Question: Your story sounds like it takes place in an alternate universe. Why?

I purposely made parts of Affirmations a little ethereal, otherworldly, almost imitating the "magical realism" style of many Latin authors. Young people, especially girls, see so many images that aren't great for them. There is so much pressure to look a certain way, a way that doesn't make them look all that positive because it values visible rib cages and wiry arms over muscle mass and slammin abs. I wanted to bring back the idea of "proper physical fitness," which is one reason why I decided that one of my characters would be obsessed with her exercise regimen and hiring a personal trainer to ensure she is physically fit, not just another girl with an eating disorder. You might ask why I didn't choose Katherine, the former catalog model. I ddin't want to make it too obvious, and I also wanted to take a new twist over the "rebellious child of drug dealers" character. Don't you find it different that someone who grew up around people wasting away from crystal meth addiction would want to hire a personal trainer?

- Lacey

Drug Dealer Culture in Affirmations

Like many of you, I've read many books and seen many movies and TV shows where at least one of the characters is a drug dealer, knows a drug dealer, is related to a drug dealer and/or has parents who are drug dealers. In Affirmations, I chose to use a model not often employed: parents who are drug dealers who have a daughter who wants out of that way of life. Usually, the child acts very strangely and is considered odd by the drug-dealing parents. In Affirmations, Nefertari is the daughter of drug dealers. Do you think she's "odd"? Would you consider her "rebellious"? If so, why? She isn't exactly joining a heavy metal or hip hop band. She is just very interested in getting an education and pursuing a career as an investigative journalist (and is dating a man outside of her culture). Is the Gundangamo family portrayed realistically, in your opinion? Would you say that some drug-dealing parents are more likely to accept a gay son over a daughter dating someone to escape from a world of endless violence, chaos, and corruption? Also, the Gundangamos aren't your typical "struggling drug dealer family." Nobody in the family has addiction problems, they sell the highest-quality meth for the lowest prices. Nefertari and her brother never had to worry about not having food on the table or not being able to buy strip clubs and car washes as legitimate fronts for their illegal activities. In fact, Nefertari spent her college years running a high-class brothel to pay for college. What do you think about that? I would love to hear from the public what they think about my view of drug dealer culture as seen in the novel.

Welcome to my writing blog!

This is the blog where you'll find updates about my writing! Just to let everyone know, my debut novel, Affirmations, has now been published! :)

Here is a brief blurb about the story:

Affirmations is a novel about a young woman, Mary-Ellen Kline, who graduated from college in the mid-1990s, when the story takes place. She has returned home to live with her parents and is attending graduate school in town. Mary-Ellen has issues to deal with. First off, her mother is going through a mid-life crisis, and has taken up a post-retirement career as a stripper/pole-dancer. Her best friend, Katherine, a former department store catalog model, has recently become a housewife and developed a drinking problem out of boredom. Another friend, the daughter of successful drug dealers, must deal with two conflicting cultures. Will she be able to help her mom and her friends? What about the man who is head-over-heels in love with her? How will she find a way to love him back after she treated him horribly in high school? Will she recover from all that pain she caused him that he has forgiven but which still prevents her from loving him because the story is all about Mary-Ellen Kline? Does his complex emotional turmoil matter at all? Pick up a copy and find out!