“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here.

In this episode, I speak with New York Times Bestseller Dhonielle Clayton about writing with purpose, real markers of success, and of course, imposter syndrome.

Find her online at https://www.dhonielleclayton.com/. Her latest book is The Memory Thieves, the second entry in the middle grade Conjurverse series.

Subscribe to the podcast: https://lpenelope.com/podcast

Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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• Daughter of the Merciful Deep out on June 4, 2024 - Release Giveaway!
  • Launch event @ Sankofa Books
  • My events

  • Launch event @ Sankofa Books in Washington, DC - https://www.sankofa.com/events/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep

• My events - https://lpenelope.com/calendar/

• NPR mention - https://www.npr.org/2024/05/21/1251024211/best-books-2024-what-to-read

• My online plotting workshop - June 15, 2024 - https://hamptonroadswriters.org/event/june-15-2024-from-idea-to-first-draft-how-to-plot-your-novel-by-leslye-penelope/

• The Story Seed Mini-course - https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/courses/story-seed

• Whimsical - https://whimsical.com/

• The Fall Guy movie

• That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming - https://amzn.to/3wJ2rk6

• Ink & Magic podcast with Kimberly Lemming - https://www.inkandmagic.net/e/ep-28-fantasy-romcoms-with-kimberly-lemming/

• "Growth is not linear" - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5o8ZybijLK/

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Music credit:

Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here.

In this interview, I speak with #1 New York Times Bestseller Kelley Armstrong about maintaining longevity in a career, her refreshing perspective from her time in the publishing trenches, and what keeps her going.

Find her online at https://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/. Her latest release is Disturbing the Dead, book 3 in the Rip Through Time historical mystery series.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UWQwCkosISQ.

Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast

Get the Footnotes newsletter and become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show - https://paypal.me/heartspell

Watch the live podcast on YouTube.

Mentioned:

• EF Go Ahead Tours - https://www.goaheadtours.com/tours
• A few of my photos from Greece - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5orMwfOgpR/ - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5qZl7-OWsO/?img_index=1
• Read my post: "Beyond Bestsellers: Yes, People Still Buy Books"

• 3000 Years of Longing

• The Fall of Souls by R. A. Moreau - https://amzn.to/3WfYQ7d

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Music credit:

Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here.

In this interview, I speak with multi-award winner P. Djèlí Clark about the publishing industry, shifting ideas of success, and something all Gen-Xers should know: why reading is fundamental.

Find him online at https://pdjeliclark.com/.

His most recent releases is Abeni's Song.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/umqeMohkOC0

Mentioned:

• ARC Giveaway - https://lpenelope.com/2024/03/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep-arc-giveaway/
• Daughter of the Merciful Deep - preorder
  • Publishers Weekly starred review
• Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
• Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
• Plot vs. Character by Jeff Gerke
• Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
• OneStopforWriters.com
• The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Events: - The Authorprenuer Path workshop - 3/26/34 - Poconos Writers' Conference - 4/20/24 - My calendar - https://lpenelope.com/calendar/

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Music credit:

Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here.

In this interview, I speak with legendary romance author Beverly Jenkins about the power of representation, her unique relationship with her readers, and why she doesn't have imposter syndrome.

Find Beverly Jenkins at https://www.beverlyjenkins.net/

Her most recent novel is A Christmas to Remember.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Want a "Slayer of Words" t-shirt?

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

Subscribe to the podcast: https://lpenelope.com/podcast

Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Watch on YouTube

Mentioned:

• Imaginary Worldbuilding course
• Zcal Meeting Scheduler - https://zcal.co/
• My interview on the Wish I’d Known podcast
• Washington Post mention! https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/02/11/romantasy-explainer-maas-yarros/ - Gift article link: https://wapo.st/3uJ2YkN
• https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/
• Grammar refresher workshop - 03/02/2024
• Punctuation refresher workshop - 03/03/2024
• My Awesome Con schedule - https://lpenelope.com/calendar
• March Madness Writing Sprints - Schedule | YouTube Playlist
• The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
• Origin by Ava DuVernay

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net

Support the show: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Music credit:

Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.