As a kid I was obsessed with Greek Mythology. Now, I love mythology and fairy tale retellings. I get excited about a good twist on an old idea. And in my opinion, if it’s good enough for Neil Gaiman, it’s good enough for me. He loves mythology and always includes three witch sisters in his books.

When I sat down to write my current series, also about three witch sisters, I didn’t know where it was going. I just wrote a scene about a witch with the gift of compulsion getting caught in a bank robbery and then wrote a connected scene and kept going until I had a whole book. That bank robbery scene is nowhere near the book anymore, but it will be a bonus for subscribers, so it hasn’t gone to waste.

By the third book, it turned quite steamy and I knew I had to write a steamy prequel to introduce my series to the right readers. So, I started to think about my urban fantasy, Red Riding Hood retelling that had been banging around in my head for years.

So it was the Christmas holidays, the kids were off school, and I was supposed to be NOT writing. But after a few days, my brain revolted, obsessing about this new Red idea. Once I figured out how to tie it into my series and make it a prequel, I was hooked.

I just had to tire my kids out in the morning, so I could have a clear afternoon to write.

Crimson Morte was inspired by a certain, popular music video about a rich boy-crazy girl. She looks like a spoiled, promiscuous, party girl, but she’s secretly a very dangerous blood mage, headed out to the woods to confront her mother’s murderer after ten years of preparation. But the hot wolf shifter she bar-tends with shows up threatening blackmail if she doesn’t let him tag along.

There’s a lot of tension, a lot of chemistry and, of course, some spice to go with that basket of goodies. Readers so far have fallen in love with them and want to read their series, which is percolating. They’re spicy side characters in my upcoming series, already. One more book to write, and then I’ll start releasing them. Follow me to find out when.

Blazing Hearts of Justice is free here [ https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4m2nicy1km ] when you sign up for updates from me.
Visit my website: www.dahliatdrake.com
Or www.facebook.com/dahliatdrake
Or www.instagram.com/authordahliatdrake

Why give something away for free?

A reader recently posed that question.  And it’s absolutely valid.  I’ll try to explain my logic – which should not be extrapolated out to other authors as they have their own marketing strategies.

I’ve written a series.  I didn’t intend to.  I had a few book ideas swimming around in my mind for years.  I’d write a couple of chapters for this book, add a scene to another, come up with some random idea for a third.  Nothing ever gelled.  I moved around in that nebulous space for fifteen years.  Then, ten years ago, I decided the time was right to take writing seriously.  I started writing a book, wrangled a secondary character who wanted their story told first, finished a book…then came up with something completely different and wrote that book.

Then, after I sent that one off to a publisher, I kept writing.  Best piece of advice I ever got as a writer: write the next book.  So I did. Then I picked up some of those half-written manuscripts and dusted them off – and actually finished several!  And then I sat down and put all those ideas floating around in my head on paper.  I had exactly fifty stories I wanted to tell.  50 books to write.  And since they were all set in the same small town, I decided to make them into a series.

The publisher rejected my book, but by then I’d written 21 full or partial other books in the series.  I’d gotten a hang for it and had created a world with people who were absolutely real to me.  And I’d created more secondary characters who also wanted books – my series bible was up to almost 75 stories.

Knowing I’d never find a publisher for 75 stories, I decided to self-publish.  I hired an editor (a critical step) and then I set about learning everything I could about self-publishing.  I attended conferences, workshops, met writers who would become mentors, and generally absorbed stuff for years.  Meanwhile, under a different penname, I wrote gay romances set in that world, using characters I’d created.

Finally, this year, I was ready to launch the first few books.  Now, starting a new penname means no one knows me.  The advice given by most gurus is to create a newsletter.  One way to get people to sign up for your newsletter is to give them a book.  Some authors do short stories, or some kind of special content.  I’d written another book for a publisher they’d rejected.  A perfectly good story that required a good edit.  Once I did that, I had a 65k word book that I’d written for fun.  Now, I paid to edit it and get a professional cover, but I didn’t have a lot invested in the book.  I was happy to put it out as a prequel to the series and ask, gently, for people to sign up for my newsletter in exchange for a copy of the book.  People can always unsubscribe, of course, but I try to give them a reason to stick around.  My hope is they’ll read that book.  And pick up the next book in the series.

Today, though, I’m giving away book 1 of the series on Amazon.  Now, I love this book as much as all the others.  Although it’s book 1, I only wrote it last year.  I’ve had time to settle into my small town and had an idea of a series arc I want to create.  A reason for readers to keep coming back.  I also hoped to pull in some of the readers of my gay romance books, so I had a few cameos with favorite characters.  I’m giving away that book today in the hopes readers will pick it up, read it, love it, and want more.  It’s a risk, for sure.  With thousands and thousands of free books out there, what are the odds I’m going to find the right reader at the right time? That they’ll fall in love with my book and be so intrigued by the secondary character that they can’t wait to read her story? (That character was always quite mysterious and although her book was written first, I realized I needed a bigger lead in.)

I hope that explains how I’m trying to launch my new penname.  Delilah’s been great about letting me share the journey with you and I appreciate you hanging in there as I show you how the sausage gets made (or how you launch a new penname/series in 2023…)

To celebrate, I’m giving away not just the free book, but a $5 Amazon gift card.  Let me know – what is your thought of free books?  Do you think they have less value?  Or do they give you the opportunity to try a new author you might not otherwise?  Drop a comment and a random winner will win the GC.

Love in Cedar Valley Series

What’s better than love in the beautiful Cedar Valley in British Columbia, Canada? Find small town romances with a touch of angst, a bit of heat, and a lot of heart…

Each novel is a standalone, but they are best read in order:

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper (A small town interracial romance)
The Making of Marnie Jones (A small town enemies-to-lovers romance)
The Redemption of Remy St. Claire (A small town single-father fake-marriage romance)

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper
FREE READ!

Loriana Harper is the head librarian of the Mission City Public Library. She considers herself a matchmaker in this little town in British Columbia—especially for her employees. When a gorgeous technician arrives to update their computers, she can’t help musing about who might be his perfect match. Except, the more time she spends with Mitch, the more she wants him for herself.

Mitch Alexander left in disgrace from a good job in California. He’s come to this small town to make a new start where no one knows him. Although he has no plans to get involved with anyone, he’s drawn to the nosy, vivacious librarian who makes him smile. The local matchmaker might go overboard, but she has good intentions. Except he’s not in the market for any match, unless it’s with her.

When Mitch’s past catches up with him, and the police come calling, he has to decide if he’ll stay with Loriana or leave to save her from the taint of being associated with him. Loriana’s not ready to let her new man go without a fight—but maybe this is a match that wasn’t meant to be.

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper is an older-woman age-gap interracial romance with a touch of angst and a large cat named Plato. The book is the first in the Love in Cedar Valley series set in a small town in British Columbia, Canada.

UBL: https://books2read.com/Loriana
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVL3X4JZ
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122872288-the-luminosity-of-loriana-harper

About the Author

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

Personal links:
Website:   http://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3142441314
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbipowell/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/gabbi.powell.9/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/powell_gabbi
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Powell/e/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen!
*~*~*

When I turned forty, I decided to take writing seriously.  After flitting around for almost fifteen years with half-completed manuscripts (okay, most weren’t even half-done), I determined that if I wasn’t going to do it at that point in my life, I likely never was.

Instead of picking up one of the manuscripts that sat in pieces, I decided on a new project.  I had something in mind and started to write that story.  Only a secondary character poked her head above the parapet (or out of rehab) and said ‘hey, you author! Pay attention to me! I’m not a throwaway character.  I have a story that you have to tell RIGHT NOW’.

Not knowing how to ignore a demanding character (which I admit I’m no better at now), I endeavored to write a heartbreaking romance about a broken woman and yet I somehow managed to give her a happy ending.  I wrote in restaurants.  I wrote at the library.  I wrote anywhere that would get me out of the house.  Oh, and I wrote by hand.  In pieces.  Out of order.  Eventually I put everything together and found I had a manuscript of 126,000 words (far more than most category romances, which was what I read).  I asked a couple of friends to read it and I got great feedback.  I knew, in my heart though, that the time for that manuscript hadn’t come.  I tucked it aside.

And went back to the original book, right?  Nope.  A headline caught my attention and I realized I need to write THAT story.  And I did.  By hand, taking snatches of breaks and lunch hours at work, and on weekends in the library and the restaurant.  This time, though, I wrote on a computer as well as by hand.  And I wrote the story from start to finish.  And I had a manuscript I thought was good enough.  So I sent it off to a major publisher and waited impatiently.

In the meantime, I wrote the next book (best advice I ever received). The story I kept putting off.  And I incorporated characters from my two previous books.

I had a nibble from the publisher, but still I had to be patient.  After finishing the first three books, I picked up a manuscript I started back in the late 1990s.  I spruced up the beginning and (mostly) finished it.  Then I wrote the book meant to follow.  And the next one (which is mostly finished).

Then I remembered a flash for an idea I’d had (again, back in the 1990s).  Ideas come to me, and sometimes they take years to formulate into a book.  I ruminate over the notion – coming back to it again and again.

By that point, I’d created a series bible – although I didn’t even know what that was at the time.  I wrote out a basic outline of all the stories in my head – came out to an even 50.  Well, I better get writing.

Then I wrote the next book.  All these stories were connected by the same small-town, modeled after the town where my family lived and where I always felt most at peace.

And I kept on writing.

By the time I received my rejection (another story for another day), I had seventeen full and three partial manuscripts.  Written in two-and-a-half years.  In 2014, I clocked a million words.  Basically, I worked full-time four days a week and wrote three days a week.  I didn’t have a life (the cats didn’t care I was always either working at my day job or at a restaurant).  I hadn’t connected with other writers and I still had no idea what I was doing.

The next year, I joined the Romance Writers of America and attended their New York City conference.  The city was loud, smelly, and in the middle of a heat wave.  Again, I didn’t know what I was doing.  Still, I met with a few writers I’d connected with online and I did my very best to absorb what I could.  I came back to Vancouver, Canada and joined the local chapter.  I began attending writing conferences and taking workshops.

Most importantly, I connected with a woman through a group chat who would eventually become both my editor and my dear friend.  I pitched my books.  I spoke to agents and editors. I entered contests.  I sent of queries and submissions and…nothing.  I hired that editor and she spruced up the books and the feedback I got improved, but still nothing.  Then she suggested I enter a short story anthology call.  My story got chosen.  Then I wrote another short story.  And a gay romance.  And those I submitted to a publisher.  The publisher picked up my gay story and I used the penname I had selected: Gabbi Grey.  The publisher looked at my dark erotic BDSM trilogy, written for fun, and said, ‘yeah, we’re interested’.  Well, I didn’t want my readers of gay romance to pick up an m/f BDSM book about bondage and power exchanges.  So I picked out another penname: Gabbi Black.  And I kept writing gay romances and BDSM romances and continued to work with the publisher and with my independent editor.  Eventually, I struck out to the wilderness of publishing and now I’m what’s called a hybrid author – I write for a publisher and I put out books on my own.

Still, that old small-town contemporary m/f series sat forlorn and almost forgotten in the background.

Almost.

Last year, I decided the time was right.  I spoke to a mentor who helped me pick out a new penname because these books didn’t resemble the others: Gabbi Powell (I think you can see the pattern and Powell is a family name…).  I realized what I had envisioned as book 1 wasn’t and that I needed to write a book 1. Re-immersing myself in that world was fun.  Deciding which of the hundred or so characters needed to be in the first book wasn’t so much.  Well, I like challenges.  I also wanted to weave in some of my gay characters since those books take place in the same small-town (write what you know).  Eventually, I completed the book that’s releasing today: The Luminosity of Loriana Harper.  I’m really hoping readers love the book and, eventually, the series.

Launching a new penname is daunting.  I don’t have any readers.  I have a small and dedicated fan base who will read anything I write and they’re excited for this new project.  I admit I’m bad at social media and now I’m taking on a third handle.

But I believe in these books – I always have and I always will.  The first few readers told me the stories stuck with them.  Some even cried (I love making readers cry).  But these books are also uplifting with a guaranteed happily ever after.  I hope you’ll check them out.

To celebrate, I’m giving away a $5 Amazon gift card.  Let me know – what would make you take a chance on a new author.  Any advice for me?  Drop a comment and a random winner will win the GC.

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

About the series….

What’s better than love in the beautiful Cedar Valley in British Columbia, Canada? Find small town romances with a touch of angst, a bit of heat, and a lot of heart…
Each novel is a standalone, but they are best read in order:

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper (A small town interracial romance)
The Making of Marnie Jones (A small town enemies-to-lovers romance)
The Redemption of Remy St. Claire (A small town single-father fake-marriage romance)

Loriana Harper is the head librarian of the Mission City Public Library. She considers herself a matchmaker in this little town in British Columbia—especially for her employees. When a gorgeous technician arrives to update their computers, she can’t help musing about who might be his perfect match. Except, the more time she spends with Mitch, the more she wants him for herself.

Mitch Alexander left in disgrace from a good job in California. He’s come to this small town to make a new start where no one knows him. Although he has no plans to get involved with anyone, he’s drawn to the nosy, vivacious librarian who makes him smile. The local matchmaker might go overboard, but she has good intentions. Except he’s not in the market for any match, unless it’s with her.

When Mitch’s past catches up with him, and the police come calling, he has to decide if he’ll stay with Loriana or leave to save her from the taint of being associated with him. Loriana’s not ready to let her new man go without a fight—but maybe this is a match that wasn’t meant to be.

The Luminosity of Loriana Harper is an older-woman age-gap interracial romance with a touch of angst and a large cat named Plato. The book is the first in the Love in Cedar Valley series set in a small town in British Columbia, Canada.

UBL: https://books2read.com/Loriana
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVL3X4JZ
Amazon:  https://amzn.to/40SS9ry
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122872288-the-luminosity-of-loriana-harper
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-luminosity-of-loriana-harper-a-small-town-interracial-romance-love-in-cedar-valley-book-1-by-gabbi-powell

 FREE READ

The Absolution of Abigail Reardon (free prequel)
BF:  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/taqgb361fz

About the Author

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

Links:
Website:   http://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3142441314
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbipowell/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/gabbi.powell.9/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/powell_gabbi
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Powell/e/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

This is just a quick flyby like all my posts lately. I’ll be so happy to be rid of this stupid hand splint thingy. Tapping keys with three fingers is a pain. Doing shift key things is an even bigger pain because it slows me down while I use my right thumb them hunt and peck to find the keys with my left hand. My left-hand doesn’t know where the keys I hit with the right are, so I have to look down at the keyboard. Again, *whine*whine*whine*

I’m such a baby. And how I hate to call a kid or my daughter to pick things up for me or carry things downstairs for me. It’s endless, and then they get mad at me if I attempt it on my own. Gah

How are you doing today?

This is just a quick reminder that this freebie will go away soon,
so download your copy now!
The Runaway Bride

I think every day until my splint comes off, I’m going to gripe. Today, I have a bumpy rash between my fingers. After I shower, I’m going to leave off the splint and let my hand dry with some anti-yeast cream to see if that helps. My fingers being forced together all day is likely making it humid there. *whine-whine-whine*

I pushed around a vacuum cleaner with my hip and left hand yesterday. Tried to dust, but it took too long, so I decided I’d live with the dust until I can bribe a grandkid to do it for me. I directed the cleaning of Loki’s fish tank, but my daughter was horrified by the smell of fishy water and the poop. Again, I’ll bribe another kid to help with that, too. *whine-whine-whine*

I wish I’d broken my left hand because I can’t write with my left, so I’m abandoning my planner for the time being. *whine-whine-whine*

Tonight, after I do some real work today (editing), I’ll clear my desktop which has been a gathering place for coffee mugs and mail I can’t open without ripping it to shreds. All my scissors are naturally right-handed. I’ll give the 9-year-old my letter opener and have her go to town opening all my mail and laying it on my newly cleared desktop. *whine-whine-whine*

EVERYTHING IS A FUCKING PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE PLANNED. I’ll shower today and maybe forgo underwear to make my life a little easier. Wish I had a muumuu to throw over my head so I wouldn’t have to deal with pulling up my pants. *whine-whine-whine*

You folks have been wonderfully patient reading through my whine-fest. Here’s your reward:

Download now!

Christmas was LOVELY! I adored watching the kids open their gifts! I got lots of my favorite things from my family. They know me so well. Among my treasures, a couple of coffee mugs that’ll make me smile over my morning cups of coffee, a Zombie She-Hulk figurine for my curio shelf, lots of fuzzy socks, candles, and PAINTS! I still have to put everything away…but everything in its own time. We spent a lazy Christmas day, foraging through our Christmas meal, watching Spirited on TV (not as good as we’d hoped, but Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer were adorable together). We still have a week to enjoy the kids being at home. They’re hitting the sales today, while I get some peace and quiet. Maybe I’ll attack my newly acquired riches and put them away. Or maybe not. I do have edits to work on and a story to begin to plan… We’ll see how ambitious I am AFTER coffee. I really should attack Loki’s fish tank today.

Anyways, I’d love to hear how your Christmas went! Drop a comment. I do read every one of them. And remember to get your FREE READ before the offer ends!

A quick note authors: My copy of The Novel Workbook for Messy Writers by Gabrielle Prendergast arrived! Lots of worksheets, which I love! I wanted the hard copy to work on my next project, but authors, it’s FREE right now on Kindle Unlimited! Get your copy!

Last Day of Giveaway! **CLOSED**

If there’s a short story from my Short Story page that you’d like to read, just email me the title, and I’ll send you a download. My gift to you. Send those emails to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com now! This offer ends tomorrow!

I still haven’t WRAPPED my gifts for the kids! I’m so bad. I bought everything with time to spare but just haven’t been able to force myself to get out the wrapping paper and tape. I guess it has to be today because tomorrow, we do the adult gifting and are having our big meal. We’re doing that so we can include everyone in our family. The little ones will open gifts on Sunday morning after Santa delivers. Ahem. Yes, the youngest is nine, but she’s been told Santa doesn’t come to those who don’t believe, so she’ll likely be just like my daughter who still “believed” until she was in her late teens. 🙂

Anyways, I wanted to give you all something, too. If you don’t know, I have about forty (?) short stories, all listed on my Short Story page. If there’s one you’d like to read, just email me the title, and I’ll send you a download. My gift to you. Send those emails to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com by December 26th.