Branding. Building. Birthing.

All things must start somewhere.

I’ve just come from the Realm Makers online conference, and the sessions and classes have forced me to take a hard look at what I write, whom I write for, and where my writing passion lies.

From the beginning, I’ve written stories of girls a little older, on their own, young women beyond the teen years. All my stories reside there. I’ve been told my tales are not quite adult fiction, for the mature, and they’re not quite young adult, for the teens.

My stories fall into that shaky middle ground, that arena publishers once labeled “New Adult,” that genre/audience that quickly fizzled out due to too-dark themes and borderline-erotic content and the motto “anything goes.”

So my books don’t quite fit there either.

But you know what? I say no more. No more trying to shove and shape and force my stories to fit in a place they were never meant to be. I don’t write YA. I never have.

Even if I couldn’t see that till right now.

I write for the new adult audience, in the fantasy and sci-fi genres and subgenres, that lovely little realm called speculative fiction, and I want to honor God with my stories.

My books are clean. I’ve never pretended to write anything else. Light shines in the midst of darkness. My characters face hard choices, life choices. They seek hope, but it’s messy. And I’m okay with that.

I’m reclaiming what’s in my heart, what I’m passionate about. Whom I started writing for in the first place.

Me.

Scared. Desperately wanting to take risks. Told I couldn’t do it. Afraid I would crash and burn. Forced out of safety. Fleeing toward freedom and grabbing on with both hands. Sick to my stomach, internalizing lies that I was a failure and all I would ever do is fail. Knowing I couldn’t do it.

But I could. And I did.

This is why I write. For FREEDOM’S sake. For those who feel stuck where they are, scared to take that first step, but there they are, and there it is, and they’re stepping, stepping, stepping…and now they’re flying.

Novel. New. Exciting.

I am passionate about books for the twenty year olds. The ones in college. Just finishing college. Going for their masters or adulting for the first time.

College. Career. Complex.

Let’s face it: high school was rough. (At least, for me it was.) I loved when I was past that stage and on my own, experiencing freedom and adventure and yes, even responsibilities for the first time.

Flight. Fantasy. Freedom.

I loved proving to myself I could make it on my own. And that time in my life stuck with me. Burrowed deep within my soul. I can do anything if I work hard enough for it. If I follow the lead of the Spirit within, that voice that says “move” or “stay.” And those are the kinds of books I write.

New Adult Novels.

When high school is over, whether forced to spread your wings or you decide to jump out of the nest on your own, what happens next?

I’m here to show you, mostly by that lovely little question novelists everywhere hear in their heads: “What if?” You have choices. Dreams. Desires. Goals. Take charge and go for them! My novels reflect that. Your world is what you shape it to be. No matter how scared you are, be brave.

Take heart. Seize courage. You’ve got this.

And it looks like I’ve got some rebranding to do.

New Adult Novels.

Reclaimed. Reborn. Redeemed.

Rediscovering my passion for writing, grabbing hold of it with both hands.

I’m scared, but I can do it. And so can you.

In Him,

Michele

P.S. This is my dream, my heart–what’s yours? What have you been too scared to step out and go after with all you’ve got? I would love to hear it!