Behind the Debut

Michelle Reeves
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Interviews with debut authors as they take their first steps into the publishing world or into a new genre. While most podcasts spotlight bestselling writers, Behind the Debut is a space dedicated to new talent—giving emerging authors the chance to share the journey, struggles, and stories behind their very first books. michellereeveswrites.substack.com

  1. 10/07/2025

    Behind the debut with Mona Tebyanian

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In today’s episode, the final one of this current series, I’m delighted to welcome Mona Tebyanian, whose debut novel The Queen of Sands, a tale that blends elements of history, myth, and human longing, was published in September this year. In our conversation, you’ll hear: How Mona’s debut novel was born from her fascination with how choices echo through generations and how love, guilt and forgiveness can tie people over time Mona’s approach to writing her first draft and how she combined structure and freedom to keep the story on track while keeping the process fun! How she learned to trust her own voice and overcome self doubt - something we all feel from time to time! The scenes Mona most enjoyed writing in The Queen of Sands How Mona balanced writing her first draft with a full time job and family life and how she kept herself motivated The key mindset that kept Mona positive during the editing process - one that I need to keep in mind! The themes and elements in the book that surprised Mona as she was writing them (and what she learned about herself as a result) Mona’s approach to marketing her debut book and the parts of promotion that she enjoys the most How Mona carves out time for her writing life without a consistent routine The exciting news about Mona’s current writing project! ABOUT ’THE QUEEN OF SANDS’ In a desert realm where ancient secrets stir beneath golden sands, The Queen of Sands unravels a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption. Three centuries ago, a prince defied his kingdom to pursue a forbidden romance, igniting a chain of events that shattered alliances and left a legacy of sorrow. Now, Esther, a spirited young woman from a remote village, is haunted by vivid dreams of a desperate woman pleading for forgiveness. When the dreams lead her to uncover an ancient curse, Esther embarks on a perilous journey into the heart of the desert, determined to uncover the truth and confront her destiny. As Esther navigates treacherous landscapes, unravels forgotten prophecies, and faces the pain of long-buried sins, she must find the strength to forgive and the courage to reshape a fractured kingdom. Rich with world-building, unforgettable characters, and themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience, The Queen of Sands offers a gripping dual-timeline adventure that will captivate the imagination. Step into the sands, where every secret has its price-and every choice shapes the future. CONNECT WITH MONA Website: https://monatebyanian.com/ Socials: https://www.instagram.com/monatebyanian/ Buy QUEEN OF SANDS: US: https://a.co/d/dg59X6W / UK: https://amzn.eu/d/2A97n7d BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find other Behind the Debut episodes, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    18 min

  2. 09/19/2025

    Behind the debut with Nicole Annbury

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In today’s episode I’m delighted to welcome Nicole Annbury, a writer of dark fiction in the thriller, psychological suspense, and mystery genre. Her debut novel, THE FINAL SENTENCE, was self-published in June this year. In our conversation, which was recorded before her book was published, you’ll hear: How adversity meant Nicole had to leave her career but how that led her to pursue her dream of writing (plus the part her Indiana apartment maintenance man played in the plot!) Team Pantser, Nicole is here with you! Learn how she wished she could be a planner but one particular book persuaded her that she could allow herself to write organically. As a spoonie, how managing her energy levels during the writing and marketing process for her debut novel was a huge challenge - plus her tips for other writers with a chronic illness. Why it was important for Nicole to spend extra time on the ‘victim’ chapters in her thriller. The details of Nicole’s writing process as a pantser and underwriter - is this an approach that could work for you? How having too much feedback in the beta phase was a challenge in itself! And why it’s so important to welcome both positive and negative feedback. The importance of Nicole’s writing routine - even if it felt ‘ick’ at the beginning - and having a writing community to support her. What’s coming up for Nicole (including a new genre) and an exciting piece of news about her next book! LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW Buy The Final Sentence: https://books2read.com/thefinalsentence ABOUT ’THE FINAL SENTENCE’ Appearances are deceiving in Cape Ivy. Some hide behind a mask, while others face its deadly consequence. Margot Mays thought she was done with Cape Ivy, for good, until online trolls uncovered her hidden identity, forcing her to return. Now facing the reason she fled, she is in pursuit of justice to uncover the truth about her aunt's murder. She befriends other true crime addicts who she believes want to help solve the mystery. Home is the last place the women of Cape Ivy want to be. The Choke Mask Killer preys on the sleeping women of Cape Ivy, making them his nocturnal target, leaving his signature mask secured over their heads. He is no longer satiated by the silent screams of butterflies. He now craves the muffled cries of women. It’s a race to the end to find out if the killer or his victims will have The Final Sentence As the body count climbs and ominous notes appear at her aunt's grave, Margot lives in fear of being silenced by the Choke Mask Killer. She clings to those around her, but Margot isn’t the only one hiding secrets and a mysterious past. As the killer’s grip tightens, trust and security unravel. Cape Ivy residents wonder if they can ever really be safe in their own homes… CONNECT WITH NICOLE Website: https://www.nicoleannbury.com/ Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleannbury / Substack: https://nicoleannbury.substack.com/ BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find other Behind the Debut episodes, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    27 min

  3. 09/09/2025

    Behind the debut with Libby Tanner

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In this episode I’m delighted to welcome Libby Tanner, author of the debut novel ‘Better Than Gelato’ which came out under City Owl Press in August 2025. Libby grew up in a small town in California but a love of travel (and food!) led her to live abroad in Italy and Chile and indeed her debut contemporary romance is set in Milan.In our conversation, you’ll hear: - The true life love story that ‘Better Than Gelato’ is based on - How Libby approached writing her debut novel and the planning and writing system that she prefers - The mindset that Libby had to let go of during the planning process to write what the story needed - The scenes that she struggled to write and the ones that she absolutely loved (spoiler alert: there’s food involved) - How making time to write with four young children kept her sane and how she stayed motivated over the five years it took her to write her debut - The negative feedback that Libby got for her initial manuscript which almost led her to give up on her writing dream - The online writing academy Libby used to learn the tools she needed to revise her manuscript into a publishable novel - Libby’s writing routine and the surprising tool that helps her get into the writing mindset - The piece of advice that she would give her pre-published self and other new writers - Some exciting news that Libby shared on the show about what’s coming next for her! LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody (https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel) The Writing Mastery Academy (https://www.writingmastery.com/) Trello (https://trello.com/) Mindful Mamas (https://mindfulmamasclub.com/) ABOUT ’BETTER THAN GELATO’ Book #1 in the Ciao Bella Series Goodbye mind-numbing business classes, hello hunky Italian men… When Juliet Evans scores a job as a nanny in Italy, she’s ready for a year of excitement and glamour. She is not ready for a diabolical six-year-old who swears like a pirate and hurls silverware with terrifying accuracy. Still, it’s a small price to pay to explore Milan, take a million photos, and fantasize about becoming a professional photographer. And yes, she knows she has to take over the family business when she returns home, but a little denial never hurt anyone. And speaking of denial, she is definitely not attracted to research intern, Jake Fields. She barely even notices his adorable dimples and quiet charm. Besides, dating an American in Italy is like eating at McDonald’s in Rome—ridiculous! Yet, despite her best efforts, Juliet finds herself in the bewildering and euphoric grip of first love. It’s exhilarating! Intoxicating! Even better than gelato! Until it’s the one thing standing in the way of her dreams. The future she’s always wanted is so close. Now what is she willing to give up to get it? CONNECT WITH LIBBY Website: https://libbytannerauthor.com/ Socials: https://www.instagram.com/libbytannerauthor/ / https://www.facebook.com/libby.tanner.author Buy ‘Better Than Gelato’ on Amazon US / Amazon UK BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find all the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    36 min

  4. 06/17/2025

    Behind the debut with Michelle J

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In today’s episode I’m delighted to welcome Michelle J, a fantasy author from upstate New York. Her young adult fantasy debut novel, The Divide That Binds Us, came out in May of this year. In our conversation, which was recorded before her book was published, you’ll hear: - How the inspiration for her debut novel game from the storytelling in a video game when she was only eight years old - The sidekick character that Michelle struggled to write and why they were so challenging - The huge role that beta feedback played in shaping the manuscript before she got picked up by a publisher and how that played into the editing process - The mindset shift she had to make in order to move forward from the initial draft - The surprising discovery Michelle had during the writing process, and how that shaped both the main characters and the story - How Michelle leaned into her own personality in her book marketing, building a community around her and having fun with it - The advice she would give to her younger self pre-publication including not being afraid to share her writing - The next projects that Michelle is working on - including a fun tea heist and an adult fantasy novel! ABOUT ’THE DIVIDE THAT BINDS US’ Upper YA / Fantasy In a world where dragons are the life source, their sudden mysterious deaths slowly push Zeala into peril. When nineteen-year-old Alice Reid investigates the cause, she runs into members of a rival paramilitary organization for the first time. The encounter takes a violent turn, igniting Commander Rio Shackler's curiosity for two reasons: Alice can summon a mythical being, and clues about the deaths conveniently point to her. With Rio's mission to enforce dragon safety, he pursues Alice to eliminate a potential threat. The two clash, unaware of the other's agenda, and unknowingly fueling their divided organizations. As more dragons perish, the world withers from the depletion of its life force. Trees die, fires lose oxygen, grass dries out, plants wilt into black rot, and the water supply dwindles. Alice and Rio find themselves on opposite sides of the truth but with a common enemy that binds them. In order to work together, they must set aside their bickering, scheming, and contrasting personalities, but mutual loathing won't be their only obstacle. Questionable deities, a nefarious cult, and corruption brewing in the heart of the monarchy threaten each step they take toward saving their world. If Alice and Rio can't unravel the mystery in time, the feud between their organizations will be the least of their worries. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE J Website: https://www.heyitsmichellej.com/ Socials: Instagram / TikTok / Bluesky Buy ’The Divide That Binds Us’ HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    23 min

  5. 06/08/2025

    Behind the debut with Rocio Carranza

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In this episode, I chat with Rocio Carranza - a multi-genre writer, spent most of her youth with a book in her hand, consuming stories of fantasy and horror as if her life depended on it. She is now the author of dark fantasy novel Blood of the Blackthorn. In our conversation, you’ll hear: How Rocio transitioned from short stories to full length novel and how she chose the genre of her debut novel How being a hybrid pantser/planner was beneficial for Rocio when she moved to full length novels The chapter that she found most difficult to write and how she overcame that challenge, plus the chapter she had the most fun writing (spoiler alert: Princess Diaries vibes)! Why Rocio found the first draft particularly hard, imposter syndrome and overwhelm as a new writer, plus the best advice she’s ever had about the first draft process How feedback shaped the manuscript of Blood Of The Blackthorn, the blinkers we can wear as writers and the importance of constructive criticism in the editing process The surprising discovery that Rocio had during the writing process that had implications for the rest of her life too How she approaches marketing her book as an introvert, and the mindset that makes her feel more positive about the promotion process Rocio’s writing routine, capitalising on her energy and her favourite writing tools (including keeping a notebook in the car!) The advice the would give her pre-published self - awesome advice for any writer! ABOUT ’BLOOD OF THE BLACKTHORN’ HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO TO KEEP YOUR SECRETS? After years of living as a lady in the Givensmir court - a life of luxury and opulence - Eve's past has slowly come back to haunt her. One of secrets and magic that courses through her veins, thought to have been long forgotten. Now, a princess lies mysteriously dead before her in the great hall. The eyes of the duplicitous court are everywhere. And there is nowhere left to hide. In a realm known for its witch hunts and the ongoing conflict with the Blackthorn, the kingdom of witchcraft across the treacherous Dallise Sea, Eve now finds herself on the wrong side of this war. And the time to escape is running out. CONNECT WITH ROCIO Website: https://rociocarranza.com/ Socials: Instagram - Tiktok - Bluesky - Goodreads Buy Blood of the Blackthorn: Signed copies / Amazon EU / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / [Bookshop.org](http://Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/blood-of-the-blackthorn-rocio-carranza/22235556) HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    36 min

  6. 05/20/2025

    Behind the debut with Sarah Ali

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In this episode, I chat with a brand new young writer and poet from Pakistan, Sarah Ali. Sarah published her first English short story in January this year through Draft to Digital after struggling to self-publish in English in her home country. I was so enchanted with Sarah’s story, her resilience and determination to publish her own work against the odds that I just had to have her on the show. In our conversation, you’ll hear: How Sarah found her voice through scriptwriting but moved away from that to discover herself as a short story writer and novelist How feeling separate from her main character made it challenging for her to continue Ava’s story and how she finally reconnected with her again through her own emotional challenges The ‘itchy’ feeling that kept Sarah motivated while she was writing the first draft, wanting her work to rise out of her journals and into the world (something other authors will recognise!) The very harsh criticism that helped her to improve the manuscript and how she even used it within the story itself! How Sarah worked with beta readers and other feedback to ensure the intense emotions she wanted to convey in her story resonated with readers How Sarah turned a creative block into an opportunity by channeling her writing energy into poetry The challenges Sarah faced publishing "The Callings" in English within Pakistan's market, and how she discovered a channel that enabled her to release her work worldwide How Sarah is challenging herself with her first novel, writing in a new genre that she’s never worked in before. ABOUT ‘THE CALLINGS’ I'm Ava. I'm a trumpet player. Nothing much interesting, right? But I love what I do. Actually, I learned to love it. I had to learn that life can be an open pathway, where you can walk down any road you want for yourself. A white piece of a paper where you can write your story and paint it with your own color. In that way life gives you an opportunity to see what you really are and what you can be. Life is the only thing that gives you a power over itself and shape it in any way you want. So feel it within your core and live it to the fullest. Spread your colours and write a story which makes your life worth living for. CONNECT WITH SARAH ALI Instagram Read The Callings for FREE on Kobo, Apple Books, Smashwords and more. HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    24 min

  7. 05/08/2025

    Behind the debut with M.A. Batten

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In this episode, I chat with M.A. Batten - a neurodiverse screenwriter and award-winning author of fantasy, scifi and dark fiction including his debut: Dark and the boy in the hole. In our conversation, you’ll hear: - Why M.A. Batten’s 25 year background in advertising left him wanted to tell stories that didn’t involve brands trying to sell products, which in turn led to his debut novel - The different approaches he takes for short stories vs novels and the process he uses to plan out longer works to makes sure he never suffers from writers block - The biggest challenges he faces when writing including how being neurodiverse, having a family and losing his job has impacted his work - How Batten goes back to rewrite scenes to extract the most drama from them, particularly scenes that contain a reveal, adding subtle breadcrumbs that leave readers gasping with realisation - The 15 year journey to his debut novel and the major realisation he had when coming back to writing it during lockdown - How a beta reader very close to him helped him to shape the story - plus a great tip for engaging your own reader’s brain when you’re reviewing your manuscripts - How despite his advertising background he hates marketing but how he applies his extensive knowledge to create an organic marketing plan that works for his books (plus a really important tip about paid-for advertising that no indie author should miss!) - The tools and resources M.A. Batten can’t do without including his sticky-note five act plan and the deep research he does into the cultural and historical background of creatures and artifacts that appear in his stories - The exciting news about his sequel novel Dark and the girl with the knives which is out soon! ABOUT ‘DARK AND THE BOY IN THE HOLE’ Having been imprisoned in a deep stone pit by the tyrannical King Baltus for as long as he can remember, the Boy With No Name is unexpectedly set free by the last living minotaur, the albino Grim. Together, they escape into Myrr Wood to join the few remaining monsters of the Old World – a ragtag bunch of goblins, trolls, bendith, harpies, a wendigo, and the only lykkan left in the realm – all hunted by humanity to the brink of extinction. When the Nightlings discover the boy can mimic anything he sees, including their own fantastic abilities, they are ready to follow him in an uprising against the world's greatest monster: mankind. However, there is a traitor among the Nightlings, traps have been set, and the King has a deadly new weapon that could wipe out the creatures of the night once and for all. War is coming. But first the boy must decide if he is human, or monster. CONNECT WITH M.A. BATTEN Website: MABatten.com / Instagram HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    35 min

  8. 04/24/2025

    Behind the debut with Kate Tremills

    Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication. In today’s slightly different episode, I’m delighted to welcome Kate Tremills. Kate is an author, speaker, and creativity expert with a background in the film industry. She is a fantasy & urban fantasy novelist and an inspirational writer. Her non-fiction book, Joyful Creating, is coming soon! Kate and I first connected on Substack and I just loved her refreshing take on the creative journey that so many of us are on. Her first fiction novel, Messenger, actually came out in 2017, so a while ago now, but Kate has such an interesting background to her writing journey that I really wanted to share her story on the show. In our conversation, you’ll hear: - Kate’s fascinating background as a screen-writer with a Hollywood agent - The difference between screen writing and novel writing - How Kate overcame her biggest challenge - moving between writing genres - The character relationship that Kate found most rewarding to write and why - How Kate stayed motivated throughout the writing process and why community was such an important part of drafting - The importance of protecting your writing by choosing the right people to provide feedback at the right time - How Kate approaches promoting her books and the marketing process that Kate believes is so important for authors, particularly independent authors - Kate’s writing routine and multi-passionate approach to creative projects and how the Substack community inspires her and has increased her confidence - The exciting new projects that Kate is working on next! ABOUT JUNIPER FALLS In times of great darkness, courage lights the way home. An Evil Prince. A Captured Sister. An Unyielding Messenger. Darkness falls on the Great Lands. The days of unity are over and Gabriella urges her father to heed the warnings. But King Algor refuses to listen, believing he can unite the kingdoms. Once the Great Prince descends on their castle, he scatters all resistance, imprisons her sister, and forces Gabriella on the run. For years, Gabriella dreams of retribution. When a messenger tracks her in the forest, she fears all is lost. But this messenger arrives with a mission for Gabriella to challenge the Prince. With only powerful instincts and the gift of prescience, Gabriella sets out on the perilous journey to end his reign of terror. Connect with Kate Kate's books on Amazon / Kate's Substack: Joyful Creating / Kate's Website / Instagram HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and Pocketcasts If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com Show music by music_for_video from Pixabay CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com

    39 min
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Interviews with debut authors as they take their first steps into the publishing world or into a new genre. While most podcasts spotlight bestselling writers, Behind the Debut is a space dedicated to new talent—giving emerging authors the chance to share the journey, struggles, and stories behind their very first books. michellereeveswrites.substack.com

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  • Creator
    Michelle Reeves
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Michelle Reeves
  • Show Website
    Behind the Debut