DL White [00:00:14]:
Well hello everyone. It is so great to see you. Welcome back to the book cast. I am so excited that you're here. I am so excited to be here because I have such good news. You know, it's nothing earth shattering, but it's very exciting for me in my world. Welcome to episode 67 of the BookCast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on what I'm reading and writing. I am DL White, Author of 13.
DL White [00:00:46]:
Did you catch that number? 13 contemporary Southern and romantic fiction novels Featuring black men and women, I'm also a fan fiction writer and a lover of books. We usually begin with the book report and we talk bookish news and I give a writing update and I have a reason to celebrate this week. I will not have a deep episode today but I'm officially on vacation so I hope to bring something introspective to you especially since I won't have a book to write and I can read and dig into things I haven't had time to explore doodle work and writing. If you love this independent, black writer owned and operated podcast and would love to show your support, I welcome it. I have moved my support site. Buy Me A Coffee is still open. You are still welcome to donate there, but I'm now eligible to, offer support directly at Buzzsprout. So if you find my podcast at bookcast.
DL White [00:01:37]:
Buzzsprout.com you can become a supporter right there right then. You can still offer a one time or recurring monthly gift and I am most grateful for the additional support even if it's a retweet or a comment On my website, on my Instagram post, on my Twitter post, on my YouTube page. I love it. I love it. I love it. Keep it coming. The other way you can support is to buy my books. Booksbydlwhite.com/books has all of my titles in whatever format I have them in.
DL White [00:02:06]:
Ebook, print, audio. They're all there. When you buy direct from an author it puts money directly into their pockets not 60 2 days from now and with much less middleman interference and we like that so much. If you prefer to buy them retail ain't no shame in your game, that is not a problem. My books are not for sale anywhere I don't want them to be so go ahead with your bad self. All my titles are available wherever ebooks are sold: Amazon, Finds a Numblook, Kobo, Google Play. They're also available via subscription sites like Everand Kobo Plus and your local library through Libby or Hoopblossom snatch them up. Buy them in print at resistbooksellersorbookshop.org.
DL White [00:02:49]:
This week I have, 1 book That's free and several that are on sale, Hey Lovers is free at select retail sites. Well, all retail sites actually and at my store, payhip.com/booksbydly has all the links that you need. Tap the bar at the top of the page and I've added a button to the front of the store that leads to the sales both take you to the to the same place not only is Hey Lopper free but I'm running a 50% off ebook and audiobook sale every ebook, every audiobook 50% off. Later in the week, maybe Monday, I'm working on getting my print books organized so I can also put them on sale. I would love it if everyone bought me out of books. I don't have room for a lot of books and they're just sitting here please take them off my hands. Stay tuned for the print sale. Don't forget that Books by D.
DL White [00:03:43]:
L. White are also on Spotify if you have a premium account you get 15 free hours a week, so add a book by me to your playlist. Stay tuned this week for the Stuff Your E Reader, well not this week, stay tuned for Stuff Your E Reader coming December coming December 27th and the All Black Book Affair is coming this week it starts on Monday it runs December 18th through December 22nd. On that sale you have a 99¢ book and, free books of all types of genres, black authored books by black authors it's going to be a great thing. Of course Hey Lover, will be in that sale or that giveaway and the ebook and audio All that I am running coincides with that. Let's get going. Today we will start with the book report as always and then I am talking about A home for the holidays which is finally done. Yes.
DL White [00:04:35]:
Yes. Today is Saturday, December 16th. It is 8:39 am. I'm running way, way ahead of time people. Way ahead of time. It is a cloudy day in the ATL so you know that means I'll be burning a candle I'm spending some close personal time with my Kindle right after I finish editing Home for the Holidays. Right now though, I have a mic and I am ready to dig in, but first, let's have some coffee. If I have any left, I can't drink That's good stuff.
DL White [00:05:18]:
It's very drinkable today because I it's been I made coffee at 7 AM. I woke up at 4 o'clock today, people. I don't know why except that I am old, and I slept really hard last night I feel like I fell asleep around 11 so I shouldn't have awakened at 4 but it's gonna be a nap time coming A nap time coming. We begin as always with our book report because I am a book head. I have read 175 books of my challenge to read 175 books this year. Yes that means I have finished my Goodreads challenge. I am very excited about that. So last night I was on Instagram and, Doctor.
DL White [00:06:01]:
Raymond T Williams got got up on live And I had said I was too short on my Goodreads challenge. I was hoping I would finish by today, but I was too short. And he was like, go get some short books and read them. So I actually was on then I was on Kindle and I was looking at like short reads and I found 2, a book by Melinda Lee and a book by Kendra Elliott that I hadn't read yet. They, like, tie on to series that I've already read, and I was like, oh, I could Just finished up the year with these but it was already 10 o'clock at night and I was like, oh, I don't know. This is not this is not gone it's not gonna happen. I did listen to 1 last night, which we'll talk about today, but then I woke up this morning and I was like, man, I'm still gonna be 1 short for my for my Goodreads challenge and then I was like, You have read your own book like 12 times by now. You always add your own book to the Goodreads challenge.
DL White [00:06:58]:
Your and Actually, it's such like kismet because I just finished the book, I did read through the whole thing between last night and this morning, So I'm counting it. Book 175 of 175 is Home for the Holidays by D. L. White. I'm counting it. I'm counting it. Anyway, I read 6 books this week, Bread and the Bone by Kendra Elliott. That's the short that I talked about, that I picked up.
DL White [00:07:29]:
It was really good actually. It's really good. It was only like an hour and something long like 11 chapters the last chapter like I was sleepy as heck listening to it the last chapter made me sit up. It was really good. Of course home for the holidays which is Potter Lake Small Town Romance 3.5 by d l white. She's pretty good. Have you guys heard of her? I like her a lot. I listened to The Gift which was a short story by Freda McFadden.
DL White [00:07:59]:
Shout out to Hoopla. This was very good. I Thought it was going to go in a way different direction than it went. It was slightly creepy but, Quite good. I can't I can't I can't say I'm on the Freda McFadden train yet, but The Gift was quite good great twist the night before Christmas a Potomac Hall's short by K. L. Hall So these next 3 books are a series of novellas by KL Hall the Potomac Falls holiday shorts. These books were so good like, Holiday but Hood.
DL White [00:08:39]:
So The Night Before Christmas, I'll be home for Christmas and then it triggered oh my goodness gracious so good so so good. Mica and I were definitely Gagging and gave K El Hall all over flowers, just really great and the story takes place at Christmas but, there's like there's some romance, there's some intrigue, there's some, murdery action in there, It was super good. I I I enjoyed them. So this week, I am reading Love at Last by Sharon c Cooper. This is a holiday romance. I believe it's a full length. I'm about 30% in. I always really enjoy Sharon, so no doubt I'm going to enjoy this one.
DL White [00:09:27]:
And then I have the next couple of weeks off from work pretty much. Like I have I have I have like 1 meeting I need to schedule but I am not in a hurry to, like, log in and schedule it. But for the most part my year is done so I have a long list of potentials that I am going to be reading Over the break, I have a book called Been There, Done That by Mila Hunt. I believe that is a romance. The Amish Wife by Greg Olsen. Now I think Greg Olsen writes I don't know if this is fiction or nonfiction, but I don't know. It comes out, I believe it comes out early January. I got it Through the Amazon First Reads program if I get anything before anybody else I'm really happy about it so, I got this it looks really really good it's thriller ish, The Perfect Affair by Angela Henry she is a black thriller writer she has a new book coming out in December- not December, January, so I got an, an advanced reader copy of that from NetGalley and she did say on TikTok that the audiobook is now up for preorder if you are interested, in a black thriller by a black if you're interested in thriller by a black writer, look it up.
DL White [00:10:42]:
It's The Perfect Affair by Angela Henry, the cover already grabbed me, something like you, something like he set his ex wife up for murder but someone beat someone beat you there. Something like that. I don't know. I can look it up, but I'm lazy. He Can Fall by Melinda Lee, this was the other short that I was gonna read but, I didn't want the last book of my challenge to be something I just picked out of the blue, so I'm gonna save that, Probably read it sometimes today or tomorrow. Law of Karma by Pamela Samuels Young. I haven't had a new Pamela Samuels Young book in my Kindle in so long I almost couldn't believe it when it popped up. Black Fiction Addiction popped it up and I was so excited, Statched it right up, so I'm definitely gonna read that.
DL White [00:11:27]:
I'm probably gonna dig into that today. I wish it was out on audio, but I think it's just ebook. I'll take it. Meltdown to Mistletoe by Jessica Terry. This, I've been trying to get to this, I just have not had time. I'm actually probably gonna read this one first because it's been Screaming at me, on my Kindle. This is, grumpy sunshine, which I absolutely adore that trope. I just love it.
DL White [00:11:51]:
Like, I it never comes to mind when people ask what's your favorite trope, but I just love I love a grumpy shine. Like, I always think of, like, pride and prejudice is is a bit it's a bit of a grumpy sunshine. Like, I wouldn't call Lizzie Bennet sunshine, but Darcy is so grumpy that in comparison, Elizabeth Bennett is sunshine. I'm into it. I'm into it. I'm probably gonna read that one first and then, like, make our way down the list. Her Holiday by Renee Wolf. I don't know who Renee Wolf is, but I really like the cover so I grabbed it.
DL White [00:12:20]:
My One Christmas Wish by Dee Rose, another, holiday, novel, The Fall by Tracy Clark. Now I'm a big, big, big, huge, giant, enormous Tracy Clark Fan, if you have never read the Cast Reigns series, I want you to fix your life. If you like a, a police procedural or a private investigator novel, Dig into the Cast Reigns series. This new series, Tracy started last year. I do not remember what book 1 was, but, Book 2 is the fall and I think it comes out, like, late in December, so I definitely have an advanced reader copy of it. Gonna dig into that. American Daughters by doctor Piper Hugley. I think this one comes out next spring.
DL White [00:13:02]:
I wanna say April. Again, I can look it up, but I'm being lazy. But I have, an advanced reader copy of it from NetGalley. I love me some doctor Piper Hughley. Love love love. My mother is obsessed with doctor Hughley. Every time I talk to her, she's like, so how's Piper? Oh, like, Ma, you're funny. Yeah.
DL White [00:13:20]:
So she really gets a kick out of, Doctor. Hugley's work and, I'm excited to read a new book by her. Of course I'm gonna buy a print version and, send it to my mom. I hope this works. They usually mesh them together, so cross your fingers. Penetration Testing by A. H. Cunningham, I am, I'm gonna pick that one up.
DL White [00:13:49]:
It looks spicy, by the title alone and the cover it looks spicy. And then Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfern, I really enjoy her work so she has a new book coming and I picked up, an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. So Long list of books I could be reading, like, I haven't even dipped through everything I have saved on Everand. I have some things I have saved on Hoopla, like, I'm I'm at the point right now where I'm starting to get Stressed out because I have so much I want to read, and I feel like I'm not gonna have enough time to get to it. No. I don't wanna go anywhere. No. I don't wanna meet up with anybody.
DL White [00:14:29]:
I don't wanna do anything I just wanna like be in my room with my Kindle and read. It's not so bad I don't think that's a bad thing. Book biz news, of course, stay tuned for the All Black Book Affair. I will I don't get the link until tomorrow for that. It starts on Monday. It's 18th through 22nd. I will send the link out to my newsletter and, try to post it up, for it to go out on at midnight on 18th so, really really looking forward to that it's gonna be fun and then I will have even more books that I need to read. The Black Reader Experience, if you're not following them on Instagram, go ahead and fix your life right now.
DL White [00:15:11]:
They will have a live Discussion of the book Zora and Langston by Tuval Taylor. December 29th at 8 PM EST. Put it on your calendar because I didn't and almost forgot and I would have been Hot if I missed it, join your host for a discussion of this title. It's gonna be a good time. I didn't read it but I like book discussions so I'm a be up in there. Okay okay okay okay it's time for the writing update. Home for the Holidays is complete. Yes.
DL White [00:15:43]:
I ended up at about, 37,000 words knowing that it was a bit Bloated, so, now I'm going back through to edit down to concise words, effective sentences, scenes that move the story forward. I'm I'm so excited to bring Reid and Sabrina to your faces. I'm doubly happy to really be back in the writing saddle, for really the first time since 2020. I did squeeze in last year at the 11th hour, but I hadn't published Since 2020, when I meet quarterly with my my writing boos, my author boos, we have a group where we, like, We meet on a Sunday and we have brunch and talk about book stuff. We review our goals and, achievement against those goals At every meeting 2 and a possible is always my yearly goal, 2 full length plus a holiday short. This year I had 3 novella length projects, 2 commercial, 1 fan fiction I'm counting it y'all I'm counting it it's been rough I'm I'm counting it. So I had Elysium and I have Home for the Holidays, both of those were sizable for me. Elysium was like 65,000 words, like, really not even a a novella.
DL White [00:16:56]:
So I'm gonna say one full length, One novella, Home for the Holidays is about 35 k. It's probably gonna end up being between 33 and 35 k. And then, The Story of Kate is a fan fiction and that ended up at about 40,000 words, so, For fan fiction I really put my foot in it. I really enjoyed writing that and I had a very good time with it. Not publishable but it is writing. I did have an idea for another short but I'm gonna save it for Valentine's Day. I really wanna develop it. It's gonna be very very short but it'll be Super sweet and very cute.
DL White [00:17:34]:
It's really geared more toward Valentine's Day, and I decided to hold off on writing the epilogue for Home for the Holidays. I'm gonna take my time to write that and I will use it as a freebie reward to my newsletter and podcast subbies so stay tuned for that. Get on the list now at booksbydlwhite.com/newsletter and sub to the podcast at bookcast. Buzzsprout.com. So tomorrow, Sunday, I will be doing another sample Sunday from home for the holidays, so be on the lookout on my blog at books by dlwhite.com for that. Today's episode is gonna be short, sweet, to the point mostly because I keep losing Internet, mhmm, And because I have editing to do, and I need to get these print books up for sale. I have a lot to do complicated because I have I have updated Covers on my books so the older covers need to be on a deeper discount some may have to create different listings I don't know how PayHipMan handles that and I need to dig into it and I kind of don't have the bandwidth for it I gotta figure it out. So that brings us to the end of today's Episode.
DL White [00:18:36]:
Thank you so much for joining me for another episode of the book cast. Links to everything I mentioned today will be in the show notes. I will be back next week With a reading update and probably a release date on my novella, maybe? I don't know. It depends honestly on how soon I get the document back from editing? I am not in a hurry. I know I'm saying that on December 16th but I'm seriously not. I just want a pub in 2023 and it's publishing direct to my website it's not gonna hit any retail stores until 2024 so it will be available exclusively on my website in 2023. Bumping to retail in 2024, so I guess stay tuned for the link or whatever. I don't know.
DL White [00:19:18]:
In the meantime, please enjoy this weekend. Have a superlative week, and we'll chat again soon. Bye
