My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope

“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.
Today, I speak with someone who is one of my personal influences, speculative fiction author Tananarive Due. Over her two decades in publishing, she has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, as well as British and World Fantasy Awards.
Find her online at https://www.tananarivedue.com/. Her Life Writing Premium course is available at here. Tananarive's latest novel is The Reformatory. One of my favorite novels of hers is My Soul to Keep.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HGsPrw37u7Q
 
Subscribe to the podcast: https://lpenelope.com/podcast
Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! 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.

Mentioned:
Ink & Magic Writing Retreat: https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
Daughter of the Merciful Deep is out! https://books2read.com/dotmd 
Imaginarium Book Festival - https://www.imaginariumbookfestival.com/ -
The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes - https://amzn.to/3yTVk91 | https://bookshop.org/a/582/9780615908113
Enneagram relationships: https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/types
 Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland - https://amzn.to/3ml97eR
Watch on YouTube
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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative 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 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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook

Watch on Youtube
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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative 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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative 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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative 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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! 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: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative 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.