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BOOKCAST 88: Check-in and Unraveling the Mystery: The Photograph, Part 3

Send me fan mail!

I woke up with a craving for tacos but first I had to record the Bookcast. Episode 88 brings updates on reading and writing as a self published author of romantic fiction that centers Black love. I also recorded part 3 of my four part serial, THE PHOTOGRAPH. Woot.

Books on sale:

Leslie's Curl & Dye is $.99 everywhere and Beach Thing is on sale for $1.99. Find links to both at my store- payhip.com/booksbydlwhite.

Appearances:

Celebrating Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen at RESIST booksellers June 22, 2024. Details at Resist Booksellers.com.

EssenceFest 2024 (I am NOT a featured author and will not be on the stage, jut in the buildin!)

Black Romance Book Fest May 2025-: https://blackromancebookfest.com. Tix go on sale June 21st.

LISTEN to today’s episode here. Transcript is below the episode details. ENJOY!

I discussed the following books today:

Starcrossed: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Jackson Brothers Book 2) by Shae Sanders

Truth Be Told (Rogue Justice #2) by Kendra Elliot

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton

Just Like Her: A Queer Romance by Fiona Zedde

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

Uncovering her Dreams by Rae Shawn

Come Ride with Me by AC Arthur

What If I Love You by Yvonne Marie

The Stones We Cast by Chelsea Marie

Back Down Memory Lane by Lamartz Brown

Legal Seduction by Sharon C Cooper.

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

A Dream in the Dark (A Wrongful Conviction Novel 2)

Nia Forrester Backlist titles

Support the Show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

TRANSCRIPT

DL White [00:00:00]:

This has nothing to do with anything podcast related, but I woke up thinking about tacos. Like, tacos with a little bit of yellow rice and some black beans at 7 AM. So guess what I'm having for dinner? Welcome back to the book cast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on life as a self published author of romantic fiction that centers black love and relationships. I am so excited that you're here, especially since you're not supposed to be. I was not supposed to record today. I was supposed to be visiting a, bustling Midwestern city, but I delayed my flight by a few days, so I'm here. I am Dale White. I'm an Atlanta based author of 14 and counting novels and numerous short stories and fan fiction works.

DL White [00:00:50]:

I'm a reader First. So we usually begin with a book report, and we talk about writing and topics of the day. I am currently in pre publication for The Pearl, a Black Diamond Romance. Tentative release date is scheduled for on or before July 2nd 2024. Check my blog and my social media for Goodreads and story graph links as well as samples, teasers, even a playlist for this book. I also want you to pay really close attention, in case this book might come out early. You never know. It might be for sale exclusively on my website for a few days if you're very excited about that kind of thing.

DL White [00:01:29]:

I'm really I'm I I can't wait to bring Davis and Kari to your faces. I do have some advanced readers out there who have expressed that they're enjoying the book, so I can't wait until the general population gets their hands on it. I actually just sent out another arc to someone who requested it, so yay for them and for me. It's gonna be a busy month at Books by d l White. I do have some travel, on deck. Leslie's curl and die is on sale as part of the blue collar romance Kobo promotion. Beach thing is also on sale for 199 if you still need to get started on the Black Diamond romance series before book 3 comes out. I actually have a hankering a hankering to refresh myself on the Black Diamond couples, so I might spin Wade and Amina and Vance and Athena one time before I release the pearl.

DL White [00:02:21]:

My most recent newsletter is out. You'll find a link to that if you're not subscribed on my links page. It's books by dlwhite.com/linkinbio. I also need you to take care of that subscription thing exceptionally. Booksbydlwhite.com/newsletter. I'm gonna work on a couple exclusive excerpts to go out before the book is published, so you wanna be on that to get the good stuff. Thank you so much, and don't forget to confirm. Your mailbox will not be blessed if you do not confirm.

DL White [00:02:51]:

I just go go ahead and delete it. As always, if you're a member at Kobo Plus, you can grab all my ebooks and audiobooks as part of your subscription. And if you're a premium subscriber at Spotify, you get 15 free hours there, so snatch up my audiobooks. I get paid for them. I don't think you understand. I get paid for them. I'm available in ebook and audio at your local library, so hit them up, Libby Hoopla, and request me. If you don't find me there, let me know when your request is granted because I absolutely love it.

DL White [00:03:23]:

Libraries buy books. I love it so much. Libraries actually pay more than retail for books, so request me everywhere all the time nonstop. I do believe all my audiobooks are now available on Hoopla, and they have ebooks, and I'm most pleased. Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the book cast? Something author y, something reader y, something hybrid y? Let me know. Shout me out. Holler. I'm always on Instagram or Twitter at author_dlwhite.

DL White [00:03:56]:

You can even visit the show notes of this year episode at booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast slash 88. You can also drop me a voice note called fan mail. Peep the link in the show notes and send me some dulcet tones of love. I welcome your comments and questions. I'll dedicate a part of the show to answering them. Onward. Today's gonna be a great show. Not not too long, not too short, but not too long.

DL White [00:04:21]:

It's the weekend. I don't have a book to write. My editor is rejoicing. I I see it. I see it. I I'm picturing it in my mind, and I am all about the books. So we will talk about my reading challenge and what I have been putting into my face. I'll finish today's episode with part 3 of the photograph, which is my short run serial that I wrote specifically for the podcast because I just had not shared enough short fiction lately.

DL White [00:04:48]:

Today is Saturday, June 8th. It is 9:55 AM. Whoo. I'm way behind y'all. It's sunny and 65 degrees today in the AAT l. I have a mic and I am ready to dig in, but first, join me for some coffee. It took me so long to get up and running today that my coffee is lukewarm, and I'm sad about it. I like it hot.

DL White [00:05:26]:

We begin as always with the book report because I am a book head. I have read 89 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year, putting me 24 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge. The more I read, the further ahead I am. How how is that happening? Should I increase my goal or just be really ridiculous with it? Let me know in the comments. I had a very good reading week, so let's get into it. This week, I read star crossed and enemies to lovers romance by Shay Sanders. This was absolutely slap your nearest relative. Delicious.

DL White [00:06:00]:

Fantastic. So well done. I'm a Shea Sanders fan. It is cemented in the pantheon. She did such a good job with this. I highlight highlighted so much in this book. I really tried not to spoil things, but, like, she just has a way with, like, a twist of phrase. She is very sassy and sarcastic, but, like, also able to to bring out, like, emotion and, like, just, like, talk about what's actually happening between these two characters.

DL White [00:06:28]:

And her steamy scenes aren't bad either. Big fan. Love that. I also listened to truth be told, Rogue Justice number 2 by Kendra Elliott. Kendra is another one of those thriller authors that has, like, 99 books out in Kindle Unlimited, so I can read and listen with my subscription. And I often will just throw on something to, like, listen to just because. So this was a just because listen. I also got an audio arc of Do What Godmother Says by Ellis Stratton, who is my author bae.

DL White [00:07:03]:

I absolutely love her. You also know her as Shelley Ellis and Shelley Stratton. Listen. If you don't read Shelley, I need you to get your life together immediately, like, right now because sis is on the way up, and you you you you wanna climb on this train, this rocket ship as it's ascending. Do what Gomother says is I think it's called a gothic thriller? Gothic? It's a gothic something, it's dual time period which is my fave, absolutely love it. There's a little bit I feel like there's a little bit of Shelley Ellis in Ellis Stratton. Just just the way that she writes a relationship in a book, it's very reminiscent. But this book is heavily, heavily a mystery, a thriller.

DL White [00:07:57]:

There's, like, a lot going on with, like, some spooky characters and some people that, like, make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and I'd be like, I knew. I knew it. I knew it. But then, like, I send her a DM, and she was doesn't tell me anything, and she makes me find out for myself. It's just not fair. It's not it's not like, being friends with an author should mean that you get to know the twist before you have to read the twist, but she doesn't play fair. I also read Just Like Her, a queer romance by Fiona Zedd. This finally came out.

DL White [00:08:30]:

I know she's been working on it for a minute. Congratulations, Fiona. And then, I read bitter and sweet by Rhonda McKnight, which was absolutely fantastic. Really, really well done. I can't remember if I had that on my list last week. I just I don't I don't know. The weeks are all running together, but, really, really enjoyed that. That comes out on Tuesday.

DL White [00:08:50]:

Also, Do What Good Mother Says comes out on Tuesday. You wanna grab both of those. They are both excellent. I don't have anything officially on my reading list, but I do know I have at least one ARC for June 11th that I need to read. It's not likely to come out in audio, so I really need to get it together. I'll probably get on it, like, Sunday afternoon. It's a romance, and I don't think it's a long one. And I don't typically read romance by white authors, but Laurie Foster is a fave.

DL White [00:09:17]:

I also love Ronnie Lauren. So I saw that she had a new book coming out. I've loved her since getting rowdy came out, like, 7000000 years ago. Love me some Laurie Foster, so I'm gonna snatch that one up. I have a bunch of stuff in Kindle Unlimited that I wanna read or clear, ala Brigitte Bianca's KU reader release challenge. I have, uncovering her dreams by Rayshawn, Come Ride With Me by AC author, What If I Love You by Yvonne Marie. I have a couple of few Nia Forester backlist titles. I'm I'm on a mission to read all of Nia Forester's work, and so I'd wanna get a few more of those down.

DL White [00:09:56]:

I just love her writing. Just delicious. Like, Nia Forester and Tasha l Harrison, if I don't bring them up every other episode, something is wrong. Please send when they send the police to your house because they think something's wrong, if I don't mention Nia Forester or Tasha l Harrison, send the police. That's what I'm saying. The stones we cast by Chelsea Marie, back down memory lane by LaMarts Brown. I've gotta gotta gotta read more black male authors, specifically more black male indie authors, so I gotta get into it and legal seduction by my good good friend Sharon c Cooper. Lots to dig through, plus I have some upcoming arcs I need to get read.

DL White [00:10:35]:

First up is What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris. I'm very, very excited about this. I might wait for audio on that one. That one's coming up, June 18th. So, I don't know if I can I don't know if I can wait? I also have a dream in the dark, wrongful conviction novel number 2 by Robert Justice coming up. I'm very excited about that one also, and, I'm just saying I know Robert listens to the podcast, and sometimes I know a book is just gonna be absolutely awesome in audio. And so I will wait for audio to come out so I can listen to it, but I get an ARC specifically so I can read it early because I'm impatient. And so now I'm in this thing where do I wanna read it on the page early because that helps the author, or do I wanna wait for it on audio because that helps me? You know, it's it's it's a struggle.

DL White [00:11:34]:

It's a struggle. That one's coming out in July. I'm very excited about it. I'm really, really excited for Robert Justice. I'm also wanna thank him that he read one of my books, and I so do cherish my, male readers because I I write specifically for 2 black women, but I do have some male readers that really dig me, and I so appreciate your good words about my books. So, thank you so much, and, keep them coming. This week, I put down Secret Keeper of Main Street by Tricia r Thomas. This book just didn't hit me.

DL White [00:12:09]:

It just didn't love love Tricia. I just I couldn't finish it. Sometimes I skip through till the end, because I feel bad about putting down a book. I just I got to about 30%, and I just was not interested in finishing. I think this book has some pretty good reviews, and I just wasn't interested in bringing it down, so I just went ahead and put it down. I don't know if it's a mood thing or the way the book is written or if it would have been better on the page versus audio. I just I lost interest. I didn't wanna pick it back up.

DL White [00:12:38]:

Often, this is a pacing issue. If it doesn't snap, I just I can't I can't stay engaged. I blame my short span of attention. On appearances, reminder that I'll be celebrating Danielle Allen's release cover girl summer in Petersburg, Virginia. She'll be at Resist Booksellers. I will be there to support. I'll be a featured author, and I'm I'm really looking forward to seeing Danielle and Demetrius who owns Resist Booksellers again. That'll be on June 22, 2024, I believe, from 1 to 3 PM.

DL White [00:13:09]:

There's a post on my Instagram and my TikTok and my Facebook page with details, and, of course, follow Danielle Allen and resist booksellers for all of the deets. I'll also be at the Black Romance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, May 30th through June 1, 2025. I have already booked my room, and I'm telling you, start saving your money. I'm gonna say this every week. Start saving your money. Tickets go on sale June 21st, so get in there, and, come find me because it's very likely that you'll know me before I know you, so don't quiz me. I don't know your name. I might know your face.

DL White [00:13:44]:

I can't tell who people are by that little little avatar, but please come say hi to me. I am not shy, but I am introverted, so I am not likely see see me. Say hi. Give me a hug. You ain't even gotta buy a book. I mean, I'm a just be there to meet authors and, like, fawn over people that I have wanted to meet and see in person, so I might not even ever be at my table. I'm just saying. I'm also gonna be at Essence Fest.

DL White [00:14:24]:

I am not a featured author. I am not on anybody's stage. I'm basically just there to be a fan of some bookish people and authors. The BJ's said they were gonna be there. I have met miss Beverly Jenkins. I have not met miss Brenda met miss Brenda Jackson, and I can't stand the thought of so many good people being in one space at one time. So I'm really, really super excited. So I will be in the building for Essence Fest.

DL White [00:14:53]:

I believe I'll be in town the 3rd through 7th, leaving on 7th. So let a system know if you're gonna be out there. I would love to meet you. Onto the writing update. No real update on the Pearl except we're still in editing. I expect final edits back next weekend ish ish. No. Seriously.

DL White [00:15:16]:

Like rush, but no rush. You know what I'm saying? And then I'll be heads down and making corrections to my file in Vellum and getting my girl ready for her close-up. I wanna be done with this novel, like, have it put together and up for a private sale by the time I hug Danielle's at Resist. So fingers crossed, I can get I can get that. As I mentioned, ARCs are out. The initial reception is good. I real I really, really try not to be precious about the words. So I don't stalk my reviews, and I ask that people not tag me in them if they can help it, send egregious errors and concerns to my email so I can address them before publication, but otherwise, enjoy and warn the others.

DL White [00:15:59]:

It's good or it's not. I mean, it's it's done. You know what I'm saying? Reviews are for readers, so I hope the readers like what they see and decide to read or not read the book based on honest opinions. I'm I am of the I said what I said variety. So if it's not something that popped up in my group chat or from my editor, it is not likely to change shoulder shrug. If you haven't read Beach Thing or Elysium, do not let that stop you from snatching up this novel. I did add a bit in the front matter on some previously on Black Diamond tip, so you can catch up without having to read both books because this book will spoil the first two. I have been working on my front matter and my back matter, so the book is ready to go once edits are complete.

DL White [00:16:46]:

We're getting really close. I'm getting really excited. I've lost count of how many books we've written together on this podcast. 3? 4? I wrote Neverlist, Hey, Lover, Elysium, and Now The Pearl live on the podcast. What a time. What an exciting time to be alive. So it's exciting every time and never ever, ever gets old going through this process. And this process.

DL White [00:17:12]:

And this fall, I'm about to go through the process of writing book 15, and I'm a take you all along. I don't even care if you want to go. We going. Get in the car. Sunday is our first check-in for the summer writing challenge. I'm writing I'm running over at the fiction archive that I own and operate. I hope the writers are getting in good words this week and are ready to chat it up about their summer of writing. Again, this is an off shoot of the 1,000 words of summer challenge, which is a 2 week challenge to write 1,000 words a day.

DL White [00:17:45]:

Our challenge will span June July, and it would be hard to maintain that for 2 months, so our parameters are very loose. The idea is to jump into summer with words and gear up for our most popular challenge, awesome August. So I'm looking forward to writing for fun, writing just because, writing to write, writing to get these thoughts out of my head, and really just, like, building that habit and getting some good ideas flowing. Speaking of writing, it is time for part 3 of the photograph. A little ditty I came up with because it had been too long since I shared fiction on the podcast. It's not lost on me that as a writer of kissing novels, my opportunity to break from the right publish stress about how much I sold rhythm manifests in material that is decidedly not romantic. Anyone that tells you that writing romance is easy as lying. Lying through their teeth.

DL White [00:18:38]:

It's much easier for me to write these little mystery thriller trysts, and I admit they don't go deep, they're not intricate. I will literally I sit down, I read what I wrote before. I write the next section. I edit it a little bit. I record it. Like, it's, like, not deep because if I start too early, I will start stressing about it, and then we have, like, a 67,000 word novel that I have read on the podcast. And, frankly, 67,000 words is something I need to sell. You know what I'm saying? I have decided, though.

DL White [00:19:11]:

My next short serial is going to be romantic. So I will close out the show after the jump. So if you are jumping here, thank you so much for joining me for this week's chat. We will talk again next week. I almost always have chapters in these, episodes, so you can just skip to the end. I appreciate you. Bye bye. The photograph, part 3.

DL White [00:19:40]:

I knew I had to confront Robin, but I couldn't just barge into her office and demand answers. Considering that someone found my email address and sent me a menacing note, the possibility that our offices and her home might be bugged was high. We needed to be careful. I suggested we meet at a quiet out of the way park where we could talk freely without fear of being overheard. Robin agreed and we found ourselves sitting on a secluded bench far from prying eyes or ears. Robin, I need to ask you something and I want need you to be honest with me, I said, looking her straight in the eye. What really happened to Damon? She stiffened, her fingers clenching in her lap. I told you he's not part of our lives anymore.

DL White [00:20:28]:

Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden? Because I found something and I started asking questions. I pulled up my phone showing her the photo that had been haunting my dreams followed by a screenshot of the threatening text message. Someone doesn't want me looking into Damon's disappearance. I know you know why. Robin's eyes widened as she read the message, and for a moment, I thought she might bolt, but then she sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. There's a lot that I haven't told you, Jada. There's so much, but I haven't been going on dates. I furrowed my brow, confused.

DL White [00:21:06]:

What do you mean you haven't been going on dates? I've been meeting with someone who claims to have information about Damon, she admitted, about what happened to him, his disappearance, and who might be responsible. My heart began to race. Who is this person? I don't know him. His name is Liam. He used to work with Damon back when he was involved in some less than legal activities. Drugs mostly, Robin explained, her voice trembling slightly. It was all stuff he was involved in before we met. He tried to leave to go straight, live a normal life, but you know you can never really leave that life especially if they have something on you.

DL White [00:21:45]:

Liam reached out to me about a year ago telling me he had important information about Damon, but it's taken this long to get him to meet me and relay anything I could work with. I leaned forward, my mind reeling. So what has he told you? Robin took a deep breath. He said years ago Damon was involved with a man named Donovan, a drug dealer, of course. Liam said that Damon had crossed Donovan somehow and that Damon's disappearance was likely due to him. He had it inside track, and he was sending me information as he could get it. Isn't that enough to go to the police? Your husband has been missing, Robin. I did, Robin said, her eyes filling with tears.

DL White [00:22:28]:

I did go to them, but they weren't interested. They know that name from back in the day. They're probably happy to not have to deal with a low level drug dealer. They told me that it wasn't illegal for him to leave his family. They even suggested that photo of him being tortured might be a deep fake meant to throw me off so he could start a new life somewhere else. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. But you don't believe that, do you? No, Robin whispered, shaking her head. I think someone killed him, and I think they're still out there watching me making sure I don't talk.

DL White [00:23:02]:

I felt a chill run down my spine. Robin, this is serious. If what Liam is saying is true then you could be in real danger and what about your kids? Why are you even still here? Robin's face crumpled and she let out a sob. I know. I've been so afraid to tell anyone. I can barely keep us above water. I don't have money to move them where Donovan can't watch us. I can't let anything happen to them, Jada.

DL White [00:23:26]:

They're all I have left of Daemon. I pulled her into a hug, feeling the weight of her pain and fear. We'll figure this out, Robin, together. She pulled back, wiping her eyes. How? Where do we even start? I thought for a moment, my mind racing. We'll start with Donovan. If he's as dangerous as Liam says, then he's our best lead. I'll see what I can find out about him.

DL White [00:23:52]:

Maybe I can track him down. In the age of the Internet, it's really hard to hide. Robin nodded, a flicker of hope in her eyes. And I'll keep meeting with Liam to see if he has any information that can help us. We have to be careful, I warned her. Someone knows I've been snooping. There's no telling what Donovan might do or have done. I know, Robin said, her jaw tight.

DL White [00:24:16]:

I can't go one more day not knowing the truth. I need to know and I need justice for Damon, for my kids. I cannot let his tillers go free. I nodded feeling a surge of admiration for her strength and courage. We'll get them, Robin. We need to make sure they pay for what they did to Damon. We just have to get enough information that the case looks good to the police. We left the part separately going in opposite directions, couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched, Every car that passed me on the street, every set of headlights in my rearview mirror seemed to hold some hidden threat.

DL White [00:24:52]:

I pushed down that fear and focused on the task at hand. I had inserted myself into something way bigger than I thought it would be, and I had now tethered myself to Robin, to her kids. I was in just as much a danger as she was, and the only way out was to find the truth about what happened to Damon. I wouldn't rest until we found a way to bring his killers to justice no matter the cost. That'll do it. Thank you for joining me for part 3 of the photograph. I think it's getting interesting, and we will see how I managed to wrap this up in one episode. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but I'm committed to this only being 4 chapters before I start the next one.

DL White [00:25:41]:

So that also brings us to a close for today's chat. I truly enjoy having you here. I welcome any comments or feedback at books by dlwhite.com/bookcast/eighty 8. You'll find full show notes with all the books I talked about today, the links to all the writing, I'm sorry, the links to all the things I talked about today, and a transcript for today's show including the serial if you would rather read it instead of listen to it. Please share the podcast if you enjoyed today's episode and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a rating. I'd really appreciate it. Do not forget that you can support this podcast with your book purchases by spreading the good word or throwing some coins in the hat at bookcast.busprout dotcom. Every little bit helps.

DL White [00:26:28]:

I will be back next Saturday, June 15th. Is next Saturday 15th? Let's check the calendar super quick because I was not prepared. Yes. Next Saturday, June 15th, also payday. So, I will be back post my trip to a bustling Midwest city. So enjoy your week as always. Have a superlative one, and we'll chat again soon. Bye bye.

[booksbydlwhite]

#SampleSunday - Leslie's Curl & Dye: "She doesn't hate me."

Pssst! This book is $.99 in ebook for a limited time!

Leslie Baker, owner of Potter Lake's original beauty shop has a muscular, handsome, 6'4" problem. Her college sweetheart, former NBA star Kade "KC" Cavanaugh as moved back to town. His shiny salon- part of the Mayor's plan to gentrify Potter Lake- is killing her business and threatens to bring down both sides of this idyllic Georgia town.

Leslie's Curl & Dye at BooksbyDLWhite.com/curldye

“What did Leslie have to say about the Mayor? Did she defend him?"

"The opposite. She's not a fan. I haven't heard from her but I think I've got her on my side."

"Surprising, considering she hates you."

I waived Kendrick off as if the very thought was ridiculous. "She doesn't hate me. She's just..."

"Still mad?"

"I don't think she's been mad all these years. I think she's mad again now that we've seen each other. Had some words—”

"And now that your shop being open means hers is in trouble."

"And... yeah, there's that."

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast 87: May Wrap up and Summer Words

Send me fan mail!

In this week's Bookcast, I discuss prepping for publication of THE PEARL at BLACK DIAMOND and brainstorming promotional ideas. I also talk about writing challenges at the *NSYNC-Fiction Archive, which helps keep me motivated.  The episode includes updates on upcoming events and projects, and I express my eagerness to share more fiction on the podcast, connecting with listeners over our shared love for reading and writing. I gave a special shoutout to "Curvy Girl Summer" by Danielle Allen, which I loved. Come see me at RESIST booksellers this month to celebrate the release of this book and next year, I'll be at the Black Romance Festival in Atlanta. Early bird tix go on sale June 2nd, general admission tix go on sale June 21st. Follow them and get ready! 

LISTEN TO TODAY’S EPISODE HERE- Transcript will be below this post.

Appearances:

RESIST Booksellers June 22, 2024 1-3PM

Resist Booksellers is super excited to host the Curvy Girl Summer Release Party. Danielle Allen will be signing books, taking pictures, and celebrating the release of her first traditionally published novel.

With amazing guest authors like DL White (@author_dlwhite), Johnni Sherri (@johnnisherri), and B. Lovee (@bloveespeaks), live performances from the talented Lilith Rose (@_lilithrose) and B. Lovee, an amazing photographer (@pixles4u) to capture the moment, a fantastic DJ (@djkinfolk) on the ones and twos, a Black-owned bookstore with so many fantastic books to choose from (@resist_bks), you’re going to want to stop by the celebration!

Curvy Girl Summer will be available for purchase on site. Share the word with your friends, family, and fellow romance readers!

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024. 1-3PM

Location: Resist Booksellers 233 N Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803

Black Romance Book Fest -

JW Marriott -Atlanta, Ga May 30- June 1 2025.

BOOK REPORT

I have read 83 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I am 21 books ahead on y Goodreads challenge. I talked about the following books in this week’s episode:

Camino Ghosts (Camino Island, #3) by John Grisham

Cross Her Heart (Bree Taggert #1) by Melinda Leigh

See Her Die (Bree Taggert, #2) by Melinda Leigh

Say You're Sorry (Morgan Dane, #1) by Melinda Leigh

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

Just Like Her: A Queer Romance by Fiona Zedde

The Secret Keeper of Main Street by Trisha R. Thomas

Starcrossed: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Jackson Brothers Book 2) by Shae Sanders

May Wrap-up

The Pearl at Black Diamond by DL White

Camino Ghosts (Camino Island, #3) by John Grisham

Cross Her Heart (Bree Taggert #1) by Melinda Leigh

See Her Die (Bree Taggert, #2) by Melinda Leigh

Say You're Sorry (Morgan Dane, #1) by Melinda Leigh

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

Bones Don't Lie (Morgan Dane #3) by Melinda Leigh

Twisted Truth (Rogue Justice #1) by Melinda Leigh

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins

Skin and Bones by Renée Watson

About Last Night by Synithia Williams

A Little Bit of Love by Synithia Williams

Wanderlust: An Umber Bluffs Story by Té Russ

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea

On Her Watch (Bree Taggert, #8) by Melinda Leigh

Sisters with a Side of Greens by Michelle Stimpson

Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris

Waiting for Friday Night (Peachtree Cove Book 2) by Synithia Williams

Rich Justice (Jason Rich, #3) by Robert Bailey

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay

The First Death (Columbia River, #4) by Kendra Elliot

Some Kind of Love: Prelude by Elle Wright

WRITING UPDATE

The Pearl- still in editing! I am doing a few cosmetic updates to the novel and I am prepping some ARCS. I am looking for people excited to read The Pearl and offer up an honest (tactful, don’t act a donkey) opinion to let them other readers KNOW! If you haven’t read Beach Thing or Elysium, I did add a bit in the front matter, some ‘Previously on Black Diamond’ goodness so you can catch up without having to read both books because this book will spoil the first two and so will my recap. Find info on THE PEARL at my website at Booksbydlwhite.com/thepearl. Release date is scheduled for on or before July 2nd 2024.

#1000WordsofSummer challenge

Support the Show.

Support this show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

TRANSCRIPT

[0:00] Hello, all my bookish friends, my boos and bros of the word.

[0:07] Welcome back to episode 87 of the book cast. This is my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on life as a self-published author of romantic fiction that centers black love. I'm so excited that you're here. I am D.L. White, Atlanta-based author of 14 and counting novels and short stories that's not counting any fan fiction that I've written, of which there are about 30 sparkling, drooling odes to my favorite boy band NSYNC. I'm a reader first, so I'm also a big fan of books. We usually begin with the book report, then we talk about writing and topics of the day. I am currently in pre-publication for The Pearl, a Black Diamond Romance. Tentative release date is scheduled for on or before July 2nd, 2024.

[0:51] Check my blog and my social media for For Goodreads and Storygraph links, as well as samples and teasers for this book, I have also created a playlist, which I love and adore. All those links are at booksbydlwhite.com slash blog. I'm so excited to bring Davis and Kari to your faces. Listen, is anybody out there interested in an advanced copy of this novel? It would be in e-book. Let a sister know. The book cast is a production of books by D.L. White, written, edited, produced, and supported by me. If you would love to back me up, I'd be most grateful. The best way to do that is to share the books, to talk about the books. By the way, shout out to all of my bookish friends who really have my heart because my name is mentioned in all kinds of rooms that I am not in. So bless y'all up and down.

[1:42] But also, you can put some dollars behind these words and buy the books. Start at booksbydlwhite.com slash books for all of the good stuff in ebook or audio. If you want print, you can grab those at my bookshop.org storefront. I'll drop a link in the show notes. But also, if you look up any of my print books in my website bookstore, I have linked those at bookshop. If you want them signed, we can arrange for that. But I'm no longer keeping a stock here at the house to ship out. I simply don't sell enough to make that a viable revenue stream. Maybe someday when I'm more popular, I'll keep an inventory here at home. But they're just books that are sitting here and then they go out of date when I change covers and whatnot. So I no longer have stock here at home. So I do not ship and sell signed books from my house.

[2:35] I've got a lot of things going on this month. We're trying to keep the Black Diamond books top of mind before the Pearl releases. And I have a couple other books that I'm putting on sale. So I'll do an update to my website with all of the summer sales. So bookmarketpayhip.com slash books by D.L. White. The bar at the top of the page always links to the latest sales I've got going on. I'm going to get my life together and update that. Yes, I am. Also, I have a newsletter coming out on June 7th. It's going to be a good one. If you're not subscribed, take care of that esapsually. Books by DLWhite.com slash newsletters. Thank you so much. And don't forget to confirm. Your mailbox will not be blessed if you do not confirm.

[3:17] As always, if you are a member at Kobo Plus, you can grab all of my ebooks and audiobooks as part of your subscription. If you're a premium subscriber at Spotify, you get 15 free hours there. My audiobooks are there, and all of them are under 15 hours. And so go forth and snatch up an audiobook by D.L. White. Your face and your ears will love them. Lastly, I'm available at your local library, so hit up Libby or Hoopla. I do believe all of my books are now available on Hoopla, and they've been adding some of my e-books too, so that's very exciting. I feel like a real author. Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the book cast? I would love to spend 27 to 32 minutes yammering about anything in particular. Shout me out, Holler. I'm always on Instagram or Twitter at author underscore DL White, or you can visit the show notes of this here episode at booksbydlwhite.com slash bookcast slash 87. You can also drop me a voice note. It's called fan mail. You can peep the link in the show notes and send me some dulcet tones of love. I welcome your comments and questions and I'll dedicate a part of the show to answering them.

[4:25] Anyway, onward. Today's going to be a great show. I'm very excited about it. We will chat about May reading and writing and we'll have part two of the The Photograph. I seriously have no idea where this is going, but this week's selection is noise, if I say so myself. We will talk a little bit about that during the writing update. It's the weekend. I don't have a book to write, and I am all about the books. So we'll also talk about my reading challenge and what I've been putting into my face. Today is Saturday, June 1st. Note to self, pay rent. How is it already June? It's 8.56 a.m. It's cloudy and 63 degrees today in the ATL. I have a mic and I am ready to dig in. But first, join me for a spot of coffee.

[5:08] Music.

[5:15] All right, all right, all right. I do so love my coffee break. I do actually drink coffee during that break. So I hope that you also enjoy coffee, tea, cola, bourbon. I hope you do also enjoy a beverage during that time. We begin as always with the book report because I am a book head. If I'm going to do anything, I'm going to read a book. I have read 83 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I'm 21 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge. And yes, you hear laughter in my voice. I already hear Dr. Raymond laughing at me. Monthly, he does his wrap up of the books that he has read in the month and the books that he is going to read. And so it's our opportunity to talk about how many books we got in and what we're looking forward to reading. And this month, I happened to read a lot of books and Raymond could not deal with that. Let's talk about what I read this week and then let's recap.

[6:15] This week I read five books, I believe. I read Curvy Girl Summer. I listened to Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen. This book is coming out June 11th. I got an audio arc read by Wesley Choban. And just let me tell you the decadence, the absolute perfection.

[6:32] They just slap you in your face goodness of this book. It is so freaking good. Get it immediately. A sapsually right. Like pause the podcast. Go find it on her website. It's I believe it's danielleallen.com or something. I don't know. Google it. Bing it.

[6:53] Internet Explorer it. Look it up. Pre-order it right now. It's so, so good. It is her first traditionally published book. She came out of the gate with her foot in this book. It's so darn good. I'm so very proud of Danielle. This book is so good. Curvy Girl Summer. It is fat positive. It is steamy. It is It's funny. It is delightful. It's about a woman about to turn 30. She wants a boyfriend for her 30th birthday. So she hops on these internets and her adventures in online dating are reminiscent of my days in dating and also hysterical at the same time, very pathetic. Oh my goodness. so so good the rest of my week was spent uh with melinda lee because i am just digging deep into her books i listened to say you're sorry which is morgan dane number one again morgan dane is the private investigator and her books kind of intertwined sort of intertwined with the brie taggart series so i also read uh cross her heart brie taggart number one and see her die brie Retagrant number two by Melinda Lee. Got those both read, listened to this week. So I'm caught up on both of those series.

[8:21] Your turn, Melinda. Let's roll. And then I just, I just, I need Raymond to leave me alone about this. I pick on him all the time because he has sworn off of John Grisham ever since. I forget the name of that book that was, I didn't like it either. It was terrible, but he's never reading Grisham again after that book. I can't, why can't, I can't remember the name of it. I'm not going to look it up. Anyway, I have this thing where I have a compulsion. I have to read a John Grisham book if it comes out. I just.

[8:58] Music.

[9:04] And he hasn't had a really, really good book in a long time. I can't help it. If it's a Grisham book, I have to buy it. I have to read it. I was the same week with Eric Jerome Dickey. If he put out a book, I would buy it. I might not read it, but I have to have it. I just sometimes it's just it's a thing. It's an illness. I don't want help. Camino Ghosts. I listened to the audio. It is read by Whoopi Goldberg. Why? I don't know. She is not the best narrator. This book would have gone so much better with a pro narrator.

[9:39] But anyway, it's all right. It was all right. It's a three star. It's a high two, three-ish, no higher than three. For me, that's okay. It was okay. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't really good either. It's just this side of boring. The underlying story is what kept me going. There's a little bit of voodoo in it, a little bit of magic going on in it. Not magic, but mostly voodoo. There is an island that a woman named Lovely claims that she owns, that her family has owned. They were enslaved, that her ancestors were previously enslaved and ended up on this island, and her ancestors have cursed this island. There is not a white man that has visited this island that has lived to tell the tale. All of them have died. This island is cursed.

[10:42] So the state of Florida has decided that they own this island and they're going to sell it to a developer and they're going to build like a big hotel on this island. And Lovely is now embroiled in a battle to keep this developer off the island. So she has claimed rights to this island and she's suing the developer and the state of Florida like, no, you don't own this island. And besides, it's cursed. You can't build anything on it. Nobody will ever live to be on this island. So.

[11:17] Camino Island is like this, I guess, this little like summer type spot. And the main character in this Camino series is a guy named Bruce that owns a little independent bookshop. And I always I feel like Grisham exercises his demons about being an author and the publishing industry and like the literary profession with all his little jabs at writers, particularly at self-published writers. I will not be surprised if in a few years Grisham comes out with a novel he has published himself, not through his publisher, because he just takes so many jabs at self-published authors. And I'm not offended. I actually laugh at them. But his character, Bruce, owns a little indie bookshop.

[12:10] And one of the self-published authors that sells her book through his shop on commission is Lovely. And so he bought the book, he read the book, he's like, man, this is awesome. And he tells his friend, who is a traditionally published author, like, hey, this book is great. I really think that you should take this story and ask for Lovely's permission to fictionalize this and write it up and release it. And so that's sort of the story around the story. And that is the novel of Camino Ghosts. The book is good, but I feel like Grisham had the opportunity to go really deep and like make this a very exciting novel. But he took the safe route.

[12:58] And like from like, I don't know, the middle is very interesting. The middle is quite interesting. But in my opinion, there's no reason to read Past the Trial. I'm just saying that. It's not really a spoiler, but the ending is very lackluster to me. He really had the opportunity to go in with this book and have it be as good as the partner, as good as... What's the one with Samuel Jackson where everybody's sweating? He had the opportunity to make this book as good as his previous novels, but it just kind of fizzled for me. So I read it. It's like two and a half, three stars. It's better than his previous books, but he's still not the old Grisham. You know what I'm saying?

[13:55] So that's what I got read this week. This week, I am reading Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight. This book also comes out June 11th. Just Like Her, a queer romance by Fiona Zedd. Fiona is a personal friend of mine, a writing-ass writer, as we say. This book has been a long time coming, and I'm very excited about it. It released on May 30th. She ain't said nothing about it. She ain't said a thing about it, and I'm mad. But I did see that it published. So I bought it. Also, The Secret Keeper of Main Street by Tricia R. Thomas. This book comes out June 4th, and I'm going to check it out, but I might wait for audio on this one. It's a historical, and sometimes I just need to be immersed in the world, and I do that with audio. So I'm going to see who the narrators are, and I might wait on audio for that one, but I would definitely start it on June 4th because I would get it on the day it's released and probably listen to the whole thing on day one. That's how we do. And then I picked up Starcrossed, an enemies to lovers romance Jackson Brothers book two by Shea Sanders, who is one of my new favorites. The Replacements was one of my favorite books of the year. That one was a grumpy sunshine and I just absolutely, absolutely loved it. I read that one as inspiration for The Pearl. I needed some grumpy sunshine inspiration action for Davis and Kari and that book was great. So I'm really looking Looking forward to Starcrossed. So I've got that on my list for this week as well.

[15:25] Wrapping up May, I've got 22 books on my list, including The Pearl at Black Diamond by D.L. White, which I might say was a fantastic book. Some of my favorites this month was A Little Kissing Between Friends by my friend Chensia C. Higgins, Sisters with a Side of Greens by Michelle Stimson. Of course, Danielle Allen's Curvy Girl Summer was also really good. And then I think that's pretty much it for like favorites. Skin and Bones by Renee Watson. That's the one I was looking for. Really, really, really liked that book. I recommended that one also to my mom. I pay for her to have an Everand account and she just like rarely logs into it. And it just, it gets under my skin, like open it and download the book and read it. Read it. So those were my faves for May. I had 22 books read in May, which apparently is a lot. So there we go. We are already in a new month. I am already kicking it off with four books on my read list for the month. So we'll see where I end up at my next update. date. I told you guys last week that I will be at Resist Booksellers in Petersburg, Virginia on Saturday, June 22nd. We are celebrating Danielle Allen's Carvey Girl Summer. I'll be there one to three. I am a featured author.

[16:47] I don't know if I'm going to have books for sale. I ain't bringing none. So hopefully Demetrius has some. But most of all, I'm just going to be there to celebrate Danielle. I can't wait to hug her and congratulate her for her great book. There's a post on my my Instagram, my TikTok, my Facebook page. I still have not updated my website with that. I'm going to get to it. I am going to get my life together. I promise. Maybe tomorrow.

[17:10] Also, as has just been announced this week, I will be at the Black Romance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, May 30th through June 1st, 2025. I have already booked my room. At the JW Marriott in Buckhead, I'm telling you, start saving your monies because the Black Romance writers will be out here, out here. Atlanta does not play.

[17:31] Honestly, Atlanta does not play. If you tell readers that Black authors are going to be in the room, they show out. If they can get in a car and drive here and they can get on a plane and ride here, our readers don't play. So this is going to sell out early bird tickets go on sale july june 2nd get your tickets get them um and i'm just gonna say i might i might never be at my table because there are so many authors i can't wait to meet gobble up all their books hug next kiki haha let's talk about writing i can't wait to be in the room i am excited so if you were looking to see me come through black romance festival has pages everywhere so find them follow them sign up for the newsletter get ready for updates on updates on updates throughout the year. I am excite. Moving on to the writing update. I have no real update on The Pearl except that we're still in editing. I'm doing a few cosmetic updates to the novel. I'm prepping some advanced reader copies to go out perhaps maybe. These would be copies of the book after the first editing passed, but they have not been through final editing. If you're interested in reading an advanced copy, shout me out, holler. Maybe I'll do like a little form and add it to my link in bio.

[18:40] So hit me up. I am looking for people who are are excited to read The Pearl and offer up an honest, tactful, don't act a donkey opinion to let other readers know. Let them know. If you haven't read Beach Thing or Elysium, I did add a bit in the front matter some previously on Black Diamond goodness, so you can catch up without having to read both books because this book will spoil the first two, and so will my recap. I also hired author Maya to do my full rap cover and she is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. So the print edition should be ready to go as soon as the ebook edition is out. Y'all, I wish I had money for audio. This one would sound so amazing with Wesley's voice behind it someday. Should I do a Kickstarter? What do you think? So I want to do Elysium and the Pearl eventually someday, then go through my backlist that don't have audio. I read the Neverlist for the podcast, and I don't think I would cut that down to audio. It's not pro-audio. I've been very tempted to voice my own books for audio. I just don't think I have a pro-audio voice. And as annoyed as I am at Whoopi Goldberg reading John Grisham's book, I think that's.

[19:57] How readers would be annoyed at me reading my own book for audio. Like when Terry McMillan releases a book, she reads it herself. And like on the one hand, I don't mind. But on the other hand, like, can you just hire a narrator, please? Anyway, I also need to read home for the holidays for the podcast. So I'm thinking about doing a Christmas in July type situation, thinking out loud, spitballing, throwing out ideas. I've also been working on my front and back matter. So the The book will be ready to go once edits are complete. We're getting close and I'm getting very excited. I still don't have like a hooky promotion plan. I'm not really clever that way, but we're just going to put it out there. We'll do it live. I'm also doing a little, a bitty laid back challenge over at the Fiction Archive. It's an offshoot of the 1,000 Words of Summer Challenge, which is a two-week challenge to write 1,000 words a day. Our challenge will span June and July, and it would be hard to maintain that.

[20:53] Music.

[20:58] To jump into summer with words and gear up for our most popular challenge, which is Awesome August. If you've been following me for any length of time, you know we do writing challenges over at the Fiction Archive based around birthdays of the members of NSYNC. So Awesome August celebrates JC Chassé's birthday and Poptober celebrates Chris Kirkpatrick's birthday. Then we have a winter challenge that celebrates Justin and Joey's birthdays in January. And then we We typically have a May the 4th or it's going to be May challenge that celebrates Lance's birthday. We just did not get our stuff together this year to do it. But we always do Awesome August. Well, always since last year, do Awesome August and always since last year do Poptober. Both usually have high participation and I like to make sure writers are ready because I know we'll have eyes on the website. I am participating, of course, and I'll share anything that turns out well here on the podcast. I'm looking forward to writing for fun, writing just because, writing to write, and getting these thoughts out of my head. Speaking of writing, it is time for part two of the photographs, the little ditty I came up with because it had been too long since I shared some fiction on the podcast. I'll close out the show after the jump. So if you're jumping here, thanks for joining me for this week's chat. Find full show notes for this episode at booksbydlwhite.com slash book slash bookcast slash 87.

[22:25] We will talk again next week. For those of you continuing on, let's get into the photograph.

[22:36] The photograph haunted me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dimly lit room, the slumped figure tied to the chair, and the dark stains that look suspiciously like blood, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story behind Robin's absent husband than I'd initially thought.

[22:58] Over the next few days, I found myself increasingly preoccupied with the mystery. During my lunch breaks, I scoured the internet for any information I could find about Robin's husband, Damon. There was no mention of his disappearance, no obvious investigation, no indication that he was missing. It was like he just vanished from Robin's life without a trace. As I dug deeper, I discovered that what did exist was evidence that Damon had a criminal record. He'd been arrested several times for assault and battery, and there were rumors of his involvement in some nefarious dealings. The more I learned, the more curious I became about his absence from Robin and the children's lives. One evening, as Robin and I were finishing up a project at work, I couldn't help but bring up the subject.

[23:48] I noticed you never really talk about your husband, I said carefully, gauging her reaction. direction. Robin's shoulders tensed, and she avoided my gaze. There's not much to talk about, Jada. He's not part of our lives anymore. I mean, I see that, I said, pressing, but I'm... I know it's none of my business, but that's right, she cut in. Then her expression softened, and she added, honestly, I try not to dwell on it. He's gone. We've moved on, and we're doing just fine without him. I nodded, deciding to drop the subject for the time being, but still wildly curious. Was he just gone? Or did something more sinister happen to him? And was it too painful for Robin to talk about? Or was she not allowed to talk about it? I left work that evening unable to shake the feeling that there was more to the story than Robin was letting on.

[24:46] Over the next few weeks, I kept my investigation active, but on the low. Okay, being real, I was nosy, even asking a few of Robin's neighbors when, once again, I was babysitting her children. I wanted to piece together a clearer picture of her marriage. Most were reluctant to talk, but a few shared stories of a tumultuous relationship and a husband with a penchant for trouble. One woman, who'd lived next door to the couple for years, confided in me that she'd always suspected Damon was involved in some shady business. There were nights when I'd see strange men coming and going from their house, she said. I never knew what was going on, but it didn't seem right. The more I learned, the more my curiosity grew. I started to wonder if Damon's absence was connected to criminal activities, and if Robin knew more than she was letting on. That evening, I was helping Zuri clean up her room when I found a shoebox tucked into a back corner of her closet. It was full of old letters and cards. Most were innocuous, but one caught my eye. It was a cryptic note signed simply D. With trembling hands, I opened the note and read the message inside. I'm sorry for everything. I never meant for things to get so out of hand. I hope one day you'll understand.

[26:07] My heart raced as I read the words, my mind spinning with possibilities. Was this a message from Robin's absent husband? And if so, what did it mean?

[26:16] I drove home that night, still reeling from the discovery, my mind spinning with explanations.

[26:23] My phone buzzed with an incoming text message. It was from an unknown number. Read that last message aloud, I said, commanding my phone to read the text to me. The contents made my blood run cold. Stop digging into things that don't concern you, or you will regret it. I stared at the road in front of me, my brain doing another revolution in the tornado that was my thoughts. Who sent that message? How did they know about my investigation? And how did they get my phone number? I should be scared. I really should. I should close up my amateur investigation and mind my business. But somebody telling me to stop doing something was nothing but temptation to keep doing it.

[27:08] I was more determined than ever to uncover the truth. Maybe I needed to confront Robin again to get some answers. I was in too deep now. She wouldn't be able to avoid telling me the whole truth this time. Took a deep breath, stealing myself for what was to come. One way or another, I was going to get to the bottom of this mystery. Even if it meant stepping into a world of secrets and danger.

[27:38] That does it for part two of the photograph. Join me again, not next week, but the week after for part three of the photograph. Again, I have no clue where this is going, so we will discover it together. What do you think is happening? Let me know. Thank you so much for joining me for today's chat. I truly enjoy having you here and welcome any comments or feedback at booksbydlwhite.com slash bookcast slash 87. You'll also find full show notes with all of the books I talked about today, the links to all the things I talked about in a transcript for today's show. Please share the podcast if you enjoyed this episode. And if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a rating. I'd really appreciate it. Do not forget that you can support this podcast with your book purchases by spreading the good word or by throwing some coins in the hat at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Every little bit helps. Next Saturday, there will not be a podcast. I know I will not miss you. I'll be traveling off to visit my friends in a Midwest city ahead of a work meeting. So I will be back Saturday, June 15th. As always, please enjoy this weekend. Have a superlative week. We'll chat again.

[28:45] Music.

#Episode #DLWhite #AtlantaBased #RomanticFiction #Author #Updates #ForthcomingBook #ThePearl #WritingProjects #CommunityInvolvement #RecentReads #CurvyGirlSummer #Mysteries #ThePhotograph #Speculation #Listeners #Events #BookSignings #Gratitude #Support #Storytelling

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast 85: WE'RE BACK!

Welcome to episode 85 of the Bookcast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on what I'm reading and writing. I'm DL White, author of contemporary  romantic fiction novels that center Black love and relationships. I'm also a big fan of books, so we usually begin with the book report, then we talk about writing and topics of the day. 

I’m currently editing The Pearl, a Black Diamond romance.

The Bookcast is a production of Books by DL White, written, edited, produced and supported by ME. If you'd love to back me up, I'd be most grateful. The best way to do that is to TALK about the books, but also BUY THE BOOKS! You can always drop a coin in the hat at bookcast.buzzsprout.com.   Booksbydlwhite.com/books has all of the good stuff in eBook or audio.

The only title I have on sale right now is Beach Thing. It’s $2.99 at select outlets like Chirp so if you don’t own it and you didn’t get it at the library and haven’t used your free hours on Spotify Premium…. snatch it up at chirp.  

LISTEN TO TODAY’S SHOW (GRAB A TRANSCRIPT HERE)

The Book Report

I have read 74 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I am 18 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge. I read 16 books in April, most of them romance but as soon as I finished The Pearl, I dove right into mysteries and thrillers because I try not to read them when I am writing steamy, dramatic, happy and hopeful romance.

So far I have read 12 books in May and I realized that I overextended myself on NetGalley. I had about six books I needed to read and review by their May 21st Pub day. Yikes. Some I might wait for audio but a few are romances, which I blow through very easily so I’m not worried. I do want to talk about what I read this week.

READ

About Last Night by Synithia Williams A Little Bit of Love by Synithia Williams Wanderlust: An Umber Bluffs Story by Té Russ Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea On Her Watch (Bree Taggert, #8) by Melinda Leigh Sisters with a Side of Greens by Michelle Stimpson Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris Waiting for Friday Night (Peachtree Cove Book 2) by Synithia Williams

READING

A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore

The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins

THE WRITING… ERR EDITING REPORT

My book ended up at just over 76K Words, so she is a big, fine woman. This book is not as long as I used to write— some of my earlier works are over 100K words. I’ve learned to be a smidge more succinct and stop myself from writing a 100K word TOME.

I have the document back from my editor. We complete two full passes, so I have work to do! Once I complete the initial pass, I send it back to her and begin my front/back matter, perfect my back cover copy and make final edits to the cover.

Add this title to your GGoodreads or StoryGraph lists and stay tuned for snips and samples on my blog.

OUTRO…THAT’S ALL FOLKS!

I’ll be back on Saturday, May 25th!

Support this show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

[booksbydlwhite]

The Bookcast returns tomorrow.... GOT QUESTIONS?

The Bookcast has been on a break while I finished THE PEARL and got it off to the editor. I already have first pass pages back, so I’ll be spending my Saturday checking those out and getting it off for the second round. EEP! She’s almost here and… could she drop early for some of my most beloved and excited bookpals?

MIGHT BE!

Anyway… since I’ve been Out of Office, Im going to be light on content. It’s a great time to take a step back and answer some questions, so DROP ‘EM. The questions, I mean. You can send me a voice note or drop me a line via the form. I’ll gather them up until it’s time to record.

Below are two ways to Ask Me Anything- what Q’s do you have that you’d like me to answer on air. OR… Tell Me Anything- do you have a message, or want to chat about how much you are looking forward to THE PEARL? I’ve provided some Q’s if you need ideas.

Tap the button to begin recording and you’ll get 90 seconds to pour your heart out.

Once complete, you have the choice to leave your name and email address… but I don’t need them. I won’t be using the information collected for any purpose but answering questions.

Conversation starters:

Your favorite read /project of the year.

If you could read or write one trope for the rest of your life what would it be?

What is your favorite reading or writing snack?

How do you pick the next book you want to read or write?

Would you rather…only read the 1st page of a book, or just the last one?

Don’t want to use your voice? No big! Fill out the form below!

[booksbydlwhite]

#SampleSunday: The Pearl - "You called me Kari."

The Pearl at Black Diamond is currently with its illustrious editor, primping for her big day— which, prayerfully, will be early July. I hope you’ll enjoy some snips and shorts in the coming weeks. Don’t forget to add this book to your Goodreads or StoryGraph lists.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: A witty and ambitious woman takes on the challenge of reviving a struggling resort, but when sparks fly between her and the uptight Property Manager, they must navigate the fine line between love and business.

GENRE: Romance

SERIES: Black Diamond Romance book 3

MAIN CHARACTERS:

- Kari Savoy (witty and ambitious marketing director)

- Davis Scott (seasoned hotelier, property manager)

RECURRING CHARACTERS:

-Athena Wilcox and Vance Griffin (Elysium)

-Wade Marshall and Ameena Porter (Beach Thing)

-Dionne and Jason Woods (Beach Thing)

"You called me Kari.” I hesitated, taking a moment to clear my throat before locking eyes with her, noting the amusement and half-smile on her face as I said, “Will that be a problem?"

The following snip is lightly edited and subject to change.

DAVIS

“You haven’t spoken to any of these people about this idea, yet?”

“I don’t even want to get deep into planning until I hear a yes. And then, if they agree, I figure they want to plan their own show. And we would plan the events and other entertainment around them.”

“And this is all contingent upon Wade and Gage agreeing to your proposal.”

“Correct. But we have a very good chance of them saying yes.”

I nodded, lips pursed, hands in prayer position with my index fingers against my chin. It was my thinking pose. “Even so, it sounds costly,” I mused, after some thought.

“The cost of the event will heavily depend on the opening and closing shows, so we should allocate more funds towards those. Local businesses who want to participate will provide their own materials in exchange for using our space. I’d like to solicit donations of time and materials for anything the resort is sponsoring, and ask Wade and Gage to cut their fees if they’re willing. We are asking for a large favor, but it will put money in their pockets.”

I had seen both men on the covers of music magazines over the years. Though they had been quiet recently, their names still carried clout. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed Kari was onto something. With Wade and Gage headlining, we could draw a considerable crowd, not just from the locals in the area but also from the neighboring towns and cities. And, if we played our cards right, we could potentially get media coverage.

“I doubt Wade and Gage will cut their fees for us. I don’t want you to get your hopes up and start planning, spending money.”

“I won’t. And I was thinking that since we’ll have people on the island and on property, I’d like to open a few condos for tours. Maybe hold a raffle for a weekend stay each day if people take a tour—”

“The same strategy you used at Fairmont. Kari, we discussed this…that’s a smaller resort—”

“And as I told you, Davis, I use these strategies because they have a proven track record. Let’s see what Ameenah says. If she doesn’t think Wade and Gage will go for it, we can scale it down and focus on the businesses we have here on the island to celebrate the summer. We could get Rod from the gym to come teach a summer themed fitness class— for that matter, Dionne could teach a beach yoga class. The library has a cute little bus—they could do a story time in one of the ballrooms. We have options, but…”

Kari shrugged. “The best bet is to focus on family events during the day and adult events at night. That’s going to include music, food, and alcohol. Even if we don’t book big stars, that’s going to be our ticket to a full and busy summer. All of which we can handle.”

I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. This plan terrified me. But it also created a spark that hadn’t been there before. I’d spent so much time dreading the summer. Kari already showed a knack for turning dread into excitement.

If it didn’t work, we were sunk and I would have to find somewhere else to work. But a part of me was excited about the prospect of having a hotel full of people enjoying every end of the property. And watching Kari work was inspiring.

“Fine. Keep me informed of the outcome of your meeting,” I said, sitting up again. “I need detailed accounting— everything we might need to pay for. I would rather back items out than add to an already tight budget. We are behind if we’re kicking off the summer over Memorial Day weekend.”

“I’ll be meeting Dionne and Ameenah this afternoon with a rough draft of the project plan. Even if they don’t say yes… the themed summer festival is a go?”

I had no choice but to agree to this plan. It was our best bet. And it wasn’t a bad plan, so long as Kari was around to pull it off. I gave a terse nod.

“Yessss!” Kari hissed, then pumped her fist, which was so unexpected that it made me laugh. “Okay, I’m heading out in a few but…uhmmm…”

She stood and leaned against the desk, tilting her head slightly. “Mr. Scott?”

“Yes,” I answered quietly, knowing what was coming.

She smiled. “You called me Kari.”

It wasn’t until she used my first name in sarcastic response that I realized I had used her first name. By then, it was too late to take it back. I’d planned on not calling attention to it. I hesitated, taking a moment to clear my throat before locking eyes with her, noting the amusement and half-smile on her face as I said, “Will that be a problem?”

“I’ve been asking you to call me Kari for weeks. Of course that won’t be a problem. I’ll be calling you Davis from now on. Is that fair?”

“I… I suppose that’s fair.”

“Good,” she chirped, then turned to leave. “I’ll keep you posted.”

Her skirt was pleated and made a satisfying swish sound as she left my office. As soon as she cleared the threshold I picked up the phone and punched the internal line to Justin’s desk.

“This is Justin.”

“Are you happy, now? I called her Kari,” I blurted. “I just... it just slipped out.”

“Yes I am happy. It took you long enough. What was her response?”

“She pointed it out. Then said she’d be calling me Davis.”

“Okay. This is a good thing. The first step to familiarity is when the formalities slip away. It means you’re getting comfortable with her. And she’s comfortable with you. You’re still the boss, right?”

“Yes. But…it’s not about comfort or showing authority. It’s about not wanting to make the same mistake twice.”

“Kari isn’t ol’ girl from New Orleans. You got to let that go. And you don’t have time to let something like using Kari’s name trip you up. We have a meeting with AquaCare to review their bid for pool maintenance. Are you coming?”

My watch buzzed to remind me. I rolled my wrist to silence the alarm. “Yes. I’ll meet you in the conference room.”

I stood, adjusted the collar on my jacket and straightened the enamel pin that read The Pearl on the lapel, then picked up my notepad and favorite pen. I entered the executive boardroom for my lunch meeting with potential vendors with a wide smile and friendly greeting.

My mind was still reeling from my slipa up, though. I’d let my guard down and while I didn’t feel like I could afford to do that, I also felt lighter, with less to worry about.

I hoped I wouldn’t regret it.

[booksbydlwhite]

The Pearl is coming + Indieaudibook deals

Browse below for current deals from your favorite indie authors!

Valid May 2-May 15

Follow Indie audiobook deals at Facebook , Instagram , TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube

I'm putting the final touches on Black Diamond Romance #3- The Pearl on Black Diamond Bay. Davis Scott and Kari Savoy were a ball to get to know and bring together.

I've added Goodreads and Storygraph links! We're so close!

If you've been keeping up on the blog, I've posted a few snips for the #SampleSunday series. I've also been giving updates on my weekly reading and writing progress on my author podcast THE BOOKCAST, available every Saturday via your fave podcast app, on my website or my YouTube channel. 

Stay tuned for my latest beach side tryst, coming on or about JULY 2nd, 2024... just in time to take on your holiday beach trip!

ABOUT THIS BOOK- Coming soon!

The Pearl at Black Diamond, A Black Diamond Vacation Romance, the humorous and heartwarming third installment in DL White's Black Diamond Romance series!

Witty and ambitious Kari Savoy is looking for a new opportunity after spending the past ten years raising her siblings. Thanks to a tip from her best friend, she dives headfirst into just the challenge she’s looking for: Director of Marketing and Events for the luxurious The Pearl Resort and Residences on the picturesque island of Black Diamond. Her bright mind and infectious laughter are immediately welcomed. She is determined to boost occupancy and keep the resort buzzing, despite the attitude of her puckered and uptight boss, Davis Scott.

When she locks horns with the stiff and so very serious general manager, Davis Scott, personality clashes turn into undeniable sparks. As they navigate the challenges of running a world class resort and dealing with colorful residents while attempting to intertwine their professional and personal lives, Kari and Davis discover that even in paradise, love is a wild and unpredictable ride.

Set against the backdrop of breathtaking blue-green waters and sugar-white sands, The Pearl at Black Diamond is a delightful and decadent romance that will bring you swoons and snickers while dreaming of seaside love affairs. Whether you're a fan of the series or diving in for the first time, this book is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, sandy feeling in your heart.

Note: Your enjoyment of this book will be greatly improved if you have read Beach Thing and Elysium! Snap them up now, then get swept away by the sizzling chemistry and heartwarming love story in The Pearl at Black Diamond.

Content advisory: This title discusses parental loss and raising siblings as a young adult, including the emotional and behavioral response. Both my hero and heroine lost parents as young children. Please engage in self care before reading this novel.

Add to GOODREADS

Add to STORYGRAPH

While you wait…

Catch up with the Black Diamond series! Pick it up in various formats HERE.

[booksbydlwhite]

Indulge in a #beachyBlackRomance with Beach Thing-audio sale!

Wade Marshall is an award winning hip hop producer and son of a convict trying to live free. Ameenah Porter is an entrepreneur with an adventurous spirit living out her dream, despite her parent’s plans for her.

When these two collide, the sparks are immediate and irresistible.

Immerse yourself in the emerald waters and sugar white sands of Black Diamond, where beach romances blossom, and summer love knows no end.  What happens on Black Diamond doesn't have to stay there.

Meet Wade and Ameenah in this steamy #beachyblackromance. Beach Thing is available in eBook for $1.99 or audio for $.2.99 at my store. Shop now at Booksbydlwhite.com/beachthing.

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast 84: FINISH THE THING

Welcome back to the Bookcast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on what I'm reading and writing.I’m back from my jaunt to Mexico and I’m aiming for WORDS COMPLETE this week! 

It’s still #INDIEAPRIL everyone! Book deals ahead

Brunch at Ruby’s and Dinner at Sam’s are still on sale for $.99 in eBook or audio.  Visit payhip.com/booksbydlwhite.com, tap audiobooks or eBooks and shop to your heart’s content!

Got KoboPlus? Read/listen to  all of my eBooks and audiobooks.  I'm HERE. Premium subbie at Spotify? You get 15 free hours/ month, so snatch up my audiobooks. Search audiobooks HERE. You've got LIBRARY options!  Hit up Libby or Hoopla

Recommended Listening :   How to Save and When to Splurge in your Author Business Recommended Reading:  5 Ways to Save on Your Self-Publishing Budget

LISTEN TO TODAY’S EPISODE (GRAB A TRANSCRIPT)

BOOK REPORT

We begin as always with the book report, because I am book head. I have read 59 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I am a whopping 14 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge .

READ

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

READING

Work Song by Danielle Allen Some Kind of Love: Prelude by Elle Wright One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole Desperate by Tia Love Work-Love Balance (Blackwells of New York #3) by Nicki Night

WRITING UPDATE

My last reported word count was 70,559 Words. Today I am at 75,013 words. I hit my 75K word goal but I’m not done yet. Today I discuss my path to FINISH THE THING- I want WORDS COMPLETE this week!

Support this show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast Epi 83: Who do you write for, and are they reading your books?

Welcome back to the Bookcast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on what I'm reading and writing.

In this episode, I provide insights into my writing progress, current reads, author branding and the challenges of marketing while maintaining brand authenticity. I shared  book and podcast recommends, and wax on about the the Friends-to-Lovers romance  trope. I'm prepping for a  work trip, so I've outlined my plans for writing amidst a busy schedule and tease plot developments in my current novel.

it’s #INDIEAPRIL! To celebrate, I have a few books on sale:

Grab the audiobooks for Dinner at Sam’s and Brunch at Ruby’s on CHIRP - sale ends in 8 days!

Grab the ebooks and audiobooks for Brunch at Ruby’s and Dinner at Sam’s at my website store for a CHOOSE YOUR OWN PRICE- min price $.99!

Listen to the show here (grab a transcript here!)

BOOK REPORT

READ - 6

The Way You Tempt Me (Pure Talent, #1) by Elle Wright

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

Double Lives by Mary Monroe

Take It (On the Clock #1) by Shae Sanders

The Replacements: A Grumpy Boss Romance by Shae Sanders

Happy Hour Hoe (On the Clock #2) by Shae Sanders

READING -3

Invasion of Privacy by Imani Jay

Work Song by Danielle Allen

Some Kind of Love: Prelude by Elle Wright

PUT DOWN -0!

Recommended Listening:

Recommends: THE STACKS POD - Traci asks a question that absolutely blows my mind, to the point of not remembering what the answer was. “Who is your audience and are those the people reading your book?“ Is the best question I have ever heard in my life. The Stacks is my fave Wednesday and occasional Friday bonus epi listen… it’s pinned to the TOP of my podcast list so it always plays first. Give Traci a listen and join us in the Stacks Pack.

Ep. 314 Being Chesty with Andrew Boryga

Traci asked me why I love this question. My response- Authors (who aren't white) have the added hurdle of WANTING to write to a siloed audience but publishing wanting to be more broad and vast (read: white readers) which makes it hard to reach your target audience bc the marketing approach is different. Asking this q especially to a debut author gives us insight into whether they see what efforts their agent/publisher marketing dept are making toward their books, and is that at the expense of the people you're trying to reach? It's also about some of the conversations authors are having about book covers. Slapping those cute illustrated covers on a steamy romance or a lit fiction book works against us because cover branding is a promise to the reader. If I write a steamy romance but my cover looks like a funny romcom, am I reaching the audience that wants to read steamy romance? And if I hit romcom and get 2 star reviews for all the sex and profanity bc they didn't expect that, is it hurting me?

My second rec ties into my first and it was kismet that it played right after that episode. I listen to a long list of writing, author, publishing pods and one of my faves is the Wish I'd Known Then podcast. Authors Jami Albright and Sara Rosett interview self-published authors about how they found success as well as lessons they've learned. This week’s episode is on author branding and is worth a listen or two. I’m definitely going to run it back.

How to Find Your Author Brand - Wish I'd Known Then For Writers

Both episodes echo conversations that writers have been having about cover, about voice, about standing out but blending in. Both episodes are great and I highly recommend them!

WRITING UPDATE

My last reported word count was 63,523 words. Today I’m’ at 70,559 words. And I am not done. I’ll definitely have to cut some back, but I’m not worried about it yet. YET. Listen to today’s episode and stress out with me about it.

Thank you so much for joining me for today's chat! I truly enjoy having you here and welcome any comments or feedback at booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast. Don’t forget to share the podcast if you enjoyed this episode and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a rating! I’d really appreciate it. Do not forget that you can support this podcast with your book purchases, by spreading the good word, or by throwing some coins in the hat at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Every little bit helps.

I'll be back on Saturday April 20th. We’ll talk about how much writing I didn’t get done (LOL), and what books I got into whilst on my trip. Please enjoy this weekend, have a superlative week and we'll chat again soon. 

Support this show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast Episode 82: Barreling toward an HEA

In episode 82 of The Bookcast by DL White, I'm excited to share the latest updates on my writing journey and I offering some fantastic book and podcast recommendations.  I'm determined to meet my writing deadline, but upcoming work travels might throw a wrench into my writing schedule.  I also shared my recent guest spot on the Book Buzz show. 

Listen to the episode here (Grab a transcript here)

BOOK REPORT

I have read 52 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I am a whopping 13 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge and I don’t see slowing down in my future. The books be BOOKING!

READ

One Steamy Night (The Westmoreland Legacy #6) by Brenda Jackson

Hostile Takeover (Blackwood Billions, #1) by Christina C. Jones

American Daughters by Piper Huguley

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

One Night of Fun: A Forbidden Office Romance by Renee Lux

Taking Chances (McAllister Friends #2) by Té Russ

Unfinished Business (Strictly Professional #2) by Christina C. Jones

Working with Her Crush: A Friends to Lovers Romance (Dynasties: Willowvale Book 1) by Reese Ryan

March Madness by Nicole Falls

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz

Watch Where They Hide by Tamron Hall

READING

Out of Office by AH Cunningham

Office Crush (formerly Invasion of Privacy) by Imani Jay

Take It (On the Clock #1) by Shae Sanders

PUT DOWN

0!!!

Recs, Raves, Appearances!

The Wordmakers podcast Making Words, hosted by one of my FAVES, the writing ass writer that is Tasha L. Harrison, who is also the ringleader of the Wordmakers gang. Sub to this podcast at Wordmakers . org/ podcast.

The BOOK BUZZ Show, is a video interview show hosted by Cheryl Brooks and others in the book industry. It was a great conversation about HEY LOVER, a book I don’t get to talk about much. We also talked about my writing journey and reading habits, the ULTIMATE romance for me, the challenges of being a self published author and how I engage in self-care while I’m writing. It’s a pretty new show and very well run. I took the opportunity to watch past interviews with some of my fave writers like Sharon C Cooper, Joan Vassar, and Reese Ryan. Search for THE BOOK BUZZ SHOW on YouTube or Facebook. I’ll add a link to my appearance on my website at booksbydlwhite.com/praise.

Thanks for your support!

Thank you so much for joining me for today's chat. Don’t forget to share the podcast if you enjoyed this episode and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a rating! I’d really appreciate it. Do not forget that you can support this podcast with your book purchases, by spreading the good word, or by throwing some coins in the hat at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Every little bit helps.

[booksbydlwhite]

#SampleSunday- Beach Thing: I could use some time away from him

Welcome back to Sample Sunday! Today I am nostalgic for the sound of the ocean in my ears and the peace of watching the waves of the ocean wash in and out… there’s no better time to indulge in a beachy Black romance!

Join me on a trip to Black Diamond with Beach Thing, a Black Diamond romance. What happens on Black Diamond doesn’t have to stay there.

"I could use the time and space away from the city. Away from the studio.
Away from my father, a man I never knew, had rarely seen except through a pane of glass and a telephone handset. A man who, a few weeks ago, popped up straight out of nowhere asking to be known. I definitely could use some time away from him.
"  -- Beach Thing, DL White

Gage thought I needed a break and offered his beach place up for the summer. “We bought it as a tax break. I thought we’d be down there all the time but according to my wife, it’s not better than her parent’s place, so...”

He trailed off with a shrug, miscellaneously punching buttons on the console. “You’re welcome to it. Sheree and the kids will still be in Jamaica.”

It took me a few days before I felt comfortable accepting his offer, only relenting after he said he’d planned on driving down with me. “May as well get some use out of the place.”

I stepped into the house, still feeling a little weird about the grandiose foyer and the expensive tile floors, the spacious rooms and the air of wealth that surrounded everything from the knick knacks to the fixtures. The fireplaces had gold plated pokers. I lived a simpler existence, so the excess tripped me out, but I was grateful to have a nice place to spend the summer. I could use the time and space away from the city. Away from the studio.

Away from my father, a man I never knew, had rarely seen except through a pane of glass and a telephone handset. A man who, a few weeks ago, popped up straight out of nowhere asking to be known. I definitely could use some time away from him.

“So I put everything in this room back here,” Gage was saying as he rounded a corner. “I had extra power runs put in because that’s where I was going to put my studio. There’s a nice workspace near the windows so you get a view while you’re working.”

Half listening, I followed Gage to the back of the house. It was a nice area, more like an extended sunroom with a long span of windows along one wall. Beyond the pool and the extra acreage that surrounded the house, the Bay shimmered, washing up onto the sand. I kind of couldn’t wait to set up on the beach in a chair with an ice cold beer, my iPod and some earbuds.

I exhaled, feeling the weight of the world lift a little.

“You alright, man?” I turned to find Gage studying me while flipping open the black cases that held the equipment he had driven down in the van. “I mean, this place is cool, right? You gonna be okay out here by yourself?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s cool. It’ll be a good summer.”

I set down the cases and bags I was holding and joined Gage in getting the room set up. He’d be leaving the next day, so I wanted to take advantage of having two sets of hands.

Hours later, the room was starting to resemble Tuneage, my Brooklyn studio. I’d opened it after Gage’s first release, produced by yours truly, jumped from the mid-20’s to the top ten on the Billboard hip hop charts. We were a team, always had been since back in the day. Throughout junior high and high school, Gage wrote and rapped, sang a little, too. I was the beat factory and had a lot going on in my own right. The deal was that whoever hit it big first brought the other one along.

Gage was discovered on the radio, some New York morning show where wannabe rappers would call in and freestyle over a beat. He blew everyone away, and if that wasn’t amazing enough, he got a phone call later that day that a major producer wanted to talk to him. Gage turned him down. “Already got Wade on the beats. He’s the only one I work with.”

After orchestrating a deal that included me, he released three chart topping records. His star was bright and while it should have gone to his head, it didn’t. He was the same old Gage I always knew. Married his high school sweetheart, bought a nice spot, put his kids in Catholic private school. Gage Coleman lived a real good life.

I, on the other hand… I’m not saying my life was shitty, but I spent a lot of time at the Coleman’s because I didn’t have much of anyone else. My mother had worked long hours at a nursing home; my dad had been… away since I was young. We had no real family to speak of since my mother and her family were estranged after she got with my dad against their wishes.

Gage’s family became my family, and it’s always been that way. When he heard about my dad getting sprung and wanting to come around, Gage understood my freakout. But since his success hinged on me doing what I do, he wanted me to get it together, and quickly.

I wiped a few beads of sweat from my hairline and stood from a crouching position, where I’d been running some cords under a table. I took a glance around the room to see what else needed to be unpacked and plugged in, but things were looking nice. I still had to connect my speakers, run a few auxiliary cords, and take care of some minor things, but I figured that by the following night, music would be booming from this room.

I smiled at the prospect.

“You wanna grab some beers, some wings or something? The main drag is a few blocks away. We can walk.”

I checked my watch. A feeling of emptiness in the pit of my stomach reminded me I hadn’t eaten in a while. “Sounds good. I want to change my shirt. I’m covered in dust.”

“You think you’re gonna meet someone that cares about your dirty shirt?”

I laughed, heading to the bedroom I’d claimed for the summer. “You know your mama taught us to not look like just anything in public.”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll change, too. You can’t be looking better than me.”

Meet Wade & Ameenah in this sexy, seaside romp at Booksbydlwhite.com/beachthing

[booksbydlwhite]

Look for me on THE BOOK BUZZ show Monday, April 1, 7PM EST

Hello out there to my Bookish Boos and Bros.

I’m shouting out a heads up that I will be LIVE with the Book Buzz Show on Monday, April 1 at 7PM! Y’all know I love nothing more than to talk about books— reading them and writing them so I am already excited to chat with Cheryl and The Book Buzz fam about my books, especially HEY LOVER.

Tune in on Youtube or Facebook for a great conversation and I’ll be giving away a few of my books!

The Book Buzz Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BookBuzzinc

The Book Buzz on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091506161017&mibextid=LQQJ4d

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast Episode 81: This is 50

Episode 81 of the Book Cast is now distributing to your favorite podcast app! I celebrate my 50th birthday in New Orleans, so I'm sharing the shenanigans I got into all weekend as well as the usual updates from the writing desk and reading chair.

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE (GRAB A TRANSCRIPT HERE)

I talked about the following books on today’s episode:

Everywhere You Look (Never Tell Collection, #1) by Liv Constantine

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes

Strictly Professional by Christina C. Jones

See How They Run: A Novella by Rachel Howzell Hall

Scorpions (Never Tell Collection, #4) by Rachel Howzell Hall

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz

THE PEARL progress: 50K/75K goal!

Support the show with a recurring gift HERE.

Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books.

Buy Merch by DLWhite HERE. Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube

[booksbydlwhite]

#SampleSunday: The Never List- "Is it just me, or are you a bitch?"

Welcome back to #SampleSunday! if you’re new to me or my work, or it has been a while since you visited my catalog, I hope today’s snip is just the tease you need to jump in!

Today’s sample is from my slow burn Black romantic comedy THE NEVER LIST, in which single and successful Esme Whitaker meets her match in Trey Pettigrew, a man who hopes to accomplish his business goals and help Esme clear her list of adventures she wants to complete by her 40th birthday. What Trey doesn’t know is that having sex tops the list. I hope you enjoy this fun romp of a story about a modern virgin heroine and the man she’d love to cross the line with… if only he didn’t rub her the wrong way.

"A thriller," Trey commented, scooting up to the table. "I figured you for a romance reader."

He set an enormous plate of chicken salad sandwich and kettle chips in front of him. Without thinking, I moved my bowl so he would have more room. Then I remembered: He was crowding me.

I moved my bowl back to its original position. "I do read romance. I also read thrillers. And biographies. And self-help, and business–"

"Versatile literary tastes," he interrupted, hiking his brows up at me with a smile. "I like it. A well-read Black woman is incredibly attractive."

Trey centered his plate on the edge of the table and plucked a chip from the overflowing pile. "I love kettle chips. I stan a fried potato, but these? Hot, crispy, fresh from the fryer. Mmmmm." He winked as it disappeared into his mouth, then closed his eyes and moaned as he chewed.

"They're fine, I guess, if you don't mind breaking a tooth. Do you mind, though? I want to get back to my versatile reading habit."

He picked up one half of his sandwich and took a generous bite, licking residual chicken salad off of his lips as he chewed. I tried not to watch, but the way his mouth moved was doing strange things to me.

"Mmmph." He made noises, pointing at my book and chewing, then swallowed. "Let me save you some time because that book drove me crazy when I read it. The janitor is the serial killer."

I blanched, horrified— first at the idea that the quiet, meek, helpful janitor could be the culprit right under the nose of the entire investigative team. Then at how frank Trey had been about giving me that detail.

"How… do you know?"

"It's been on the bestseller list for over a month. I'm surprised you're just now getting around to it."

"This is a new author to me. I wanted to read the other books in the series. Did you just spoil this book for me?"

"No, I gave you a clue. You don't know how it ends or why he's killing." He lifted and lowered his shoulders in a shrug. "Read it. Find out if I was right."

I flipped through pages until I got near the end, then thought better of it and snapped the book shut, tossing it back to the table. I put all of my attention on the bowl of soup and the sandwich, refusing to look up at him, though he was doing the most to get me to notice him.

Crunching chips loudly, he shoved his plate toward my side of the table, which forced me to move my bowl.

"Would you stop? I'm trying to eat so we can get back to work."

I bit into my still warm sandwich, the cheese oozing out from the edges. "That looks good," he said. "Is it?"

I nodded, chewing the crunchy, toasted bread and spicy cheese. The cook used pepper jack, which gave the sandwich a nice kick.

"How long have you worked for Benning?"

I smiled as I swallowed. "Is that something you need to know to close this deal?"

"Nah. But since I know what's inside your wallet and your home address, I didn't think it was too personal. How's your face?"

"My face?" My eyes rose to his.

"Your face. Where that guy played rock 'em sock 'em upside your head."

"Do you have to be so crass about it?"

"Do you have to find a problem with everything I say? Damn."

He exhaled, then added, "I'm only asking how you're doing since your attack. You look good. You feel good? How is the swelling?"

"Do you see any swelling, Mr. Pettigrew?"

Trey said nothing for a few beats, rolling his tongue across his teeth, glaring across the table at me. I was hoping he'd given up, but no such luck.

"Is it just me, or are you a bitch?"

Read THE NEVER LIST in eBook or print HERE. Hear me read this chapter for the Bookcast HERE.

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast Episode 80: Radical Delusion (word to Danielle Pinnock)

Word to Danielle Pinnock! Watch her recent video on introducing the concept of Radical Delusion to her staff. What is the mindset that you have to have to dream beyond your present? How are you going to get there? Talking about that today, as well as reviewing the reading and writing week.

I am currently writing THE PEARL,  A BLACK DIAMOND ROMANCE.  

LISTEN TO TODAY’S EPISODE (GRAB A TRANSCRIPT AT BUZZSPROUT HERE):

Support this show with a recurring gift HERE. 

Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books.

Buy Merch by DLWhite HERE. Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Youtube

I talked about the following books on today’s show:

READ

Pulling Doubles (Wright Brothers, #2) by Christina C. Jones

Hotel King (California Suits #1) by Claire Marti

This Could Be Us (Skyland, #2) by Kennedy Ryan

READING

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Strictly Professional by Christina C. Jones by Christina C. Jones

Unfinished Business (Strictly Professional #2) by Christina C. Jones

Watch Where They Hide by Tamron Hall

[booksbydlwhite]

#SAMPLESUNDAY: The Guy Next Door

Hey there and happy Sunday!

As I am mid- writing retreat, I am not ready to share more of The Pearl, but still wanted to share a sample with you! Let’s roll back to Potter Lake for a minute and meet Taj and Evonne.

Evonne, a vivacious and outgoing stylist meets quiet, reserved Taj, a musician and Registered Nurse, then proceeds to turn his life sideways in the sexiest, happiest way possible.

This title is available in eBook, print and audio at Booksbydlwhite.

“Hey! Since we’re both off, we should go out! There’s a couple of cool new restaurants, or the new Cineplex, or the Kit Kat Lounge, which is okay, I guess—”

“Actually, Evonne, I had another idea in mind. I had plans to head down to Jacksonville this weekend. There’s an event I need to attend but I mostly want to see my friends and family— “

“Oh. Well…” Her expression changed, her eyes darting around the room. “We can hang out when you’re back. Maybe the next time you have a day off…”

“Thing is, I don’t want to leave you here this weekend, when the town is a mess and there’s no power. The generator will hold up, but who knows if the grocery store will be open? You’re off anyway, so I was thinking… well, why don’t you come with me? We could have a chill couple of days on the Florida coast and it’ll give the city time to get back on its feet.”

It was like I hadn’t said anything to her at all. She stared at me, her face a blank slate.

“Evonne? What do you think?”