DL White [00:00:14]:
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the book cast. This is my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on what I'm reading and writing. This is episode 80, and I am d l White. I'm an author of contemporary southern and 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'll update you on my week in writing and progress on The Pearl of Black Diamond romance. I'll talk about the fun I had this week, and I am talking about a concept called radical delusion, word to Danielle Pinnock.
DL White [00:00:54]:
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. Booksbydlwhite.com/books has all of the good stuff in ebook or audio. This month, I'm celebrating my debut novel brunch at Ruby's, which turns 9 years old next weekend, which also means my birthday is almost upon us. I put the ebook on sale for 99¢ wherever ebooks are sold, and the audiobook is on sale at my store, at Spotify, and Nook Audio. It should also be at Apple Books, but, clearly, I cannot remember to check Apple Books to see if the audiobook's on sale. It should be.
DL White [00:01:36]:
If you're a member at Kobo Plus, you can grab all of my ebooks and all of my audiobooks as part of your subscription if you have the listen and read, subscription. I think it's 1199. It honestly beats the pants off of Kindle authors with melanin over there, but I am. So if you, authors with melanin over there, but I am. So if you, have a membership at, Cobalt Plus, roll on over there. My all my books are there. As a reminder, if you're a premium subscriber at Spotify, you can get 15 hours there, so snatch up my audiobooks. You can read at least 1 or 2 of the short ones as part of your subscription, and I still get paid for them.
DL White [00:02:16]:
Do you have a topic that you would like me to cover on the book cast? Shout me out a holler. I'm always on Instagram or Twitter, or you can visit the show notes of this here episode at books by dlwhite.com/bookcast. I welcome your feedback and your ideas. I would love to Yammer for 27 minutes about a topic of your interest in choosing. I have some fun plans later today. The birthday celebrations have already begun. I'm meeting my friend for dinner today. Tomorrow, I'm seeing the, Reading Rainbow movie.
DL White [00:02:45]:
So I'm very excited. Before I do all that, I have to finish today's show, get it edited, and, put up and do all my social media. So let's go. Today, we will start with the book report as always, then we'll update on writing, writing, writing, and we'll talk about radical delusion. Today is Saturday, March 16th. It is 8:57 AM. It is sunny ish. The sun's, like, burning through the clouds.
DL White [00:03:11]:
I have a mic, and I'm ready to dig in. But first, let's have some coffee. Alright. We are back on the Bustelo this week. It is piping hot and delicious. I can't wait to finish that cup of coffee. We begin as always with the book report because I am a book head. If I'm gonna do anything else, I'm gonna read a book.
DL White [00:03:45]:
I have read 35 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year. I'm 5 books ahead on the Goodread challenge, which is great. This week, I read 3 books. I read this could be us, skyline number 2 by Kennedy Ryan. I gave this book a 3 star rating. It was not as amazing as I wanted it to be, but, not an altogether terrible book. Kennedy can still write her tail off. My knits with this book are just really how the story is laid out, how it was pushed really hard as a romance, but it's actually women's fiction novel.
DL White [00:04:17]:
It the first part of this book is like drama drama drama. I ate it up and then it just really kind of slowed down quite a bit and, moved into its women's fiction era. This is definitely Soledad's journey. I just I like I had issues with some of the characters. I felt nothing for Judah. He was very beige. There was not a lot of passion, not a lot of romance. I I felt I didn't get lovey dovey, swoony sweet feelings from it.
DL White [00:04:47]:
It just was just very much a women's fiction novel, but I don't like being tricked into reading a women's fiction novel that has romantic elements. This book is pushed as a romance, capital r romance, and it isn't. And that really that really gets my goat these days. I also feel like Kennedy's Kennedy's books where she is writing strictly toward a traditionally published audience is it's a much different approach than her indie approach. I much prefer her indie novels. I just feel like the writing is full. She is writing to a particular audience and not trying to bring in a wide swath of readers. Something that Tayari Jones said and has been saying is if you take care of your audience, they will take care of you.
DL White [00:05:36]:
Her core audience, I feel like, is black women. She says she writes for black women and she aims for black women. I just feel like her approach is so much different now that she's writing to a traditional audience. To me, real is a is a indie novel that's blackity, black, black, black. There's no doubt in that novel. And even though she just recently sold that novel, initially, an indie production. And the feel of that novel, because it's for a black woman in the audience, is so much different than before I let go, and this could be us. Those are just my nits.
DL White [00:06:14]:
Did get through it. Kennedy can still write her tail off. And, you know, if Kennedy publishes a book, it's it's gonna do well. I also listened to hotel king, California suits number 1 by Claire Marti. I've read this strictly for inspiration for workplace romance. It was, you know, it did what it was supposed to do. I didn't rate it because I wasn't reading it for like, you know, I it wasn't a arc read or anything. So I I don't rate books if I'm not obligated to.
DL White [00:06:42]:
So I also read pulling doubles, which is this is Bright Brothers number 2 by Christina c Jones, strictly because it's a workplace romance, and I'm really getting in that bag right now while I try to settle into this trope that I'm writing. I need to get ideas from other authors. So this week, I still have American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin on my reading list. I think I'm gonna try to get that in. I'm traveling this week, so I'm gonna try to get that in maybe, during my travels. I just don't I don't want it to mess with the romances that I'm writing. It is a completely different genre. Like, I can write romance and then read a thriller because it's, like, it's on the opposite spectrum, and I kinda treat it like dessert.
DL White [00:07:26]:
But for some reason, like, a literary fiction novel or a historical fiction novel just kinda messes with me. I wanna give it my full attention. So I think I'm gonna, like, break from, like, writing And then I'm gonna listen to strictly professional and unfinished business, which is a duology by Christina c Jones. This is also another workplace romance, so I'm just trying to be in that bag. I'll talk a little a little bit about that in the writing update, reading books in the genre I'm I'm trying to write. I didn't put down anything this week. I'm so proud of me. I had a pretty slow reading week and I read very intentionally so I didn't put anything down.
DL White [00:08:27]:
But I did have a very fun week and if you'll indulge me for a few moments I would like to talk about my week in fandom. The my week was, a little slow in the reading and the writing because I was busy paying attention to those 5, men that I so enjoy. It was a big week for NSYNC fans. The group reunited at a one night only show at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. Several, fandom orgs got in, and they were able to lives livestream the show for the fans at home. So I was up until around 3 AM, Wednesday night, early Thursday morning watching in sync on stage together for the first time since 2013. This is so meaningful to the fans because we last saw these men on a stage in maybe 2,002 at the Grammys in 2,002. They got together in 2013 for Justin's MTV Video Vanguard Award, and that was, like, a really short, literally a 57 second performance.
DL White [00:09:30]:
This week, we got 10 minutes with those men on stage. They did a little medley of their older hits, and they sang their new song paradise, which is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. It's very reminiscent of the old, in sync harmonies, but it's also the grown man sound that I was looking for after their celebrity album, which came out in 2002. Their biggest album ever, no strings attached, has an anniversary coming up on the 21st. We call that NSA day, so I might write a little something to celebrate. I don't know yet. I have 0 ideas, and it's hard for me to jump from one thing to another. But if I get an idea, I'll jump on it and we post it for an SA day.
DL White [00:10:11]:
We're actually entering what I call in sync high holy days. We have album anniversaries, song debut anniversaries, then it's gonna be May day is April 29th or April 30th. Sorry. 30 days hasn't been yeah. I have to go through that song, to know which months have 30 31 days. 30 days has September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 except February. It's 28.
DL White [00:10:34]:
I have to go through that song every time I try to remember if a month has 30 or 31 days in it. So it's gonna be May Day. It's April 30th, and then May 4th is Lance's birthday. And, of course, Lance is my favorite favorite guy. It's gonna be a fun time for fandom. I'm really, really looking forward to it forward to it. Spring is a great time to be an NSYNC fan. Alright.
DL White [00:10:57]:
Thank you for indulging me. You all know I'm a big, big NSYNC fan, and, this week was just so exciting and very, very special to the fandom. Paradise was a love song to the fandom, to the NSYNC fans, and we heard it, signed, sealed, delivered, received, got it. Thank you. We love you back. Writing update. This week's last week's work count was 36 k going into my writing retreat. My goal was just to get over 40 k.
DL White [00:11:31]:
Like, cool if I hit 50. I just wanted to get over 40k. And I did hit that number. Today, I'm at 43,950 words. My characters are still falling for each other. This is definitely a slow burn romance. I've taken a thing that Davis likes, and he's inviting Kari to join in. And I'm using that to kick start the lovey dovey feelings.
DL White [00:11:53]:
I'm really, really trying to force it. This is also something that's gonna come around again when it's time for Davis to do his grand gesture, his I really, really care about you. Please love me. Please believe in us kind of, moment. So I'm happy with how that's playing out. Of course, I have concern with the pacing about how far I am into this book with no romantic action. I did, message my editor this week. I said I'm gonna have to force something because while there's a lot of, like, long, glances and a lot of, internal, struggling with each other because it is a workplace romance, I'm concerned with how far I am in the book and nothing's happening.
DL White [00:12:35]:
Like, my readers are going to riot if there is not some sex coming up. So I just feel like there hasn't been enough building between them. So in subsequent passes, I need to make it absolutely clear that these 2 are irresistibly attracted to each other and they cannot fight it. I also don't read a whole lot of workplace romance tropes, so I'm greedily reading what I can get my hands on to see how other authors build romance between 2 characters that work together and get them over the hump of, quote, but we work together. And every time I tell someone I'm writing a workplace romance, people say, oh, that's gonna be so messy, but I don't have a desire to write a messy book. I want it to be easy. I feel like romance should not be a a struggle except the struggle against yourself to give in to something that is, like, it it might be, it might be a little unconventional, but it's it also could be so right. This is a fun, steamy summer romance.
DL White [00:13:38]:
I am not trying to write mess out here. So this week, as I mentioned, I'll be traveling for work and staying over in a city I am traveling to since it's a fun city to be in. It'll be my 1st birthday trip where I don't go to the beach in about 10 years, so I just couldn't do 2 trips back to back. So I'm gonna make the best of, where I'm at. I bought a couple of guided tours, and I'm looking forward to eating good food, relaxing, seeing a writer friend or 2. I do still plan to record an episode, but I have decided that it will be delayed. So I'm probably gonna put it up on Monday, March 25th, because I would like to have time to reflect on the weekend. And Monday will be my birthday, so it'll be a good, way to celebrate the day with me.
DL White [00:14:21]:
So speaking of my birthday, I always feel like my year starts on my birthday. Like, January February are just there, but March is it for me. I set my goals in in March, for my birthday. I start thinking about what I'm gonna do that year on my birthday. This is my 50th birthday. I'm starting a new decade, entering it, you know, feeling, well. I think this is probably the first, decade that I have begun where I I don't have, like, I don't have weight loss as a goal. So, you know, it's it's, I think it's gonna be a good one.
DL White [00:15:03]:
I think the fifties are gonna be good for me. So I usually start thinking about what I'm gonna accomplish during my year and what I want out of life. What do I want out of my writing career? What do I want out of my career career? What do I think is possible and achievable? So this week I listened to Danielle Pinnock talk about this meeting she had with her staff where she encouraged the idea of radical delusion. I've I've spoken before about being delusional about my work, about my reach, about my hopes for my books. I don't wanna be a full time writer. It's not really a goal for me, not before I retire. I need I love the job that I have. I love the company that I work for.
DL White [00:15:41]:
I love a full time paycheck. I love, complete medical coverage. I love a 401 k and, a pension. But I've also said that I would like to make a full time 5 figure income from my writing. I would like to make enough to self fund audiobooks and special editions and not have to pay for things like that out of my full time salary? What do I have to do to get there? What is a mindset that I have to have to get to that point? Radical delusion is the mindset that's gonna get us to the spot we wanna be. I have to keep pushing. I'm gonna link, Danielle's comments about this, but she says she had a phenomenal meeting with her team. The title of the meeting was radical delusion.
DL White [00:16:29]:
She remembers when she was back, on the red line in Chicago handing out DVDs to her one woman show. If she paid attention to how many people threw the DVD in the trash or told her that she was crazy, she wouldn't be in the position that she's in today. Sheer resilience, delusion, confidence, whatever you wanna call it is necessary when you're trying to plant seeds of success. There is no harm in speaking what you want out loud, and her team is about is like, what is what's going on? And she said, I wanna be nominated for an Emmy. I want the show to be nominated for an Emmy. I wanna partner up with brands to bring loungewear. Radical delusion. A lot of people will be like, that's never gonna happen.
DL White [00:17:09]:
And a lot of people might say that, but at least speak it and see what happens. Write those dreams down and make it plain. And I'm fully I'm fully into that. So I gotta think about what is it that I want. How do I get to the spot where I wanna be? I have to keep pushing. I have to keep writing the books. I have to keep running the sales. I have to keep my books in people's faces.
DL White [00:17:31]:
I have to keep believing that they want them, that I am someone's favorite author. There are millions of people that haven't read my books, and not all of them are gonna like them, but the chance to be seen, to be in the room, to have the opportunity to write another book, to grab another reader, that is a goal for me. I so often tell myself myself that I don't have to write because nobody's looking for these books. Nobody is drooling for these books. Nobody's all up in my inbox asking for the next Black Diamond romance except for Kaye. Kaye is always down for a book that features Wade. But I have a lot of issues being truly radical and truly delusional, but I just I don't dream about huge goals. I don't dream about Emmys.
DL White [00:18:13]:
I don't dream about winning, you know, awards. I don't dream about being an Amazon bestseller. I wanna write good books, and I wanna make a lot of money doing it, to be perfectly honest. I don't dream about making lists. I don't dream about being on today's show or being an Oprah Winfrey's book club pick. If your local book club is reading my books, I am excited about that. That is it for me. That is the dream.
DL White [00:18:38]:
That is 9, 10, 15, 5, 3, 7 people, however many people are in your book club if it's you and a friend. If y'all are reading my book together and talking about it, that is it for me. I don't dream about massive popularity because with massive popularity comes massive criticism, and that's not something that I invite into my life ever at any time. I dream about being read and read a lot. I dream about the option to sustain myself on books alone. I think that authors have to dig really deep and think about why they write, about why they keep writing, about what they want out of writing. I don't have all the answers for me yet. I'm definitely mapping out what I want 2024 and 2025 to bring me.
DL White [00:19:25]:
Today is a shorty McShorts short because I do have to get back to writing, and I have, plans later today and tomorrow, so that's gonna cut into my writing time. Also have a lot of reading I wanna get in, so I'm going to bring us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for joining me for today's chat. Follow me on the socials. I am author d l y in most places. Shout me out a holler. Don't forget to share the podcast if you enjoy today's episode. And if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a reading.
DL White [00:19:53]:
I'd really, really appreciate that. 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 dotbustsprout.com. Every little bit helps. I will be back on Monday, March 25th, not Saturday. I'll be back on Monday to debrief my reading and writing week and celebrate my birthday. Please enjoy this weekend. Have a superlative week. We'll chat again soon.
DL White [00:20:19]:
Bye bye.