Press Kit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
U.S. Senate Legislative Assistant/Lobbyist Trades Capitol Hill Pass for Writing Fiction Series:
Tales from the Virgin Vault™
(Atlanta, Georgia) — Today, Christina Crayn announces her new TALES FROM THE VIRGIN VAULT™ series.
“Washington, D.C. is full of newbie Capitol Hill staff trying to make their mark. They’re a walking clean slate of no regret—not jaded and eager to learn—and they want to make the world a better place for current and future generations. I wrote the series so I could capture that sense of inexperience and awe of the Hill’s majestic world—like Oz is for Dorothy when she crosses that threshold—untapped by so many people,” explains Christina Crayn, author of the Virgin Vault series.
Crayn continues, “The nickname ‘Virgin Vault’ is something my friends and I used to affectionately call our Capitol Hill home because it was filled with young, single girls trying to make it in Washington, D.C. The series explores friends, love, and life in the complex and cutthroat world of Capitol Hill. The play on words captures the series’ essence and ‘virgin’ comes to mind. A virgin conjures up the image of someone new to, or inexperienced in, a specified field as well as is synonymous with innocence. I want the series to be loosely based on my first impression of working on the Hill, complete with a hella-fun romance. After all, that's where I first fell in love numerous times.”
About the author: As a former Legislative Assistant to two U.S. Senators, with loads of experience writing policy and lobbying Congress for a national advocacy nonprofit, Christina Crayn traded her Capitol Hill pass for writing fiction. Well, most of it is fiction. Christina is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Georgia Romance Writers, and the Atlanta Writers Club. She resides in Atlanta with her family and menagerie of pets and friends.
Series summary: TALES FROM THE VIRGIN VAULT™ is a new young adult series exploring young girls navigating Capitol Hill’s hella hot, alpha guys. Each book involves a high school intern staying in a nearby Capitol Hill women’s dormitory, nicknamed the Virgin Vault, in order to pursue an internship before heading off to college. Each girl's best-laid plans run awry when she meets the typical hella-hottie living the chronic playboy lifestyle. Fans of the edgier young adult romance genre will enjoy similar elements of a sexy, confident guy, a sassy girl determined to live life her way, and mega fireworks.
###
1. Tell us the synopsis of your book series.
TALES FROM THE VIRGIN VAULT™ is a young adult series exploring girls navigating Capitol Hill’s hella hot guys. Each book involves a high school intern staying in a nearby Capitol Hill women’s dormitory, nicknamed the Virgin Vault, in order to pursue an internship before heading off to college. Each girl's best-laid plans run awry when she meets the typical hella-hottie living the chronic playboy lifestyle. Fans of the edgier young adult romance genre will enjoy similar elements of a sexy, confident guy, a sassy girl determined to live life her way, and mega fireworks.
2. What do you feel is the unique aspect of your story?
The nickname ‘Virgin Vault’ is something my friends and I used to affectionately call our Capitol Hill home because it was filled with young, single girls trying to make it in Washington, D.C. The series explores navigating friends, love, and life in the complex and cutthroat world of Capitol Hill. The play on words captures the series’ essence and ‘virgin’ comes to mind. A virgin conjures up the image of someone new to, or inexperienced in, a specified field as well as is synonymous with innocence. I want the series to be loosely based on my first impression of working on the Hill, complete with a hella-fun romance. After all, that's where I first fell in love numerous times.
What makes this series distinctive is that Washington, D.C. is full of newbie Capitol Hill staff trying to make their mark. They are a walking clean slate of no regret—not jaded and eager to learn. I wanted to capture that sense of inexperience and awe of Capitol Hill’s majestic world—like Oz—untapped by so many people so it became a character in my story. Same with the Virgin Vault dormitory residents and staff—it's a world within a world. So often, book and television series center on the power of adults. I want to unveil how the young adult world also has power in its own right.
3. Tell us about your main character(s).
I wanted the series to be loosely based on my first impression of working on Capitol Hill, complete with a hella-fun romance. When the Virgin Vault series opens, we're introduced to a host of characters who are friends and coworkers, as well as Capitol Hill and the Virgin Vault are unveiled through their ingénue eyes. Each girl is like ‘Dorothy in Oz,’ trying to survive the majestic Capitol Hill world while craving the comforts of home and family. This book series also centers on finding your own path and identity. I support an LBGTQIA theater in Atlanta and it's important that LGBTQIA kids have recognizable characters in mainstream books so you'll find some LBGTQIA characters making an appearance.
THIRTY DAYS – A cautious girl, an undocumented guy, and a love with a thirty-day expiration date. High school senior Delaney Smyth loses the parental battle and has to bolster her college apps by going to D.C. and interning on the Hill. Laney hates politics, but stays in a strict Capitol Hill girl’s dorm, tagged the Virgin Vault. Her best-laid plans run awry when she meets a hella-hot, undocumented kitchen worker, Chance Reid, who happens to be clawing his way through red tape to go legit so he can attend college and make something of himself. Each one has to come to terms with the truth: home is not just a place. It’s about the special people in your life and finding love in the most unpredictable places.
THIRTY SECONDS - A heartbroken girl, her brother's best friend, and a day they'll never forget. In the second book, Kaley Barrington and Sawyer Alexander James have recently survived a mass shooting, but Jack, her brother and his best friend, did not. Kaley interns on the Hill in hopes of making a difference, whereas Sawyer got injured and can't pursue a ball career any longer. He hates politics but is forced to spend the summer interning for his grandmother, Senator Connie James. When the two star-crossed friends accidentally hook up at a Hill reception, sparks fly, and then they have to navigate working together plus coming to terms with what not only happened to her brother but also to each other on that fateful day.
THIRTY MINUTES - A sassy girl, a shy guy, and a secret that changes everything. I explore exactly what happened with Laney and Kaley's friend Maile Minobe who has this secret she needs to protect at all costs. She gets stalked by a crazy constituent who happens to be her estranged father. A Capitol Hill officer's younger brother, Steele Kennedy, who is interning on the Hill, comes to her rescue. Steele has always wanted to be a Hill officer, but can't believe he has to be 21 in order to realize his dream. In this third book, I wanted to highlight the real danger some staff face working on the Hill. I've had my share of crazy constituents contacting the Senate office! I'm now an expert at zapping microwaves from their brains with my imaginary ray gun, AKA the zero button tapped four times on the telephone switchboard…no joke.
THIRTY HOURS - A strait-laced girl, a spontaneous guy, and the opportunity of a lifetime. Sometimes, you have to get lost in order to be found. High school senior Enya has been in love with her best friend Riley since the day they met, but he's about to complete the transition and move to California whereas she's heading to D.C. for the summer to intern on Capitol Hill before starting college in the fall. Her car breaks down and she needs a ride to D.C. so she catches a lift with an irritating, hella-hot, irresponsible, musician guy, Riordan or "Rio", who turns her orderly world upside down. Rio has a long road to law school ahead and he just wants one last carefree summer before starting college and fulfilling his parents' hopes and dreams that he'll earn his law degree and join the family practice.
4. What genre(s) is this and whom do you think will enjoy reading it?
TALES FROM THE VIRGIN VAULT™ has mass appeal to the romance genre fan; most particularly the edgier young adult and new adult genre fan. The Virgin Vault™ series grapples with issues such as: leaving home, making grown-up decisions, trusting yourself out in the ‘real world,’ your first real job or internship, tackling valid decisions such as sex before matrimony, missing your family and the safety net their love provides, etc. Then, let’s not forget, there is a satisfying romance, of course. I really enjoyed writing these scenes. I think my husband got a tad jealous of my book boyfriends for awhile!
5. Have you received any feedback on your book series, and if so, what is it?
I completed my first series manuscript – THIRTY DAYS, and have begun shopping it around. I also have received six awards from the Atlanta Writers Club for “Best Pitch” for the Virgin Vault series. And, I was a finalist in the Fire & Ice Contest through the Chicago-North RWA Chapter, NEORWA's Cleveland Rocks Romance contest, and the prestigious Maggie Award for Excellence through the Georgia Romance Writers. I have shared my manuscript for advanced review copies and feedback has been very positive; particularly 'my unique voice’ in capturing the young adult genre ‘feel’ to the story. I am most definitely channeling the Hill interns I work with on a daily basis!
6. Tell us something about yourself that most of your readers may not know.
I'm a former Legislative Assistant to two U.S. Senators, with several years experience writing policy and lobbying Congress for a national advocacy association. Most of the series is fiction, but it is loosely based on my first impression of moving to Washington, D.C., living and working and navigating the Hill, my lifelong friendships, and finding true love. Some of the incidents involving constituents were experiences I had while working on the Hill; like zapping imaginary microwaves implanted by the government, processing flag requests, and scheduling Senate Gallery and White House tours, etc.
Growing up, my family was very politically active, but I hated politics with a passion because my dinner table was a constant battleground of opinions and debates. When I graduated without a job lined up thanks to my "useless" liberal arts degree from a state college, my parents forced me to relinquish my squatters rights to their basement and work on the Hill for six months to pad my resume so I could get a jump-start on adulting. Much to their chagrin, I never moved back home!
7. What’s next for you?
I'm working on the second book in the Virgin Vault series about two mass shooting survivors, THIRTY SECONDS, which is about a heartbroken girl, her deceased brother's best friend, and a day they'll never forget.
8. Where can people interact with you and find out more about you and your books?
That's easy! Please hit the "Hey, Christina!" button below. I'd love to hear from you.