Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deanna Lewry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Deanna, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Self-publishing my novel, The Eos Key: Wynter Blood Book 1, is probably the most meaningful thing I’ve done, next to the brith of my son. It was something I’ve wanted to do for decades, and with the encouragement of my friends and family, I could finally publish in March 2022.

When I set out to write The Eos Key, my only goal was to write the story I’d always wanted to read. Inspired by the lack of Black characters in the fantasy and sci-fi genre, I not only wanted to write a relatable Black woman into a paranormal romance, but also show that not all Black women are inherently strong. Some struggle just to make it through every day, and yet are as strong as any warrior fighting battles with swords and weapons.

Depression and anxiety are no stranger to me, and I wanted to show my character, Alia Carter, living and fighting these invisible daemons, as well as the physical daemons, vampires, witches, and werewolves of Ash City.

So rarely do we see Black women struggling with mental health issues, or talking about their experiences with suicide. Many people with depression and anxiety read fantasy to escape the harsh reality that maybe their lives. I wanted to write a story where I could see someone like myself living their life, and surviving, but also falling in love with vampires, and battling werewolves.

I want to help take the stigma away from talking about mental health in all situations and genres. My belief is that mental health is health, and should be discussed openly just as someone would talk about going to the gym or their latest diet.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. It started in grade school, writing and sharing stories with friends, and then when I discovered fanfiction, I ran headlong into that. I like to challenge myself anytime I take on a new writing project, so I wrote an original fiction, and use interweaving, multiple, third-person POVs throughout the novel. Each character offers another piece of the puzzle until the reader can put it all together in the end.

When The Eos Key, formerly The Eos Witch, received over 10K reads in just a few months, on multiple websites, with many reviews saying how much they enjoyed it, I removed it from the web, and work on publishing it. I went with self-publishing when I realized how long it might take for my story to reach the public, and how much control I might lose over my plot and characters.

As an added challenge, I wanted to produce as much of it as I could myself. From the cover design to the interior layout, I did it all. The only thing I didn’t do was to illustrate the couple on the cover, or edit and proofread the manuscript. I left that to the professionals, which I always recommend.

I knew I wanted to publish under a name that wasn’t just my own, so I also incorporated Ash City Press, and published under a vanity press. I created the logo and licenced the business, and published my first novel under my new publishing house.

Once I had the story complete, I knew I wanted to do an audiobook. As a mom of a toddler who also works full time, I have little time to sit and read. I felt that if I had little time to read, many other might be in the same situation. Having an e-book or paperback would not reach that market. Like the novel, I tackled producing the audiobook myself as well. With no prior knowledge, I auditioned over 100 talents, and chose 7 to voice the main characters of my novel. 4 of the 7 actors had never recorded an audiobook before, and it turned out fantastic. With my film & tv production degree from York University in Toronto, I could create and sign contracts directly with each of the talents, and worked with them over a 12 months period to direct, edit, and produce the audiobook which is now available on Audible, Spotify, and many other retailers.

To this day, The Eos Key still sits in the top 100 in Black and African American Fantasy Fiction on Amazon in Canada, and I am proud to have a solid following on social media. The amount of amazing Black women that have been kind enough to reach out to me and tell me how my story moved them, or helped them to see themselves where they never did before. Many other writers reached out as well, asking for advice on self-publishing, and I have made some amazing colleagues through social media.

In the future, I hope to use my company, Ash City Press, to elevate BiPoC voices in the fantasy & sci-fi genre, and help connect Black creatives with one another so we can complete our projects faster while helping each other out.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are so many programs, organizations, and resources I wish I’d known about before publishing.

Writing thesauruses are essential for any great fiction writer. Having a collection easily accessible while writing is a must.

Writing Sprint websites like OhWrite.co is a great way to stay motivated with other writer friends. Watch each other’s word counts and race against the clock to finish that chapter.

Knowing the truth behind KDP and their Kindle Unlimited services was an eye opener. I will probably never realise on Kindle Unlimited again. The rights they gain and the royalty share they take are far too great for anyone to ever truly prosper.

Websites like Findaway Voices and Draft2Digital are great ways for self-published authors to get their e-assets out to the world without a traditional publisher.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal driving my passion for writing is to add more Black and BiPoC characters and backstories to the world of urban fantasy. I want to create fantastical stories of Black women who are not the warrior stereotype. I am trying to move away from continually portraying Black woman as being failures of they can’t carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and do it with grace. Some of us are delicate, some of us need different care, and I want my readers who experiences the same struggles and challenges as I do to see that they are not alone, and can still be the princess in the story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dmlewry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmlewry
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEosKey
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dmlewry