L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 6

One Month To Release Day!

I can’t believe we’re one short month away from the release of IN THE DARK OF A DREAM. Where has the time gone? This crazy little story that nagged at the back of my brain for five years finally fought its way out onto paper and it will be in my hot little hands in a few weeks.

Through right turns and u-turns, standstills and moments of crushing self-doubt, this book pushed through and made its way into the world. I could not be prouder. Or more exhausted. And guess what I’m doing now?

Yep – I’m drafting the next novel. Writing is a terrible addiction and a wonderful way of life simultaneously. The endless cycle puts one book on a shelf while the next is pulled from my brain with a fork. Or at least, it feels like it sometimes.

I can’t wait for you to meet J.J. and the great supporting cast that gets her through her nightmarish ordeal.

One month – mark your calendars!

A To Z Book Review: Firefly: Big Damn Hero By James Lovegrove

My letter “F” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was FIREFLY: BIG DAMN HERO by James Lovegrove. Ooooh it was great to be back in the ‘verse. This book was immensely fun, incredibly captivating, and just a bit sad. The sad comes because this book reads just like an episode (set between “The Message” and “Heart of Gold” in the series canon), and I want to rage and cry again at the shortsightedness of Fox in canceling one fantastic, big damn show.

If you’re a Firefly lover, don’t wait as long as I did and pick this up. The premise of the story is this: a group of Browncoats (rebels, if you haven’t watched the show before and OH MY GOD STOP READING NOW AND BINGE THE WHOLE DAMN SHOW IMMEDIATELY if so) who are still salty about their losses in the Battle of Serenity Valley, and have decided Mal somehow did them dirty. They set a trap for Mal, kidnap him and whisk him away while the rest of the crew searches the galaxy for him – all while transporting some very questionable, highly unstable explosives.

This book has all the characters, humor and situations we loved in Firefly. There’s an epic bar fight, lots of Chinese cursing, Mal verbally abuses his captors, Kaylee is frantic about Mal’s loss, Zoe and Wash have that rough flirty vibe, Book is serene, Simon is worried, River plays the flute for the explosives to keep them “calm,” and Jayne is – well, he’s Jayne. ‘Nuff said.

We get some new backstory details on Mal and Shepherd Book, and all the rollicking fun, clever dialogue, and unexpected twists you can depend on in a Firefly episode. I felt like I’d just had a reunion with my very best friends in the world – you know, the ones who always embarrass the shit out of you.

It’s a big damn five shooting stars on this one.

A To Z Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries

My letter “E” pick for this year’s A to Z Book List was Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. This one has been out a few years and of course, on my TBR list and I’m very happy to say I finally got around to reading it. The story is essentially comprised of the field notes of Professor Emily Wilde of Cambridge who, along with her trusty dog Shadow, arrive in the small village of Hrafnsvik. This is an icy, winter-blasted place that Emily hopes will provide her with information on never-before seen species of faeries, including the elusive Courtly Fae, who often roam among humans in disguise.

Professor Wendell Bambleby – Emily’s colleague at Cambridge – arrives to bedevil her. There’s a barely-friendly rivalry between them based on the fact that Bambleby is a man, and a full year younger than Emily, yet he’s tenured and she is not. Wendell Bambleby is an absolute delight and treats Emily like an equal. He’s charming, incredibly good-looking, falls into bed with besotted women on a regular basis, but is lazy and relatively nonchalant about the research Emily is so severely dedicated to – all of which set Emily’s teeth on edge as her social skills are awkward at best and she’s grumpy more often than not. She agrees to work with Bambleby to gather information and co-author a paper for a prestigious upcoming conference on Dryadology that she has never been invited to before. 

That’s as much as I can share of the plot without major spoilers but let me say that I absolutely loved this magical book. It reads at a sedate pace but it never seemed to drag. Emily’s knowledge of and encounters with the Fae are so detailed and entrancing, I felt immediately sucked into that world. The rivalry-to-romance between her and Bambleby (along with their very entertaining banter) was a joy to read as it unraveled. Bambleby won my heart despite his vanity. I’ve always had a thing for Irish guys, and an Irish guy who’s hiding a big secret is especially captivating. This is an easy five stars and will definitely be a treasured re-read again and again.

Imposter Syndrome: The Angst Is Real

Oh, Imposter Syndrome. You are a ravenous bitch who constantly gnaws at my soul. I don’t know a writer in the history of ever who hasn’t been plagued by it at one time or another. John Steinbeck had it. Stephen King has had it. Colleen Hoover admits struggling with it. Neil Gaiman – NEIL FRIGGING GAIMAN – gets it. Why do we do this to ourselves?

When I landed my first book deal – with a big five publisher, no less – I reached out to several agents, looking for representation. My email subject line was “Debut author with two book contract offer seeks representation” (it’s crazy how agents will actually answer your emails with that as an opener).

As I was interviewing them all, I explained that I had entered a YA novel contest with Macmillan and was lucky enough to be one of the five books chosen for publication. I remember one very smart, no-nonsense agent (who I will forever kick myself for not choosing) stopped me at the word lucky.

“Hold on,” she said. “Why are you saying that word? It sounds to me like you had a story that you wrote, and rewrote and edited and polished, then submitted to a big five publisher, and an editor read it and offered you a two-book deal. Where’s the luck in that? It sounds to me like you’re a writer who worked hard for what she got.”

I had a story, and I wrote it. That made me a writer. I put the work in, persevered through rejections and being utterly ignored, and triumphed over a lot of personally challenging stuff while I did it all. And now I’m a traditionally published author. I’ve also been an independently published author. The point is, I accomplished it all because I’m a writer. I’ve been one since I wrote that first word. I shouldn’t be wasting time convincing myself of that.

And neither should you.

A To Z Book Review: Defiant By Brandon Sanderson

My letter “D” pick for the A to Z book Challenge was DEFIANT (Skyward Book Four) by Brandon Sanderson. This is the final (?) book in the Skyward series – the question mark is there because Sanderson has said in interviews that he may write more about Skyward flight at a later date. This book is the conclusion to the adventures of Spensa Nightshade, Skyward Flight, and the Defiant Defense Force as they battle the galactic Superiority and their stranglehold on the member planets of the Federation, and also fight for their own survival against not only the Superiority, but a race of super-powered dimension-traveling beings known as Delvers, who are also bent on human destruction.

As a wrap-up to the series, it did tie up the loose ends, gave our main characters their happily-ever-after, and gut punched us with a major loss and the impairment of two main characters. It had Sanderson’s usual snarky dialogue and humor, as well as a good mix of peril and triumphant moments. Best of all we get more of Spensa’s hilarious AI-run ship, M-Bot (in my opinion the best character of the series). My only gripe was that the true villain of the story ended up being rather one-dimensional. I had been hoping for a redemption arc for this character, and she ended up going out with a whimper instead of a bang. So it’s four stars out of five on this solid, almost-satisfying conclusion to a great series.

A To Z Book Review: Creativity By John Cleese

My letter “C” pick for this year’s A to Z reading challenge was CREATIVITY: A SHORT AND CHEERFUL GUIDE by John Cleese.

I adore John Cleese. He’s hilarious. He’s innovative. Most of all, he’s utterly brilliant. This book is short but not a page is wasted. Through personal anecdotes (and a bit of research from psychologists), John shows us that yes, you can indeed teach someone how to be creative, or as John puts it, “You can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative.“

John gives great tips for putting you in that creative space, battling writer’s block, putting something, anything down on paper just to get the ball rolling, and realizing that creativity is more than what you’re thinking about in the moment. John firmly believes that your subconscious plays a big part in creativity. He likens it to having a meal, then going about your day while your stomach is still busily digesting it without any conscious thought. His biggest advice for writer’s block is to put it out of your mind entirely and you’ll be surprised when a creative idea flits in while you’re thinking of something else.

I’m giving this four stars out of five. It would have been a five star read, but John did keep referring to one psychologist and his research again and again, almost to the point where it read like a biography of the guy. Still a good read, though.

A To Z Review: Bookshops & Bonedust By Travis Baldree

My letter “B” pick for this year’s A to Z challenge was BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST by Travis Baldree. Fresh off last year’s success with LEGENDS & LATTES (my Book of the Year for last year’s challenge), Baldree once again delights and enchants with another installment of a genre he seems to have invented: cozy fantasy.

In this prequel to LEGENDS & LATTES, we once again meet Viv, but this time our favorite orc is in her younger days, running with a mercenary group known as Rackham’s Ravens. In the course of their hunting down an evil necromancer, Viv is injured and is forced to convalesce in the tiny port town of Murk until Rackham and his group can swing back around and join up with her again. Used to battle and adventures, Viv gets stir-crazy pretty quickly and roams the town only to find a run-down bookshop and its rattkin owner who has a knack for choosing just the right book for each customer.

Viv ends up – to her surprise and ours – becoming an avid reader, and taking an interest in the renovation of the shop and the attracting of new customers. All of this occurs in a town straight out of a tabletop role playing game, with a colorful, quirky cast of characters, loads of humor and charm, and a touch of danger with the necromancer. The ending was warm and heartfelt, and once again, I felt like I’d just been hugged and given a cup of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows when it was over.

This book was an easy, cozy five stars.

2024 A To Z Challenge: A Soul Of Ash And Blood

I’m kicking off a new year of the A to Z Challenge with A SOUL OF ASH AND BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This almost feels like a cheat, as I’ve read this story before in FROM BLOOD AND ASH, but this iteration gives us Casteel’s point of view. Armentrout turns the story into a unique new book flush with additional scenes about Cas and Kieran’s time in Masadonia (and all the details about the vengeance Cas visited upon the Duke), and of course, all of Cas’s heartfelt and often very naughty thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, but that’s a common occurrence when I read this author. The FROM BLOOD AND ASH series is one of my absolute favorites, and if you’re a lover of spicy Romantasy and adore authors like Sarah J. Maas, you need to dive into these. It’s a rare author who can take a cop-out of a premise like retelling the exact same story from another point of view and make you feel like you just read a fresh installment of the series from all you learned in the retelling. On top of that, Armentrout adds a very, VERY surprising twist of an ending that will leave you gasping and re-reading in a “hell yeah!” sort of shock. Five solid stars for another great installment to this series.

What’s Up (So Far) For 2024

Just a quick look at the book launches and events I have set for 2024 (so far). I’ve got the re-release of TRAVELER & DREAMER out near the end of this month, once all the interior and ebook formatting to reflect the new publisher is complete. Then I have IN THE DARK OF A DREAM launching in April. Along with that I’ll be attending several book festivals (and adding more as they come), and I’m happy to announce that I’ll be presenting a workshop at this year’s annual Pennwriters conference. It’s going to be one fun and busy year and I’m excited for all of it!

2023: A Year In Review

Another year is in the rearview mirror and it was a really good one. It started with an outstanding author event at Towne Book Center in Collegeville, PA. They’ve always been great at partnering with local authors, and this time was no exception. Next came a romance author event in February (under my other pen name) that was a resounding success. March saw me flirt with the idea of doing something that had been requested of me more than a few times – writing a book about writing. I’ve mentored various writing groups across the years, and facilitated several workshops, and I’ve been asked if I had a book about the craft. I decided to go ahead and get it done.

In April I spent a wonderful weekend at The Highlights Foundation attending the Eastern PA SCBWI Pocono Remix and thoroughly enjoyed keynote speaker Leah Henderson. I also joined some of my fellow SCBWI authors at Aaron’s Books in Lititz, PA for a book signing. Then in May I attended the Pennwriters conference in Pittsburgh where I met a lot of talented authors, took in some great workshops, and got to dress like a faerie.

June saw me attending the IABX Children’s Book Festival. This was an inaugural event and it was very well organized and attended. In July I was a signing author at two more romance book festivals under the alternate moniker, and August saw me writing and prepping for the height of book fest season.

September came and I had a blast at two different book festivals: Books, Books, Books in Lancaster, PA and the Festival of Books in the Alleghenies at Ebensburg, PA. I met a lot of wonderful readers and sold a lot of books.

October sent me to the Collingswood Book Festival in Collingswood, NJ and The Write Women Book Festival in Bowie, MD – both outstanding events that yielded new author friends and even more book sales. Then it was release day for BLOW YOUR MIND, WRITE YOUR BOOK. Now I have a writing book to refer people to when they ask me. Go me!

November was spent with NaNoWriMo, and my newest work in progress, a fantasy YA story about Anya, one of the seven daughters of death. Together with the ghost of a long-dead bard, she’s going to save her world from the dark force that is slowly destroying it. I also spent a fun afternoon at the Lititz Public Library for their local author event. Turnout was great and as usual, I met many wonderful readers and authors. I also announced that I’ve re-acquired the rights to TRAVELER and DREAMER and I’m exploring the continuation of the series. I ended the month with the cover reveal of my next YA novel, IN THE DARK OF A DREAM – coming in April 2024. This one is about a girl with chronic night terrors who finds herself sucked into a virtual reality experiment that’s gone horribly wrong.

December started with a bang at The Festival of Words in Middletown, Delaware. This was a new event for me, and I had a blast with all the local high school students and took part in a panel discussion with a few of my YA author friends. And that brings us to the end of this busy and beautiful year. I am beyond grateful for all the great events I attended and all the terrific people I met. Here’s to 2024!