Author Blog

Author Blog

The mid-life journey of a product leader turned mythological fantasy and children's book author. D.M. De Alwis is a Canadian-born Sri Lankan author living north of Toronto. She has over a decade of experience as a product leader working with startups and has authored children's books and fantasy fiction.
03
Aug
The Final Edits | A Lion's Head

The Final Edits | A Lion's Head

In the final lap. Desire is the breeding ground for change. I must crush that desire—only serious edits required here.
4 min read
31
Jul
Canadian Indie Authors Spotlight | Children's Books by D.M. De Alwis

Canadian Indie Authors Spotlight | Children's Books by D.M. De Alwis

I'm excited to be listed by the Canadian Indie Authors' Substack and Instagram. Here are links to the post and a summary.
2 min read
30
Jul
I Can Change Anything Anytime

I Can Change Anything Anytime

Whiplash. Five days ago I sent a query to a literary agent. Today, I am talking about an October publication date. What shifted in my thinking? Am I still aiming for a traditionally published book?
4 min read
23
Jul
Dabbling with Book Covers

Dabbling with Book Covers

While my book is on submission, I'm making book covers. After 140+ rejections, my novel has a high probability of being indie-published as two novellas. Let's imagine what the final product will look like . . .
4 min read
11
Jul
What's Your Take?

What's Your Take?

Tell me what you think of this site, my overabundance of content, and the mediums I use.
1 min read
10
Jul
Why Write Gods as Fictional Characters

Why Write Gods as Fictional Characters

A conversation with my mother inspired this blog post which features 'an' origin story of Lord Ganesha's elephant head.
3 min read
08
Jul
Characters—Playlist for A Lion's Head

Characters—Playlist for A Lion's Head

I wish I'd taken up drawing as a child. Instead, I've got to make do with images drawn by others. Since I have no pictures, music will have to do. Dive into the backstories of the supporting characters.
4 min read
02
Jul
Editor Feedback—Is it Racism or Inexperience?

Editor Feedback—Is it Racism or Inexperience?

Feedback as a BIPOC writer comes with an additional levy. This is how I discern whether or not I need to (or how to) make revisions due to editor feedback.
7 min read
19
Jun
Why authors should affiliate with Bookshop.org

Why authors should affiliate with Bookshop.org

Isn't it great to be an independent author? To be honest, published authors have the same struggle with self-promotion. While I've had an account on goodreads.com for some time, I hadn't availed myself of all the benefits of creating a BookShop.org account.
3 min read
17
Jun
Goal | My books in 20 brick & mortar stores by the end of 2025.

Goal | My books in 20 brick & mortar stores by the end of 2025.

I'm lucky. I live in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Setting this goal is realistic and achievable, depending on whether or not I hear back from local booksellers. In the time it took me to write this blog post, I have changed September to autumn and then EOY.
6 min read