Alex Richards feels right at home writing fiction for young adult readers. “Even before I was a teenager, I always liked to read (the YA genre) and I have felt it’s the most comfortable voice for me (as a writer) and on which I would have the most impact,” Richards said in a phone interview. In her 20s, she started writing young adult stories. “It felt right for me. It still does,” she said. Richards’ new young adult novel, which officially launches Tuesday, July 27 is “When We Were Strangers.” ................................................................ In it, Richards explores how 17-year-old Evie Parker, who lives in Santa Fe, deals with the grief over the loss of her father who dies of a sudden heart attack.