Riding the Wind by Calla Scott

A NaNoWriMo Success Story

This week, my young friend and client, Calla Scott, is releasing her debut novella, Riding the Wind! Calla wrote her rough draft during the thirty-day NaNoWriMo challenge last November, an accomplishment that many writers only dream of. Her sixth-grade English teacher, along with her Hispanic Culture teacher, inspired her to write this book. Calla was part of a writing club at school when drafting the storyline.

Riding the Wind is a historical fiction saga that takes place shortly after the Mexican-American War in nineteenth-century Mexico and Texas. What’s fun about this book is that Calla includes Spanish vocabulary throughout, immersing the reader in Hispanic culture and language.

Editing Insights

Calla and I worked together to line edit and copyedit her manuscript, which was initially over 32,000 words. We made very few developmental changes–only small additions to tie loose ends. We communicated through Google Docs. Her characters are interesting and endearing. It was fun taking a deep dive into Noemí’s world.

“Danelle is incredibly fantastic and a skilled editor. She helped me so much through the book publishing process, much more than just editing. She goes above and beyond. I highly recommend!”
~ Calla Scott

Love her! I see more books in Calla’s future. She’s a bright creative!

About the Author

Calla Scott was born and raised in Southeast Asia. In the United States, she calls Kentucky home. She lives with her mom, dad, and little brother, Clark. She fell in love with writing when she was seven years old, and she continues to write almost every day. Calla wrote this book during her sixth-grade year of school as an eleven-year-old. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, painting, crafting, or tending to horses at the local stables. She loves horses and rides them as much as possible. Her life is full of adventure!

The Blurb

In 1852, Noemí Rodriguez, a wealthy thirteen-year-old Mexican girl, suddenly has to leave her family and home to escape a threatening gang of desperadoes. Hoping to reunite with her family in America, she and her horse, Viento, must find their way to the border alone. Along the way, she meets a child who needs her help, but befriending him puts her back on the radar of the sinister gang. Making it to America alive will require courage, strength, and help. But who will help her? Why was this happening to her? Will she see her beloved family again? Riding the Wind is a coming-of-age adventure about family, friendship, loss, love, perseverance, starting over, and seasons of life.

Target Audience

Readers of all ages will enjoy Riding the Wind, especially preteen girls. Noemí is an admirable heroine–compassionate, brave, and determined. Get your copy today!


Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Danelle may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.

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Hi, I'm Danelle!

I specialize in Christian non-fiction editing and help new authors design and self-publish their books. I live in Kentucky with my husband Kevin and our two young boys. We love to read, play outdoors, and travel. 

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