world building
010 | How Buddhist Cosmology Inspired the Pawn of Samsara Duology
No spoilers. The Pawn of Samsara (POS) duology cemented the ground rules for world-building my fantasy universe. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
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
January Stats | Good Things Come to Those who Wait
I'm in the clouds. I'm drifting. I'm diving. I'm swooping. I'm circling the runway. Will I land? I'm doing what I often do to procrastinate—experimenting and analyzing.
Author Blog
Goals for February and beyond
This didn't fit in the end-of-January newsletter.
Author Blog
How Author's use Social Media for Discoverability
An overview of an author's marketing funnel, growing your social media funnel and re-establishing why.
Author Blog
When Sh!t happens to hurt your pride
Costly mistake in the name of efficiency. I'm brave enough to admit it and talk about my loss of pride. #Adventures-in-book-publishing.
Author Blog
Subscribers, I thank you...
Today is January 15th. This email announces the three winners for copies of the Pawn of Samsara Duology. All of my subscribers were entered to win. For those of you who didn't win, there's a freebie attached.
Author Blog
Goals for 2026 | Beginning with a Giveaway
I've started executing on my 2026 goals. Time is a limited commodity when you have a full house with three kids, pets, a partner, and the demands of a full course load. I have three projects I need to cut through this year.
Author Blog
Going Even Wider | Google Books!
As a new Publisher, I'm discovering new things every day. Today I spent time creating a series of BookBub ads that will run in the first quarter of next year—one field I hadn't seen before: a link to Google Books.
Author Blog
Recording My First Audiobook | A Lion's Head
How a side conversation with my husband about what I'd like to do for the next year led to recording my audiobook in the tight confines of my closet.
Author Blog
A Lion's Pride is out!
A rambling post. TLDR: the sequel is available for pre-order at major booksellers. Get your print copies from January 6th, 2025.
Author Blog
When it happens...
Because it will happen, what is unknown is "when"—goals for this winter break (until January 12th, 2026) and beyond. I also provide a recap of the year 2025.
Author Blog
My First Book Launch
Holding this event as an unknown author was my way of showing gratitude to the people who have helped me pass every milestone on this journey.