About
Monica Frazier writes under the pen name of Mona Alvarado Frazier. Her YA novel, THE GARDEN OF SECOND CHANCES, debuts in June 2023.
She writes to amplify the resiliency of diverse teenagers. Her many years of working with incarcerated youth and raising three children as a single parent motivated her to write their stories.
Mona received writing fellowships from A Room of Her Own (AROHO), Macondo Writers, and mentorships from AWP and Las Musas, a collective of Latinx children's book authors. She is a member of SCBWI and a co-founder of the #LatinxPitch annual Twitter event. Her interests are travel, hiking, reading, watching K-dramas, and caring for two grand kitties.
Featured Work
THE GARDEN OF SECOND CHANCES
For fans of Angie Thomas, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Jenny Torres Sanchez
Juana's life has taken a dark turn. Accused of her husband’s death, she's now a seventeen-year-old mother, alone and undocumented in a prison cell. No one believes her when she claims she's innocent, not even the prison staff or the gang leader in her block who torments her relentlessly.
Her only solace is in her baby, but as Juana struggles to survive the dangers lurking in prison, the threat outside grows even more terrifying. Her husband's furious family wants to take the child away.
.
With no hope in sight, Juana discovers a glimmer of light in a small patch of earth in the prison yard. As she nurtures the plants, memories of her mother's strength and resilience surface, pushing Juana to fight for her freedom and her daughter's future. This is a story of courage, hope, and determination in the face of impossible odds.
