Welcome back to The Bookcast. I’m DL White, and this episode is an easy, unstructured start to Season 7!  I’m talking through how I approach a new year, what I’ve been reading, what I want to write, and how I’m easing into 2026 without forcing goals before I’m ready.

Books mentioned in this episode: 

• Kin — Tayari Jones (ebook, ARC)
• No One Knew — Kendra Elliott (audiobook, ALC)
• Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget — Zuri Day (audiobook, recent release)

Books by DL White referenced

• Calculated Risk (now wide; ebook, print, and audio)
• The Never List
• Missing Persons
• Hey Lover
• Elysium
• The Pearl

Shorts & Fanfiction

• A Misadventure in Cloudcroft, New Mexico
• Questions and Answers (coming up on Substack sook)

Writing Plans for 2026

• The goal is two & a possible.
• My first project of the year is in planning, anticipated to be ready before Black Romance Book Fest in May, which means drafting now and editing by late March.
• I’m using 20K in Five Days (Jan 21–25) to get a strong foundation in place.
• Continue producing shorter works to increase reader discovery 
• Writing new characters makes me more energized right now than forcing long-stalled series work.

Everything else is light and in-flux. My year really begins in March, so I'm ramping slowly. Strap in for the ride! 

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