Hello everyone! Today we have the fabulous Daisy Harris joining us. She is the author of the Men of Holsum College series and today she is going to share with us a bit about writing a college-based series. She has also brought a copy of her latest release, Player and the Prude, to give away to one lucky commenter. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!
Back to School—Again and Again
First off, thanks, Jay, for having me on the blog during series week! I hope to entertain you with my thoughts on writing a college-based series. Readers—comment at the end for a chance to win a copy of my latest release, Player and the Prude: Men of Holsum College 5.
Without further ado…
My name is Daisy Harris, and I’m a series addict. Although I’ve written a couple stand-alone books, the vast majority of my work has involved multiple sets of characters in a given world. Part of this is because I used to write only paranormal, and I figured that if you’re going to go to the trouble of making up a whole universe, you may as well hang out there a while.
But when I ventured into contemporary romance with College Boys, I wasn’t sure whether I could make a series out of a story set on a campus. First off, college is a finite period of time. People graduate. And to write stories about characters after graduation would, in my mind, make it a different type of genre from my intended genre of emerging adult.
Another complication of writing about college is the issue of drinking. While it’s true that many kids start to drink alcohol the first day they arrive at school, the law says kids can’t drink alcohol until the age of twenty-one. Which means that in stories where I want my characters to imbibe, I have to make them at least juniors. Assuming I don’t stack my love stories right on top of one another chronologically, characters from previous books will have graduated by the time I’m ready to reference them in another story.
However, despite the challenges, I adore using college as my setting. First off, it allows me to write about characters from diverse backgrounds. I’ve had heroes from North Dakota, Maryland, and Tenessee, characters from conservative backgrounds and as liberal as you can get. College is a melting pot and a time when kids realize that the tiny world they grew up in is not necessarily representative of the country as a whole.
For example, I still remember when I was in college and I visited my boyfriend of the time who was going to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. A girl I met there was from Alabama and told me that before she went to college she had never in her life met a Jewish person. This was fascinating to me since I grew up in a predominantly Jewish town in New York and couldn’t imagine Judaism not being a big part of my life—despite the fact that I myself was raised Catholic.
I use these sort of exchanges all the time in Holsum College. Like in College Boys, Chris Fisher, who’s from the south, muses about how he’d never eaten a bagel before coming to college. In Player and the Prude, Brooks Price—who was raised by atheists—struggles to wrap his head around how Matt Porter—who was raised extremely conservative—can feel so much shame and guilt around sex.
The college setting allows for so many opportunities for my characters to feel like a fish out of water. It lets me create tons of conflict out of every day situations. After all, what’s more frightening than facing the unknown? What’s more threatening than realizing that one’s assumptions may be wrong?
Finally, college is a great setting because it allows me to create a perfect world. Many readers enjoy the Men of Holsum College series because…well, everyone’s just so darn nice! Part of this is the result of the fact that nowadays I live in Seattle—where niceness is practically law. But more than that, I went to one of the most politically correct colleges ever, back in the heyday of political correctness.
GLBT groups were extremely active on my campus, and held an annual “Gay Day” for parents and students. I can’t imagine any of the kids I went to school with using hate speech or anti-gay slurs. It just wasn’t done. And yeah—maybe I just didn’t see it happening. But still, I was blissfully unaware that hate existed back then—and I miss that feeling.
Going back to college in my series lets me create a sheltered world for my characters where people can be as nice as I want them to be, and as kind as I’ve seen people being in the real world. The greatest hurdles most of my characters face are those in their minds.
And that’s why I’ll go back to college again and again. Right now, I’m working on Holsum College 7: Genius and the Jock, and there will be lots more to the series.
This month, Holsum College 4: Player and the Prude released at Bookstrand on July 7th, and Holsum College 5: Bossy and the Brat releases July 28th!
So, what was the most mind-blowing thing YOU learned in college? Comment below for a chance to win Player and the Prude.
Player and the Prude Book Blurb
Brooks Price loves a challenge. So when a frenemy dares him to sleep with a dorky, over-tall, film major, Brooks amps up his considerable charm.
Matt Porter can’t guess why Brooks is flirting with him. Raised religious, Matt doesn’t believe in sex before relationships. Unfortunately, Brooks is all about sex, and Matt doubts Brooks is interested in anything else.
Slowly, Brooks chips away at Matt’s armor—taking him on dates, asking for kisses, holding hands—baby steps none of which Matt can resist or refuse. However, when Brooks pushes too far, Matt freaks out.
Despite his stoic exterior, Matt’s painfully conflicted over his sexuality—scared of his darker desires, worried about hurting Brooks. The pair explores boundaries, but when things turn rough and Matt unleashes his inner wants, he doesn’t know if he can overcome his shame about sex in order to be with the man he’s growing to love.
Bio
Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn’t sure if she writes erotica. Her romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris’s dismay the sex tends to get completely out of hand.
She writes about fantastical creatures and about young men getting their freak on, and she’s never missed an episode of The Walking Dead.
Giveaway
Daisy has brought a copy of Player and the Prude to give away to one lucky commenter. The contest runs through Sunday, July 22 at 11:59 pm EST.
- By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- Winners will be selected by random number.
- If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay and leave your email address if it is not in your profile.
I didnt go to college so learned nothing mind blowing! Hkwever, to go to college/university, kids from home have to go to the UK so really are away from parental units (one boat a day, last plane out is 6.30 pm) and drinking is legal from 18 – surprised so many survive!!
Love series reads – like it when characters fromearlier novels appear again and develop a bit more from their time in the spotlight
I’ve preferred living places with a drinking age of 18. Especially, since in a lot of those countries, few young people drive. I’d rather them drunk than on the roads. LOL
The best think I learned in college was that I loved math, although that was my weakest subject up until then. I credit one exhuberant professor with changing my mind and a second one for showing me that all math subjects are basically the same, just wrapped differently. He’s also the person who explained that they won’t assign a proof that hasn’t already been completed by someone else. Hence all the time I spent in the library after that.
Oh god, math is my nemesis! When I have stress dreams about college, the class I always forgot about the final in is math!
I learned that regardless of what college you attend, whether or not you’re a techie major, even if you take the most dumbed-down version possible, you will only pass a statistics course by the skin of your teeth. Seriously, me, my whole family, and everyone I’ve ever talked to…it’s a terrifying thing.
Ach! Statistics. I never really figured out what a p value was.
I only managed one year away from home for college, and then one more year AT home — home being a tiny tiny tiny town in southwest VA about 20 miles or so away from the Kentucky border. My mom taught at the college, so I knew far too many of the professors, which made that one year extra-special for me.
That year away, though — biggest revelation of my life! In high school I had been too tall, too brunette, too smart and too busty to every really make it anywhere but the fringes. I was the band geek, the girl who hung out in the library before class, the teachers’ pet — or the teachers’ greatest irritation, as I never hesitated to point out anything they said/wrote/did that I knew was wrong. And I usually had reference material right there to back me up.
So going away to college and finding that all those things that worked against me in high school — but most especially the brains — were actually BENEFITS in the eyes of some of the young men I was meeting… well, let’s just say I finally had a long-overdue personality overhaul. I became outgoing(ish), flirtatious, interesting, (according to my husband) vibrant.
Now, of course, I have kids and pets and a husband in the military and I only very rarely feel any of those things. But I’m finding a community again (online) that appreciates what’s inside my head, instead of finding it uncomfortable.
Yep. College is one of the few places in life that being smart is an actual benefit. 🙂
I have read the first three books and loved them! Would love to win number 4.
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
Yay, so glad to here it. Good luck!
OMG. “Hear” it.
*hangs head in shame for that typo*
This is great. A new series for me to read. I love it, and the reminders of what my college days were like!
Hope you enjoy!
The biggest thing I learned in college…be aware of who your chemistry lab partner is, you might wind-up married to them! 🙂 Well at least in my case it is true! 😉 True chemistry can be made in chemistry class…who knew?!
Aw, that’s so cute!!
College was the first time I was actually away from home and definitely the first time I was responsible for myself. First I learned that Lit class should not be held @ 8:00 a.m. Second, I leaned that it’s easier to actually pay attention in class than to stay up all night cramming for an exam. And third, I learned that my high school choir teacher was a genius because I didn’t listen through most of my Language & Diction classes but I still passed because my choir teacher taught me enough in high school.
forgot to leave my email… 😉
morris.crissy@gmail.com
All the ancient history I ever learned, I got from Asterix the Gaul comics. All of it.
And, most of the grammar I’ve ever learned I got from the nuns at the Catholic school I went to prior to 4th grade.
I think for me that college was knowing it was about decisions about my future and having to become a responsible adult. Thanks for the giveaway.
For me, college was so much less stressful than high school that it seemed like a return to childhood. But I’d been an extremely stressed out teenager.
Hey guys,
I’m cracking up reading your comments! Oh, and by the way—if any of you are chosen who’ve already read Player and the Prude, I’ll give you the next book Bossy and the Brat as a prize instead. 🙂
Now I’m trying to think of the most important thing I learned in college… hmm… Probably that being smart didn’t have to make me an outcast.
Thanks for commenting, everyonE! I’ll try to respond more in a little while when I have more time. I’m visiting family in New York this month, and am wrapped in an extravaganza of social events. LOL
I don’t know that it would be considered mind blowing, but the most interesting class that I took in college was called Myth in Human Culture. It was all about things like creation myths throughout the world, the myths that make up different cultures, & even some apocalyptic myths. One of my fave lectures was the one where we watched Joseph Campbell’s documentary comparing the main characters of Star Wars (Luke, Han, Darth Vader, etc) with literary archetypes (i.e. the tragic hero).
I have only read the first book so far (LOVED it) and must read more. I think the best thing I learned at college was to not be afraid to try new things. Although, I was 23 when I started (did not know what I wanted to do right out of HS, and was more than a little burnt out of school. After 5 years of working various jobs, I learned that I was definitely ready for more school, lol.
Congrats on the newest release, I must get caught up on this series.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
The things I never learned in college is more like it… 🙂 please count me in.
Thanks, chellebee66 at gmail dot com
Sounds like a cute and creative book. Count me in!
kit_singer@hotmail.com
The most mind-blowing thing I learned wasn’t really anything academic. I was a good student and always got good grades, so that part wasn’t going to be a problem for me. Mine was standing on my own and finally trusting my own decisions. in the end I chose a major, got a degree and got out, but I figured out that my whole life I was a round peg people were trying to fit into a square hole. it was my first true chance to make my own decisions, be my own person & find my own happiness.
Thanks for such a great series, Daisy! I love reading your stories and always look forward to the next one. 🙂
Please include me in the drawing.
Hello Daisy, Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to stop by Jay’s GREAT Blog & spend with your Fans! Ohhhhhh those Men of Holsum College or back again & Mmmm how HAPPY that makes Us!!! 😉 This is a FANTASTIC Series & I would very much appreciate if I could be included in in your Giveaway for a copy of “Player and the Prude”, Book #4.
What was the most mind-blowing thing I learned in college? Well besides Graduating Magna Cum Laude in Criminology…….I learned to appreicate just how Beautiful another Woman’s Body is….& lets just say….I’ll leave it at that. ROFL! 😉
Take Care Daisy & Jay & Stay Naughty,
PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com
I love this series!! What did I learn in college? Lots of stuff – just not sure any of it applies to the “real world”! LOL
susanmik AT gmail DOT com