I'm back! After a few months away, I'm back in the closet with a mic, some iced coffee, and a lot to get into. 

In this episode I catch up on my May TBR, I talk about the 12 Lives Challenge,   about my Hallmark mystery obsession and what it has to do with writing romance, I break down the release plan for Standard of Care, and get into event season.

Beverage Break: Iced coffee. It was 11 a.m.  

Book Report

2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge: 53 of 150 books — 35% toward goal, 4 books ahead of schedule.

What I want to get read in May: 

• These Heathens: A Novel — Mia McKenzie (listening on audio)
• Ms. Lorraine's Late-in-Life Love — T.L. Martin | A reverse age-gap novella set in the world of The Black Wife Effect in the Cinnamon Grove neighborhood. 1 Read it in one night. Delightful — especially if you're 40+ and into romance.
• L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood — Anne Soon Choi | The next 12 Lives Challenge read.
• Mist and Malice (Haven #2) — Rachel Howzell Hall
• The Drowning Season — Debra Webb | ALC from NetGalley. Releases approximately May 12th.
• Sunset Over Napa Valley — Monica Garner | ARC that is no longer an ARC — released April 28th. Getting to it.

The 12 Lives Challenge

Hosted by Dr. Raymond Williams (@rtwilliams16). The goal: read 12 biographies in 2026. The rule: biographies only! No memoirs, no autobiographies. It has to be a book about someone, written by someone else.  Join in and use the hashtag #the12liveschallenge.

DL's progress — 4 of 12:

1. The Smartest Guys in the Room — Bethany McLean & Peter Elkind (the fall of Enron)
2. The Wizard of Lies — Diana B. Henriques (Bernie Madoff)
3. The Butler: A Witness to History — Wil Haygood
4. G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century — Beverly Gage

What I'm Streaming

• Garage Sale Mysteries — amateur sleuth, small town, cozy stakes, killer always gets caught
• Haley Dean Mysteries
• Mystery 101
• Occasional free mystery movies on Hulu and YouTube

Why it connects to writing: Romance and cozy mystery run on the same contract with the reader: the outcome is known going in. The satisfying ending is guaranteed.  The work is in stacking complications, near-misses, and tension so the reader stays engaged even when they know where it's going. That is the exact problem a romance writer solves every time they sit down.

Low stakes, familiar structure, no emotional tax after months of finishing a book is  not a guilty pleasure, it is maintenance and self care. 

Writing & Publishing Update

Crime Writers of Color Podcast

I sat down with Robert Justice on the Crime Writers of Color podcast to talk about Missing Persons, a Young Investigations novel. Episode dropped April 16, 2026.

If you haven't read Missing Persons yet — attorney Wesley Payne and private investigator Yvette Young take on a missing father case that gets complicated fast. It's a romantic mystery (DL's words) and the perfect entry point if you've been curious.

Listen to the episode: crimewritersofcolor.com/cwoc-podcast/missing-persons-with-dl-white

Standard of Care Release Plan

The book is done. Edited, formatted, promo materials in hand (shoutout to Smirks Novel Tea for the graphics).

May 15 : Soft Launch (website/direct only)

• Ebook available at booksbydlwhite.com/shop

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