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In Episode 115 of The BookCast, I share exciting updates about my upcoming releases, including the 10th anniversary edition of Brunch at Ruby's and its companion novella, Drinks at Mink's. I discuss my Goodreads challenge progress, recent reads, and my plans for doing "more" in 2025 - more writing, more releasing, and leaning into creative productivity despite self-doubt.

The episode features updates on my various projects, recommendations for podcasts and TV shows, and even includes a special audio snippet from my new St. Patrick's Day short story, Clover.

Main Topics & Discussion

Book Report: 51 Books and Counting I'm at book 51 of my 100-book goal for 2025, about 30 books ahead of schedule. I typically reassess at mid-year and often raise my goal to 150-175, eventually hitting over 200 books by year-end.

Books finished this week:

Beyond the Screen by Christina C. Jones (part of the WAWG Studios series)

Ambush (Sanctuary #1) by Colleen Coble

They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers (reread with The Stacks podcast book club)

Filled to the Brim (St. Patrick's Day Hot Holiday Hookup) by Danielle Allen

The Sweetest Delivery (A Sweet Rapids Story) by Te Russ

Call Me Mrs. Taylor by Shea Sanders (a dark romance that I absolutely loved)

Currently reading/on my TBR list:

Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy by Bridget M. Davis

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

Breaking the Dark by Delilah S. Dawson (Jessica Jones Marvel novel)

Fool's Paradise by Harlan Coben

Bent, But Not Broken by Mary Monroe (releases on my birthday)

The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey

Podcast & TV Recommendations New podcasts I'm enjoying:

Reading, Writing, and Rhayne (author podcast on YouTube with a series on creating fictional cities)

Book Funnel Podcast (wealth of information for authors)

It's Good Over Here (podcast for women 40+ with Felicia Pride- they have a great substack as well.

TV shows I'm currently watching:

Watson and Equalizer (Sundays)

Papa's House (Mondays)

Will Trent and The Irrational (Tuesdays)

Elsbeth, Matlock, and The Pit (Thursdays)

Shows I'm planning to watch:

Beauty in Black (Netflix)

The Crown (need to finish)

Adolescence (Netflix)

Schitt's Creek (Hulu)

Number One on the Call Sheet (Apple TV, premieres March 28)

Writing Project Updates

Ruby's Ten: Interior edits complete; cover reveal to newsletter subscribers on March 23, public reveal on March 24

Drinks at Mink's: Ruby's companion novella launching alongside Ruby's Ten on March 24- preorders should be rolling out soon!

Clover: St. Patrick's Day short story now available on my short fiction Substack and for $0.99 in my store

Potter Lake 4 (Still I Rise): Planning to work on during #20Kin5Days (March 19-23) for a possible July or August release

Calculated Risk: Awaiting April release via Prolific Works

Music of My Heart (fan fiction): Working on next chapter before my birthday trip

Doing More in 2025 The main theme of this episode focuses on my commitment to doing more in 2025. I discuss:

Overcoming imposter syndrome and fear of negative reviews

Releasing more short content throughout the year

Using writing as a productive escape from news-induced anxiety

Finding balance between being productively busy without burning out

Allowing myself to experiment with different types of stories

The episode includes a special audio snippet from my new St. Patrick's Day short story, Clover, giving listeners a taste of this steamy holiday romance.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: DL White About the Host: I'm an Atlanta-based author of romantic fiction that centers Black love, with approximately 20 published novels, numerous short stories, and fan fiction works. Podcast Website: booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast

Community & Calls to Action

Share this episode — If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with other readers and writers.

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Support the Show — You can buy books direct at payhip.com/booksbydlwhite, join my newsletter or Substack, or buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/booksbydlwhite.

Transcript

DL White [00:00:16]:

Welcome to episode one fourteen 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 your host, DL White, an Atlanta based author of numerous novels. So many I have lost count, but we're nearing 20. And also short stories, fan fiction works, what have you. If you like this podcast and want more of it, showing your support is really simple. The very best way to support your local independently published author is to buy the books direct. I offer ebook and audiobooks at better than retail prices at booksbydlwhite.com/shop.

DL White [00:00:58]:

I also offer print edition via my bookshop.org page, and I do earn affiliate fees or royalties. I don't know whatever affiliate earnings via that shop. So if you are looking for print books by me, go ahead and, head on over there. I'll put a link to my bookshop.org page in my show notes. Books ordered from, bookshop.org support your local indie bookstore and me as an author and not a billionaire trying to go into space and destroy democracy. And I super like that. I'm taking a particular interest lately in Kobo, specifically Kobo Plus, as we discussed last week, the economic boycotts have impacted KDP exclusive authors and, solving for that equation is diversifying your publication, where you sell your books, and expanding your personal empire. Kobo has its own readers, I guess e readers just like Amazon has a reader.

DL White [00:01:56]:

BNN had the Nook, not sure if it's still in production. It might be defunct by now. The Nook color was actually my first e reader and I loved that thing. I moved over to Kindle because it was easier to buy from KDP and read on their device. And I also got my mom into ebooks, and it was easier to manage her library on Kindle. So we all moved over there eons ago, and I I do prefer to read on a Kindle. Anyway, short story long, my books are on Cobo Plus, which allows authors to add their ebooks and audiobooks to the program without requiring exclusivity like KDP does. For $9.99, you can enroll in the read and listen subscription, get every last one of my ebooks and audiobooks I have published, including Grumpy Valentine for that price.

DL White [00:02:39]:

I think $7.99 for ebooks only, but, like, for 2 more dollars, you can also get audiobooks, which is a heck of a deal. I went hunting yesterday for books by black authors at Kobo, and I did come upon a number of our favorites there. A lot of Alexandra House there, some Alexandra Warren there, some Stephanie Norris there, some Christina c Jones there. I did see some Casey Mills in ebook. A lot of our authors, if you publish through Draft2Digital, if you are wide through Draft2Digital, most of your stuff will show up on Kobo and it will also be enrolled in Kobo Plus. So that's just another plus really for, opting into Draft2Digital because it's just one place and they spread it around. I'm direct to, always go direct to Amazon. They do not they don't like when you go through to them through an aggregator, like, Draft2Digital, Smashwords, what have you.

DL White [00:03:44]:

Always go direct to Amazon and always go direct to Google. Other than that, you can reach everywhere else, including your libraries through an aggregator, like Draft2Digital or Smashwords. I don't believe there's a limit to the Kobo plus library either. Like, KDP has a limit of 20. I believe it's truly unlimited on Kobo plus, and I can access my library via the Kobo app, Kobo books app on my phone or my iPad. I'm heavily contemplating buying a Kobo reader, but I don't know if I wanna straddle to ereader devices, especially if I can get to those books on my phone. Now I did buy a, bought a Kindle Fire because I like for all my ebook stuff to be on one device. So it's either on my Fire or my iPad, which my iPad doesn't leave the house.

DL White [00:04:32]:

So if I'm gonna take something out of the house, it's gonna be on my Fire or my phone. And I'm finding lately that it's just easier to just download things on my phone. I rarely read on my phone. I really try to read on my Kindle Fire because I get so distracted when I'm on the phone. Anyhow, I am getting off topic. Bookcast.buzzsprout.com has every link imaginable to follow this podcast via your favorite podcast app, including YouTube, and you can show your monetary support for this podcast. A gal has bills, you know, by joining my podcast supporters at bookcast.buzzsprout.com or by making a one time or recurring gift at buymeacoffee.com/booksbydlwhite. And I do still have people, tapping in over at buy me a coffee.

DL White [00:05:19]:

I so appreciate your generosity. Just the occasional, Hey, I listen to your podcast or I read your work and I really enjoy it. It's such a great surprise and, and I really like that. You can always find the latest recording and show notes on my website at booksbydly.com/bookcast slash the episode number. So today's episode would be one one five and you can hit the website slash one one five to reach today's episode. You can also reach today's episode via my Substack at author dlwhite Substack Com and it publishes a day early on the Substack. So if you're just anxious to hear what I've got to say about, gosh darn, just about everything, you can always hit me up on my Substack. I have exciting updates for today's show, so let's get at her.

DL White [00:06:05]:

Today is Sunday, 03/16/2025. It is sunny in Atlanta. I have a mic, and I am ready to dig in. But first, join me for a brief, very brief beverage break. Alright. Boos and bros, friends and neighbors. Welcome back. We begin as always with the book report because if I'm gonna do anything, I'm gonna what? Read a book.

DL White [00:07:11]:

I'll start with the Goodreads challenge. I am at 51 of my goal to read 100 books in 2025. I'm like 30 books ahead. I am not worried. It will all work out. What I generally do is just let them all stack up, and then I feel free to take a week or two off of reading as one needs to do, especially when we're in heavy writing. And then I will at the half year mark reassessed my goal. I usually raise it to about one fifty to one seventy five at midyear and see how that shakes out.

DL White [00:07:44]:

And then toward the end of the year, I'm nearing, like, 200 over 200. So I'll I'll definitely meet that goal. And I'm very comfortable where I'm at right now. I I I would rather be ahead than behind. You know what I'm saying? I had such a good reading week, so let's talk about it. I did not count these. Looks like I got six books in, this week. I'm very excited about it.

DL White [00:08:08]:

So I read the last, in the WAWG studios books by Christina c Jones. Remember, I was reading them all out of order. So I get in number two last Sunday night, then I started in, on a couple of other ones, ambush, sanctuary number one by Colleen Coble. I didn't really enjoy this at all. It was set in, like, a animal sanctuary, and it was just kind of weird. Like, the animals were interesting, but the mystery was not at all interesting to me. I don't I don't know what was going on with this book. It wasn't very good.

DL White [00:08:42]:

I don't know how I got it. Like, it I don't know. It didn't even look good. I don't I don't know how I got it. Anyway, they were her property, white women as slave owners in the American South by Stephanie e Jones Rogers. I did finish this reread, and I'm reading this with the stacks podcast book club. It's gonna be a really, really good discussion. I can't wait for the host, Thembay Denton Hurst, to come back and talk about this book, and then the stacks book club will join in.

DL White [00:09:12]:

I probably will not join book club because Tracy makes everybody talk, and I am not a book club talker. I like to listen to the conversation. So I'm probably not gonna join book club, but, I'm interested in the conversation. You know, Discord is already alive with discussion on this book. This was this was a tough read, but, highly important because there's so much of our of our history that we don't learn about. And the the white women that owned people was something I had never thought about before. Like, that's how they attributed their wealth. Like, they their first gift was probably a servant, an enslaved person.

DL White [00:09:54]:

I also noted how they were saying they preferred to enslave, the Africans as opposed to the white people, like the Irish indentured servants, because because the Irish did not do as they were told, and they were prone to running away. And because they were white, it was hard to prove that they were actually indentured. So it was just a totally different situation. Anyhow, really good read, rough read, but really good. Then I got in filled to the brim of Saint Patrick's day, hot holiday hookup by Danielle Allen. If y'all don't know Danielle Allen, I need you to fix your life and get into her. She does these, hot holiday hookups, which is her version of a holiday novella. They're always very steamy.

DL White [00:10:41]:

They're always very entertaining. This one was no different. So I got this one in and then the sweetest delivery, a sweet rapids story by Tay Russ. This was a belated Valentine's day, story. Tay always tells like these really like steamy, sweet and steamy stories set in small towns. This one's set in, like Reno, a town that you just outside of Vegas. Both of those were really good and, very, timely. I love a holiday novella because it's just like a quick shot of like something good and festive.

DL White [00:11:17]:

And then I got in Call Me Mrs. Taylor, an obsessive dark romance by Shea Sanders. Now, let me tell you something. I love Shea Sanders to absolute life. Like I love all, every book of hers that I have read is so good. So I heard about this and I was like, dark romance. I don't know if I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I don't know if I'm gonna like that baby, baby. Let me tell you something.

DL White [00:11:49]:

This book was so damn good. It was so good. It was dark and it was kind of funny and kind of disturbing. And I found last year when I was writing a very unhinged person that I actually really liked being in her brain, which was kind of scary. And Shea said the same about Raya. So Raya is kind of a, is a very unhinged troubled person. And she is in love with a man named ACE. And let me just tell you, some men just really like toxic women because he cannot get this woman out of his mind.

DL White [00:12:32]:

Whatever you think is gonna happen happens, but you're just not, you're just not ready for it. I want you to go immediately and get this book and put it into your face. Like pause the podcast, go read this book and come back. That's how much I love this book. Five stars. Give me 14 of them It's wonderful. Loved it. And so those are the six books that I got in this week.

DL White [00:12:52]:

It was a very good reading week. Really enjoyed myself deep inside the Kindle. And so what I have left on my reading list is, a few books here, a few recs and a few books I just am interested in reading. And these are all books that I plan to read before April 1. And a lot of these publish on the same day, which is just poor planning on my part, Love, Rita, an American story of sisterhood, joy, loss, and legacy by Bridget M. Davis. I just love Bridget's work so much into the go slow was so, so good. And then she has, she has a memoir.

DL White [00:13:33]:

She had a second one, a series of memoirs about one about her dad. One about her mom called my mother was a numbers runner or something like that. So good. Just really, really good writing. And then Love Rita is, memoir ish about her sister, the loss of her sister. Haven't gone into it yet, but I do have it on I've got it on my list, and I have it in my libro.fm downloads. So I'm gonna get to that probably this week. The sweetness of water by Nathan Harris.

DL White [00:14:09]:

I believe this was probably an Oprah's book club pick, like, months ago, and it's just now coming in through my Libby Burrows. So I've got it. It's in it's in my Kindle. I gotta read it between now and twenty one days from now. Breaking the Dark at Jessica Jones, Marvel crime novel by Lisa Jewell. This one publishes, like, March 28 or something like that. So I'm not in a huge hurry. Nobody's Full by Harlan Coben, Bent But Not Broken by Mary Monroe, and The Unlucky Ones, Black Harbor number four by Hannah Morrissey, all published on March 25.

DL White [00:14:43]:

And I'm not obviously gonna not get into all of these, but I think I'm gonna save the Mary Monroe for audio and listen to that on my birthday. So I think that will be a nice present to myself and I'm so looking forward to it. Cause you know, Mary. Mary writes these characters that are dumb as hell. They're just not smart people. And I guess that's what keeps the pages turning because the stories aren't all that complicated, but I just, some, these people are just sometimes they're just not very bright. I do have some recommends for you for podcasts. I got into some good stuff this week, Reading, Writing, and Rain, r h a y n e.

DL White [00:15:32]:

Rain is an author podcast. He's an author with a podcast on YouTube and your favorite podcast app. I am enjoying the backlist of episodes now, particularly the series on creating a fictional city a fictional city since I have two cities that I made up. And, I just barely have a handle on what businesses are located where and what else I could plan. So I'm just listening back on that. It's like a a series within his podcast about, this, three book series that he is writing all set in a fictional city so he doesn't have to look up every street in every intersection and what is located where and how far it is from, you know, that like, I find the freedom in a made up town to be that that you don't have to be, you don't have to be accurate. Like, a lot of my books are set in Atlanta, and I've lived here long enough to know what is where and some things I make up and some things I am actual on. I have a beta that is stringent about using real names and real streets.

DL White [00:16:32]:

So I, I try to where I can, but also I like the freedom of just looking, looking stuff up. But if people that live here, read a business name, they want that business to to actually exist. And so I do try to use real names, real streets where I can. But like, you know, the Ruby series is set in the heart of Downtown Decatur. I ain't been Downtown Decatur in a long time. I don't know what's down there. I've been making stuff up. There's not there is not a street name broad in Downtown Decatur.

DL White [00:17:00]:

I promise. I mean, there might be, but I'm not, like, planning around that. So I just, you know, made it up. The the building that Malcolm used to live in, Haines Street loss, it might exist. It might not. I can't remember. But now Vanessa lives there. I mean, I don't, you know, I I don't know where that actually is.

DL White [00:17:19]:

I know it's I know it's set on a real location, but I don't think that's the actual name of the complex, and I don't think that's the actual street that the lofts are on or where dinner at Sam's is or where Gladwell Books is. I just been making that stuff up because I don't want people to call me out and be like, there's no way the bookstore could be located on this street because blah blah blah blah blah. Shut up. Leave me alone. It's fiction. I've also been digging into a lot of book funnel podcast episodes. They have a wealth of information on their, their YouTube channel. Get into it, especially if you are a new author and you are looking to get into selling your books wide.

DL White [00:17:59]:

Book funnel is like, I'm in there every day. It's my number one tool that helps me distribute ebook and audiobook direct. They don't do physical inventory at all. It's all digital. So anything digital that you wanna deliver automatically, get into book funnel. There is a cost. It's pretty nominal. Like, I don't I I really don't feel it.

DL White [00:18:23]:

I mean, I I guess I feel like I can say that because my books don't make money. So, you know, they make money, but they're really just reimbursing everything that I spend. I don't feel it. I don't feel it coming out. I see it come out and I'm like, oh, there's the fee for book funnel. It's less than buffer. I'll tell you that. I feel buffer.

DL White [00:18:40]:

I do feel buffer. And then, I found a great new, podcast called It's Good Over Here with host Felicia Pride with Yes, Honey. And, they they define a honey as a woman 40 coming into her own. And I really like that because there's so many girl podcasts. I need, like a podcast for adult women 40. I'm I'm not a girl. And I I just really like that. And they also have a really great substack.

DL White [00:19:09]:

So I just listened yesterday to Disha Dyer, the former social secretary for president Barack and first lady Michelle Obama talk about working at the White House, moving up the ranks there, and rejecting imposter syndrome. I always need guidance and info on this. It's something I struggle the most with just like you could tell me, I just was thinking about this this morning. There are so many people that give me gobs of compliments on my work. They love my writing. They snatch things right up when they publish, and I am so grateful for that. But the thing that has stuck with me since 02/2017 is a review for same time next week that said boring in all caps, one star, all caps. I remember that better than I remember the person yesterday that said they really like my work.

DL White [00:20:04]:

And those are the things that push me toward feeling like my work isn't good enough or that people don't want my work or people don't like my books or nobody's gonna buy this. Like, don't even bother. Nobody's gonna buy that. You shouldn't even, you shouldn't even worry about it. Just don't bother. Nobody's gonna buy that. Like I've got, I've got to get that out of my head. And that's something that I'll be talking about a little bit later in the show when we get to our main topic.

DL White [00:20:32]:

Let's move on to TV. I'm all caught up on the faves at the time of this recording. I've got like a, my little schedule here. So Sundays I watch Watson and equalizer, but I don't watch those usually until Monday afternoon, Monday night. That's what I, you know, I get my dinner and then I'd sit down. Monday is nugs day, by the way. I always order Wendy's on Monday and I always get nugs. I always get nuggets.

DL White [00:20:57]:

It's I don't know. It's just a thing. It's a habit. So I get my dinner and I sit down and I watch Watson and Equalizer from Sunday night because I can skip the commercials. Monday is Papa's House. I watch it in, I have a, like, a block of of time that I set aside on Friday or Saturday to watch to catch up on all my shows that I miss. Like, last week, I didn't watch anything, so I spent Friday night just watching all my shows. So Papa's House comes on on Monday night.

DL White [00:21:23]:

I'll watch it in the block. Will Trent, sometimes I watch it live. Most times I watch it in the block. The original, I watch in the block. I don't watch any shows on Wednesday. You would think I could watch some shows on Wednesday night, but I just by Wednesday, I feel like somebody has slapped me in the face. Also, Wednesday night is, three guys on after dark podcast taping, and so I typically don't have time or the energy to watch anything else. So that's what I'm doing Wednesday night.

DL White [00:21:48]:

And then Thursday, Elsabeth, Matlock, and The Pit all air. And I watch those in the block. I rarely watch them live because the commercials just drive me nuts. I just cannot do it. So I just save, save it all up for Friday and then I watch it. And then I have a couple of streaming shows that I'm not caught up on. Almost knocked my laptop over. Oopsie.

DL White [00:22:09]:

Landman and Bailing Out Loud. I'm not caught up on those. A couple I have just dumped. I'm not watching Paradise. I'm just not, I'm just not doing it. I'm gonna save it for when, democracy is not falling, and I can laugh about it. I just I can't I can't do paradise right now. I can't do, Robert De Niro and Angela Bassett in any presidential show right now.

DL White [00:22:30]:

I heard it's very good. I heard it's very good. I don't have it on my list quite yet. I can't, I can't do it. And then some new to me, Rex, that I've added to my watch list on justwatch.com, Beauty in black, the crown. I need to finish the crown. Cause we were talking about that whole situation at my work event last week. And I was like, Hey, I haven't finished the crown.

DL White [00:22:55]:

I need to finish that. And then I was wrecked a series called Adolescence on and those are all on Netflix. And then, a person at work told me about Schitt's Creek, and that's airing on Hulu. I heard it was very good, very funny, just something you can like, like good escapist TV. So I'm all about that. And then there's a new series called number one on the call sheet that is starting in, March 28. And so that's basically like interviewing, celebrities about, like, you know, being at the the top of your game or leading a show, what have you. I saw Jamie Foxx and I immediately I saw Jamie Foxx and, Denzel Washington, and I immediately added it to my list because I'm all about Denzel.

DL White [00:23:40]:

And Jamie Foxx makes me laugh so hard I cry. I just love him. I just absolutely love him. So that's it on the update portion of the show. Let's move on to our writing and publishing update because I am so excited about everything going on with books by DL White, except for the fact that I don't still have any info on calculated risk. I'm actually frustrated about it. We pushed back the release date to accommodate for some people that just couldn't get their books written. And I don't I don't have any information.

DL White [00:24:12]:

I don't know what's the holdup. Like, it's one thing if it's I'm controlling it and I'm the one that can't decide what I'm doing, but there is a plan that hasn't yet been communicated. So I don't have anything to share. I know April is when the books are available, that the April is like next week. So, you know, I do know that I can well, April's like week after next ish. Right? Anyway, I do know that I can sell print and audio on my own, which I plan to have prepared to launch in early April, as soon as I get the go for launch signed from the organizers. Ebook will be controlled via this group through prolific works. So I'll update everyone when I know when, when I know update I'll update everyone when I know.

DL White [00:24:59]:

And our newsletter boos and bros get it first. So please make sure you're on the newsletter list and that you confirm, confirm, confirm your address. It is very important that subscribers double opt in. If you don't confirm, I delete your email before I send out the next edition, because I'm tired of y'all marking my newsletters as spam when you know, good and well, you double opted in to listen to me. Yammer. You know what I'm saying? I'm tired of it. Double opt in. If you don't confirm I delete it.

DL White [00:25:28]:

Ruby's ten is almost here. It's almost underway. I sent out a tease to the newsletter list that I will be officially unveiling the tenth anniversary edition cover. I'll I'll reveal it to the newsletter boos and bros on the evening of the twenty third. And then on the twenty fourth, everyone everything will go live for the general public. You'll see the new cover. A few may have already seen it, but I need it to be fully distributed by the launch date, and some retailers are slow. So I started early, but we'll do the official celebration on the twenty fourth.

DL White [00:26:04]:

So that's gonna be very exciting. I'm really, really I'm actually like, the more I think about it and the more stuff I do, I'm really excited about the tenth anniversary edition marking ten years as a published author. Presale for signed hardcovers will launch on March 24. I might also sell a few signed paperback covers if you just wanna update your paperback edition. Pre orders will end on Sunday, April 6, and then I'll order that in a bulk shipment and ship them out. So yes, you will pay ahead of time for your signed paperback or hardback, edition cover. I will order them in a block. And when I get them to me, which could take anywhere from seven, ten, fifteen days, I will then ship them out.

DL White [00:26:50]:

So I expect those to ship out like late April, early may. And then I could possibly possibly have some of the new addition at the black romance book Fest and at indie love twenty four. But in the meantime, I'm just still working on trying to get the cover right. So, the interior is done. Yay. Editor Kai and I worked through, past two edits. Let me tell you, and I know she listens, so she will just laugh, but she is so freaking hilarious. There's nothing like working with an editor that is enjoying the story and really getting into it.

DL White [00:27:35]:

Like the way we gossip about the characters in the margin notes, like that's just a joy to me. Like, I like working with somebody that likes the material that's into the story. That's like, oh, no, he did not. Did he? No. And, and if you've read Ruby's, it's a ten year old story. So I'm sorry if I am spoiling it, but the, the hero story is Deborah Macklin is caught stepping out on her husband. And the the whole book is just like the domino effect through Deborah's life. And it's rippling through her friends and her family and her job.

DL White [00:28:11]:

And, like, her friends all have this other stuff going on. And, I mean, it's infidelity, which is, a touchy subject for a lot of people, but I think that I, I just forget that this story is about infidelity a lot, and it doesn't seem to bother a lot of readers. So I owe editor Kai so many sex scenes for making her read a book with infidelity as the, a story in it. And so, you know, I'm trying to, I'm trying to work on it. I'm trying to work on it. Yeah. I don't know. She said I don't have to have my character swinging from the chandeliers or anything, but like there needs to be copious, intimacy, copious sex scenes coming up.

DL White [00:29:03]:

So I'll work on it. I'll I'll work on that. So I also have drinks at Minx, which is a Ruby's companion novella. I'm very excited to offer a little follow-up slash updates on my favorite girls. This thing has literally been hanging around since I published Bunch Out Ruby's. The first iteration included Vanessa, who was Maxine's employee. But then her starter, her story started taking over and I wanted to also write Gibson's POV, but minks is women's fiction, not romance. Whoever heard of a man getting a POV in a women's fiction novel.

DL White [00:29:41]:

So clearly I needed to transfer all of that material over to a new book, which became dinner at Sam's, which is a capital R romance with very many intimate, not, well, not very many, but there are intimate scenes in dinner at Sam's, which you don't see in brunch at Ruby's. There are two different books. Brunch at Ruby's is upmarket women's fiction with romantic elements. Dinner at Sam's is a capital R romance slash women's fiction novel. So mix has been sitting in my drafts all this time and I finally finished it for the tenth anniversary. It will launch the same day as Rubies 10. It should be up for pre order soon. If not already, again, I need it to be distributed and ready to go on the twenty fourth, and I can't count on the retailers to do anything in less than seventy two hours time.

DL White [00:30:29]:

I'm a I'll also be flying next weekend, so I won't have time to do all this uploading and editing and updating on the fly. It literally took me hours to update every place I have these books published and every place I have these books listed to change the covers, all on the, on the Ruby's paperback and the Ruby's ebook everywhere at book funnel at draft digital at KDP at Google play at all author everywhere. I have this book or an image of the book listed. I have to update it times three book print audio. So you'll get minx on the twenty fourth. I'm so excited about this. I'm like, I just, I can't wait. If you have read brunch at Ruby's and it's been a minute and you've been wondering what's up with those girls, or you just read brunch at Ruby's and you want a little bit more of Deborah, Maxine, and Renee, you will get it on the twenty fourth.

DL White [00:31:30]:

Have I mentioned I'm really excited to launch drinks at Minx because I am. Yes. Also I wrote a little St. Patrick's day ditty, and I'm super excited about it. It's called Clover. So on today, at the time of this recording, March 16 at 05:21PM, it's only available to subscribers on my short fiction substack. $5 gets you access to the free shorts, serialized novellas, writing exercises, and fan fiction, as well as a paywalled content like my serial novel, same time next week, which is a multicultural rock star romance. There's also a link to just buy Clover outright for 99¢.

DL White [00:32:11]:

However, that listing won't be public until tomorrow. So the only way to get it is to grab it from the section above the paywalled content on my short fiction substack. Clover is not long enough to be put into print. It won't be sold anywhere, but my store is just too short and it's too cheap to distribute. So that is where you'll be able to find it. If you have just no inclination at all to go on over to Substack, that's fine. The link will be public tomorrow to purchase that. And, I think it's good.

DL White [00:32:44]:

It's just like, it's just like a cute, sweet, intimate, steamy little St. Patrick's day diddy. And then Ruby's four is coming. Not Ruby's Potter Lake 4 is coming this fall. I wrote Ruby's and, I just, I have Ruby's on the brain. Potter Lake 4 is coming this fall. The title is called Still I Rise. Still I Rise is Potter Lake's answer to Cracker Barrel.

DL White [00:33:11]:

So it's like a, cafe on one side and a little shop where they sell, like, newspapers and, you know, kitschy little, doohickeys, you know, with, you know, postcards and crap on the other side. It is the story of Brenda and Kingston. It is going to be a capital r romance, a small town romance. It's not quite a prodigal daughter. It's like it's a runaway bride, is the trope. If you are well versed in the Potter Lake series, Renda is Helen and Orlando LeBlanc's daughter. So Helen runs Potter Lake's most famous breakfast and brunch cafe until Still I Rise owned by Kingston. Raman opens up.

DL White [00:33:53]:

So when Renda returns to town after leaving Potter Lake over twenty years ago, abandoning abandoning her groom at the altar, the last thing Helen wants is her unsettled daughter gumming up the works at Helen's Kitchen, so she gets to render a job at the second best cafe in Potter Lake. So I'm gonna be doing, 20 k in five days with the word makers, and I have learned that a concentrated block of writing like this works best for me when I know where I'm going. So I'm spending some time this week getting to know my characters and deciding what happens in this book. So if I can get over a large part of the hump, I can get edits to my editor like May, early June for a July or August release. Starting to get really excited about this one. I want to keep the spirit of, like, friendly, small town competing businesses alive. And I just like the idea of someone thinking they know what to expect from little old Powder Lake and getting something wholly different when she shows up. And mayor Casey has transformed this little town into a bustling, you know, little little city.

DL White [00:34:57]:

She always never wanted to come back because Powder Lake was just a slow, dusty town. The the same reason that Reed in home for the holidays moved away was Pottery Lake was just a tired, slow, dusty town, and it is not that same little town anymore. And so more people are moving in and, like, there's a lot going on. I also think a character that left town in a hurry and has to return with her tail between her legs makes for interesting drama and conflict. As for Kingston, he moved his father who was a former pro athlete and Jeffrey, his father's partner, to Powder Lake to be near doctor Irons, who is a physician a physician who is well known among athletic teams. Fun fact, doctor Irons also treated Cade, my hero from book one in the potter lake series, with his knee. Remember, he had to retire from in the from pro basketball because he had a bum knee that would not heal. So he ended up back in, Powder Lake and opening a barbershop that directly competed with Leslie's beauty shop, and, they knew each other from college.

DL White [00:36:07]:

In fact, he dumped her and, dropped out of college and went for the NBA draft. A lot going there. Anyway, read book one, Leslie's Pearl and Die, Potter Lake Small Town Romance book one. It's such a good book and it's free right now. Did you know that book is free in ebook right now? It's free in ebook right now. Go get it. Books by dlwhite.com/curl,die. Go read it so you can be ready for book four.

DL White [00:36:36]:

As I might have mentioned, I might be try I will be traveling for my birthday. So not only will there not be a show next week, but I plan to spend some time, reviewing what I wrote for the challenge and trying to get another good chunk complete. Something about writing at the beach just does something to me. I'm really excited about going. I like the ocean in my ears. I like washing the waves, wash out, wash in. I did make sure I get a oceanfront room no matter what time of day where I'm at. If I'm in my room, I'm out on the patio or whatnot.

DL White [00:37:08]:

I need to be able to see the ocean. I need to be able to hear the water rushing in. I just literally can't wait. And then the following month, I will be in Tampa for work, and so I'm just gonna stay in Tampa over the weekend and do the same. I'm a I'm a get this writing done. So I'm gonna also be planning my moves for q two of the year. So I've got a lot of things I could be working on, and I need to narrow down where I plan to spend my time and money. Very lastly, fan fiction.

DL White [00:37:38]:

I'm kinda holding for that on the moment, but I imagine a new chapter will turn out eventually. Hopefully, before I leave on my birthday trip, I will have a new chapter. I need to decide where I want it to go from the last chapter I wrote where a performance that my heroine Zoe was forced into went viral on social media, and she got invited to come sing her rendition of that song on Kelly Clarkson's TV show. So the last episode I wrote has her leaving the taping, getting conflicting advice from her manager on one side and her mentor JC on the other. So there's this nice professional rivalry building. And let's not forget that no one knows that JC and Zoe are sleeping together. So I have a feeling though that people will figure it out soon enough, namely her manager and his manager. And they're adults, and she paid to be part of the retreat.

DL White [00:38:30]:

And JC is like, it's my retreat. I make the rules, but also. There's like common decency. And also it just, it's a little bit of the seedy underbelly of the music industry and people in her cohort on the retreat already think that she's sleeping with JC for special favors and it's already blowing up within the group. And it's just going to get bigger because they aren't going to be able to contain that. So it's kind of what I'm dealing with right now with that story. It's getting juicy. It's getting delicious.

DL White [00:39:01]:

I very much like writing it. I just gotta think about where I wanna go from here. If you aren't caught up, I am updating regularly at insyncfictionarchive.com or on my short fiction substack at shortfictionbydalewhite.substack.com. Then look for the fan fiction tab across the top. The latest story is music of my heart, but I'm also very partial to the story of Kate. I was just rereading that one the other day, and I really liked writing that heroine. That was a full update for you all. I don't have anything to spot off about, except that I'm just really leaning into doing more in 2025 and try to stop being so scared that there won't be, won't be good that I talk myself out of just tossing stuff out there the way every dang body else does it.

DL White [00:39:47]:

You know, somebody's always throwing something out for 99¢. It's 5,000 words. It's 2,000 words. It's 9,000 words. Like I've already finished two shorts. I have a release coming next month. I'm completing planning the next two releases. I'm I'd be busy.

DL White [00:40:01]:

I have been busy. I wish it was keeping me from looking at the news. It's not quite. And now, like, I don't wanna be obsessively, like, manically busy. Like, I don't wanna burn myself out. I just need to be occupied. I need options. I need to have a wealth of projects in various states of flux.

DL White [00:40:19]:

And if I don't, I need to feel free to snap open dabble to ruminate on a premise or a reason for the season. Let it cook, write it, let it breathe, rewrite it, let it breathe, rewrite it, layer. I just I need to be busy in that process. Then I might roll through a few sites at the end of the day, just so I know what's going on and in which ways we are absolutely totally screwed. And I need to like go to bed without feeling like I am developing an ulcer again. You know? So I'm already thinking about what short thing I'm gonna write for April, which I think will be a little bit off the beaten path. Insert bird man hand rub here. Well, hello, past me, future me.

DL White [00:41:08]:

You forgot to mention that you were going to record a little snip of Clover and insert it into the podcast and also use it as a little teaser snippet for the Substack post. So here we go. Clover. The man stood near the bar tall with broad shoulders and a close cropped beard that suited the strong lines of his jaw. He wore a fitted crimson button up with the sleeves rolled to reveal muscular forearms. Unlike most of the patrons, there were no shamrocks or leprechauns in sight. When he smiled at me, something clicked into place, a rusty mechanism remembering how to work. A rush of heat bloomed in my chest and spread lower, pooling between my thighs, making parts of me pulse in rhythm to my heartbeat.

DL White [00:42:02]:

My nipples tightened against my lace bra, and I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with how quickly my body responded to a mere stranger's smile. I quickly looked away, downing another sip of my cocktail. When I chanced another glance, he was still watching me. This time, I held his stare for a long beat before breaking contact and let a smile flash. Number six, Tanya said, sliding back into her seat. She pulled a bottle of sanitizer from her bag and rubbed it between her palms. What? Eligible bachelor number six, she said, putting the bottle away. The gorgeous man at the bar staring you down like you're a first edition of something impossibly rare.

DL White [00:42:48]:

I rolled my eyes. He's not staring that hard. He absolutely is, Tanya countered. And now he's coming over here. Now that he was up close, I guessed he was definitely over 40. Either that or his twenties and thirties were wearing him out. His eyes were a deep, rich brown, the kind that held secrets. His laugh lines suggested he smiled often.

DL White [00:43:14]:

I noticed you're not wearing green, he said to me, his voice a rich baritone that sent a shiver down my spine, making me imagine how it would sound in a husky whisper, uttering filthy promises against my ear in the darkness. I blinked, pushing that thought away. I know you see this jacket is literally green, red shirt. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. My sister assured me this shirt is crimson, and he pulled his jacket back slightly to reveal his belt. I do have this green belt. How's that work? Very festive. Thank you.

DL White [00:43:51]:

His smile widened. I admit I was too distracted by your beauty to notice the color of your blazer. Tanya snorted into her drink. Has that line worked on anyone in here? I asked, fighting a smile. I should have been annoyed by the obvious flattery, but something in his tone suggested he was only half joking, aware of how cheesy the line was. First time trying it, actually. I'm surprised I got a smile. He extended his hand.

DL White [00:44:19]:

Derek Bennett. Genesis Tate. His handshake was firm but not aggressive, his palm warm against mine. I noticed calluses on his fingertips. The brief contact sent a jolt up my arm like a static shock but more pleasant. His touch lingered just long enough to suggest he felt it too. Can I buy you another drink, Genesis Tate? I glanced at my half full glass. Still working on this one.

DL White [00:44:46]:

Then would you mind if I keep you company while you finish it? Tanya stood grabbing her purse. I just saw an old friend I have got to catch up with. You two chat, Genesis. I'll text you later. Before I could protest, Tanya disappeared into the crowd with a comically obvious wink over her shoulder. Subtle, Derek said, sliding into Tanya's vacated seat. She makes up for a lack of finesse with enthusiasm. So what brings you out tonight? You don't strike me as someone who regularly celebrates holidays that involve turning beer into unnatural colors.

DL White [00:45:22]:

I laughed. Am I that obvious? I laughed. Am I that obvious? Apparently working sixty hours a week surrounded by ancient texts doesn't promote healthy social life. Ancient texts. I curate the rare books collection at the library. I authenticate historical texts, organize preservation efforts, and occasionally hunt down obscure volumes for researchers who think their particular interest is the only thing that matters in the world. Derek leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. That sounds fascinating.

DL White [00:45:58]:

I laughed. No. It doesn't. People's eyes glaze over when I talk about my work. It does. I imagine it's not just about recognizing old paper. You're right. It's a process.

DL White [00:46:09]:

The binding, the paper composition, the printing methods, all play a part in authentication. I analyze the linguistic patterns of the time period, and sometimes we use spectroscopy to analyze ink. I caught myself and let my voice trail off. Sorry. I get carried away talking about this. It's not exactly thrilling cocktail conversation. Don't apologize. It's refreshing to meet someone passionate about their work.

DL White [00:46:35]:

He took a sip of his beer. Most people I talk to are counting the days until retirement. And what do you do? I mean, when you're not testing questionable pickup lines. He laughed, a deep sound that vibrated through me, making me imagine that voice rumbling commands in my ear while his body pressed me into the mattress. I run an architecture firm, small operation, but we specialize in historical restoration and preservation. I know the feeling of sixty hour work weeks. I forget there's a world outside my drafting table. Are you working on anything I'd recognize? I asked, surprised by my own curiosity.

DL White [00:47:13]:

Usually, I found small talk excruciating. Only if you're heavy into the Historical Society. Right now, we're doing a restoration for the museum and a few residential projects, you know, homes on the historic register that need renovation for safety reasons, but can't be updated to modern standards. Nothing significant, but I find it to be fulfilling work. I like bringing buildings back to life, uncovering the stories in our bones. I nodded. So you're preserving the history of the city one building at a time. I try.

DL White [00:47:45]:

There's something about taking a structure that's been neglected and revealing what it was meant to be all along. He paused. I hope I sound like a romantic and not a lunatic. I catalog books written by dead people. I am not one to judge. As we talked, the noise of the bar faded into the background. I leaned in drawn to a passion for architecture that respected history while serving present needs and dry observations about the small town politics that affected his projects. Every now and then, our knees would brush under the table, and I'd feel that same electric jolt from earlier.

DL White [00:48:21]:

You know what's funny? Derek said after we'd been talking for nearly an hour, our drinks long empty and replaced and empty again. I almost didn't come tonight. My son's staying with his mother this weekend, and I thought about staying in, catching up on some work I've been putting off. What changed her mind? He bobbed his head side to side. My sister has been on me about getting out more. She sent me a flyer for this party and commanded that I go out, said I might get lucky. He smiled, the low lighting of the pub catching the spark in his eyes. I think she was talking about the Saint Patrick's Day kind of luck, but now I'm not so sure.

DL White [00:48:59]:

The music shifted to D'Angelo's Brown Sugar. I love this song, we both said simultaneously, then laughed at the coincidence. Dance with me? Derek asked, standing to offer his hand. I hesitated. I was not one for dancing with strangers in bars. I wasn't the type to spend an hour in deep conversation with strangers in bars either, yet here I was. One dance, I agreed, placing my hand in his. He led me to the dance floor where a few other couples swayed to the music.

DL White [00:49:31]:

As Derek's arm so called my waist and brought me close, I was acutely aware of every inch of me pressed up against him. His thigh slipped between mine as we moved, creating a delicious friction that I did not want to stop. He was solid and radiating heat. We moved as if we danced together every night before this one. His hand on my lower back pressed firmly, his fingers occasionally dipping just below the waistband of my pants, each leaving a trail of fire on my skin. You're a good dancer, I said, looking up to meet his eyes. This close, I spotted flecks of gold in his irises and a small scar near his right eyebrow. I have my moments.

DL White [00:50:14]:

I'm probably better now than I was an hour ago. Does drinking beer in an unnatural color help with coordination? Nope, he said, his gaze holding mine. The company is nice, though. The song ended too soon, transitioning to an uptempo hit that broke us apart, but we remain standing close, neither of us wanting to break the connection. Could I maybe get your number? He asked. I'd love to see you again. I looked up at him, considering dating hadn't been a priority since my divorce, but tonight, I wasn't really thinking about dating. I was thinking about how I like the feel of his body against mine, about how his voice stirred a longing that was becoming harder to ignore by the second, about how much I wanted to feel his hands exploring every inch of my body, his mouth claiming mine.

DL White [00:51:07]:

And maybe it was whatever was in that drink Tawny gave me, but I was thinking that I had deep cleaned my house. And if I invited a stranger over to satisfy the ache building inside me, at least I wouldn't have to worry about clutter or dust bunnies ruining the mood. I stepped closer, my hand sliding up the front of his shirt. The fabric was soft beneath my fingertips, and I felt the firmness of his chest underneath. My pulse quickened as I looked up at him. Actually, I said, surprising myself with my boldness. Would you like to look at some first additions? My place isn't far from here. I will just fade out right there.

DL White [00:51:48]:

But if you enjoyed that snip, I invite you to read Clover in its complete goodness at my short fiction substack at shortfiction by dawahwhite. Substack dot com. If you're already here, you can subscribe to the Substack here and read the rest, or you can simply purchase Clover for 99¢ and read it to your heart's content. There is a link there to pick it up. Thank you so much for joining me for this short snippet. I hope you really enjoyed it, and we'll talk soon. With that, we've come to the end of today's show. I managed to talk for like forty minutes.

DL White [00:52:25]:

So I thank you so, so much for joining me for today's chat. It is always a joy to sit in this chair and turn on this microphone and make you listen to me talk about reading and writing books for at least a half an hour. I welcome any comments or feedback you may have at booksbyjlwhite.com/bookcast/115 or on my Substack at authorjlwhite.substack.com. Look for the podcast up in the navigation bar. You'll find me. You'll find me. You'll also find full show notes, links to all the things I talked about if they're relevant, and a transcript for today's show in both of those places. Please share the podcast if you enjoyed this episode.

DL White [00:52:59]:

And if you listen to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, give a girl a rating, drop a comment. Let me know you're listening. I like it. I'd so appreciate that. Don't forget you can support this podcast with your book purchases at payhip.com/booksbydlwhite or at my shelf at bookshop.org by spreading the good word to your friends and your family by joining the newsletter or the substack. Links are on my website at booksbydlwhite.com/linkinbio or by throwing some coins in a hat at bookcast.buzzsprout.com or buymeacoffee.com/booksbydlwhite. That is a whole lot of links, but worry not. There will be links in the show notes.

DL White [00:53:40]:

Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I sound like Fedan. Don't worry about it. Thank you so much to my monthly supporters. Your gift is so immensely useful to keeping this podcast going. Like I said, my books don't make no money, so you're basically reimbursing me for the money I spend putting myself out here. I do so appreciate it.

DL White [00:54:01]: