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 [email protected]

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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.

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 [email protected]

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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.

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 [email protected]

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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.

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 Nikolas Allen, a lifelong creative with a background in art, music, and video production, and the author of two non-fiction marketing books. His first fiction novel, Juniper Falls, came out in January 2025.

In our conversation, you’ll hear:

- Nikolas’ creative history from music, art, film production and marketing (including writing a marketing book for creatives) to becoming a realtor (or estate agent) and finally writing his own fiction

- How Nikolas went from discovery writing Juniper Falls (albeit with a lot of structural knowledge) to planning out his current trilogy and the book he recommends for outlining

- How to find the time to write your novel

- The ‘signature’ technique that Nikolas used in his debut book to create dramatic tension, that he’s continued to use in his second novel

- 10 years and 10 drafts - how leaving his book in a drawer for an extended time made the story better in the long run

- The number of drafts that Nikolas went through and how he worked with a developmental editor before serialising on Substack before self-publishing

- His refreshingly positive attitude to marketing and how he’s used it to promote his book - from advertising to social media.

- Nikolas’ writing routine and how he fits that around his day job and the tools he uses to write, format and distribute his books as a self-published author

- The super exciting, speculative fiction trilogy that Nikolas is working on now starting with “Surreal Estate”.

ABOUT JUNIPER FALLS

A small-town mystery thriller with a bold, stylish view of modern America.

Welcome to Juniper Falls, CA––population 3,300.

This small mountain town features a diverse community of creatives and misfits, drug addicts and do-gooders, hard workers and layabouts, and everybody knows each other’s business.

When a young drifter––one of many drawn to the town––overdoses on a dangerous new street drug, his death shakes the town to its core, and forces its residents to rethink everything they thought they knew about Juniper Falls.

Featuring an unforgettable ensemble cast grappling with universal struggles of passion versus purpose, and choice versus destiny, this bold and stylish view of contemporary America will make you laugh, cry, and cringe in equal measure.

This year, take a memorable trip to Juniper Falls...if you dare.

Connect with Nikolas

Substack / Instagram / Facebook / Youtube / NikolasAllenMusic.com

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 [email protected]

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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.

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 Sal Gallahar, Sydney-based author of Secrets In The Lakes, a romance suspense novel that delves into the themes of friendships, small town secrets, a mysterious death and a young woman’s journey towards love and self-discovery.

In our conversation, you’ll hear:

* What, or rather who, inspired her to write her debut book

* The different planning approaches she took with her debut and the second book she’s working on now

* Why taking on a mentor was the best decision she made for her novel and her writing

* The parts of Secrets In The Lakes that Sal found most challenging to write (clue:🌶️)

* The importance of learning to take feedback on board as a new author

* What Sal discovered about herself on her writing journey (something that I think will resonate with a lot of authors!)

* How Sal approaches promoting Secrets In The Lakes

* The advice that she would give her pre-published self about writing and publishing

* A sneak peek behind the scenes of her next book which is set in her home country of Denmark

More about ‘Secrets In The Lakes’

Mandy Reid, a successful yet emotionally scarred writer from LA, returns to her hometown of Lake Haven after the untimely death of a close friend. Reconnecting with old friends, particularly the grieving widow Emma, Mandy gets entangled in the town’s web of dramas and buried secrets.

As she rekindles an old flame with Sam and bonds with Emma’s enigmatic brother-in-law Marc, Mandy confronts her trust issues and uncovers shocking family revelations. With escalating conflicts and emerging truths about her friend’s death and Emma’s disappearance, Mandy must navigate a maze of secrets and lies.

Can she unravel Lake Haven’s mysteries and heal her heart? Discover the gripping twists in “Secrets in the Lakes.” a story of love, loss, and the powerful journey of self-discovery.

Connect with Sal

Buy Secrets In The Lakes

Sal’s Website

Sal’s newsletter on Substack

Instagram / Facebook / Medium / Freelance Writing

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 [email protected]

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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.

In this episode, I chat with WJR Pollard, who shares his varied journey from the army, construction and maximum security prison guard to writing and self-publishing his debut book - Chosen - the first in his norse-inspired epic series, Chronicles of Orn.

In our conversation you’ll hear:

- Why creating a map was Will’s first step in planning his book and his favourite tool for doing that

- The biggest challenge he faced in the writing process and what he has to STOP himself doing

- How Will plans battle scenes so they don’t become formulaic

- The first thing he does before he starts the revision process and how this saves him time (and money) at the editing stage

- The surprising discovery he made about himself while writing Chosen and the challenges he faces with promoting it as a non-salesy writer (something a LOT of us will resonate with)

CONNECT WITH WILL

WJRPollardWriter.com / Instagram / Threads

Azgaar Fantasy Map Generator

Buy Chosen as a paperbook or ebook here

BEHIND THE DEBUT

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 [email protected]

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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.

In this episode of Behind the Debut I chat with Bronek Carr about his debut non-fiction book: “Master Notion” a practical roadmap to transforming my favourite productivity app - Notion - from a simple note-taking tool into a powerful personal and professional workspace.

In our conversation you’ll hear:

How Bronek's debut book wasn’t originally planned to be a book!

The tool that he definitely would NOT use again for writing a book and the one that he prefers

The mindset issues that held Bronek back

The advice he’d give his pre-published self

CONNECT WITH BRONEK

BreakingRocks.net / Instagram / Linked In

Buy ‘Master Notion’ on Amazon

BEHIND THE DEBUT

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 [email protected]

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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.

Welcome to the first episode of the Behind the Debut podcast! Today I chat with Christine aka C.W. Rose about her debut romance novel Ocean Song.

In our conversation you’ll hear tons of behind the scenes details including:

* Christine’s great tips on how to deal with critiques from others (including beta readers and even industry professionals)

* How she stayed motivated while writing after taking 12 months to outline Ocean Song

* How she embraced her own passions in the story

* A way to reframe marketing so that she can actually enjoy promoting her book

* A piece of advice that she’d give her pre-published self which is so relevant for all of us as writers.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE

Instagram / Threads / Goodreads / Twitter/X / cw-rose.com

Buy ‘Ocean Song’ on Amazon

BEHIND THE DEBUT

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 [email protected]

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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.

Welcome to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their incredible journeys to publication. I’m your host, Michelle Reeves, a traditionally and self-published author myself, and I love chatting with other writers. If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book, wondered how authors make it happen, or just love hearing the behind-the-scenes stories of debut writers, then this is the podcast for you!

Most bookish podcasts focus on established, bestselling authors—but what about those at the very start of their journey? That’s where Behind The Debut comes in.

Each episode, I’ll be talking to a debut author about their experience—how they got started, the obstacles they faced, and what it really took to bring their first book into the world. You’ll hear about the highs, the lows, the lessons learned, and the moments that made it all worthwhile.

If you’re a writer yourself, you’ll find plenty of inspiration and insight into what it’s really like to go from blank page to published book. And if you’re a reader, you’ll get to discover incredible new authors before they hit the bestseller lists.

So, whether you're looking for motivation for your own writing journey or just love hearing about the creative process, I’d love for you to join me. Subscribe now to Behind The Debut on your favourite podcast platform, and don’t forget to follow along for new episodes.

You'll find the show notes on my Substack at michellereeveswrites.substack.com