Meet Alisha Galvan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Galvan.

Alisha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was in 3rd grade when I first discovered the Goosebumps book series and fell in love with scary and thrilling stories. By 4th grade my oldest brother let me watch my first horror movie with him, The Children of the Corn (1984 version) furthering my infatuation for the adrenaline rush that sinister tales gave me. I’ve always been an avid reader and have loved books since I first learned how to read. It’s fascinating that by using my imagination to view a world or situation an author’s words could create, being able to escape reality. I kept a journal and would write passages, poems, and sometimes drawings. I wrote mostly depressing truths about the numerous traumas I’ve faced in my life and my plentiful family troubles; the therapeutic feeling of writing something down helped me in my worst moments, and getting it out of my mind and onto paper felt freeing. Looking back I think that’s where my beginning started, but I didn’t know it at the time.

Writing wasn’t always a passion of mine, I dabbled in it here and there in my adolescent years, not just in my journal but taking my truth and adding fiction. I never took it seriously though, until 2008. At this point in my writing journey, I had written a few (let’s be honest) not-so-good novels and a small collection of short stories. All my family and a few friends who I let read them said they were great, I think they were biased but I decided to start submitting my short stories to different anthologies and online magazines. I’m not ashamed to admit that I am an introvert. The idea of people reading a story of mine, or just putting myself out there for the world is scary, readers judging my writing was hard to accept in the beginning, so I wrote under a pen name. Morgen Knight was my alter ego so to speak, I could write about the darkest things and no one really knew it was me. After months of submitting and getting many rejections, I finally received an acceptance letter. I was only paid $1 for that story but it was the best damn dollar I’ve ever earned. No longer was I writing just for myself, there were readers who actually enjoyed my story!

After getting my first real win by publishing that story, my dedication to creative writing grew. I honed in on my craft and focused on getting more of my stories to readers. It came with a lot of bad writing–trial and error–and beginning to find my voice and what I wanted readers to feel after reading my work. Numerous submissions to different publications, lots of denials, and several wins. After about six years of getting short stories accepted, I finally had a considerably sized list of publishing credentials and believed it was time to seek representation for my novels; so, I started querying literary agents.

Luck would have it that I got one! Cue the happy tears! We worked together on one of my thriller novels, editing it, bouncing ideas around, and perfecting it so my agent could begin presenting it to publishers. Then, after months of working together, I received news that my agent was leaving the literary business and while I was still under contract with the agency, my original agent wouldn’t be the one to represent me anymore. I was bummed, I felt like we worked well together and that is an important aspect in the traditional publishing world, but I respect their decision. I waited and waited, reached out to the agency, and…nothing. I tried contacting the agency repeatedly, with no response, feedback, email, or call back. To say I was devastated is an understatement. It was shattering to be so close to something I’ve worked so hard for, to finally find someone as passionate about my novel as I am, and then have to start from scratch again.

Reluctantly I tried again, with a horror novel this time. Submission after submission, rejection after rejection. Fears and doubts crept into my mind, maybe I’m not good enough for this, or maybe I am wasting my time. My mental health wasn’t doing well, and I needed to take some time away, so I took it. Focused on my part-time retail job, I ended up climbing that ladder to store manager, still having the urge to write but never having the time.

Who knew that years later I would find that passion and drive again? It took me five years working in retail before I realized that this isn’t what I want to do for the rest of my life. Although I loved my job and all that I accomplished there. I loved meeting new people and the great conversations and friendships I had gained, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I knew I was instantly replaceable, and never truly felt valued. Overworked and underpaid. At least if I’m going to be underpaid might as well be doing something I enjoy wholeheartedly. Because let’s be honest when you are a writer just starting out you aren’t in it for the cash flow. That’s when I left and decided to pursue writing again.

Publishing my stories under the name Morgen Knight got me started, and writing under that name took me far, but I’ve chosen to drop the pen name. Where I failed as Morgen Knight because I let fear and doubt overtake me writing as myself is different. I guess for me hiding behind a pseudonym it was easier to give up because it wasn’t really me in a way, but writing as me I have more to prove, if only to myself. I have never felt this much ambition before and there is nothing stopping me this time around, even if I have to take the hardest road to get there. It will be difficult, but nothing good comes easily. And I am ready for the challenge, as a matter of fact, I am already on my way.

I am in the final stages of publishing my first book: A Path Through the Forest. It is a horror story collection containing 20 of my short fiction and filled with numerous horror tropes. I haven’t set a release date but my goal is to have it available to readers in the early months of 2023. Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster is a Stephen King tribute anthology that will be publishing my short story As for The Fallen Seed. The release date is set for March 2, 2023.

Rooster Republic Press is featuring Two-thousand Word Terrors and will be publishing my story The Longest Mile.

The release date is set to publish in early February 2023. Plus, more projects are in the works, so stay tuned!

I am still seeking representation for my novels and submitting stories to anthologies, contests, and magazines. If the traditional publishing route doesn’t work out for me I will be indie publishing my novels. It’s a lot more work, and I still have uncertainties, but I am up for the learning curve and any obstacles that I may face.

If my writing journey leaves you with anything I hope it leaves you with inspiration. No matter what your career ambitions are, no matter what hardships and failures happen along the way, just know it is possible and you are your own worst critic, well…at least that’s true for me. Keep striving, no matter how many rejections you receive, no matter the lack of support, and no matter the mediocre beginning work or self-doubt. Never stop pushing yourself, and if you fail don’t quit as I did, that’s one of my biggest regrets in my journey thus far.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an author is filled with multiple struggles, not only with writing the stories but choosing how to reveal them to readers. Traditional publishing is such a subjective business. I may have a best-selling masterpiece but if I don’t stand out in the crowd with my query letter or short story submission it’s usually an instant rejection.

Rejection can be very discouraging, who wants to read over and over again that publications or agents don’t like your story or aren’t even interested in reading the rest of it? When I first started querying agents with my thriller novel I queried 72 agents and only 1 said yes. During this last round of sending my short stories out to anthologies and online publications, I submitted to 30 different places and only 2 were accepted. Rejection is just part of the writing process, you get comfortable with hearing your story is “not a fit” at this time. I’ve gotten so used to rejected stories at this point that when I open my email in my mind I’m already saying well here’s another rejection, but it makes the accepted stories so much more exciting, and quite literally I am jumping up and down like a little kid when I get one accepted for publication.

You have to have thick skin for this industry, and if you don’t start with one you adapt quickly. Not everyone will love my stories, and not every agent or publication will think it’s right for them and that’s okay. Move on and keep going, keep submitting and keep trying, I’ve learned along the way that someone will eventually say yes.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write horror and thriller novels and short stories; something I love about writing these genres is that they are crossover genres. I don’t just write about scary and thrilling scenarios, but I get to intertwine romance and action.

My thrillers and my horror novels can get pretty dark yet contain a love story or coming-of-age story braided in. Relatable characters are something I always strive to create, and even if they don’t resonate with you exactly, well-rounded characters are a must for me.

I love having my readers believe that they know what to expect and then surprise them with a huge twist, once they are finished reading one of my stories I hope to leave them feeling shocked, slightly jarred, and in awe.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I tend to find myself happiest when I am indulging in the simple things life has to offer, my family and kids, genuine relationships and conversations, rainy days, that perfect cup of coffee, and the smell of a new book. It’s so easy to relish over material things, I’m even guilty of it, but the older I get a realization sets in that none of that lasts, memories do.

I just try to have the most fun I can daily, not take life or myself too seriously, and just appreciate every moment and roll with it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisha.galvan.author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Alisha-Galvan-Author/100085555133250/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlishaGalAuthor
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@alishagalvanauthor