Amy asked Maria V. Snyder:

Hi Maria, I've just finished Dawn Study, and just wanted to say how much I love all your books, especially the Study/Glass/Soulfinders trilogies. I was wondering if you've ever thought of writing adult fantasy, since in the Soulfinders trilogy all of the POVs were adults. Have you ever felt held back by fitting your books to a YA audience since many of them feature mature themes?

Maria V. Snyder Hi Amy! I'm glad you've enjoyed my books. You've asked an interesting question. When I wrote Poison Study, I was writing for adult fantasy readers. In fact, when it was first publisher in the US, it was put in the adult section. However in the UK and Australia, they put it in the YA section. By that time, I had gotten a ton of emails from teens who just loved my books - Poison Study came out the same month as Twilight and those fans were looking for more books to read. My publisher eventually printed YA covers for my first 2 books to tap into that market.

As for feeling held back, I don't. Many YA books have mature themes and I don't shy away from them. However, I do fade to black with the sex scenes - I had a more detailed sex scene in Dawn Study, but my editor said it stood out since my other books didn't have any. I didn't mind changing it, but I kept it for my readers who wanted more. In fact, you can read it here: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/secret-sc...

One of the things I'm proud of is that my books appeal to all ages - well, those between 9 and 92 (I've had both ages email me :)

flag