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 / FantasyIn 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 JWebsite: https://www.heyitsmichellej.com/Socials: Instagram / TikTok / BlueskyBuy ’The Divide That Binds Us’HOW TO LISTENListen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and PocketcastsIf you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to [email protected] music by music_for_video from PixabayCONNECT WITH MICHELLEJoin 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