Weaving a supernatural tale

Long before Denise LeBlanc wrote a word of her first novel, she had a picture in her mind that she couldn’t shake.

“I had this image, but I never forced the story to go along with it. It came together in my mind in a really organic way,” says LeBlanc, who lives in North End Halifax.

She kept busy writing other projects, mainly short stories, and other elements of the story fastened themselves to the image until the protagonist — Jess Gardner — became very clear.

“There are those who say she is like me, but I really don’t see it. I think if she is then she is like a superhero version of myself — the me I wish I could be,” explains LeBlanc. “One by one, facets of the story came together until eventually an entire picture was formed.”

Her debut novel, Inheritance, is supernatural tale about a girl learning what it’s like to have a family for the first time. She grew up thinking her mother was dead and that she was estranged from the family, but finds out that was a lie and she actually has a large, extended family that needs her to fulfill their supernatural responsibilities.

LeBlanc says writing Inheritance was “a huge undertaking,” and she often stopped during the three-year process. It was her best friend and roommate, Melina Knox, who urged her to push through and finish.

“I said all along that I had no idea what I was doing! Eventually I adopted the attitude that it would be a learning process,” says LeBlanc. “The only way to learn how to write a novel was to write one, so I did. And I was right — I learned a lot.”

Once LeBlanc had finished her manuscript, she decided to go the self-publishing route so she’d have more control over the finished product.

“The idea of spending all of this time creating something, only to then put it into someone else’s hands was impossible for me to accept,” says LeBlanc. “If some aspect failed, I could handle that, but only if I knew I had done all of the work myself.”

She crowd-sourced contributions to pay for professional editing from Musquodoboit Harbour author Genevieve Graham. Then she enlisted local beta readers to go over the manuscript carefully and provide feedback.

“It was a long and exacting process, and I wouldn’t change a thing because I am truly satisfied with the result,” says LeBlanc.

Even the final step — the cover shoot — was a collaborative effort. Local wedding photographer Chantal Routhier ran the set, and layered shots together to create the cover’s dreamy, ethereal image. LeBlanc’s friend and former co-worker, Kayla Drew, was brought in to model as heroine Jess Gardner. Friend Kerry McGean offered up her home as the location, and ran around as a production assistant. Knox pitched in by sewing the costume, baking cookies for the shoot, and even holding lighting equipment during a tricky shot.

“At the beginning of the shoot, I was in tears seeing my creation come to life,” says LeBlanc. “It was the most magical day of my life — the first time I could really see the end in sight, and know that the final product was on the horizon.”

Using Createspace, LeBlanc was able to get high-quality printed paperbacks without spending any of her own money. The books are ordered through Amazon, printed, and shipped directly to customers.

She chose Kindle Direct to publish the e-reader version, because the format can be easily converted for any readers — even smartphones — and it meant her novel would be included in the Kindle Unlimited lending program.

LeBlanc is spending her days working on Inheritance’s sequel now, and says she feels a little thrill when she’s notified of another online order.

There are a lot of aspiring authors in Nova Scotia, and she hopes to show them that self-publishing is a viable route — and easier than they might think.

“So many people think that because they can’t get an agent or a publisher, then they can’t be considered legitimate. But it is no reason to put yourself down,” says LeBlanc. “Too many people allow the opinions of others to determine their fate, especially in the arts. Don’t wait for anyone to tell you that you’re a writer. Just be a writer.”