My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope

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My Upcoming Events

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 & becom...

An accidental Instagram post about The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass went viral (174K+ views and counting), and in this episode I share what happened, what it did for pre-orders, and the surprising "secret sauce" behind it.

I also open up about giving my Blitches WIP some space, getting back into dance after 30 years, and my upcoming writer in residence role for How...

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Mentioned:

• Get first 3 chapters of The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass! - http://lpen.co/zaharaexcerpt
• Join the preorder giveaway - https://lpen.co/preorder
• My Books - https://lpenelope.com/books/
• Interview with Shyheim Williams - https://www.instagram.com/conjuringliteracy/
• Vintage & Black Book Club - https://www.instagram.com/vintageandblackbookclub/
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - https://bookshop.o...

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/AedkGHaBsVI

• Zahara Preorder Campaign is live! - https://lpenelope.com/preorder
  • made list of “Books That Feed an Elder Millennial’s 90s Nostalgia” from SheReads magazine - https://shereads.com/books-that-feed-an-elder-millennials-90s-nostalgia/
• Angelborn/Angelfall flip book is available! https://shop.lpenelope.com/

• M...

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Mentioned:

• lpenelope.com — My new website

• inkandmagicretreat.com — Apply for the Ink and Magic Mastermind Retreat (Tihs September, outside Baltimore)

• Angelborn and Angelfall by Leslye Penel...

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Mentioned in the podcast:

• My new book: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass: https://lpenelope.com/book/the-inevitable-undoing-of-zahara-douglass/

• My author Newsletter : https://lpenelope.com/newsletter/

...

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Mentioned:

• The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - coming August 11, 2026 - https://lpenelope.com/book/the-inevitable-undoing-of-zahara-douglass/
• Instalove University Virtual Conference - running now! - https://lpen.co/ilu26
• "Level Up Your Business with Mindset w/ Heather Hildenbrand" - all day workshop 4/11/26 - https://marylandromancewriters.com/mindset-workshop/
• Whimsical - https://whimsical.com/
• Jule K...

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•  Ink & Magic Retreat - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
• The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - coming August 11, 2026
• My interview with Beverly Jenkins
• VirtuousCon

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 writ...

Watch on Youtube

Mentioned: - Build Your Author Funnel LIVE - Sat. Feb 7, 2026 - The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - releases August 11, 2026 - Scene Study: Before & After - "The Eternal Library" - Aeon Timeline software - Locally Crafted in Gaithersburg, MD - HBCU grads, please take my survey: https://tally.so/r/zx7kJg - Read for Pixels Event

The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey o...

Watch on YouTube

Mentioned:

• Ink & Magic Writing Retreat Applications open until Jan 16, 2026 - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
• EVENT: Me and Nicole Glover - January 15, 2026 - 7pm ET online + in-store at East City Bookshop in DC - Register
• Read The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
• Margie Lawson - https://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy/
• Ray Bradbury Challenge
• Writer Kaia Alderson - https://www.kaiaalderson.com/
• The...

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Mentioned:

• Ink & Magic Writing Retreat - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
• The Better Writer Podcast with Olivia Bedford
• Preorder my next book: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass 

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 ins...

Watch on YouTube

Mentioned:

• My reader newsletter: http://lpenelope.com/newsletter
• Black Friday 2025 Writer Bundle Deal - https://lpen.co/vault25
• MYSTERY: FICTION'S FAVORITE FORCE by Junot Diaz - https://junot.substack.com/p/mystery
• AI scams for writers at Writer Beware
• Update on those Flattering AI Book Marketing Scams from Anne R. Allen
• The Case of the Disappearing Author and Why You Probably Don’t Want a Six or Seven F...

Mentioned:

• ProWriting Aid
• Novel November
• My brother's short film
• Writer Duet
• Ines Johnson
• Ink & Magic podcast
• How to Write a Movie in 21 Days by Viki King

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, a...

Watch on Youtube

Mentioned: - The Bliss Wars Special Edition Omnibus - The Obsidian Curse - releases June 12!  - Author Website Audit - A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis 

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 ...

Pre-order The Bliss Wars Special Limited Edition Hardcover Omnibus

Pre-order The Obsidian Curse

https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/

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 Leslye Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.

S...

• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome 
• Magic in the Melanin anthology (Hardcover preorder  | Kindle: https://amzn.to/42bbxTZ)
• PENN/Faulkner - https://www.penfaulkner.org/
• My Craft Book club 
• Johnny B Truant "We're Entering the Age of the Iconoclast Writer" 

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 par...

Watch on YouTube

My decision matrix video

Mentioned:

• Novel Revision Workshop 
• ClickUp - https://clickup.com/
• Todoist - https://todoist.com/
• Trello - https://trello.com/
• 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.co...

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAYHjhD8hk

Mentioned:

• Freewrite writing machines
• My Freewrite reviews - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33u95y8_hYY&list=PLPWpOldzxmoFtoJMjg6iSUuxU1kDichvn
• The device I couldn't remember in the podcast - BYOK (Bring Your Own Keyboard): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/byok/byok-the-ultimate-distraction-free-writing-tool. Now that I've watched the video, I've changed my ...

Mentioned:

• A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis - https://amzn.to/4dbeN3D
• Bookfly Design covers 
• Ink & Magic podcast - https://www.inkandmagic.net/
• My Events - 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 sha...