Mona Alvarado Frazier on Writing, Winning, and Feeling Seen

 Guest Post: Mona Alvarado Frazier

 

When I wrote A Bridge Home, I didn’t imagine it would make its way to an award panel, let alone be honored 

as a co-winner of the Paterson Prize for Young Readers and the 2025 Southwest Books of the Year – YA. I 

didn’t even know it had been submitted. My publisher, Arte Público Press at the University of Houston, 

often enters titles into award consideration without notifying authors. So, learning about this recognition 

came as a surprise—one that made me pause and reflect on how far this journey has taken me.

A Bridge Home is my second YA novel, but this world of writing and publishing still feels relatively new. 

My first book, The Garden of Second Chances, was published in May 2023 and was met with unexpected 

acclaim. It received a gold medal for Best Latino-Focused YA Book and a silver medal for Most 

Inspirational. Before A Bridge Home was even released, it received a starred review from the American 

Library Association—an honor that felt like a light guiding the path ahead.

Being retired from my day job has made a significant difference in my creative process. I’m an early riser, 

and the quiet morning hours hold a special kind of magic for me. My writing day begins with a few 

stretches, a half pot of coffee, and some foamed soy milk. As I settle in with my cup, my rescue cat, 

Selena, tells me it’s time for her to go outside. Once she’s content, I carry my coffee to my bedroom, light 

a candle, and write in my pajamas. On a good day, I’ll finish three solid hours of work before stepping into 

the rest of my day. It’s a rhythm that grounds me. I feel out of sorts if I’m not writing Monday through 

Saturday.

Despite the recognition, my writing process hasn’t changed. I don’t chase trends or worry about what 

might win awards. I write what I need to say and what I wish I had read as a teen—stories about identity, 

injustice, hope, and resilience. Stories that center on and explore Mexican American/Chicana heritage. 

My audience is anyone who finds themselves in those pages, whether they’re thirteen or seventy. But I 

always begin by writing for the younger version of myself—the teen girl longing to see her world reflected 

in a book.

Working with Arte Público Press has been a gift. Though small in size, their team is mighty and 

mission-driven. I especially admire the women on the marketing team and feel fortunate to work with them.

With only about twenty books published a year, they are selective and it is competitive. The incoming 

director is Dr. Gabriela Baez, PhD, and I have had the opportunity to hear about her vision for APP’s 

future.

My next manuscript is in the hands of three literary agencies, and it’s a novel I’m excited about: a 

contemporary YA novel that blends magical realism with the Mexican healing tradition of Curanderismo.

Though my name may not be widely known among the general public in Oxnard—perhaps because local 

print media has yet to feature my press releases—my work has found its way to local librarians and fellow 

writers across Oxnard and Ventura. While the city does not have a dedicated bookstore, Heritage Coffee 

(@heritagecoffee805), in the historic Heritage Square downtown, carries my books. Being born and raised 

in Oxnard, California, is something I hold close. It’s where my roots are, and I carry that with pride. I know

my mother, family, and friends are proud of what I’ve written—and their unwavering support means 

everything to me.

Writing has become not only a way to express myself but also a way to give back—to offer stories that 

affirm, challenge, and heal. While I may be the only writer in my family for now, my daughter and I have 

talked about co-writing a novel together—one centered on a young protagonist with an “invisible” 

disability. I imagine us telling that story one day, side by side.

In the end, awards are wonderful and affirming. But what keeps me going is something more personal: 

the ritual of coffee and candles, the silence of the morning, and the hope that somewhere, a young reader 

will find themselves in the pages I’ve written and feel seen.

 

 

 

Thank you Mona for this thoughtful article. 

Mona's website is www.alvaradofrazier.com Her IG is m.alvaradofrazier. Her books can be ordered from Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, and Amazon.