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Free Book Friday June 14: In Conversation With – Paranormal Fantasy Romance Author D.L. Lewellyn

In Conversation With: D.L. Lewellyn

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with author D.L. Lewellyn. Can I offer you anything to drink?

Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Leon. I’m good with my mug of black coffee and donut holes for now. And just for the record, I rarely eat donuts. I’m just making sure my husband doesn’t eat the whole box.

Did you know, that in Canada we don’t call them doughnut holes? Our flagship cult and addiction corporation, Tim Hortons, supplies the population with “Tim Bits.” For a brief time, rival chain Robin’s Doughnuts offered “Robin’s Eggs” but they have mysteriously disappeared…

Both are clever names to disguise that they’re really just little sugary blogs of fat.

So true…
I read that you have traced your roots back to the 1600s. Anyone famous or imfamous you care to name drop?

Ha! You would think there might be in all that time, but alas, just pioneers and farmers though those adventurous souls are remarkable in and of themselves. My Godby ancestor didn’t do anything more famous than travel in 1610 to the Jamestown colony on the Sea Venture, which foundered on the reefs near St. George (Bermuda) after battling a storm. All survived and lived on the island while they built two ships from the wreckage, the Patience and Deliverance. Pocahontas was also a survivor. The Sea Venture’s fate allegedly inspired Shakespeare to write The Tempest, and Bermuda became a British settlement.

Thomas Godby made it back to a decimated colony aboard the Deliverance and thrived until an argument at a neighbor’s home one evening caused an injury that ended him. His death at the hands of William Bentley resulted in one of the first colonial criminal trials with a jury of twelve. After receiving a manslaughter verdict, Mr. Bentley demanded that “he ought not to die” and claimed the “benefit of clergy” and his life was spared. The benefit of clergy was the defense of the literate. He could read so he was worth keeping alive, right?

And you didn’t think I had stories. I promise to stop here.

Never ask an author to tell a story, right?

Especially one who’s a hermit and tends to yak a lot when let out of her she-cave.

What was the first thing you wrote that was made publically available?

My very first writing venture was my paranormal romance series, The Starlight Chronicles. I self-published book one, Ursus Borealis in July 2021, six months after starting my story. Book two, Drago Incendium, followed that December, and two years later I polished up and republished the first two with book three, Tigris Vegus, dropping on my 60th birthday.

I noticed this picture on your website:

Please tell me you write all your books with this wonderful piece of technology.

I wish I could! I have a thing for classic typewriters. This is my Dick Van Dyke Show inspired gem. I did intend to journal with it, but wow! Those keys are hard to strike.

I actually learned to type on something like that in high school. They are also very loud.

I’m so old that besides the modern IBM Selectrics, my classroom included typewriters from the 1920s with those super high keys that could do a number on your fingers when they slipped between them, which was like always. The teacher wanted us to get a feel for the keyboard. I do miss the auditory feedback in these classic functional machines.

Okay, let’s get to what the readers really want to know. What’s the longest scarf you have ever knitted?

Haha! I’ll just say I’ve knitted scarves lengthy enough to trip over. And lots of them.

Onto the book, or books for that matter. What authors influenced you?

I’ve been a seriously obsessed reader since before I could hold a book. My Dad stoked the fire by reading me bedtime stories. He has a wonderful voice. As a result, I’ve been influenced by an eclectic list of classic literature and modern authors and genres: Frank Herbert, Dean Koontz, Joanna Lindsey, Jude Deveraux, Jane M. Auel, Tolkien, Thomas Harris, Grisham, Crichton, Cook, Cussler (gotta have my Dirk Pitt), and James Herriot. I went through a period of cozy craft mysteries set in knitting and stitching shops around the country (too many to name). In my later years, I discovered paranormal romance adventure (Romantasy these days). My all-time favorite is Grace Draven but there are so many amazing authors in this genre. Romance is my primary jam.

My dad did the same for me. Maybe you’ll let me tell that story if you want to interview me sometime.

Funny you should mention that. To your readers… Check out my June Spotlight Guest interview with Leon at bydllewellyn.com where our discussion continues. And speaking of Grace Draven, she was my December guest.

Hey! Only one plug per interview…
Moving on. Do you have a favorite book?

I would love to name just one, but as you can see by the list above, my tastes are varied and many, and I love so many different aspects of all of these writers’ storytelling styles. I think that’s why I finally tried my hand at writing. Reading for me must be entertaining above all things. So, the stories that deliver the escape are the ones that stick.

What was the inspiration for The Starlight Chronicles?

After spending a summer consuming nearly 200 paranormal fantasy romances and deciding I wanted to write one myself, the first plot seed that took hold came from my fascination with ancient cultures and the idea they might have been aliens. I focused on the Sumerians. I love Earth history mixed with sci-fi. My antagonists are three immortal brothers from the planet Anurash who came to Earth in the time of Mesopotamia. Their arrival instigated the development of the “black-headed ones.” Over time, they merged their DNA with animal shifters and forged a supernatural race to rival the other races of Fae, Vampires, and Shifters in my world that share Earth with humans.

Writing this series allowed me to explore a modern world where humans unknowingly for the most part live alongside these magical races. You might call it urban fantasy except that much of the story is set in lesser populated places like Quincy, California, and Ketchikan, Alaska.

Sci-fi/Fantasy is wonderful, isn’t it? You can take everyday people and throw them into a mix of all sorts of beings and any situation you can think up.

Yeah, and alternate timelines, too. Throw the fact-checking out the window…

What’s a fact but imagination with data? I’m not really sure what that means, but it sounded good.

Who does your cover art?

Me. I had to approach my writing passion as a hobby with a minimal budget. I use Canva primarily to design my covers and promotions. I do my own website and newsletter design. Art is also a passion, so graphic design is an enjoyable outlet, and I’m constantly learning to do things better. (I really need to figure out how to do wrap-around covers.) I also do my own editing and publishing, using tools like MS Word (love the Read Aloud feature), AutoCrit’s editing platform, and Draft2Digital. I have a background as a paralegal and administrative assistant, so editing was sort of a life-long occupation. I also have a lovely, talented niece who shares my creative passions and contributes to all my endeavors in various ways, depending on her availability.

I do my own too, and made a lot of mistakes, but have learned from them.

By the way, my parenthetical above was a hint for a tip on wrap-around covers. I love yours for Euphrates Vanished.

I just emailed ya.
I always like learning about the musical tastes of other authors. Any favorites?

So many! I love blues and rock going back generations (even the old Mississippi Delta greats like John Lee Hooker and R. L. Burnside). My favorite modern bands are The Black Keys, Cake, The Record Company, and Nathaniel Ratliff & the Night Sweats.

Nathaniel Ratliff. Sure a good songwriter. Doesn’t he great voice?

Every one of his songs makes me sit in the car after pulling into the garage and finish listening.

Are you ready for the lightning round?

Bring it!

Love the enthusiasm!
Least favorite social media platform?
Twitter!
[Loud buzzer] Oh, sorry. Minus one point for using the old name.
I refuse to call it X. That’s when it all went down hill.
Last binged show?
Blue Eye Samurai
First vehicle you purchased?
A Plymouth Champ
Favorite city?
San Francisco
Diner, Drive-in, or Dive?
BJs Brewery (Sorry, northern Nevada is woefully short on cool places to eat)
Scariest animal you have encountered?
Been too close to cougars, bears, and scorpions.
Oh my…

This has been a pleasure. Thanks for chatting. I’m looking forward to meeting your readers when they drop by to learn a bit more about you. Any links you want to share?

Thanks again for the opportunity to chat, Leon! And for stopping by my Spotlight blog!

My website is bydllewellyn.com and you can find my blogs, interviews, short stories, and The Starlight Chronicles there and through my Books2Read link, or directly on Amazon. Other ways I love to stay in touch are through my newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Read my past interviews here:

Leon Interviews Authors

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ARC sign up here!The story behind Free Book Friday:

I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?

Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. Therein lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.

Some free book offers require a newsletter sign-up, which is a small non-monetary price to pay to try out a new indie author.

Reads From StoryOrigin and BookFunnel

StoryOrigin and BookFunnel allows authors to advertise their books to each other’s audience. I hope you have been able to discover a new favorite!

Review Copies (These are free!)

Review copies: Like reviewing books? Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/