around looking like a dreamy Disney character in love.
Joyce: You write in several genres — romance, paranormal, urban fantasy, fantasy, and contemporary — do you have a favorite among those? Does your writing style change from genre to genre?
Samantha: It's really difficult to choose a favorite genre because they all allow me to explore my writing style and creativity in different ways. I love that my imagination has such free reign with urban fantasy and fantasy — that I can write complex plots and create worlds without limitations. However, I love that with contemporary I can write a story that is so purely character-driven and devote time to creating layer upon layer to a character. I would say my writing style changes mostly from young adult to adult fiction. My prose is sharper, more mature, and my voice is more introspective in my adult fiction than it is in my YA.
Joyce: When you curl up with a good book, what might you be reading?
Samantha: Oh wow, I'm such a big reader and I love lots of different genres. You could find me reading anything from On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, to Divergent by Veronica Roth, to Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, to Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, to The Road by Cormac McCarthy, to Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane, to The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, to Slammed by Colleen Hoover …
Joyce: If you had to describe your writing as a type of music, what would it be? Eighties? Country? Don Ho? Hip hop? Hard rock? Heavy metal? None of the above?
Samantha: I'd describe my writing as indie rock. It can be fun, it can be laid-back, it can be emotional, it can be dramatic, and it can be very romantic.
Joyce: What songs would you put on a play list for On Dublin Street?
Samantha:Non-Believer by La Rocca, Breathing Underwater by Metric, Stay by Michelle Featherstone, Never Let Me Go by Florence + the Machine, It will Rain by Bruno Mars, Born on a Horse by Biffy Clyro, Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon, Candy by Paolo Nutini.
Joyce: Suppose a reader's first introduction to you as an author is On Dublin Street. Once she's done gobbling that up, what among your books would you suggest she read next?
Samantha:Slumber. Slumber — although a fantasy book — is the most romantic of all my mature young adult books. It follows the story of a strong-willed heroine on a quest to save her world. She is aided by a man she doesn't trust but is inexplicably to drawn to. Their journey is fraught with sexual tension, danger and passion.
Joyce: Please tell us more about On Dublin Street.
Samantha:On Dublin Street centers around heroine Jocelyn Butler and her tragic past. Having never dealt with the loss of her family, Joss is emotionally damaged and prefers to be alone. When Braden Carmichael comes into her life, Joss is introduced to a whole new world that forces her to finally come to terms with the past. Although the story is packed full of sexual chemistry, passionate love scenes, and witty sparks between our hero and heroine, this is also a story about family, and the secondary characters play a huge role in pushing Joss towards healing. At its heart it's a story about heart-pounding love but also a story about the power of friendship.
Joyce: What can readers expect to see from you next?
Samantha: At present I'm working on a second contemporary romance book set in the world of On Dublin Street. I'm keeping the details quiet at the moment but expect it to be just as hot and emotional. ; )
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Samantha: I just want to say a huge thank you to every reader who has picked up On Dublin Street, and a thank you for all your e-mails and kind comments. I'm looking forward to sharing more shmexy romance books with you all!
Joyce: Thanks, Samantha!
Readers can find out more about Samantha and her books at her website.