Tatum reminds us that so many of us aren’t a fan of our first draft manuscript. It doesn’t mean you should give us. She joins us to talk about the birth of her debut novel, The Starlight Saviour, and why pushing through the awkward stages of writing is the only way to find the magic. From fangirling over the authors who raised us to taking the leap into indie publishing, this episode is a love letter to the books—and the boundaries—that shape us.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Surviving the First Draft: Tatum shares how she navigated the messy beginnings of The Starlight Saviour and why a bad first draft is just raw material, not a sign to give up.
• The Richelle Mead Fan Club: We fully embrace our fan-girl status and talk about how the legends of 2010s paranormal romance inspired our own creative paths.
• The Power of New Adult: Why the NA category is such a sweet spot for readers who grew up on Vampire Academy and Shadowhunters—allowing the characters to finally age up and mature right alongside us.
• Choosing Romance Over "Romantasy": Why Tatum decided to buck the current trend and steer clear of heavy romantasy for her debut, opting instead to write a story she personally wanted to read as a hopeless romantic.
• The Freedom of Self-Publishing: Tatum talks through her pivot away from the traditional querying trenches and how retaining total control over her creative vision brought her a new sense of freedom.
• The Subjectivity of Reading: I share my thoughts on Direbound and Furybound, leading into a larger discussion on why art will always be entirely subjective.
• Hunting for the Ideal Reader: The eternal struggle of book marketing and why ARC (Advance Reader Copy) teams are still one of the absolute best resources for building an audience.
• Character Connection: A vital reminder that if readers don't care about the souls of your characters, they have no reason to keep turning the pages.