Deven Kane

Easter Eggs are fun no matter where you find ’em. The chocolate versions, scattered throughout the house; the hidden gems we used to scour the extended Lord of the Rings DVDs in search of; and — in my case — allowing some “behind the scenes” sneak peeks into those bits of world-building that authors are supposed to never reveal.

For example, how does an author choose names for their characters?

Now, picture yourself — an author with a glimmer of a story — enjoying a pint and some BBQ in a Montana’s while jotting down a few ideas. What kind of names might be inspired by such a rustic, western setting?

…

Read More Read More

I added the 100% RAGe tag to the cover art on all my books over a year ago. It was my way of stating, unequivocally, that nothing I publish was created with the use of generative AI.

Technically, spelling and grammar checkers — whether online or built into whatever software we’re using — qualify as AI. But there’s a bottomless chasm between (a) using AI tools to edit our work or serve as prompts, and (b) using generative AI to write our books for us.

What’s all this about Meta & AI and stealing books?

…

Read More Read More

…

Read More Read More

…

Read More Read More

What stands out on this particular cover?

…

Read More Read More

If you’re like me, you discovered reading at an early age. My greatest ally in feeding my reading addiction? The local library. Closer to home, my school library proved to be a treasure trove, allowing me access to a wide array of books and their authors, many of whom I mentioned in my debut post.

…

Read More Read More

Some of the voices are external; voices we’ve invited to critique or comment on our work. This can be a public reading, a local writers group, or — at a writing conference — outside experts offering their insights and suggestions.

I had some interesting adventures with external voices at a conference a number of years ago.

…

Read More Read More

“An imaginative, exceptional novel!” ~ Jonas Saul, author of the Sarah Roberts series

“Fast-paced and haunting — a gripping combination of sci-fi and horror.” ~ the Booklife Prize

from the back cover:

If the dead can’t get justice, they’ll settle for revenge.

Dalton Smith believes his shady past is finally behind him: recently married, a new name and career, and a decisive break from his father, Stoney Cove’s most notorious felon.

“You are a Speaker-with-the-dead.” A young Asukan woman, seeking justice for her brother’s unsolved murder, accosts Dalton in a local bar, shattering the web of lies he’s crafted to protect himself and the woman he loves.

Beneath the Sunken City — segregated home of Stoney Cove’s Asukan population — the unavenged dead begin to stir. The savage evidence of their fury forces Dalton out of hiding, back into the world he swore to leave behind.

But before Dalton can challenge Stoney Cove’s demons, he’ll have to confront his own.

Available at:

All links via Books2Read

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is yet another popular saying widely attributed to someone who didn’t actually say it. An early version (1911) can be traced to newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane: “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” Regardless of its non-Confucian, non-Einsteinian, non-Napoleonic origin story, the phrase has captured the imaginations of many.

“Flash Fiction” is known by several names — and word counts — but the common dynamic is capturing a moment in time, rather than telling a full story. To use photographic language, it’s a “snapshot,” not a photo essay.

In this case, I’ve curated nine “snapshot” quotes from Treehawke and combined them with photos to create a Flash Fiction Polaroid Gallery. The sweet spot? Teasing out significant scenes from the book while remaining spoiler-free. Think of it as a Polaroid version of a movie trailer.

Enjoy.

Available at:

all links via Books2Read