Marissa De Luna's Blog, page 3

Structural edits and all that jazz

Structural edits and all that jazz..

It has been a busy week for me. I received the structural edit suggestions from my publisher and I have been busy working on them. I have been able to sort out the issues relatively quickly - well all except one which requires more brain cells than I seem to possess at the moment. I think last night at some unearthly hour I finished it but now that the structural edits have been made I need to read through the whole darn manuscript again to make sure it all...

So you've got that elusive publishing contract. Now what?

So you've got that elusive publishing contract. Now what?

Hurrah! I can finally announce that I have signed a publishing contract with the fantastic So Vain Books.  I should be getting the structural edits required in the next couple of weeks - so watch this space. I'm excited too for Poison in the Water - the book they are set to publish. They have classed it as a Romantic Suspense novel which I am happy about because I worried that it was between genres of Chick Lit...

We need to laugh!

We need to laugh!


Happy New Year! 2015 went pretty quick, didn't it? Christmas was warm and fabulous in Goa. Some more research done for the second instalment of The Chupplejeep Series - The Body in the Bath - which should be out by the end of the year. New Year was spent in Devon - there is something raw about the British coastline in stormy weather that makes me feel quite at peace. I think its the bleakness of the landscape that makes me feel alive.  That may or may not...

Finding your feet – with Lizzy Huitson

Today's guest blog post is perfect for anyone who is thinking about writing (and a good read for established writers too!). Lizzy is a talented writer and part of the Abingdon Writer's set. I am certain you will be reading one of her novels in the not too distant future! 
Finding your Feet: Ten Tips for New WritersSo you’ve decided to take writing seriously. Maybe you’re a young person hoping to start a writing career, or a not-so-young person who’s ready to let writing out of that safe l...

How to fall into murder...with Elizabeth Mapstone

The Coffee Stained Manuscript is proud to present a guest blog by Elizabeth Mapstone, an accomplished fellow author who has recently published The Amazon's Girdle – A mystery with a delicious twist! 
HOW TO FALL INTO MURDER... with Elizabeth Mapstone
I never intended to write a murder mystery. The Amazon's Girdle began as a love story, with former film-star Jacques, mouldering in a corner of the Michelin-starred Paris restaurant he runs with his wife Louise, remembering his all-too-brief t...

The way we live

The way we live...

In the latest journal of the Society of Authors I read in interesting article about consumerism (I'm terrible - I can't recall who wrote it). But it got me thinking about the way we live now. Netflix and my recent purchase of this on-demand product is just one example of this. And I'm always a little late to the party. I got Netflix because I want to watch  tv show and movies when I want to watch them. I don't want to sit and watch mindless tv waiting for something good...

Success is not final...

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill  Today I was reading the Guardian online today when I stumbled on an article about Posh Spice... from Posh to classy it was called or something like that. And I have got to say I found it rather inspirational. It's basically about how Victoria Beckham tried at Pop and failed but then tried at fashion, worked up slowly to what she wanted and basically nailed it. She tried and tried...

Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle...

Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle and hurling it into the sea. Some bottles drown, some come safe to land, where the notes are read and then possibly cherished, or else misinterpreted, or else understood all too well by those who hate the message. You never know who your readers might be.”   Margaret Atwood


You have to love Margaret Atwood quotes, don't you? So today I find myself going back on my word. I said that from now on I was going to publish my books my...

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing...

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.
John Wooden So yesterday I saw a review on Amazon for my first book – Goa Traffic – pointing out a mistake, an unforgiveable mistake – I had written Sheikh instead of Sikh. I saw the comment and I thought that can’t be right. I definitely know the difference there. There are in fact no Sheikhs in the book. I quickly did a search in my original document and to my horror it was there. How ha...

So I stopped writing...

And so it begins. What? I hear you ask along with where have you been? Well I have been on a writing break. When I say that to people I feel like I am talking about a lover or something. A 'break' sounds like something was wrong, that I needed space. Well, I didn't realise it but I did need space. A couple of months ago someone suggested to me that I take a writing break. I didn't comprehend then, when I did, I laughed. "A break?" I asked incredulously. I had a list of things to do. For start...