The blurb for Anywhere Else:
When Leena’s long-time boyfriend walks out and her alcoholic parent forces her to leave home, she’s left with nothing but shattered dreams and a suitcase full of regrets. At rock bottom, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to fight for a life she’s never had—or give in to the darkness closing in.
In the aftermath of a brutal breakup and her mother’s alcoholic tendencies, Leena finds solace in the unwavering support of her best friend, Sydney. Together, they carve out a new beginning in a shared apartment, setting the stage for Leena’s journey toward healing and independence.
But when two captivating men enter her life, Leena’s newfound stability is thrown into disarray. Brent, the charming risk-taker, offers passion and excitement, yet harbors secrets that challenge Leena’s trust. Meanwhile, Garrett, her ex-boyfriend’s steadfast friend, provides comfort and familiarity, tempting Leena with his unwavering support.
As Leena navigates the complexities of love and loyalty, she must confront her deepest fears and make a choice that will shape her future. With each path holding unforeseen consequences, Leena embarks on a quest to discover not only whom she desires, but also the person she strives to become.
Why Anywhere Else resonates with young adult readers:
Anywhere Else circles around typical friendship dynamics that most young people feel in their years of forming and discovering who they are. This is a time when young people feel that their friends understand them and relate to them more than their own family. A time in our lives when friendships hold their weight in gold.
Anywhere Else also shows readers tougher subjects such as handling toxic family relationships and having an alcoholic family member, which can take its toll, as it does on the main character Leena. Furthermore, readers get to see the character development that Leena has as she realizes her worth in terms of self-preservation and in terms of the relationship she has with her alcoholic mother.
How Anywhere Else came to be:
My childhood was tough as I navigated a poor upbringing, having an alcoholic family member, letting go of toxic family relationships and brief homelessness. At the time, I didn’t feel as if I was able to confide any of my circumstances to my close friends because I was embarrassed.
I truly felt that incorporating these topics into Anywhere Else and providing the main character with valued friendships to help her navigate her tough life was something that young adult readers could benefit from.
Hicks has been building her multi-genre career since 2014, her first novel being the young adult dystopian book, Kale Stone: An Outliers Tale. Since then, Hicks has gone on to publish several other works in the genres of YA, Superhero Fiction, and Children’s books.
In addition to this growing collection of work, Hicks has made several appearances:
– The Lancaster Native Plant and Wildlife Festival to present her children’s book Dandelion
– Lititz Public Library Indie Author Event to present all of her works to readers
– Adamstown Elementary Schools Read Across America Day to present Dandelion to 100 students
– U-Gro Learning Center to share Dandelion with young readers
– The Writing Community Chat Show
And has been featured in Lancaster Online for both The Backup Superhero and Today I’m Not Laurel.
Hicks enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter and reading in her spare time.
What readers say about Anywhere Else:
“A well-written, very cute but sometimes gut-wrenching coming-of-age-story about friendship, love, dysfunctional families, and the challenges of living and caring about people with alcoholism.”- Lacrima Mundi
“I loved this story. It did not gloss over the bad and the ugly of dealing with an alcoholic parent. I found it hard to put the story down, I devoured it in one night. It was well written, and such a beautiful story.”- Cranky- The Book Curmudgeon
A big thank you to Author Lounge for allowing my article and book to be put in front of their audience.
