Any deleted scenes from This Time?

Hi there,

I’ve been asked a few time about my deleted scenes from This Time and I’m happy to give you a glimpse at what did not survive the professional editing phase.

What did you edit out of your book?

My debut novel This Time is about a resurrected demon hunter and those who love her. Believe or not, but I wrote a book involving a succubus without including any detailed sex scenes!

A few hot and graphic sex scene were written into my outline. In draft one, I knew that I wanted to write an adult fantasy. Somehow, the two steamy scenes I originally imagined were edited out (but saved elsewhere).

Why? Because the story had a fast pace that was perfect for the action adventure vibe I was aiming for. Because I devoted more of book one to character development and getting readers familiar with this new, magic-filled world. And because, despite the handsome male characters and scenes filled with sexual tension, I did not write a romance novel.

To be honest, the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy can be blurry. But, research shows that romance novels follow a formula in the same way that mystery novels follow a formula. In romance novels, boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl. My novel, This Time, doesn’t follow this formula. And, while romance seasons my story it does not make or break the plot.

The another scene that was valued but edited out of my book was actually a plot twist! Oh, don’t worry! There are still a couple of plot twist in my novel that are guaranteed to excite you.

The cropped out scene involved Nadira and her relationship with a close friend changing drastically. And, it was too drastic to introduce towards the end of the book.

But, I loved the idea for Nadira having conflict with her few friends. So… it ended up in book two! That was the only way I could willingly let go of the idea. This means that if anyone liked book one titled This Time, they are going to be thrilled about the new tough situations and significant revelations in book two titled That Night.

If you are thinking that some scenes absolutely need to be cut from a story (just like in any movie), then I agree!

I use test readers as part of my novel writing process. Some of the feedback I collect is where did the story slow down, take a weird turn, get confusing or made them stop reading. Test reader are priceless! I appreciate all of their comments and questions, and I weight each suggestion very carefully.

My other life saver is my editor. If I’m toggling between two choices that both seem right, my editor takes a close look and weights in. As someone who is well-read and knows what the current trends are, I respect her opinion a lot.

I hope you enjoyed learning that This Time is a little tamer than it could have been and contains one less plot twist than it did in earlier versions. What’s left is a well-written, well-paced story full of interesting characters and exciting situations.

Best wishes, 

Azaaa Davis