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with Drake The Duck Muse
Multi-Genre Author ~ Editor ~ Book Designer ~ Writing Coach

The Blog Thingy
Where Emotion and Information are Dispensed Inconsistently... Sometimes
You'll find some interesting stuff here...
a few Op Eds, some Writing Craft Information, Book Reviews, and More. Poke around the categories and see what ruffles your feathers... in a good way!



Horseman by Christina Henry
Click To Order! I've been a bit pre-occupied by Ms. Henry's storytelling recently. This is now the fourth book of hers that I've read in the past couple of years, and I'm sure it won't be the last. She is a inventive author who looks at the tales we've all heard a million times, and finds a new sliver of shadow resting in between the lines of the legend we all through we knew. This story is an eerie adventure into an alternative origin myth of the Horseman of Sleepy Hollow,
1 min read


Looking Glass by Christina Henry
Click To Order! I made a mistake and read book three before book one, but I don't think it mattered that much. This story felt like a stand-alone, singular adventure. While I'm sure that once I read the other two books in this series I'll have more, "oh, that's what was happening there" moments... I enjoyed Looking Glass tremendously. Ms. Henry is a skillful storyteller, and exceptionally talented at re-framing stories from our childhood in new ways... new, darker ways.
1 min read


Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
Click To Order! This is the first book I've read from Mary Kubica, and I found it a bit... lacking. After a little research, I discovered that this was written at the beginning of her career, and we all know writers who sometimes become better storytellers after they've published a few books. Don't believe me? Read Deception Point by Dan Brown. But I digress. I thought that the alternating narration between the two characters was an interesting choice. In some cases, we
2 min read


Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Click To Order! As one who loves, loves, loves the potential for the Great Library of Alexandria to carry on past it's centuries of mythical destruction, I was thrilled to discover this book. The idea that Rachel Caine found a potential loophole for the Library to retain all it's knowledge, and share it with the world through Alchemy, is a wonderful fantasy. Now, when you mix in the politics that always comes with the powerful controlling anything, most especially knowledge
1 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Barbara V. Evers and "The Nature of the Beast"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 272 The Nature of The Beast Written by Barbara V. Evers Not All Beasts Hide in the Dark! The Nature of the Beast is a spellbinding tapestry of speculative short fiction, where shadows slink and truths unravel. Between these covers, beasts roam-scaled and winged, furred and fanged, creeping through underbrush or beneath skin. Dragons take flight. Shifters fight instinct. Spiders weave silent traps. Insects whisper destruction. And often,
2 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Jeff Boats and "Blood Game"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 271 Blood Game Book One in the Thomas Vale Series Written by Jeff Boats LISTENER ADVISORY: STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, MTURE SITUATIONS Thomas Vale was a math prodigy, expert gambler, and promising CIA recruit. And his act was nearly flawless. But when his secret was revealed – that he’d been masking high-functioning autism – his career in clandestine operations was over before it began. Or so he thought. Years later, when a former mentor
2 min read


Inside The Indie Author: A Conversation with Christine Devane
Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not? No, I want people to know that I am writing children’s books, because I am very proud of them. What is your “go-to” method for working through or around writer’s block? Taking a break! Sometimes I can sit and stare at the computer forever and nothing comes to my mind. Then I have to leave what I am working on and go do something else, go for a walk, watch a show, anything to get my mind off the project. T
5 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Ashley Key and "Dash and the Lights in the Sky"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 270 Dash and the Lights in the Sky Written and Illustrated by Ashley Key Discover the magic and science of the Northern Lights through the eyes of three Arctic friends. When Dash the husky looks up one winter night, he sees ribbons of color dancing across the sky. Together with Echo the snowy owl and Nimbus the Arctic fox, Dash sets off on a sparkling adventure to uncover the mystery of the lights that shimmer above the snow. This beautiful
2 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Barbara V. Evers and "The Watchers In Exile"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 269 The Watchers In Exile Book Two in The Watchers of Moniah Series Written by Barbara V. Evers Who do you trust, when everything falls apart? Attacked as she travels home to Moniah for her coronation, Princess Adana struggles to hold onto her kingdom. Driven from her heavily guarded caravan by soldiers she previously thought loyal, Adana follows the lead of the royal giraffes and flees to a small farming village just inside the border of Mon
2 min read


The End of Another Season
December 2025 Yesterday was our last book signing event of the 2025 Festival Season. Drake and I celebrated the end to another year with S.W. Raine and Lisa Ann McCarthy at Sweetwater's Coffee & Tea in Novi, Michigan . The wind howled and the snow blew across the parking lot with tremendous fury... but we were unbothered, enjoying conversation with each other, visiting with readers, and indulging in delicious hot cocoa and croissant sandwiches. Drake said it wasn't a bad
2 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Sandy Schachter and "An Unforgotten Heart"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 268 An Unforgotten Heart Written by Sandy Schachter Growing up, my mother told me stories of her childhood. As a young girl, I understood the narrative, but as I grew older, I realized that what I knew of my mother's past was incomplete, with only bits and pieces that made her life feel like it was a recipe, and I couldn't reconcile the final product. Even as a young adult, I did not understand or appreciate the true essence of my mother's
2 min read


Indie Reads Aloud with Barbara V. Evers and "Pieces of Her"
Indie Reads Aloud Radio Episode # 267 Pieces of Her Written by Barbara V. Evers Being a woman is not for the faint of heart! Not your typical stories about women, relationships, or love! Pieces of Her offers a gripping series of short stories that you won't forget, all about the lives of various women. Each story will stay with you because being a woman is indeed not for the faint of heart. These are NOT romances, but glimpses into the lives of women at different points a
2 min read


Legend by Marie Lu
Click the Cover to Order A young adult dystopian novel, written in the tradition of The Hunger Games and Divergent , this book gives us the opportunity to see how different class warfare is understood through the eyes of teenagers, with plenty of action to keep the pages turning. This story follows a female protagonist from a wealthy, military family, who is smart and savvy, but still immature in some ways, living on the "winning side" of the rules of society. The young ma
1 min read


The Dreaming Tree by Matthew Mather
Crime novels are curious creatures to me. Some are procedural in nature, making them easier to read; others can be more horror than crime, making them more unsettling. This one is a good mixture of both, with a bit of psychological thriller thrown in for good measure. This is a strange story of a man who, after a brutal car accident, is one of the first recipients of a full body transplant. Yup, you read that right... his brain, emotions, and personality, become attached t
2 min read


DJ Yeti and the Full Moon Party by Kendal Grey
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Click Cover To Order This is the second children's book I've read from author, Kendal Grey, and it's as much fun as the first! In this story we discover how important it is to stay true to yourself and the things you love. Yeti and the princess also show us how we grow into a better version of ourselves when we give others the opportunity to discover how much fun we can be, rather than just assum
1 min read
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