Behind the Debut

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/ [https://monatebyanian.com/] Socials: https://www.instagram.com/monatebyanian/ [https://monatebyanian.com/] Buy QUEEN OF SANDS: US: https://a.co/d/dg59X6W [https://monatebyanian.com/] / UK: https://amzn.eu/d/2A97n7d [https://monatebyanian.com/] BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-debut/id1795958895], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/273GERhn3RExlqPzLOlcSW?si=fe8a8665c49844e1] and Pocketcasts [https://pca.st/lu8m423q] Show music by music_for_video [https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_video-22579021/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com/] michellreeveswrites.substack.com [https://monatebyanian.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 [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

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 [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/ [https://www.nicoleannbury.com/] Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleannbury [https://www.nicoleannbury.com/] / Substack: https://nicoleannbury.substack.com/ [https://www.nicoleannbury.com/] BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-debut/id1795958895], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/273GERhn3RExlqPzLOlcSW?si=fe8a8665c49844e1] and Pocketcasts [https://pca.st/lu8m423q] Show music by music_for_video [https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_video-22579021/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com/] michellreeveswrites.substack.com [https://www.nicoleannbury.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 [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

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 [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel]) The Writing Mastery Academy (https://www.writingmastery.com/ [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel]) Trello (https://trello.com/ [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel]) Mindful Mamas (https://mindfulmamasclub.com/ [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel]) 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/ [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel] Socials: https://www.instagram.com/libbytannerauthor/ [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel] / https://www.facebook.com/libby.tanner.author [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel] Buy ‘Better Than Gelato’ on Amazon US [https://a.co/d/gYznzDa] / Amazon UK [https://amzn.eu/d/hnCIcXx] BEHIND THE DEBUT Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-debut/id1795958895], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/273GERhn3RExlqPzLOlcSW?si=fe8a8665c49844e1] and Pocketcasts [https://pca.st/lu8m423q] Show music by music_for_video [https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_video-22579021/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com/] michellreeveswrites.substack.com [https://savethecat.com/products/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel] 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 [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

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/ [https://www.heyitsmichellej.com/] Socials: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/heyitsmichellej] / TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@heyitsmichellej] / Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/heyitsmichellej.bsky.social] Buy ’The Divide That Binds Us [https://linktr.ee/mijujo]’ HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-debut/id1795958895], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/273GERhn3RExlqPzLOlcSW?si=fe8a8665c49844e1] and Pocketcasts [https://pca.st/lu8m423q] If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com [https://www.heyitsmichellej.com/] Show music by music_for_video [https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_video-22579021/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com/] michellreeveswrites.substack.com [https://www.heyitsmichellej.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 [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

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/ [https://rociocarranza.com/] Socials: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rociocarranzawrites] - Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rociocarranzawrites] - Bluesky [https://app.bsky.cz/profile/rociocarranza.com] - Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53328213.Rocio_Carranza] Buy Blood of the Blackthorn: Signed copies [https://rociocarranza.com/shop/] / Amazon [https://amzn.eu/d/91aqWlt] EU / Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Blackthorn-Eternal-Curse-English-ebook/dp/B0DNGLSJB8#detailBullets_feature_div] US / Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-of-the-blackthorn-rocio-carranza/1146873693?ean=9798992189216] / [Bookshop.org [https://rociocarranza.com/]](http://Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/blood-of-the-blackthorn-rocio-carranza/22235556 [https://rociocarranza.com/]) HOW TO LISTEN Listen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-debut/id1795958895], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/273GERhn3RExlqPzLOlcSW?si=fe8a8665c49844e1] and Pocketcasts [https://pca.st/lu8m423q] If you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to michelle@michellereeveswrites.com [https://rociocarranza.com/] Show music by music_for_video [https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_video-22579021/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5641] CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Join me on Substack at [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com/] michellreeveswrites.substack.com [https://rociocarranza.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 [https://michellereeveswrites.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]