Today I’m lucky enough to be sharing a guest post by Clare Davidson – the author of Reaper’s Rhythm! She’s written a guest post about why she hopped genres. Don’t forget to check out the tour wide giveaway at the end of the post.

Why I hopped genres? 

My first novel, Trinity, was a straight up YA fantasy. Other than a couple of short stories I played around with for my degree, it’s all I’ve ever written. But my second novel, Reaper’s Rhythm, is a YA urban fantasy, or a YA contemporary paranormal thriller (try saying that several times quickly!). Yes, they are both subgenres of fantasy, but there’s a massive difference between those two genres and straight up fantasy.

So, why did I genre hop?

For the challenge. I’m a big believe that you should always stretch and challenge yourself. A good way to do that is to play outside of your comfort zone. With Reaper’s Rhythm, not only did I hop genre, I also switched to a first person point of view.

My muse told me to. Seriously. My muse doesn’t care about genres, or the advice that it’s not productive for an author to hop genres, because not all of their readers will follow them. My muse gave me a flash of inspiration, which got so stuck in my head, I had to get it out on paper.

It was fun. Reaper’s Rhythm began life as a “just for fun” throwaway project. It was my experimental project in the down time between finishing the first draft of Trinity and editing it. Only I finished that very first draft in three weeks. Yup, you read that right. The first draft of Reaper’s Rhythm was a very different novel to the one I’ve ended up with. It was lighter and aimed at a mid-grade audience. Honestly, it wasn’t very good, but it was definitely fun to write. So was the very different second draft (but that’s another story).

What are your thoughts on genre hopping? Have you followed a genre-hopping author? Have you found a new author’s work because they genre hopped? I’d love to hear your views.

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Thanks Clare! I often follow authors I love wherever they go – even when it’s genres I don’t normally read. I’ve discovered new genres that I now adore because of following an author wherever they go. I loved the chance to read about why an author – like yourself – might choose to genre hop.

We’re also lucky enough that Clare decided to share a teaser from her new book, Reaper’s Rhythm.

 

Charley’s lying on the bed, her blond hair fanned out over the pillow. Her arms are spread wide, palms up. Crimson blood drips from deep slashes on her wrists. Her blue eyes are open, staring at the ceiling. But they don’t see. They’re dull, empty.

Dead.

The room spins. My stomach lurches and bile rises up my throat. I swallow and clap my hand to my mouth. Sagging against the doorframe, I can’t tear my gaze from the single lock of hair resting over Charley’s porcelain cheek. What should I do?

Charley would know what to do.

As I stumble down the stairs, my mind clicks into gear. A scream rips out of my throat, eclipsing the pounding music. My foot slips on the beige carpet, sending me tumbling down the remaining stairs. My shoulder and back slam against the wall. I scramble to my feet, screaming, sobbing, then stagger into the hallway, colliding into a young man with the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen.

My own force knocks me backwards. His strong grip clenches my arm, preventing me from falling. I try to scream again, but the sound is trapped within my constricting chest. My sister is dead. A stranger is in my house.

Title: Reaper’s Rhythm

Author: Clare Davidson

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/ Mystery

Book Description:

When everyone thinks your sister committed suicide, it’s hard to prove she was murdered.

Kim is unable to accept Charley’s sudden death. Crippled by an unnatural amnesia, her questions are met with wall after wall. As she doubts her sanity, she realises her investigation is putting those around her in danger.

The only person who seems to know anything is Matthew, an elusive stranger who would rather vanish than talk. Despite his friendly smile, Kim isn’t sure she can trust him. But if she wants to protect her family from further danger, Kim must work with Matthew to discover how Charley died – before it’s too late.

Author Bio:

Clare Davidson is an independent writer, based in Lancaster. Clare is a high school teacher, mother and character-driven fantasy writer. Clare was born in Northampton and lived in Malaysia for four and a half years as a child, before returning to the UK to settle in Leeds with her family. Whilst attending Lancaster University, Clare met her future husband and never left. They now share their lives with their young daughter, a cranky grey cat and an insane white kitten.

She published her first novel, Trinity in July 2012. Trinity is a young adult, fantasy novel, which currently has seventeen five star reviews on Amazon UK.

Her second novel, Reaper’s Rhythm, is due to be released on the 26^th July 2013. Also aimed at a young adult audience, Reaper’s Rhythm is an urban fantasy with a dash of mystery.

Ways to connect with Clare Davidson:

Website || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads

Click Here to join Clare’s new releases mailing list

 

Purchase Links

America:
Kindle || Paperback

UK:
Kindle

Paperback:
Amazon || Waterstone’s

Giveaway:

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter a tour wide giveaway to win a fantastic swag pack!
a Rafflecopter giveaway