Featured Author: Ashley Chunell

Ashley Chunell is a Romance and GLBT author. Ashley grew up in Boston and has been writing her entire life. After penning numerous song lyrics, poems and short stories, she went on to write various articles and fan fictions, gaining much writing experience and grammar knowledge.

After writing about the things and people she loved, it wasn’t long until Ashley created her own characters and wrote and published her debut novel “Masterpiece” in November 2012, at the young age of 18. In July 2013, Ashley published her second novel and first GLBT book “A Melody in Harmony.”

Ashley is a strong supporter of the organizations Stand Up 2 Cancer, NOH8 Campaign, Charity Water and R-Word.

Connect with Ashley Chunell on Twitter @AshleyChunell or visit her website: ashleychunell.tumblr.com.

Q&A with Author Ashley Chunell:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   Yes, as a matter of fact. For “A Melody in Harmony,” the cover is two sets of male hands playing a purple piano. One of the young men in my book, Noah, is a pianist and a royal purple, grand piano is his dream instrument. For “New Melody, Same Harmony,” the cover is Noah and Ronan’s hands once again, this time showing off their engagement rings, as the book is about the two getting married and marriage equality. There’s a tint of green on that cover, symbolizing Ireland. Ronan is Irish and Ireland plays a bigger part in the sequel.


2. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   I think my Noah and Ronan Series is unique because a lot of the homophobia and bigotry in my books is taken from things I’ve heard or witnessed in real life. It makes it all the more real to me, and I hope that comes off to my readers as well. It’s not like I just sit here thinking of awful things to do to my LGBT characters. Most of it is real and because of that, people need to be all the more aware of it, I think.


3. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?  
   
   Yes! There’s a lot of things, actually. A lot of names have meanings. In my debut novel, “Masterpiece,” the names Jacoby and Evangelina are the names I’d like for my future children someday. Same goes for the names Noah and Ronan. There are also other things, like the name of the restaurant Noah and Ronan go to, The Arch. The word ‘arch’ has a secret meaning to me. The names Eric Anderson and William Jackson, minor characters in “A Melody in Harmony,” also have meanings to me. The name David Thompson in “New Melody, Same Harmony” also has a meaning to me. So, I’d say there’s lots of little things that I’ve added to my books that, in a way, make them more “me.”


4. Is there any LGBT charities or resources that are near and dear to you that you would like to give a shout out to?
   
   I’d like to give a shout out to the NOH8 Campaign for all the work they’ve done. They spread so much awareness and take the coolest photos! It’s always inspiring to see people’s NOH8 photos!


5. If there is one message you would like to get out from your book, what would it be?
   
   All Love, No Hate. Simple as that. Noah and Ronan live that statement in “A Melody in Harmony” and continue to in “New Melody, Same Harmony,” and I hope these novels inspire people to do the same.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I would like my readers, young or old, to recognize the love my characters, Noah and Ronan, share. In both “A Melody in Harmony” and the upcoming sequel, “New Melody, Same Harmony,” my two, male characters go through a lot of trials, but their love always prevails in the end. I would also like my readers to recognize the clear homophobia in my books. The hate and bigotry Noah and Ronan deal with is something a lot of LGBT people still go through and people need to be aware of it.

Now Available from Ashley Chunell:

New Melody, Same Harmony This sequel to “A Melody in Harmony” follows beloved characters Noah Nash and Ronan Shea, who just got married and are about to make a big move as part of the next chapter in their lives. Before they do, the two sit down and reminisce about their last year together in Henderson.

This story rewinds as Noah and Ronan think back on their engagement, planning Henderson’s first gay wedding and lots of other surprises that led up to their big day.

This sequel allows Noah and Ronan’s relationship to grow as they continue to fall in love and fight for equality. Even with a new melody, the two still plan to live in harmony as they begin their next chapter together.

A Melody in Harmony Henderson is a small, old-fashioned town. Growing up here proved tough for Noah Nash, as he knew the truth he lived would never be accepted in this town, even by his family. To him, all he had was his keyboard.

Until one day, that all changed when Noah met Ronan Shea. Ronan’s confidence, wisdom and pride inspires Noah to finally, happily live his truth for the entire town to see.

This is a story of two young men and their journey to a relationship, fighting for equality and listening to their melody while striving to live in harmony.