New Post: Dipping My Toes into YA Territory

I’ve been doing this writing thing since 2014. I started with two small short stories, then took a break when I realized I wasn’t quite ready. Fast forward a few years, and I tried again. I had thought my skills had improved, and that I was finally on the right track. Then Outdated came out. Boy, was I not ready for the love/hate relationship that people had with this one. It got so bad that I almost quit altogether. But flash forward another couple of years, and I’m back at it. Not only have I released a bunch of new Gay Romance, but I also decided to tip my toes into YA.

At first, I didn’t expect to do it, but I wanted to really challenge myself for this year’s NaNoWriMo. So I decided to focus on what it was like to be a gay high school kid growing up in South Texas. It wasn’t easy and led to a lot of pent-up emotions that needed to come out. I won’t get into more detail, but I do feel that this one really brought out the best in me. It was deeply personal and made me tear up a few times. I plan to start editing it soon and will then give out more details.

One thing I’m not sure about though is whether or not I want to use the same pen name for the YA book that I use for my Romance. I mean, it’s for a different type of reader, but some gay romance readers also read YA, so I am torn. What do you all think?

I’m also waiting for the first round of edits for Espejos, which is also set in South Texas. I guess that’s my new thing, especially considering that my latest short, “A South Texas Holiday,” will also be out on December 8th. Hmm, maybe I found my new brand.

What do you all think? Should I use the same pen name? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.