World Blog Tour - Catching Up With Alycia Morales

Christian writers support and encourage one another by letting our readers know about other new writers they may like. We do this through blog tours. Edie Melson invited me to answer four questions and then point you toward three authors whose work I support.




What am I working on now?
I have written a New Adult novel titled Secret Identity. Ivy's life fell apart at 16, when her father unexpectedly left. When her mother makes a rash decision to move to NYC between semesters during Ivy's freshman year of college, Ivy unravels even more. As her mother struggles to move on in life, Ivy struggles to go back, wishing beyond anything that her father would come home. I am about to make a final edit.

I'm also working on book two of my series, Identity Crisis. I'm still brainstorming as I write, but the story is about a young woman who has made a few bad decisions along her journey as a flight attendant. As she tries on different personalities in a lame attempt to discover who she truly is, she meets someone who encourages her to quit trying to hide behind the masks and just be.

How does my work differ from others in it’s genre? 
My work tackles the tough issues in life, but it doesn't cross the line into sex and erotica like many New Adult novels do. I prefer to keep the story clean enough for older teens, "new adults," and their mothers to read without blushing or feeling dirty when they put it down.

Why do I write what I write? 
I chose to write New Adult novels because I want young women to know that there is hope to overcome our past, present, and future mistakes. We can live the life of our dreams, walk in freedom, and stand strong without the weight of worldly issues on our shoulders. I want to tackle the tough topics, the elephants in the rooms of our hearts. The things women experience and go through that no one wants to address in faith circles. What do we do with eating disorders, fornication, divorce, sexual abuse, and other such issues that are (unfortunately) common place in today's world and our lives? My books will hopefully bring hope, encouragement, and a desire to live more fully to young women (and some older) today.

How does my writing process work?
I get ideas from all sorts of places. A scripture verse. A conversation. A line in a movie. A song. A sunset. The airport. The laundromat. I keep these in a notebook, and when the cast of characters for that idea begins to speak to me, I write notes or type paragraphs to get the story going. I tend to write as I go, only stopping to outline when I hit a wall or can't remember the color of a character's eyes or if I tied up that loose end. That's when I turn to outlining and character sketch sheets. I can say I struggle with turning my internal editor off, which I believe is a result of two things: being an editor and a perfectionist. Sometimes I will make sure my first three chapters are tight before I move forward. But I'm learning to shut her down and keep moving. When I finish writing the crappy first draft, I rewrite. Then I edit. Then I edit again. Then I hire a professional editor and have three or more of my writing friends look my story over. Then I edit again. I firmly believe in making sure my manuscript is the best it can be and not relying on myself to make it that way. And finally, I submit it to my agent. And sometimes, like now, I rework it some more. Because I want God to be able to use it to change lives or at least make someone consider a new thought.

Next on the world blog tour, I’d like to introduce you to these writers:

Bethany Kaczmarek, a freelance editor and a writer, is passionate about making room for the New Adult niche in the inspirational market, so she writes about young people who wrestle with newfound independence, struggle to make counter-cultural choices, and live with integrity in both the workplace and the world. A member of ACFW, the My Book Therapy Voices, and the Light Brigade Writers Group, Bethany writes about the places where grit meets Grace. Read more about her at www.bethanykaczmarek.com. Find out about her editing at www.alittleredinc.com.

Charity Tinnin's fascination with dystopian lit began in high school with Brave New World, and she’s been devouring the genre ever since. Now, she mentors high school students at her church, works as a freelance editor, and lives in the foothills of North Carolina—a terrain very similar to a certain series. When she’s not editing for a client or working on the State v. Seforé series, she spends her time reading YA and discussing the merits of Captain America, Frederick Wentworth, Prince Charming, and Stefan Salvatore online. Speaking of the interwebs, Charity loves to talk about YA fiction, TV, and State v. Seforé. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, or her website to start the conversation.

Ron Estrada is an engineer and aspiring novelist from Oxford, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and two children. Though often distracted by politics, he still finds time to write for God’s glory. To learn more about him, visit www.ronestradabooks.com.

Thank you to Eddie Jones for starting this World Blog Tour and for being a publisher who cares about furthering God’s kingdom through the ministry of the written word!

I'd love to know what you, our readers, are working on, as well! Feel free to tell us about your latest project in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!