Plenilune, a word that evokes an intense sense of attraction to the mystique of life’s darkness. In this compilation of stories, authors show what plenilune can mean to their characters—different points of view, various genres, all bound to this one concept. Join us as we take you on this intense journey to a world where we embrace the darker side of life.
Writing is still on hiatus for me, but never the writers! Come back tomorrow for an excellent conversation with my critique buddy, Isa Ottoni, who just launched her debut dark cottagecore fantasy novel, Path of the Crescent Moon.
I have more interviews scheduled for the year, and I plan to revisit one of my 2025 summer guests (a fellow local author from last year’s Viriginia City Writing Retreat) for updates on their year in writing. Scroll down for this year’s Retreat highlights.
I plan to have two (for sure one) short story appearing in upcoming TDB Author Collective anthologies, so stay tuned for those exciting publications. Thanks to all of you who visit my blogs and read my books! Your support is so appreciated.
Health
Meanwhile, on the home front, I’m three weeks past hip replacement surgery and thrilled with the results. The first week and a half, I was a big baby wondering what the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks! I was thinking. Typical for early post-op days, I suppose. I’ve only had three surgeries in my life, and I’m pretty sure this was even more invasive than my partial mastectomy. Those scars they leave on your butt? Huge! This time I remembered to mention that the only time I can ever throw up is when my body wants to purge pain drugs and anesthesia (last time all the way out of the hospital and in the car on the way home), so the anesthesiologist kindly stuck an antinausea patch on my neck. Beauty!
Oh, and it was my first time at Carson-Tahoe Hospital. I was impressed. Not crowded either…
Okay, enough of that. Can you guess what I’ve been doing during recovery?
Stitchy Update Time!
Virginia City Writing Retreat 2026
It was super awesome having a writing retreat at the end of May right before surgery to keep my mind off being sliced and diced. My friend Dee and I enjoyed our cozy room again, the abundant homemade food, and the classes, like how to write a cozy mystery, researching–the good old-fashioned way (in person and making actual phone calls)–for our fiction and non-fiction stories, and character development. I missed the pitch (to an agent) class but learned it was super entertaining watching the roll-play. The highlight this year was a book display organized by author and awesome cover designer, Salem T. Lynn, where attendees could share and sell their books. I bought two and got them signed, of course. Jacci Turner will be a guest on my August Spotlight. Our wonderful host and author, Kim Harnes, outdid herself once again.
Our TDB group of indie authors is so busy! Yet even as we all work on our next novels, market our published books, and network, we find time to contribute stories to these beautiful collections assembled and published by The Dreamer’s Bookshop, which was created to support indie authors. Enjoy another batch of amazing writing, all about passion, from diverse authors in different themes, genres, and styles.
“Ardour. Passion That Ignites the Soul” Featuring “Pixie Dust & Stud Collars” by D. L. Lewellyn.
Meet Shannon, a journalist covering an all-girl punk rock band, the Twisted Chords. After witnessing another swoon-worthy pub goer vanish before her eyes during a performance, Shannon is determined to get to the bottom of it. The problem is that no one but her seems to notice the strange, dust-like phenomena emanating from the stage and swirling toward the unsuspecting victim. And worse, she feels oddly connected to whatever the weirdness is.
We launched our first collection, “Dreams,” in December. If you love poetry and stories in multiple genres all about DREAMS and ARDOUR, you can support the authors, including me, by purchasing the books and wonderful matching merch directly through the charming little shop in Belgium. Paperbacks are available on Amazon.
I recently explored the concept of my characters sprouting from alien spoors, seeding my mind with featureless golems that come to life through my fingers and spring over the keyboard. Yes, I live with pods in my head. I really like it in there, and they depend on me.
What I don’t like is having to leave them behind when I come out to do all the mind-bending, endless labor it takes to publish and sell books. Too much time getting headaches when all I want to do is add dimension to my pod family! …And maybe find some time to relax with the hubby. That seems to be a hard-won bonus these days. I mostly get to see him when he comes to visit my pod people. He’s very amenable that way.
But I’m being honest here… I mostly want to run screaming back to the confines of my imagination. There are scenes needing to be written! More characters that lay dormant, waiting for the words to make them whole. Why must I go down a million internet vortexes that lead to galaxies, that lead to universes where it seems I might never find my way back out, just to get them out into the world?
Do they really need to go into print? Maybe my pod people are happier where they are.
The bottom line is, I tell their stories for readers to enjoy.
So, grow pod people, take shape, and fly off the page and into cozy reading nooks everywhere.
Updated Blog, January 2026 – This year is the fifth anniversary of my series launch! Enjoy The Starlight Chronicles... On SALE January 26 – 30!
Artwork above and below by:
Vic DeLeon Art Director, Ark II, Studio Wildcard – ArtStation.com
By D. L. Lewellyn 