… and another sign of aging… Please forgive the distortion. My friend was sitting a few yards away recording this. The audience laughter hid a few words, but you’ll get the gist of it. I only had 2 minutes, so I read fast. This was at the open mic event at a writer’s retreat in 2016 (at least I think it was 2016). I had just finished a bag of Doritos and couldn’t think of anything to read for the open mic, so I started scribbling something about cheesy deliciousness. I loved Doritos then and I still love them now… … Continue reading Doritos…

SO… THE PAGE TURNER BOOK AWARD CEREMONY WAS WEDNESDAY THE 13th. It was a pretty neat virtual gathering with a couple hundred attendees. An international event with guests from all around the world, the hosts were a fun British (I think) couple based in Spain. There was a speaker, and “celebrity” presenters. The big awards were presented during the ceremony to much virtual fanfare (with at least one unwieldy acceptance speech), and everything was displayed on screen with background music and fireworks. Anyhoo, here’re a few results… (cue dramatic music…) Culture Award – Mary Not Broken Best Fiction Book Award … Continue reading And the winner is…

Hi everybody! I love to talk to readers. Please feel free to drop me a line! Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/deborahloiwriter/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahloi/Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3610436-deborahloiBook Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/4289089942Email: DeborahLKingWriter(at)gmail(dot)com Share this… Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Continue reading Contact Me

My Week at Writing camp I just spent a full week at the Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat. It was awesome as usual. The 2024 bookcamp took place at Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, June 16th-22nd. The comfortable dormitory style facility featured cozy rooms with private baths, Wi-Fi, lakefront access, paths for walking and biking, plenty of nooks to curl up and write, all meals, and 24-hour beverage and continental breakfast service. And the wine flowed freely. I admit, I didn’t avail myself of the outdoor activities because signs everywhere warned that it’s tick season; but I thoroughly enjoyed the writing … Continue reading Summer Camp for Grown-ups

BOOK 1 GLORY BISHOP Available in paperback, eBook, and audio book or get a SIGNED COPY of Glory Bishop here! Want the full series signed… click here! BOOK 2 GLORY UNBOUND Available in paperback, eBook, and audio book or get a SIGNED COPY of Glory Unbound here! Want the full series signed… click here! PREQUEL MARY NOT BROKEN Available in paperback, ebook, CD, and audiobook or get a SIGNED COPY of Mary Not Broken here! Want the full series signed… click here! Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/ap/ngklBz/Deborah-L-King … or get a signed set here! Share this… Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Continue reading Shop for Books by Deborah L. King – Writer

Starting the year off… somehow… So, Tuesday, January 2nd, I went in to the office (I go in weekly…it’s fun). I was a little winded but I attributed it to my usual fat and laziness. When 5:00 came, I was a little more winded, but I let that go too. By 8:00 I started feeling tightness in my neck and shoulders and remembered that women’s heart attacks present differently than men’s. I told myself I was being silly and dramatic. I sat down at my computer, took my Klingon lesson on Duolingo, then took my meds, and went upstairs for … Continue reading Happy New Year

…of self-esteem, self-confidence, and hyper-humility… I hafta stop doing that… being surprised at my writing. I hafta stop doubting the myriad compliments, and uplifting the 2 or 3 negative reviews… but I’m more comfortable with the negative… it’s easier to believe I’m a bad writer. I just returned from a short road trip… about 5 hours… with my kids and my brother. I had an awesome time with my favorite Aunt and my cousin-goddaughter-sister-friend and family. There was little talk of my writing or books. All-in-all, it was a relaxing, work-free visit… except for the quiet, alone times where I … Continue reading I Need to Stop…

My Christmas Baking Extravaganza Last weekend I made chocolate peanut clusters, caramel popcorn, peanut brittle, and cinnamon sugared almonds. It took all day, but in the end, I had enough of everything (a 5 gallon bucket of caramelcorn) to pack and ship 12 goodie boxes with quite a bit left over. I left town for 2 days and came back to an empty bucket and no more peanut brittle. Sigh. I got up this morning and after a quick 7am trip to the store and an agonizing decision about sausage, I started the pound cakes. It takes 30-40 minutes to … Continue reading The "Bakening" Continues

…and Princess Dora’s Observation…or…When I Started Hurting Myself for My Family… Another long post… So, about 8 months after my homeless shelter epiphany (see previous post), my two youngest kids and I were invited to help provide early Thanksgiving dinner at the shelter. Of course we jumped at the chance because when it comes to helping the less fortunate, my kids understood the assignment. They looked forward to helping people. They would be making lunches, setting tables, and sweeping floors. I would be providing homemade dinner rolls for the meal…240 of them to be exact. Now my mother always taught … Continue reading More About Giving Thanks

…and a little something else… Years ago my kids and I spent a Sunday preparing and serving dinner at a homeless shelter. Our group made sloppy Joes, corn and mashed potatoes. While the adults cooked and set the tables, the young people prepared sack lunches for the residents to take with them the next morning. See… the shelter guests were allowed to enter at 7pm and had to leave by 7am the next morning. They were served dinner and breakfast, then they received a bag with a thin, dry sandwich, a bag of chips, a cookie, a box of raisins, … Continue reading Giving Thanks for the Blessing of Everything

Just in time to start the new year… I’m so excited! I just can’t hide it! I about to lose control and I KNOW I like it… Ok… I know I promised not to spam and to just share news and writing bits. Well, I’ve got good news! Glory Bishop, Glory Unbound, and Mary Not Broken are coming to audio! The books will be available through Amazon/Audible, Spotify, and wherever else you get audiobooks. Glory Bishop, the first book in the series, is due out December 1st, 2023. Mary Not Broken, the last in the series and prequel to Glory … Continue reading OMG! Guess What's Coming!

Long Post: Debriefing on the Launch of Mary Not Broken My heart is full. I feel like I say that a lot, but it is for real this time… I really mean it. I’d say the launch of Mary Not Broken was the best launch I’ve ever had. I guess prep began on Sunday the 15th with my daughter braiding my thick heavy butt-length locs, which I kept braided for a week. I could hardly sleep from the headache from the tight lumpy braids. On the 19th, I got an hour long facial and left Diya’s salon with glowing skin. … Continue reading Saturday Was a Good Day

Coming to Kindle October 10th, 2023 Tragedy, woes, and a loss of faith. Can she claw her way back into the light? In Depression Era Mississippi, fifteen-year-old Mary Johnson is determined to choose her own life. Furious when her parents agree to have her wed a wealthy old preacher, the feisty teenager elopes with her aspiring musician boyfriend to the bright lights of Chicago. But instead of fun, fame, and fortune, they find misery and heartbreak. Returning to Mississippi, Mary reluctantly considers marrying the older man her parents wanted. But she might discover life as a pastor’s wife is much … Continue reading Cover Reveal

As Sung by Bessie Smith 1929 Saturday is my Old Time Radio day, which includes 4 hours of classic radio shows, an hour of Big Band… and 11 hours of Blues. My son was near during the Blues shows and thought the music was weird, but interesting. Then came a triple play of Bessie Smith. Thanks for reading Deborah L. King – Writer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. I don’t remember the first song, but in the second song a line caught his attention. “Gimme a reefa and a gang of gin…” Him: Mom, … Continue reading I'm Wild About That Thing…

I was sooo nervous… Thanks for reading Deborah L. King – Writer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Share this… Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Continue reading The Relatable Voice Podcast

I launched the fundraising campaign! Hi everybody! I did it! I pressed launch! It’s time for the next step. Please click this link to go to the campaign page. My books have gotten great reviews and for that I am both humbled and grateful. People have asked about audio books and after searching hither and yon, I have found an excellent narrator. She has a great voice and she understands the stories. I’m looking forward to working with her and I’m hoping to release the audio books this fall. In the mean time, I’m hoping that readers will check out … Continue reading I Did It!

Now what…? A couple of months ago, I wrote THE END on Mary Not Broken. The last episode posted this past Tuesday and the story is now marked COMPLETE on Amazon’s Kindle Vella. The story of Glory Bishop and her mother Mary is now all told. There will be no more chapters or episodes of the Johnson family. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel. Thanks for reading Deborah L. King – Writer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Glory Bishop started as a scene I quickly wrote in a women’s writing class I took … Continue reading The End

Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited Read #FREE with #KindleUnlimited Thanks for reading Deborah L. King – Writer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Glory Bishop lives her life in pieces. At work and with her friends, she speaks her mind, but at home, Glory follows strict rules and second-guesses every step. She dreams of going to college and living like a normal girl, but her abusive mother has other ideas. The pastor’s son, Malcolm Porter, begins to shower her with lavish gifts, and her mother pushes Glory to accept his advances. When a stranger attacks … Continue reading Glory Bishop

Working in Grandma’s Kitchen My grandmother was bold and brassy, fashionable and flashy. In the 70s, I don’t think she owned anything that didn’t have rhinestones. She liked road trips and sewing, and she loved to cook. Her cooking was legendary. Her peach cobbler and yeast rolls would cause fights at holiday gatherings. I was eight years old when she let me seriously work with her in the kitchen. Our first project was peanut brittle.  After adding peanuts to the hot molten toffee, we poured the mixture onto a buttered sheet pan, spread it around as much as we could, … Continue reading Cooking With Love

Win a Signed Copy of Glory Bishop Enter Giveaway Glory Bishop by Deborah L. KingGiveaway ends July 08, 2022. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.Enter Giveaway Share this… Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Continue reading Goodreads Book Giveaway

What I Did on My Summer Vacation The day before camp was my launch event for my second book. I had lists and notes of what to bring. I made a list of the lists I made so I wouldn’t forget which list to check. When I arrived at the venue, I had absolutely everything. I hadn’t forgotten anything. I was an efficient event-planning machine. I’d thought of everything. I was a Girl scout. I was prepared. The next day, even though the camp was 7 days and 6 nights, I packed 9 outfits. You never know when you might … Continue reading I Was Prepared

GLORY BISHOP eBook on sale for just 99 cents thru March 17th! GLORY BISHOP eBook on sale for just 99 cents thru March 17th!Amazon – B & N – Apple – Google – Kobo “Deborah King has written a compelling, thought-provoking novel that engages readers and made me wish the story would never end.” —Chicago Writer’s Association Windy City Reviews Out in the world, Glory Bishop reads novels, speaks her mind, & enjoys stolen kisses with JT; but at home, her overbearing mother will stop at nothing to keep her from worldly temptations. When the much older Malcolm Porter sets … Continue reading GLORY BISHOP eBook $0.99

Well that escalated quickly… Mary’s story is now on Kindle and Android! Read the first 3 episodes free! https://amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B097Z2D4YF Thank you for leaving a thumbs-up and a review! #MaryNotBroken #vellastagram #KindleVella #Bookstagram #WellReadBlackGirl #amwriting #Android #uhoh Share this… Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Continue reading More Than Friends