Today, November 1, 2023, marks the official release of my first novel, A Southern Enchantress. It won’t be a day that I’ll soon forget. My emotional barometer registers somewhere between numb and super-pumped. I feel bereft of words in some respects, as if I’ve used every combination of sentences I could muster for a 358-page novel. Then, on the other hand, I’m juggling a tumble of new story ideas already rumbling around in my mind.
The book’s birthday follows my birthday (uncertain if my publisher has made the connection), with Halloween 2023 squeezing between the two dates. And to add another spoon of chaos to the week, we didn’t cancel a pre-paid trip to Natchez, Mississippi, opting to stay in an antebellum home furnished with porch rockers. . . that rocked on their own.
Waiting to enter the Myrtles Plantation in nearby St. Francisville, Louisiana, I compose SM posts inspired by this creepy location. Beneath live oaks dripping in Spanish moss, many ideas emerge since my novel blends paranormal, mystical realism, and historical genres.
As for the next steps, I don’t know what to expect, for this is my first rodeo. I’m anticipating questions because folks are curious about my shift from an English educator to a published author. These are a few expected inquiries: How long did it take to write your book? Are you in your novel? Can friends and family identify themselves as characters? Do you have any regrets about publishing it? Is book #two nearly complete? When will it be published? Why does publishing take so long? Endless, well-intentioned questions.
Here’s the skinny on my replies:
- Four years to write, one year to edit and revise.
- No, I’m not in the novel, though my writing voice rings loud and clear. But my golden retriever, Bimini, enjoys several cameo appearances.
- Friends and family must avoid any attempts to identify themselves. Composite characters populate the story, inspired by many interactions over a lifetime.
- I’ve no regrets about publishing—not yet, anyway. I’d always planned to publish but took considerable time determining which route to choose.
- The next novel remains in its infancy, for now.
Publishing a novel is a vast, complicated process. At first, only the acquisition, revision, and copy editors are involved. This period requires months of work for the author. Once the manuscript is in tip-top condition, the digital director oversees the e-book design and polishes your website. It feels magical when a graphic artist provides options for the book cover.
Then, a production coordinator starts shifting things into place, and a proof copy shows up for a final look-and-approve. When a publicity plan is proposed, the book’s launch is fast approaching. Turns out, there’s an entire team rounding out Deb Trahan’s publishing experience.
Writing and publishing a novel represents much more than watching it go live on Amazon or admiring its display at a local independent bookstore. It’s about chasing a dream, seemingly against all odds, until it comes true. Never quit the chase, I say. Prioritize whatever it takes to trudge toward dreamland. Within reason, of course.
While I’m uncertain about what comes next, I am sure of one thing: It’s too late to turn this train around. I imagine my beloved characters peeking out from within the novel’s pages, only to find strangers looking in on them. Poking around, trying to figure them out: their motivations, their connections! I’m no longer their caretaker—now they’re empowered to touch the hearts and minds of others.
Letting them go—and handing them off to readers—is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Here’s the Amazon link so you, too, may meet Suzanne, Max, and Adelaide: https://a.co/d/21Fohdt
