editing – The Debutante Ball

Interview with Heather Chaves, author of NO BAD DEED

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

This week’s interview is with Heather Chavez, whose thriller NO BAD DEED tells the suspenseful story of a woman who’s husband has gone missing and who is trying desperately to protect her family from a deadly stalker. Below, Heather shares secrets about her main character, her proudest writing moments, her daughter’s sweet reaction to her book deal, and about that time she went on Oprah! Thanks for joining us Heather!…

Interview with Jody A. Forrester, author of GUNS UNDER THE BED

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

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I’m so excited for this week’s interview with Jody A. Forrester, whose memoir GUNS UNDER THE BED tells of her transition in the late sixties from love child to peaceful Vietnam War protester to joining a communist organization whose ideology embraced violence against the ruling class! Read below for more about Jody’s incredible background, the story behind her book’s startling title, and her path toward writing. Thank you Jody! …

Writing Through Distractions: What Distractions? (Add insane laugh, here:)!

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

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Good morning! First, I’m writing this post at 5:30 AM. That’s about the time I rise this time of year…I’m a seasonal creature, so my sleep pattern shifts. I am an early riser in the fall and winter and am down for the count around eleven o’clock. But my sleep habits aren’t the topic today. The question before me is how do I deal with distractions and such. Well, here…

Interview with Anita Kushwaha, author of SECRET LIVES OF MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

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We are thrilled to welcome Anita Kushwaha to The Debutant Ball this week! SECRET LIVES has been described as “a breathtaking novel about the ties that bind mothers and daughters together and the secrets that tear them apart.” Read below about her advice for her younger self, how she deals with writer’s block, upcoming projects, and more! Share or comment below for a chance to win a copy of her…

A manuscript in the drawer?

Thursday, July 16, 2020

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I remember going to a conference and one of the presenters talking about how she wrote her novel, and then put it away for nearly a decade, until picking it back up to start editing it. She was saying that this was positive for her, that it allowed her to give the manuscript fresh eyes and new influence and impact. She even said she took herself on a long vacation…

Changes made during the editing of The Goddess Twins

Thursday, July 9, 2020

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I honestly feel like my editing process, while admittedly draining, was pretty positive. I never felt like my final editor hated the book, and I have heard some horror stories of writers who felt their editor was not honoring their book in the editing process! I am super grateful for my editing team at SparkPress and their confidence in my writing ability and in the strength of the story of…

Cutting Room Floor for The Goddess Twins

Thursday, July 2, 2020

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There is quite a bit that was shed from the original manuscript of The Goddess Twins to what has resulted in the published version that’s available today. When I was writing this story, I worked off of an outline, and even from the outline there are things that shifted and changed. I have found that the writing process can be like finding your way through a labyrinth. I am grateful…

How to write when you’re not writing

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

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In 2009, I left my job as a high school English teacher and ran right smack dab into the Great Recession. It hurt. Nobody was hiring. I couldn’t get an interview, much less a job. After a few months of false starts and throwing myself at the wall, I harnessed what was left of my entrepreneurial spirit and started a wedding videography business. Wedding videography was something I had done…

How To Work With An Editor

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

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I’ve had a lot of really, really good editors in my career. The student news editor at my high school newspaper—not my English teacher!—taught me grammar. My first pro newspaper editor showed me the ropes and guided me away from dozens upon dozens of stupid errors. The fiction editors I’ve worked with recently have strengthened my novels and stories immeasurably; they’re generally always better at pacing and structure than I…

Work in Progress

Friday, August 9, 2019

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I used to have this weird typo tic where I never got the acronym for work-in-progress right. It always came out WOP. I’ve even tweeted about my wop and never noticed until it was too late. Maybe there was something Freudian about this little tic. Because “wop” always makes me think about a cartoon where some character is being repeatedly bludgeoned over the head. Not that my works…

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