Author DL White is back with another holiday short. I recently spoke with her about Regatta, a steamy Labor Day novella.
Tell me about your latest book.
For Odessa “Dess” Calloway, taking the wheel of the racing yacht Windfall is strictly business: a high-stakes opportunity to win the Labor Day Regatta and prove exactly what her former boss lost when he refused to recognize her worth.
Silas Corbin has every reason to resent Dess, but it doesn’t take long for him to recognize that his new captain knows exactly what she’s doing.
Respect comes grudgingly. Attraction comes much faster.
Forced to work side by side, the two spend almost as much time testing each other as they do preparing for the race. The tension that starts on deck follows them below it, and what was supposed to be temporary becomes harder to dismiss with every day they spend together.
With the biggest race of the season ahead of them, Dess and Silas have to learn to trust each other on the water and decide whether what they’re building is worth holding on to after they cross the finish line.
Why did you decide to write it?
I was writing Petty Season (my Fourth of July holiday novella) and stumbled upon a PBS documentary about Blacks on the Chesapeake and was instantly intrigued by the rich history of Black Americans and the foundations of the seafood history and our contributions to Maritime history. Black watermen built and sailed on the Chesapeake for generations, as pilots, sail makers, boat builders, captains, and that history rarely shows up in fiction set in this world. I wanted Dess and Silas to carry that inheritance into a space that still doesn’t expect to see them. I also really wanted to write a romance featuring Black characters where we rarely see them.
How did you come up with the book’s title?
It was the path of least resistance, honestly! Titles usually come to me first. This book is about a prestigious regatta race, and the image of the cover was very vivid in my mind.
What’s the nicest thing a reader has ever said to you?
A comparison to Terry McMillan. I LOVE her and her writing skill, so that was the ultimate compliment.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
The desire has always been there. I have always been thinking of stories, always writing stories in my mind, always inventing characters, writing down interesting names.
What author would you love to meet?
I have met so many great authors in the last few years. There are some I wish I could have met before they passed, like Delores Phillips, author of The Darkest Child.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Where the Wildflowers Grow, Terah Shelton-Harris
Kin, Tayari Jones
The Seven Daughters of Dupree, Nekesha E Williams
What books are at the top of your to-be-read pile?
All My Sisters and Me, Sheryl Lister
There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood, Rasheed Newson
The Ladies Hall, Vanessa Miller
Writer in Residence, Rhonda McKnight
What’s next for you?
A little break, then prepping for 2027 releases! I want to bounce around a bit in some women’s fiction, romantic mystery and sizzling contemporary romance
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Regatta by DL White.
To learn more about DL White, author of steamy, seasoned romantic fiction, find all her contact info on her links page at booksbydlwhite.com/linkinbio