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.
22
Jan
When Sh!t happens to hurt your pride

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.
4 min read
15
Jan
Subscribers, I thank you...

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.
3 min read
04
Jan
Goals for 2026 | Beginning with a Giveaway

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.
7 min read
31
Dec
Going Even Wider | Google Books!

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.
2 min read
31
Dec
Recording My First Audiobook | A Lion's Head

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.
5 min read
28
Dec
A Lion's Pride is out!

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.
8 min read
19
Dec
When it happens...

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.
3 min read
23
Nov
My First Book Launch

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.
6 min read
15
Oct
My first Ad campaign - BookBub & A Lion's Head

My first Ad campaign - BookBub & A Lion's Head

I started an experiment after hearing good things about authors receiving easy traction using BookBub. My budget? $50. Timescale? From now until New Year's Eve.
1 min read
13
Oct
What does AI say about my work? Living Writer

What does AI say about my work? Living Writer

I ran an early draft of both of my books through Living Writer's AI, and this is what I got.
2 min read