Author Blog
Writing Buddhism into Fiction
Curious about what it would look like? In this article I explore some of the ways I use Buddhist principles in world-building for my fantasy fiction novels.
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.
Author Blog
From Idea to Two Books
A series of experiments to publish a book: From spaghetti thrown on the wall—seeing what sticks—, to a series of intentional experiments formulated to grow measured outcomes and propel myself and my work forward.
Author Blog
Reflecting on Reviews & Feedback
I wanted to title this blog post 'What were you thinking?' maybe in bold or all-caps. Feedback is hard to receive. Here's what I think when I receive it. I start by talking about Em-dashes and move on to Book Reviews.
Author Blog
Translating Mythic Fantasy into ART with Illustrator ERINYE
Let's talk about the original covers for the Pawn of Samsara duology: A Lion's Head and A Lion's Pride and unpack why I didn't immediately hire an illustrator for my work. I'll also deep dive into how I find and work with my illustrators.
Behind-the-Scenes
Writing Intentions for Autumn
Choosing what you will succeed and what you will fail at is a form of boundary setting that limits overwhelm, sets priorities, and puts me in the driver seat of my destiny. Trust in the universe to set to rights all that is outside your control.
Author Blog
End of the Summer
With Autumn on the horizon, I need to set some serious intentions around finishing the next great novel. Here's to three weeks vacation, watching the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with my kids, and the surprising misfortune that brought me back to myself.
Author Blog
What happened before A Lion's Head?
Before the humans came, the immortal realm was populated by a civilization of Asura demi-gods. These beings were highly disciplined, technologically advanced, and considered half-divine, half-sage by Indian scholars.
Author Blog
A New Release in June
A few things are happening this month, including the voting for the Aurora Prix award for YA Fantasy, my latest release in collaboration with illustrator Chris Ho, and upcoming events.
Author Blog
The Storyteller's Intent
How does the craft happen? Where do stories come from?
Author Blog
The Pink Eye Yaksha with illustrator Chris Ho
Cover reveal and background behind the #kidlit horror novella, The Eyes of Ess-Vaha (The Pink Eye Yaksha), in collaboration with Toronto-based illustrator Chris Ho.
Author Blog
The Chains that Bind us
Do we have free will when we're all pawns in a game of kings? How is the "sacred geometry of chance" built on past lives, current societal events, and what we care most about?
Author Blog
Retrospective on A Lion's Pride
A good habit I adopted from years in the tech industry was carrying out a retrospective after something has been finished. Not only should this be done in real time (on a weekly basis) but also over long term milestone completion.