Though the title should be enough to pique your interest, we’re here to tell you that Nicole Raye Martin’s new book Love, Sex & Situationships should be the next thing added to your Amazon wishlist. As a PSU alumna and college dating veteran, Martin takes you through all the awkward, sexy and horrifying aspects of the average 20-year-old’s love life and gives hope to those of us whose romantic endeavors always seem to end up less than what we imagined. Move over Nicholas Sparks, it’s time to get real.
We got the chance to speak with Martin and discuss the inspiration behind her new book.
HC: What type of degree did you graduate with, and what types of jobs did you initially pursue post-graduation?
NRM: I graduated from Penn State in 2013 with a B.A. in print journalism and a minor in sociology. After graduation, I decided to attend graduate school for journalism and mass communications at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. While there, I was still working on the magazine that I started in 2013, L7 Women’s Magazine, and I also worked as a copy editing intern for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In March 2014, I became a digital content editor and managing editor for STEM Jobs Magazine at Victory Media and I have been there ever since.
HC: Did you always have the intention of becoming a published author?
NRM: It was always a dream of mine, but I never thought it would be possible, especially at 23 years old.
HC: How would you describe this book?
NRM: The book is for college girls and young professionals who are out in the crazy dating world today. It has advice and anecdotes that young women can relate to, and they can laugh right along with me in my crazy experiences. It is very tongue-in-cheek humor but also gives real-life advice that many of my readers and friends have asked over the years and experiences that I’ve learned from through mistakes and tears.
HC: What inspired you to write this book?
NRM: While I was interning for College Magazine and writing for Playboy Magazine, I discovered that I absolutely love writing and talking about dating and love and everything in between. One night while giving advice to my best friend about a guy situation she was in, she made a joke that I should write a book. I laughed it off at first, but after thinking about it, I decided maybe that’s not a bad idea – hence Love, Sex & Situationships was born.
HC: Describe the ideal demographic you are hoping to attract.
NRM: The book is mostly for young women in college and in their 20s, because of the advice given, but guys can laugh at the stories and maybe get some insight into the female brain.
HC: What’s the biggest challenge you have faced throughout the writing/publishing process?
NRM: The biggest challenge, by far, was that I kept going back to change things. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing, so it took me a few years to finish. The second challenge was picking a cover – it was one of the hardest decisions and took hours of looking through photos and fonts to finally decide. Even so, I absolutely love the final decision, and I think it is a great representation of what the book is about.
HC: So, how can we get our hands on a copy?
NRM: The book is now on sale on Amazon in paperback and also Kindle version for under 7 dollars…that’s like, less than your Chipotle lunch. ;) Here is the LINK.
She does have a point! A big thanks to Nicole for allowing us the interview and reintroducing us to a little thing called leisure reading. Netflix was getting old anyway.