Tez Says: After I requested (and was granted access to) The Cellar, the publisher offered me a spot on the book’s blog tour. I chose the topic – when you hear something’s gone from self-published to traditionally-published, you hope that improvements have been made where necessary. After the guest post you should find information on The Cellar and Natasha Preston’s web links.
I started writing The Cellar back in 2010, about four months after I started writing, and that’s the version that’s still on Wattpad today, so there has been a lot of content/developmental editing. When I spoke to my editor at Sourcebooks she gave me some initial things to address – the cliffhanger ending had to be changed to give the reader a more satisfying conclusion to the story.
There wasn’t too much to change in terms of the characters, perhaps a little strengthening, but I find it very hard to change my characters. They tend to be who they are and if I’m to force a change it’s much more difficult for me to continue writing them. Maybe in my head they’re too human!
One big change was resurrecting someone that had originally been killed off very early on. I think in the end I wrote the character back into about seven chapters. Although it wasn’t a major character it was still my biggest challenge to have her back interacting with the others and reacting to different situations.
The whole editing process has undoubtedly made the book stronger, and Sourcebooks had some incredible suggestions, things that I’d overlooked that have made me so much more excited to share the story with a new audience.
Natasha Preston
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Natasha Preston
The Cellar
Sourcebooks Fire (US: 1st March 2014)
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For months Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her – and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect, pure flowers. His family. But flowers can’t survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out…
NATASHA PRESTON’S SELF-PUBLISHED NOVELS
Natasha Preston
Covert
Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (US: 11th December 2013)
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After a rough eight months, Joshua Harper arranges a weekend away for his girlfriend and four of her friends. Only agreeing to go because Courtney begged, they make the trip to Josh’s secluded cabin in the woods. Blake Harper, Josh’s estranged brother, tags along at the last minute, and Mackenzie Keaton quickly catches the eye of the mysterious, older brother. After a night of heavy night of drinking, Mackenzie and her friends wake to discover the dead bodies of Josh and Courtney on the kitchen floor. With the police determining there was no forced entry or signs of a struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors, and Mackenzie’s friends quickly point the finger at Blake. Refusing to believe one of them could have done it, Mackenzie embarks on her own investigation to prove their innocence, but after a few shocking revelations she is forced to face the fact that one of them could be the murderer.
Natasha Preston
Silence (Silence, Book 1)
Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (US: 22nd December 2013)
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For eleven years, Oakley Farrell has been silent. At the age of five, she stopped talking, and no one seems to know why. Refusing to communicate beyond a few physical actions, Oakley remains in her own little world. Bullied at school, she has just one friend, Cole Benson. Cole stands by her, refusing to believe that she is not perfect the way she is. Over the years, they have developed their own version of a normal friendship. However, will it still work as they start to grow even closer? When Oakley is forced to face someone from her past, can she hold her secret in any longer?
Natasha Preston
Broken Silence (Silence, Book 2)
Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (US: 11th December 2013)
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It has been four years since Oakley, her mum, and brother fled to Australia. With the trials looming, she makes the decision to return to England. Oakley is desperate for closure so she can put the past behind her and move on with her life. How will she cope when she comes face to face with the two people that hurt her the most, and the one person that she hurt the most? Her love for Cole never faded, but how will he react to her return after so long? Will they be able to put everything behind them in order to have a happy ending?
Natasha Preston
Players, Bumps and Cocktail Sausages (Companion to Silence & Broken Silence)
Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (US: 30th January 2014)
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Putting his player ways behind him, Jasper Dane is now strictly a one-woman man. Jasper, desperate to start a family with his wife, Abby, is devastated when she puts their baby plans on hold. Holly has just arrived back in town for the summer, and after landing a job with Jasper, the two form an unlikely friendship. Abby’s immediate dislike of Holly and Jasper spending time together causes him to question his wife’s fidelity. Broken hearted at Abby’s sudden change of heart and suspicious of her reasons, Jasper takes action, sparking a chain of events that make his once well planned out life spiral out of control. To get what he wants, he first has to lose everything.
Tez Says 