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Book Shop Chats:
Welcome to Book Shop Chats, your go to podcast for indie authors and learning insight into what it takes to write a book (HINT: You can do it too!!)
Join authors as they share their personal journeys, successes, and challenges, providing you with unique insights into the writing process. The discussions explore into various aspects of storytelling, from character development to plot structuring, ensuring you have a well-rounded understanding of the craft.
Whether you're just starting out or have published multiple works, this podcast is your companion in the pursuit of storytelling excellence. Tune in, gather inspiration, and let your passion for writing flourish alongside a community that celebrates the art of the written word.
Book Shop Chats:
Where Do Stories Come From? A Chat with Fantasy Author Erica Rose Eberhart
Victoria and fantasy author Erica Rose Eberhart discuss the delicate balance between creating books, promoting them, and maintaining creative energy while avoiding burnout.
• Erica shares details about her debut novel "Tarnished" and the upcoming releases in her Elder Tree series
• The importance of scheduling intentional breaks and "blackout dates" to prevent creative burnout
• How stepping away from social media can actually spark creativity and new book ideas
• Embracing the natural evolution of writing skills and letting go of perfectionism
About the author:
Erica Rose Eberhart is a neurodivergent, disabled writer of queer characters, dragons, girls who grow feathers, and boys who become trees. She resides in the Finger Lakes of New York with her partner and child, and has sampled landscape inspiration from her time living near mountain ranges of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Having written stories since she could string a sentence together, she now focuses primarily on young adult and adult fantasy, as well as whimsical personal essays. Her work has been featured in Bella Grace Magazine. TARNISHED is her debut novel.
Diminished coming August 2025
The king is dead and a queen has taken the throne.
While magic is now legal, the repercussions of years of magical genocide and prejudice aren't so easily wiped away. With the threat of war looming, Wimleigh Kingdom must look northward, beyond a dangerous forest to a small, seaside town for aid. If they have any hope of surviving the incoming danger of battle from a land where magic triumphs all, they must convince a powerful, unknown prince to join their side.
Ailith and Caitriona return in the second novel of The Elder Tree Trilogy as they seek someone thought lost. Left behind is Greer with her mother, Róisín, to rule the kingdom while threats grow, the city is plunged into darkness, and warnings of death are on the wind.
Can Greer guide her kingdom through this storm, will Ailith and Caitriona find help, or will the war consume all?
LINKS
Books2Buy page (for book purchases):
Bookshop.org
Connect with Erica
About Victoria:
I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!
Here’s how I can help:
📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
Grab it HERE
📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
✍️ 1:1 monthly support Writer's Haven: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.
Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen.
📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial
Oh hey, it's Victoria from Victoria Jane Editorial and your host of Bookshop Chats. This podcast is all about authors, writing and the magic that goes into storytelling. We cover all of the things that go into writing a book, from the creative process, from taking your idea to a first draft, creating and cultivating community within the author space, marketing all of the fun things. If you are a reader, a wannabe writer or an author, you will find tips and tricks that suit whatever level you are at. So I hope that you enjoy and you are unfortunately, or fortunately going to find many more books to add to your tbr, so I will invite you to sit back and listen to the episode. Welcome back to bookshop chats. In today's episode, I am chatting with erica. Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm so excited to connect again. This is exciting yeah, it's been nearly nearly a year, not quite yes, wild, wild times.
Speaker 1:What like, yes, and so much, I feel like, has happened? Obviously, chatting, today, we you have a new book that is coming out this year, uh, which is very, very exciting. So I would love to just kind of give you the floor and share all about this, this new book that is coming out, and maybe you know the other book that it's it's kind of connected to as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So almost a year ago, when we last chatted, I was preparing for the release of my debut novel, tarnished, which is a sapphic high fantasy, and that came out at the end of January. So it's only a little baby. It's only been out for two months, almost to the day that we're recording, you know. So it's just out in the world and I'm still flabbergasted that I have a book out. But like no time has passed, I'm already gearing up for the second book, my second release, which is coming out August 19th, which is the second book in the Elder Tree series. So Tarnished is book one, the second book is Diminished, and the third book, vanquished, will be released sometime next year. I don't know the date yet. But yeah, I have all three books coming out pretty close together, so people don't have to wait very long for each book in the series, which is nice, but it's a lot, it's busy.
Speaker 1:I imagine, I imagine, I mean I'm grateful that you are doing that, because I'm the type of person that's just like. I know how much work goes into writing, but then I'm like I just want to read the next one. Yeah, um, and it's just, it's.
Speaker 2:I like to have that closure when it comes to a series yeah, and I I forget, like if I have to wait a couple years between books and then I get the next book and I'm like so excited because I remember I love the first book and I think I remember more than I do, but then I'll sit down and start reading the second one, I'm like, oh, I don't remember what was going on.
Speaker 1:I feel that a hundred percent. I have to go back and reread the next one. Thank goodness for audiobooks, though, because that's been my saving grace lately of like, oh, at least that can jog my memory and I can do the things. But yeah, it's a lot, that's an amazing feat. I feel like, yeah, celebration, two books in one year, that is epic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I'm very lucky, lucky. Originally the second book wasn't going to come out until next year, but my publisher decided to move it up a little bit so that it was closer, and I panicked a little bit but was also excited. Um, because the this diminished, come it. It focuses on summer, so it coming out in August feels fitting. Um, I'm definitely a sensory reader and I'm a sensory writer. I love, love, dragging out all the senses and descriptions and stuff like that. So the idea of people being able to sit down and read the second book in the heat of summer while my characters are actively complaining about the humidity, feels like perfect.
Speaker 2:Um, so we'll see, we'll see how the when the third book comes out. I don't think it'll be set with the season for the third book, but, um, we'll see, we'll see. But I'm very excited. I'm so excited for it to come out, even though it's it's also just kind of chaotic, cause I feel like I'm still coming down from the release of book one. Um, but then I'm like, oh, all right, uh, yeah, uh, the the second book comes out in only a couple months. I gotta do something about that right.
Speaker 1:I imagine that that's gotta be like such a wild ride of, um, yeah, just a lot of emotion, that kind of like comes with that sort of like rush, and then suddenly like you just kind of want to crash, but then it's like no, we got to keep on going, keep on moving.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm, I'm definitely. I've. It's taken me years and a lot of therapy, but I've learned that for me, I definitely need to take breaks or I burn out. And when I burn out, I burn out so hard that just everything becomes impossible. So it's not even like, oh, I'm taking a break for a week. It's like, oh, I'm not functional for weeks, if not months, and I've heard it from fellow authors who've been published like, make sure to take a breather after your book's released.
Speaker 2:But, um, and I did, however, like I kind of jumped right back into working on other stuff, so it wasn't as long of a break as I needed it to be. And, uh, battling with, like seasonal affective disorder and the likes, it kind of forced me to take a break these last few weeks, but also, I don't know, this time around, with the second book coming out, I've already done this once before and did it pretty well, considering I had no idea what I was doing and you know, all like kind of promotion was my own and I'm just like, okay, well, that worked. So I guess I'll just keep doing the same thing I did before and that's actually saving me time, because I'm not sitting here racking my brain, being like what should I do? And like making things from scratch. So it's working out pretty well that it's like I'm easing into the second book while also being like, oh no, the first one's out. Oh, I'm still getting reviews. Oh right, I'm still supposed to be promoting that and getting people to read it.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's yeah, that's the hardest part of just like the balancing all of the things, and then also, then, also, like you said, really making time for that like rest. I think that's something that is, it's not talked about a lot or enough. I feel like, when it comes to creativity, because you think, oh, it's so fun and I get to write books and create made-up characters and there's so much effort and energy that goes into that that you really do need to make time for that sort of like creative space. Otherwise, like you said, you do burn out or you end up like not liking it and not enjoying it. And I feel like for most of us that you know found writing, it's usually because it was very healing for us. So losing that, I feel like, would be such a hard, a hard thing. So, really, like you said, making that space is key, but it's hard.
Speaker 1:I feel like.
Speaker 2:There's so much like pressure, of like trying to stay on with trends and, like you know, the publishing can either work really really fast or really really slow. Um, if you're looking for an agent, if you're looking to do small publishing, it's kind of like hurry up and wait continuously. And I, you know, I, I, I like, I've realized so much that, even though it's it's like that, like the, the break, the, the pause is necessary. I've, I'm very lucky, I'm very privileged that I get to have writing be my full-time job as well as raising my kid. But even that, you know, I, I have found myself falling into kind of this mentality that I'm like, oh well, I am not doing my job if I'm not writing, I'm not. You know, I have to be productive to make it worthwhile.
Speaker 2:This time that I'm not like actively working in an office space, and then I kind of what I was like starting to burn out. And, particularly after my book release, I had a moment where I was like I have been preparing for this release since Christmas, like I took Christmas week off and then on New Year's Eve, I sat down and I created social media posts with, I wrote up the descriptions and the alt image descriptions and everything. For the entire month of January leading up to my release. I was putting in orders for giveaways, I was preparing boxes, I was doing all this stuff as well as interviews and reviews and everything that goes into it, and I was doing it any chance I had. So this wasn't just Monday through Friday, it was also through the weekend, it was also in my evenings. So where is that break? Like even a person who works an office job gets to go home in the evening and gets their weekends off.
Speaker 2:Writers because, and particularly for writers, because writing is often a very emotional, heavy task for people and it's very energy consuming, at least of your brain.
Speaker 2:So like if you're going, going, going and you don't take a break, like you're definitely going to burn out, but also like it's okay to step back for a week because you know you've just been working every single day for the last month.
Speaker 2:So that's, I think, the biggest thing I learned from publishing book one and legitimately, I've, I've sat down, I've like blacked out. Like two weeks after book two comes out and I'm just like anything that's not scheduled right now, like not getting scheduled, that is a blackout period, like I need to take a break and then I can go into doing whatever comes next. But I've definitely I've begun to have blackout dates that I'm just like oh it's a holiday, my kid's going to be off from school for a week. Blackout date, like that's a time where I'm taking a break, I'm stepping back, I'm not doing social media, I'm not doing interviews, I'm doing whatever my heart desires and I'm taking a break and it helps. It helps creatively too, like I've come up with more book ideas just taking breaks because I'm denying myself of writing than when I am working continuously.
Speaker 1:That is such, yeah, that is such an important reminder. I think it it's something that I really find interesting. Like I get so nerdy about stuff, like I find it so fascinating of just the like, just when art becomes a commodity, right, like it becomes this, this or your hobby becomes this thing that you know you are able to, um make money off of, which is amazing, but then it becomes like there's just this extra pressure. I feel like that goes into it and because we're so ingrained, I feel like with that belief of like if it's not making money, it doesn't bring any value, um, especially like. I feel like in my own experience of like being a stay at home mom for a number of years in my life, of just like really there's like a lot of internalized like shame and stuff that's like there, of like oh.
Speaker 1:I'm just a mom, I'm just this, and discounting all of the work that goes into it. And I think to, like with creative arts, like it's been one of those things where it's so often like, yeah, you can't make money off of it, or like it's like it only counts if you're you're making that money. So I think that, yeah, you bring up a really good point of like life, life is great inspiration and that's where you get all of the ideas. And I think that's something I've noticed in my own experience of just like going for a walk and listening to an audiobook, and then there's like five other book ideas that I'm like, oh my gosh, this is flowing this finally makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, like I, I also, um, I, I take social media occasionally and it's so funny because I gaslight myself Like every time I'm just like I don't need a break, I don't need a break, I'm fine, I'm totally fine. And my therapist is like maybe you need a break and so I'll take a step back. And I used to do this more regularly until I began promoting my book, where I would take a step back, I would mute everyone on social media so that I like, when I would surely go on to like answer a message from a friend or like go on to like make one post, I would always end up falling into tapping through stories. So I would go, I'd mute everybody and so I wouldn't be tempted and I would take like a week off from social media. I would delete you know other and so I wouldn't be tempted, and I would take like a week off from social media. I would delete you know other apps from my phone and stuff like that, and I would just stay away from them for a week. And it always worked out great. I always felt lighter, I felt happier, I felt more inspired.
Speaker 2:But when publication came into my life and promoting my book became a thing.
Speaker 2:I was like oh, like I have to be on social media, I have to be talking to people, and I did that for a solid year and I think that was a big part of burning out so badly by the time my book did come out, because I had been online and connected and trying to talk to readers and trying to talk to fellow writers and all this stuff for so long.
Speaker 2:And I took a full week off at the beginning of March, deleted everything and it was like within two days I like had this wild and vivid dream of a new book idea. Like I woke up and I was like that's going to be my next book, like it's going to be amazing, and I was on a creative high for like a few days off of just this dream. I felt great and like after that I was like, okay, you know what I'm going to. You know, give a little distance, like really try to like only post on certain days and, you know, not really feel that I have to be on top of answering messages and stuff like that through the weekend. Like again, just like any office job, where people are out of office, they are not expected to answer emails. It should be the same way for writers, like we don't have to be accessible at all times, because if we are, when do we have time to work on our trilogies and our standalones and like everything else?
Speaker 1:A hundred percent. A hundred percent, that's so true. It's such a great reminder because I feel like, yes, social media, social media is such a hot topic, obviously in the indie author community because, like we're, that's how we connect with people, but there's so much like heaviness around it. I find of just this like, oh, like nobody's liking my stuff or whatever, like it's just, and I really want to help bring that sort of like. Let's make it fun, like, at the end of the day, if five people like it, whatever like. So what, like it's just, it's still five people.
Speaker 1:So like, really like reframing that obviously, like it would be great to go viral, but I think people don't understand the like the number one it doesn't always equate to sales or people and also the like the nervous system dysregulation that can kind of come from that uh, just suddenly having all of these eyes on you, maybe getting more feedback than you would normally get, and maybe it not being the nice like that stuff, right. So I think that's something to remember as well. Of just like I'm all about slow and steady. Let's just like slow, steady growth. Let's just find our people in that kind of way and just connect and kind of have fun, cause I feel like it's pretty cool to be able to be like I get to make up characters for for my job.
Speaker 2:That is what I do. Yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, and like the just there, there's definitely a place for social media and a necessity for it, and I I've learned so much about the writing world and also just how to better myself as an author through social media and through the people that I've been able to interact with. I have an amazing group of small press debut authors that I chat with almost daily. All their books are coming out this year and, like they are just like little little group of cheerleaders. You know, we're just here to hype up each other but also to like comfort each other.
Speaker 2:If like, oh well, I got a bad review, or like, oh, I'm nervous about this thing, or like I'm sad I didn't get into this con, like you know, we all get it because we're all in the same spot and it's just like it's amazing. And I have some of my best friends that I've grown so close to. We've done writing retreats by one friend named Dr after our characters, like it, just they're amazing. These, this group of women who, like, absolutely changed my life for the better, and not just in a writing sense. You know, they've taught me more about my, my life outside of writing and it's like, without social media I wouldn't have had that. You know like I wouldn't have become the author I am right now compared to who I was before, but taking a break is still good. You have to find a nice balance between the two. You know it's. It's good, it's just, it's a lot, it's all a lot.
Speaker 1:It's all a lot. Yeah, realistically, it just is like there's just so many things and I'm like I just want to write the books, but then the posting and the yeah it's a lot. I feel that for sure, uh of it can definitely feel overwhelming. So it's really just reminding myself not to do seven things at the same time, because it's not a good, it's not a good fit, uh, and then it's just the creativity is not really there when you're. You're kind of doing all of the things and, um, yeah, it just makes it way more stressful.
Speaker 2:But that's, that's a, it's a learning process yeah, I think that, like, every author has to learn that too, you know, like, and and it's sometimes it's like you don't even realize you're learning it until you're witnessing someone else go through the same thing that you learned.
Speaker 2:You know, like just I, one of my friends her book is coming out later this year compared to mine, which is already out. So like I'm seeing her panic and say things that I thought just months ago, and even though I have a book my second book's coming out, I'm not like thinking that way anymore, cause I'm just like, eh, like I got over that hump, like it's not new anymore and I'm like I know what. I not that I know what I'm doing, but just like that particular stressor, like I've experienced it, I found my way through it stressor, like I've experienced it, I found my way through it, so it's no longer a stressor, so it's, it's just, yeah, it's all a learning curve. And then making friends who are other writers and they can be like oh yeah, that's normal, that feeling is normal, it's okay, you will get through it, you will survive, even if you don't feel that way, right now a hundred percent, percent.
Speaker 1:I think that's so true. Having that, yeah, a person, that's like I get it. I know it feels like you're being chased by a bear, but I promise you it's, it's, it's okay, you are not, but sometimes it's hard to see that, and then then you get through it and you're like, oh my gosh, I did it, which I think is something like celebrate, like your book is out in the world, it's like public, like that's a huge feat, and I think, um, it can be easy to like sometimes downplay that because you know it didn't sell a thousand copies on day one or whatever the thing is, but really just like celebrating all of the little milestones and stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's so important yeah for sure, and not, and like kind of keeping your eyes on your own like page, like I. I have, um, an author friend who at the time when she told me this, she was not my friend. Um, I went to a, an event that she was at as a a speaker and she had said like I'm gonna butcher, she said so eloquently and I'm gonna say terribly but whenever you're looking at other authors and you might see something that they are experiencing and be like jealous and like oh, I wish I was having that experience. But everyone is kind of on the same path. It's just that, like the events that every author goes through is jumbled up and just thrown at you randomly. So like, while you might be having a terrible release, that other author, their next book might not sell anything, you know. Like, while you might be getting into this specific, you know con, the next one you might get a denial for. So like it's, even though other people might be experiencing something you really wanted to experience quickly, it doesn't mean that you aren't going to experience it, and it's so much better to just kind of look at those experiences good or bad from your friends and just kind of learn from it and take it to heart, to be like, okay, when that happens to me, you know I see how they handled it and I learned from it because of that. And vice versa.
Speaker 2:You know you get to have your friends learn from your experiences that they haven't had yet, and that hearing that helps so much, particularly when I'm kind of like spiraling and I'm like, oh God, like I'm supposed to be promoting book one, but also I need to be promoting book two. And like have I not promoted book one enough? And like should I be going to this, this applying and trying to get into this con? That's eight hours away? And like, do I want that in my life? Like it's, it's nice to be, like I don't have to do everything now, like I don't need to be involved in all the things right now. Um, I people often say you're going to promote your book for the rest of your life and so you have the rest of your life to achieve these, these various dreams. You know so it's, it's worth keeping in mind. But sometimes, even though you know it's worth keeping in mind, you have to remind yourself of it down the road.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, I feel that so much and that's such a great reminder, I feel like like really focusing kind of on that that long game, right, like your book is out, so obviously it's always there, right, like you can always come back to it, you can always share about it, you can always, you know, talk it up whenever you feel called to. So it's not like that. That pressure I feel like there is. There is that added like pressure of like got to do all of the things and things, especially for you know, authors that are maybe with a smaller publisher or like self-published completely, because obviously all of that stuff is on you, um, versus when you're in the traditionally publishing world, there's somebody at least organizing that stuff for you, so somebody can be like here, go do this.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah yeah, and I like and that's like that too. I just hear my friends who have like publicists like what is that? And? And you know, the publicist is like you're going to go on a tour and you're going to these bookstores and and you're going to do the thing, and I'm like that is amazing, Like they plan that for you. But also, I like control. Yes, I feel like I would be very like. I feel like that a while. It sounds super cool.
Speaker 1:There's like a level of overwhelm that I just feel like I would be very like. I feel like that, while it sounds super cool, there's like a level of overwhelm that I just feel like I it would be quite hard to navigate of this like, yeah, this deep fear of like, oh my gosh, like what if I don't feel well, what if, like, I disappoint people? Like all of like.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is welcome to my brain uh, we share the same brain apparently, right? Yeah, it's a we're gonna.
Speaker 1:That's why we excel in the writing space of, just like the. Yeah, making up a million worst case scenarios and arguments and all of the great things that serve the story.
Speaker 2:Google map image. Like navigate the entire area I'm going to be in. I need to check the menus of the places I might be visiting.
Speaker 1:Right, it just sounds like a lot. So I yeah, I, I really do. I think that's something to really be mindful of as well, like really just what works for you. And I feel like, yeah, the older I get, the more I'm like, yeah, that's not for me. I kind of like going out after nine o'clock doesn't sound like a fun time.
Speaker 1:Like that sounds like bedtime to me a fun time Like that sounds like bedtime to me. I am good to stay at home, so I will figure out how to do it myself, so I think I love that. That's. That's an available option for um for authors now of just like really, yeah, do what works for you and you will. I really do trust that you'll. You'll find your readers it. It just might take time, that's the thing. It's not always a fast process, um, but that's that's cool. Um, I think I like slow and steady.
Speaker 2:It's good for me oh yeah, it's, it's exciting and and too, like I don't know you just you don't know what the future holds. Like I, I have things up and coming that I'm not allowed to even talk about, that, like it's just stuff that I had hoped for but I never expected to happen, you know, and like, when my book came out, I sure as hell wasn't thinking that was gonna happen. So it's it's just taking time and and celebrating any win that you get. You know, um, and I really I just I have no idea where, where my writing career is going to be headed.
Speaker 2:I, I have this to me, at least this amazing um queer high fantasy trilogy, but I'm also actively writing and it's this is an adult or new trilogy, but I'm also actively writing, and it's this is an adult or new adult, but I'm also actively writing dark fantasy, ya, and you know I'm looking into maybe another, the dark fantasy new adult book, and like those are all slight mirrors off of, you know, away from the high fantasy. So that's like a completely different group and they might intercept with high fantasy fans. But you know, dark fantasy does have a lot of readers who aren't going to necessarily jump for high fantasy and so it's like, well, who, who knows, who knows what the future holds, if I'm able to get like book deals for those other books that are partially or semi wholly written, like just going to play it by ear and hope for the best.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think that's cool and that really like it's fun because it's it challenges you as a writer too. I really like that of just like, for whatever reason, I trust that the idea is coming to you for a reason, right, like it comes like, and sometimes you're like, seriously, you want me to write this Like what the heck? Like where did this come from? So I really think that's that's a fun, yeah, fun thing and, like you said, you never know where it's going to take you, and I think that's what makes it fun, even though sometimes I'm like, could I just at least have something here, like give me, give me some sort of like guarantee here, so I know at least something.
Speaker 1:But yeah, life does not work like that, unfortunately, or fortunately, I think, probably. And yeah, having that sort of opportunity just to kind of let creativity lead you where it needs to go is such a really like. It's such a cool thing, uh, and it's yeah to see like the stories created and stuff I get so excited about. I'm like this came from somebody's brain, like they put this on paper so many ways that people come up with their ideas.
Speaker 2:It's amazing, even like I I vary, like I tarnished is is fully based on like a desire to write out my D&D character's life and it turned into something wild and different than what I had originally planned. But like that's where that came from. And then it becoming part of a trilogy was more like I didn't want to let go of the characters. I felt like they still had more to say and like they were pushing on me and so, like the rest of their story unfolded. But the current drafts that I'm working on the dark fantasy books, you know they both came as dreams. They were just completely random.
Speaker 2:I wasn't thinking this stuff, I wasn't like, oh, I'm inspired by X, y, z and I have this kind of idea. That's just kind of popped up in my head. It was more like this you know, weird dream hit me. I wake up one day and suddenly I'm inspired and I have this whole plot figured out, which, like, is wild and I'm very grateful for that, for my brain doing that. But you, you know it wasn't something that I was like building up to. So it's wild that, like people can come up with these crazy ideas in so many different ways, you know, work on it for a really long time and they, they, just, you know, it's like chiseling a marble, you know statue, where they're delicately working at it and making it perfect, and then others who just like are like I have a full trilogy figured out in the time it took me to take a walk today right.
Speaker 1:I, I totally get that and I think it's it's so interesting to me to to feel kind of the different energy each book brings, because they really do. It really does kind of warrant and asks you to do things very differently. I find which is really interesting to see how that sort of like um comes through and yeah it just the story just kind of unfolds and I feel like the more you write, the better of a writer you become and it's it's cool to see that growth kind of in real time on paper yeah, yeah, honestly, I I, when I was going through like the past pages for Tarnished at that point, like I'm reading it and I'm proud of this book.
Speaker 2:I love this book and I think it's pretty damn good. But I know that I am a better writer now than I was when that book was, you know, finalized and final edits, and so I was going through the past pages I was like, oh, I could rewrite this entire chapter and, you know, make it so much better than it currently is. But there's a point where you have to just kind of let it go because otherwise you're going to be nitpicking at it forever. And then you know, hopefully, that that growth in writing will be more clear in diminished, which I'm abundantly proud of, even though that book is going to make some people hate me.
Speaker 2:Um, I am so proud of that book and that book really means a lot to me and even still, like I'm just like, oh, yep, I could make.
Speaker 2:I could make it even better even now as it's preparing for publication, but I think there's a growth between the two. So I can only imagine what, like the next book I finish is going to be like, and I just hope my hope is that I'm just going to continue getting better with each book that I write and learning more and like luckily taking breaks allowing me a chance to like get creative, but then also being like available and talking to my community of writers and readers and stuff like that and being able to pleasure read. I get to see how all these different elements of writing and styles and editorial, like how people tweak their stories, like how it all changes, and it's just it's, it's all like continuous like being a life learner and just continuously learning and having that excitement for it, and I think that that is like the most cool thing about being a writer is just like you're continuously learning and improving and that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is so, it's so true and it's, I mean it's, it's, it's weird, so like, so it's so true and it's, I mean it's, it's, it's weird, so like it's, it's never a craft that you, like you're never going to be perfect, right, like I think that's something that I've really been like. Oh, like, we have this obsession with perfection, but like it doesn't exist and I don't understand, um, why we're so obsessed with it when we love the messy characters, right, we love the morally gray characters, we love all of them. Like the stuff that are. Like, is this okay? Okay, I see where this is going, right. So I think that that's been a really helpful tool in just in making writing fun, because I love it so much.
Speaker 2:We don't want to read a book where the character is the same character on the last chapter as they were in the beginning. You know, like you don't want just a perfect person who has no growth, and I think there's the same applies to authors and there's maybe a societal push that we should be perfect but really like no one. No one should be.
Speaker 1:It's good to grow 100 and hundred percent and I think it just it's it. When you're open to that and like love learning, it's just it's. It's a natural by-product of of that sort of journey, is the growth just sort of happens. I think, and that's a really. It's cool to see that in the writing of like authors that I read I'm like wow, like I can, I can see the difference here of the story from like your first book to your like seventh book and stuff, and it's really neat to see that kind of like in in in print and to know that that one was also like it was published too, like they were both published. So I think that's a really important reminder. So I think that's a really important reminder.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it fills me with like abundant such pride when I see like authors who I love whether I know them in person or like if they're just authors I'm a fan of and you know to see their growth or to see them get like a really killer book deal. I'm just like look at you, go, I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 1:I feel that, yeah, it's so, it's so exciting. I get yeah, I kind of get really excited about that. I'm just seeing all these amazing like books getting out in the world. Um, now is just so cool, uh, and people love it, like the the story, like people love reading and I love that it's becoming like this cool thing and like my teenagers are super into like reading and they have like a little book swap thing, like it's just it's huge and it's such a fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that it's getting more people reading, so I'm all for that, yeah, my, my six-year-old is learning to read and he's learning to write, um, and he decided he's like I'm gonna have a book release, like mama, and I was like my heart just exploded from my chest and he sat there and wrote his little books with little pictures and he had a bunch. And he set up his little cushiony chair because he can flip it over and it looks almost like a little table and he made a box out of magnet tiles so that we could pay him for his books and he like writes 100 on each book and I was like, no, you're worth, bud, that's great.
Speaker 1:I love that. That is amazing. I think it's so cool to see the kids pick that stuff up and you don't realize that they're like sucking up everything, and then they go and and do that stuff and you're like, oh my gosh, this is so cool.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm just gonna stealthily take some videos and pictures of this because if you become an actual like, if you go and get your books published when you're an adult, I want to be there with like a cardboard cutout of you as a six-year-old and your little magnet tile box and your hundred dollar blue paper book that you made and be like I was the first fan it was me, I was, I was there the whole time.
Speaker 2:I believed in you. Amazing, amazing. Well, I would love for you to website Erica Rose ever heartcom, um. And then I throw up occasional posts through between each seasonal update. So, you know, spring first day of summer, there's a big old update that comes out with everything that's going on, but between it I'll post about street team signups, arc opportunities, cover reveal, things like that. So if you're interested in that, you can just subscribe at my website, ericaroseeberhartcom.
Speaker 2:Um, and then I also update my Instagram pretty regularly, which is also at ericaroseeberhart, um. I have threads, I have blue sky, I have TikTok and that's it. I don't have any, don't have a Twitter, don't have Facebook. I'm awful at updating those other sites, but I am on them and, yeah, you can check me out on all those. My book Tarnished and soon Diminished. They're available on Amazon, barnes and noble bookshoporg so you can support indie bookstores. And, uh, I have links on all of my social media pages so that you can just pop on over and purchase a copy. Um, but yeah, that's that's where all the books will be as they slowly roll out for the elder tree trilogy.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Well, it's all going to be linked in the show notes. It'll be super easy for people to click through and find you. Uh, but yeah, it was lovely chatting with you and, just yeah, hearing about your writing process and the importance of of chilling out, of taking the breaks?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, it was nice chatting with you again.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much for listening to today's episode. I would love if you would leave a review and also if you loved the author that we chatted with, go find them on social media and hype them up, comment on their stuff, share their work. Even if you can't buy the book, these kinds of things are great ways of supporting indie authors and getting their book in front of new readers. And if you are a writer or author in need of a developmental editor, please reach out. I would love to chat. Everything is linked in the show notes and it would be an absolute honor to be able to get eyes on your novel. So thanks again and listen to the next episode.
