So, Whatchya Writin'? Fred's Leg of the Writers' Blog Tour!

Ahoy my friends! 

Happy Friday to you all (or Saturday, if you're not on 'Murican time!) 

I've a special little post today. It's my very first blog tour! This current blog tour is all about the wonderful works in progress that I and many other writers are currently working on. 

What is a blog tour, you ask? It's a special blog post that some clever writer starts and continues the theme by tagging more authors to continue. Yes, it is exactly like those social media personality surveys we've all participated in at one point in time. Don't even deny it ;) 

Let's get to business! First, I was tagged by the very talented Valerie Noble, author of The Energy Crusades, to participate in this blog hop. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic, dystopian stories full of action, suspense, and a little romance, you'd absolutely adore The Energy Crusades. If you'd like a little sample, you can always purchase Lucid and read the first chapter of Ms. Noble's book at the end of Devon's story. Just putting that out there ;) 

Anyway, huge shout out to Valerie tagging a newbie author such as myself, and a very big thank you to those of you taking the time to read my post!

Let me tell all of you following the tour a little bit about myself:

I’m singer/songwriter, novelist, and traveler. My experiences abroad, and most importantly with new people, inspire my stories and propel me to get my written word out there. I write primarily for my middle school students, especially those who are not yet avid readers, hoping to inspire them to delve into the great worlds within books and get lost within the pages. My debut novel, Lucid, was released earlier this summer. It's a YA fiction piece about a young teenager whose dreams whisk him away to a fantasy world where he must learn to survive and become a hero. 

Time for a WIP (work-in-progress) Q&A session!

What am I currently working on? This is a tough question, as I always have several work-in-progress projects at hand. My attention span isn't the largest, so I really need the variety to keep me going. The big project I’m working on currently are the sequel to Lucid (called Reverie) which follows Devon and his friends as they journey deeper into the dream world to defeat the evil villains, Phobio and Leona, and restore the balance between good and evil. 

How does my work differ from others in the genre? I write YA fiction, which is a hugely popular genre right now. One thing that sets Lucid apart from the other modern YA titles is that it’s split into modern day and fantasy settings.  Most other YA titles are either straight fantasy or add an apocalyptic or fantastical element into a modern setting. The schism between the two worlds in Lucid keeps the story flowing on both sides of the looking glass and challenges the characters to adapt and thrive in different situations.

Why do I write what I write? I write a lot of things for myself, but I write my YA titles for my students. Being an adolescent is tough. I remember how awkward I felt in my own skin from 13-17. Reading was a great escape for me. It not only gave me a safe place to hide from the petty teenage drama, but the stories I read also  kept my imagination strong during a time where most imaginations tend to be squashed by makeup and boys. Reading about how a nerdy little character turns into a great hero inspired me to be the best I can be. When I started teaching middle school, I saw that kids these days are just as awkward as I was. Those that read, however, seem to be happier in the classroom and with their peers. I wanted to write another book that inspired a child to continue to believe in magic while finding his or her inner hero. If one kid comes up to me thanking me for my book, it will all be worth it.

How does my writing process work? Oh, don’t I wish I knew the answer to this? Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a huge procrastinator. In order to stay disciplined, I treat my writing sessions like a workout. When I sit at the computer, I remind myself that if I ever want to be on the same level as my author role models, I at least have to put words on a page. Some writing sessions are better than others, but at the end of the day, if I have more words written then yesterday, I’m doing all right.  

Thank you for stopping by! Hope you all enjoyed reading about my writing process and current projects! You  can continue the blog tour by checking out these lovely authors in the next week or so:

Daniel Thomas Quick, fellow fantasy author: wordofthor.blogspot.com

Christina Lorenzen, author of inspirational and sweet romance: christinalorenzen.com

Aria LeJune, writer of fiction and poetry (because poets need love, too!): 

serenityroze.tumblr.com

Til next time, keep readin' and dreamin'!

-Fred