Learning From Your Debut Book: Interview With Author Callie C. Miller and The Search for the Shadowsoul Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Callie C. Miller here to share about her new MG fantasy The Search for the Shadowsoul, book 2 in the A Quest of Great Importance series. I’ve always been fascinated by Arthurian legends and am excited to read it.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads: 

A descendant of the great wizard Merlyn must atone for the harm he caused in this second adventure in the A Quest of Great Importance middle grade series that riffs on Arthurian legend in the vein of Adam Gidwitz and Amanda Foody!

The wizard Percy used to be sure of three things: he’s a magical prodigy, he’s destined to do extraordinary things (as prophesied by his ancestor, the wizard Merlyn), and he would do anything for his twin, Merlynda. But that was before Merlynda was revealed to be the subject of the prophecy, and before Percy became the Hollower, stealing magic for the wicked Morgan le Fey.

Six months have passed since Percy and Merlynda defeated the sorceress, but Percy hasn’t been able to reconcile who he is with what he’s done. And he carries a dark secret: despite her banishment, Morgan le Fey can still speak to him.

When the mysterious Round Table discovers newly Hollowed objects, Percy is blamed. He escapes on a quest to clear his name but also to make sure whoever is responsible never Hollows anyone again. Joined by Merlynda and Neci (now a royally dubbed knight), an anxious warlock (who seeks to break a curse), and a nonmagical sugar glider (who longs to be a familiar), Percy must defeat this new foe not only to face his past, but to decide what kind of wizard he’ll be in the future.

Follower News

Before I get to Calle’s interview, I have Follower News to share. Bianca Schultze, who is te Founder and Editor in Chief for The Children’s Book Review, recently released her debut picture book, A New Friend for Dragon. Here’s a blurb: Beloved children's author Bianca Schulze is back with a heartwarming new tale in the Dragon series. A New Friend for Dragon challenges stereotypes and teaches young readers about friendship and open-mindedness through the unlikely pairing of Dragon and a knight named Sir Fiero. With its engaging storyline and beautiful illustrations by Samara Hardy, this book promises to be a delightful addition to any child's library. For more information or to order a copy, visit https://www.biancaschulze.com/portfolio/a-new-friend-for-dragon/.

 Interview With Callie C. Miller

Hi Callie! Thanks so much for joining us.

No, thank you. I’m so excited to be here!

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

I’ve always been a writer! As a kid, I wouldn’t just get caught reading past my bedtime, I’d get caught writing past my bedtime. I was obsessed with Star Wars (let’s be honest—I still am) and the summer after sixth grade I wrote a 60,000 word Star Wars novel because at the time there weren’t a lot of female Jedi, and I really wanted a book with a female Jedi as the protagonist. I had no idea what fan fiction was, but it’s such a valid way to hone your craft! I learned so much from this experience.

Fast forward to getting my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, which was critical to my growth as a writer and as a person. A few years later I moved to Los Angeles, and things get a bit less linear here but long story short I became an animation writer. I’ve been super fortunate to write for Stillwater (based on the Zen Shorts picture book series by Jon J. Muth) Monster High, LEGO Monkie Kid, and more! Animation writing led to a couple of years at a video game company called Riot Games, where I wrote a bunch of animated cinematics. I also got to write a few comics for Riot, which in turn led to me turning in my first story for DC Comics recently. Now I’m at a different video game studio: Respawn Entertainment, on their Jedi team (I did say I was still obsessed with Star Wars).

While all of the animation and video game writing was happening, I continued to work on my own projects, query, and pursue the traditional publishing route. Working across mediums has been so helpful, and every project informs the next one, whether it’s a book or a script.

So I suppose the actual short version is that I always knew I wanted to write professionally, but I was open to what that looked like!

2. Where did you get the idea for The Hunt for the Hollower, the first book in this series, and The Search for the Shadowsoul?

 

The Hunt for the Hollower had a few false starts in the beginning, but stories almost always start with character for me. As I poked and prodded around the initial idea of what superheroes might have looked like in the middle ages, I eventually became curious about a powerful wizardess earnestly in search of controlling her magic, and her tiny but very fierce wyvern familiar who enjoyed being curled up on her wrist as they adventured across the lands with her best friend. They aren’t superheroes as we expect them to be, but Merlynda, her familiar Iggy, and the knight-in-training Neci were vivid and alive from that point on.

The Search for the Shadowsoul came about from working with my editor! More on that below.

Your Writing Process: What You’ve Learned From Your Debut Book

 

3. How much of the plot of The Search for the Shadowsoul did you know when you signed your publishing contract for your debut book? Did it change much as you worked on edits with your editor?

I originally wrote The Hunt for the Hollower as a standalone novel, so I went into my publishing contract with zero thoughts about a sequel. My editor, who I adore, loved the characters and world so much that she suggested that perhaps, maybe, if I wanted to, I could write a sequel. I also love these characters and their world, but I didn’t want to write a sequel just to write a sequel. Those are bad.

If I was going to write a sequel, I wanted it to be good. I wanted it to move my characters forward in meaningful ways, while continuing to explore the world and delight the reader. So I studied sequels that were good, and why, and decided that Merlynda’s story was indeed finished after her adventures in The Hunt for the Hollower, but now Percy had an awful lot to work through. Merlynda and the gang are still around in Shadowsoul, and they still grow in their own ways, but this time it’s Percy’s story, picking up six months after Hollower ends.

(The link to the article I wrote about sequels for Shadowsoul’s cover reveal is below!)

4. Before we find an agent and go on submission, we have lots of time to draft and edit our manuscripts. But that changes once an author signs their first book contract. Now you have more deadlines to meet. How did you get the manuscript for The Search for the Shadowsoul polished enough to submit to your editor on time and juggle your other deadlines? What tips do you have for other authors?

Drafting to a deadline is often just a simple math equation: writing X number of words per day will finish the manuscript by a certain date. What’s hard to estimate is revision time. How long will it take to thread this new theme throughout the manuscript? How much time should I schedule for tracking each character’s emotional arc? How many hours will be spent searching every instance of the word “looked” and finding a suitable replacement, to the point that “looked” is now a fake word that I surely made up because who would spell a word that way?

I’m also someone who does an initial draft that is just for me. No one should ever see my first drafts. Seriously. Regardless of the medium I’m writing for, the official “first draft” I turn in is, at a minimum, the second draft (and quite possibly the third or fourth). I also have to take this additional revision time into consideration when looking at deadlines, which I hadn’t fully appreciated until partway through drafting Shadowsoul. I was also planning the launch party for Hollower while drafting the sequel, so let’s just say I didn’t sleep much the last month or so of this deadline!

So my advice for other authors is to really, really know your process, and map things out in whatever way works for you. Also consider if you have other commitments (travel, volunteering, etc.) that will disrupt your writing schedule or goals. I don’t write every day, but I do schedule writing time on my calendar a week or two in advance, and I protect this time. For drafting, I track progress by printing out a basic spreadsheet and coloring in a box every 100 words. On this same spreadsheet, I pencil in mini-goals to help keep me on target, like wanting to have 20,000 words written by October 1^st (or whatever the case may be). Having these mini-goals allows me to be flexible if my calendar has to shift, and they also let me know when I’m ahead of schedule and can take a break (also important!).

When I’m revising, I make a very detailed checklist of everything I need to address, and categorize it by how much time each item needs. Changing someone’s name is a quick word search, but weaving in an emotional theme is much more involved. So think about how much time you think each item will need.

Also: give yourself wiggle room. Every deadline I set for myself is a few days to a couple of weeks sooner than the actual deadline, to account for life (getting sick, winning Hamilton lottery tickets, spending ten hours on hold with insurance, accidentally going on a side quest with friends, etc.).

5. Thanks for all these really helpful tips. Share a few things that made both books in this series stronger that you learned from working with your editor?

Giving things space to breathe! I’m an action writer by nature, and years of animation writing means I’m looking to get to the exciting bits as quickly as possible. This is a valuable skill, but my editor suggested I add an entirely new opening chapter to Hollower to more firmly establish us in the world before diving into the adventure. I did, and the book is so much stronger for it. I thought about this when drafting Shadowsoul, too. There’s always the danger of taking this too far and being too indulgent, or having a slow opening versus an interesting one, but that’s where I trust my editor to guide me!

Sitting in a character’s emotions, really digging into them, is another. In my head I usually think I’ve done a good job of this—I know exactly what my characters are feeling, after all—but making sure emotions are fully conveyed to the reader adds richness and depth to the story, and gives us a moment to breathe in between the action.

Your Journey to Publication

6. Your agent is Kelly Dyksterhouse. How did she become your agent and what was your road to signing your first publishing contract like?

I queried many agents over many years with many projects. I even queried Hollower a few times, getting as close as an R&R (“revise and resubmit”) with one agent. I agreed with the feedback so did the R&R and felt like we had a great connection, but then the agent ended up passing and I was heartbroken. I spent a year throwing myself into my animation writing career, but Hollower wouldn’t let me go, so I decided to give that manuscript one more try. I did another intensive revision, and when I queried Kelly she said yes!

7. It’s great that you took a needed break but didn’t give up. Has working with your agent changed since you signed your first book deal? How involved was Kelly in reviewing the draft of The Search for the Shadowsoul before you submitted it to your editor?

Kelly and I work very closely together. She’s very editorial, which I love. She’s also brilliant, which then makes me look brilliant. Once a book is under contract she’s less directly involved (so as not to conflict with the editor), but she’s still on every email and is happy to join calls with my editor and I to talk through story points or brainstorm.

For Shadowsoul, Kelly looked over my outline and the first few chapters I’d written before sending them along to my editor. But once that book was under contract, she let my editor take over, so she’ll get to read it with fresh eyes like other readers!

Promoting Your Book

8. How are you planning to promote this book? Have your marketing plans changed since you were a debut author? How?

We’re doing it! Being on Literary Rambles is, quite honestly, a huge honor. Your blog is a tremendously valuable resource that I used many times during my querying years and refer others to constantly.

My philosophy with marketing is to do what I enjoy, and what I have the energy for (more on that below). For both Hollower and Shadowsoul I made simple graphics in Canva that featured their internal art (illustrated by the phenomenal Kristy de Guzman) along with blurbs or reviews. I posted one a week on social media leading up to their release dates.

I absolutely love being on panels and doing book events. For Hollower’s release I had a traditional (and wonderful) launch event at a local independent bookstore, and was on panels at San Diego Comic Con, The Tucson Festival of Books, and the LA Times Festival of Books. For Shadowsoul I’m doing another bookstore event, and hope to do more!

9. I’m honored that you’re honored to be here. What advice do you have for debut authors about developing their social media platform and marketing their debut book?

I will start with the best advice I received on this subject which is: You only get to have a debut book once. You should enjoy this time! This gave me great perspective and helped me decide what to focus on (or not).

In this day and age, you absolutely do need to have a website. It doesn’t have to be fancy (mine isn’t). Look at other authors’ websites to get an idea of what you like. Your website is your opportunity to control the narrative about you and your books.

As far as social media goes: Do what is authentic to you, and don’t feel like you have to do everything. Do what you find enjoyable, and what you have the energy for. Comparison is the thief of joy, so if someone is absolutely crushing it on Instagram and you’re struggling to create a basic Canva graphic—breathe. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re doing great! We’ve all heard stories about runaway hits on #booktok, but the reality is no one can predict those. If you love making TikTok videos, go forth! But if not, it’s better to write the next book instead of burn yourself out.

I was fortunate to have two friends who also had debut books coming out within a few weeks of mine. Supporting one another made things more fun! If you don’t know anyone personally, try joining a debut group.

Also, self-promotion is awkward and can quickly become annoying. This is where promoting other debuts helps! It’s also important to be aware that, at the end of the day, being able to buy a book is a financial privilege for a lot of people, so pretty much any time I post about one of my books, I remind people that public libraries are wonderful havens of magic, and most of them allow patrons to put in book requests, which is a tangible free-for-your-friends way of supporting authors.

10. Thanks for sharing such good, practical advice. What are you working on now?

A new middle grade fantasy series! I can’t say too much yet, but hope to have news soon :)

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Callie. You can find Callie at:

Website: www.calliecmiller.com

Twitter: @TheSuperCallie

IG: @TheSuperCallie

School Library Journal: On Crafting A Compelling Sequel (and cover reveal for The Search for the Shadowsoul!) https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2024/02/15/on-crafting-a-compelling-sequel-and-cover-reveal-for-the-search-for-the-shadowsoul-a-guest-post-by-author-callie-c-miller/

 Giveaway Details

Callie is generously offering a paperback of The Hunt For the Hollower and a hardback of The Search for the Shadowsoul for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by September 28th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Callie on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Today I’m also participating in the Falling Into Leaves Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, September 18th I have a guest post by Carol Lynch Williams from Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers

Monday, September 23rd I have an interview with debut author Dionna Mann and a giveaway of her MG Mama's Chicken and Dumplings 

Wednesday, September 25^th I have an agent spotlight interview with Amy Thrall Flynn and a query critique giveaway

Tuesday, October 1st I’m participating in the Scaredy Cat Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, October 2nd I have a guest post by author Tracy Bilen and a giveaway of her YA thriller Thirty Seconds at a Time and my IWSG post

Saturday, October 5th I’m participating in the Howl-O-Ween Giveaway Hop

Monday, October 7th I have an agent spotlight interview with Leslie Zampetti and a query critique giveaway

I hope to see you later today!