Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.
Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze--more than ever before.
Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas--she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and--unbeknownst their “mark”--secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.
But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.
How Much of the Author is In the Book?
I receive a lot of reader mail (THANKS READERS! I LOVE THEM ALL!) asking if I ever inadvertently (or on purpose!) interject myself into my stories. It’s kind of hard not to! For me, little things slip in. Like for instance, in Stupid Girl, the heroine Olivia Beaumont’s love of the stars is mine, too. I didn’t go as far as she did to study it in college, but I’ve always loved stargazing. When my kids were little we’d pile blankets up on the trampoline and watch the meteor showers as they passed. I still set my clock and run outside to catch a few shooting stars with every shower. And in Stupid Boy, my heroine Harper Belle loves to bake. SO DO I. Lol! Usually, it’s small characteristics like that, or likes and dislikes that end up in a character’s makeup. I think it makes them real. 3-D. Not flat pancake characters.
I have had a few life experiences that have worked their way into a story before. In another short story I’ve written, A Highlander Christmas, the heroine actually tripped, fell, broke her nose and had two super purple blackened eyes for more than two weeks. I was in Scotland with my teenaged daughter and yep! I fell, broke my nose and had two lovely purple blackened eyes for the whole trip. I was writing that short story at the time and wrote it right in while I was there. Pretty hilarious! (And no make-up needed for the whole week!)
Here are a few tips I’ve picked up as a writer that I’d like to share. The fun part is, I never stop picking up tips!
1: Never think you know it all. If you feel for one second that you’ve learned all you can and that you’re ridin’ dirty in the literary world, prepare your backside for a bruise or two. Or three. Because you never stop learning in this business. Style is individual of course, but there are many, many things you can learn along the way that can add to your style. Even negative reviews can offer tidbits. It might sting a little, lol! But hey—if it helps make your next book better, it’s worth the sting. For instance, my heroes in Stupid Girl and Stupid Boy are from Boston. I received enough feedback from readers with Stupid Girl to know that maybe I could take it a little easier on Stupid Boy’s Kane McCarthy’s accent than I did with Brax. Some might disagree, but still. I listened! So keep your eyes and ears out and open!
2: People-watch. Some of us might have better opportunities to do this without getting caught (LOL creepers!) but still—when you watch other people, whether they be strangers, family, friends—you learn mannerisms that separate and make us each unique and individual. You can then add that to your arsenal of writing tools. And, it’s fun! Not to mention, you might just find physical features for characters. In Stupid Boy, Kane McCarthy’s deep brown eyes actually came from the barista at my local Starbucks. ☺
3: Watch for stories in the news. I’m not a big news-watcher, as in I rarely ever have it on my TV (not when Criminal Minds or Law and Order: SVU (only the ones WITH Elliot) or CSI: Las Vegas is on!). But just this morning my husband had a news channel on before he went off to work. A young boy lost his mom, brother and sister in a plane crash his father was piloting. He had a dream of being a basketball player and going to his mom’s alma mater. He grows to be 6’6. Is his high school’s shining star. Then he survives yet ANOTHER plane crash. This time, his father and new stepmother die, and he is badly injured. He finishes high school after months of physical rehab. Wins the big game with a big swoosh. Goes to his mom’s alma mater where his scholarship awaited him. That kid survived all that. THAT is inspiring to me. So keep your eyes and ears out and open. You never know what might strike you!
National bestselling author Cindy Miles writes edgy romance, ranging from contemporary love stories to sexy paranormals. A native of southern coastal Georgia, she loves reading (naturally), baking swoon-worthy desserts, traveling abroad, yoga, and classic rock. The cover for her upcoming New Adult romance, STUPID GIRL, was featured on USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog. In the novel, a volatile mix of bad boys, sassy smart girls, dark secrets, and red-hot romance add up to one wild ride through college.
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