Marissa De Luna's Blog

Imposter syndrome - You may have read about this recently in the press as it has been featured quite a bit in various articles lately. It's a real phenomena and from what I've read it mostly affects women. Wiki defines this syndrome as a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud."

It may sound a bit random to you,  perhaps a little new-age. I would have probably dismissed it ten y...

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go. - E L Doctorow

I mentioned in my previous post that in the near future I would be looking to go down the traditional publishing route again. If you are not familiar with my writing history I have had two books published by Indie publishers and the rest I have self published. I can't give the two Indie Publishers great reviews but the first did open some doors to me because, let's face it self-publishing is still stigmatised...

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail - Edwin Land

There has been quite a bit in the press and of course social media about wellbeing. Last year's mindfulness is this years self-love. Everyone is jumping on the wellbeing bandwagon. I am all for wellbeing and it's great to see the Society of Authors and the Crime Writers Association talking about this hot topic. It needs to be talked about to make people more aware of it. Mental health issues are so important especially...

“Writers aren’t people exactly. Or, if they’re any good, they’re a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person.” - F Scott Fitzgerald

So about a year or so ago I gave up on this blog. After becoming a mum I didn't think that this blog was 'me' anymore. I wanted a place where I could not only express my writing but life as a new mum as well and so I started a new blog to do just that . It was called Writing and Weetabix - reasons for the name explained on the blog itself, but it's...

I haven't blogged in a long while - a year to be exact. A new baby has changed my priorities and this blog didn't make the list! I am still writing though - I have written the first draft of Jackpot Jetty the next instalment in the Chupplejeep series. I only finished the draft because I haven't been blogging!!!

I started this blog when I first started writing. I have received some lovely feedback and I feel that this blog has helped me become the writer I am today. I have shared my writing hig...

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story - Terry Pratchett

So I am nearly at the end of the first draft of Splinter - It's probably the sketchiest draft I have written, but I needed to get it out of my system before I start on the next Chupplejeep. Its like a lemon sorbet pallet cleanser in-between courses. The MS as it stands is a quarterly there - it definitely needs several full re-qwrites. But as TP says in the above quote the first draft is just you...

Happy New Year!  I'm sure you've seen all those New Year inspirational quotes already telling you to start something new, perhaps go on a new adventure - so I won't bore you with all that.

January is generally a depressing month - ice scraping the car featuring more this month than most. We all have resolutions and writers will have writing resolutions. I know I always do. This year I can't promise to blog more or write more - what I can promise is that I will be writing something new and...

   We’re all excited about The Body in the Bath the latest book in the Chupplejeep Mystery Series. What’s this one about? 
The body of an actress is found in a bath of a boutique hotel in rural Goa. The death appears to be a suicide, but closer inspection suggests foul play! Detective Chupplejeep is called to investigate and in doing so unearths a plethora of secrets from the troubled actress’s past. Suspects are rounded up  and motives are aplenty. It’s a complicat...

And so it’s nearly here - d-day to publishing my fifth novel – The Body in the Bath. Back in 2008 when I started writing, if you told me I’m be on my fifth publication in 2016 I’d have laughed. Don’t get me wrong I would be hopeful and determined (I’m always determined) to reach that target, but I would still have laughed.   Writing for me started as a hobby, a pass time, turned in to a little business and now has reverted back to a hobby. A hobby that pays me. I do have a full time jo...

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master - Ernest Hemmingway
I thought it was about time that I put a blog post up - it has been a while, hasn't it. But I haven't just been watching Netflix - well I have watched quite a bit, but that's not it. I have been busy putting the final touches on the long awaited follow up to Under the Coconut Tree, The Body in the Bath. I am sure you are all eagerly awaiting to find out whether Chupplejeep will make it to Kerala and whethe...