Duane Simolke Posts on X

"Duane Simolke writes the way late afternoon light moves across a porch, unhurried, attentive, catching the small things most of us walk right past."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lunatic Readers (@readerslunatic)

Happy July 4! Here's a special show at my alma mater, Texas Tech University.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Texas Tech University (@texastech)

Tweetables: My F in Life - update from an excited author!

Tweetables: My F in Life - update from an excited author!: It's only been a few weeks since I published my book but what a wild ride it's been! I have to admit, the whole process of uploading...

"Read these stories in sequence and somewhere around the fourth one, a quiet click happens."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Bookish Elf (@thebookishelf_)

"Read these stories in sequence and somewhere around the fourth one, a quiet click happens. The woman behind the café counter turns out to be the same person whose cats run her house two tales later. The boy whispering in a backyard tent shows up years on as a grown face on Main Street. Duane Simolke assembles his fictional town of Acorn, Texas one piece at a time until the separate parts lock into a single shape."

Tweetables: I've just published a novel 🥳🎉

Tweetables: I've just published a novel 🥳🎉: I know this blog is all about promoting authors, but I just had to let you know that my novel, 'My F in Life' has just been publishe...

Some towns

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Bookish Elf (@thebookishelf_)

“Some towns measure themselves in skyscrapers. Acorn, Texas measures itself in trees — every single one planted on purpose, by hand, by folks too stubborn to let the West Texas dust have the last word.”

Self Publishing 360 Helps Indie Authors Get Discovered

From the About page: "Self Publishing 360 was created with a simple mission: to help authors not only publish their books, but also give them a real chance to be discovered. For many writers, the journey becomes confusing after the manuscript is finished. Publishing platforms, formatting, marketing, promotions, and building visibility can quickly feel overwhelming, especially for self published authors doing everything on their own. This platform was built to simplify that process. Self Publishing 360 brings together practical tools, clear guidance, promotional opportunities, and author focused resources designed to make self publishing more accessible and less intimidating. The mission is to support authors beyond publishing by helping them grow, promote their work, reach readers, and build confidence in their writing journey."

I've promoted The Acorn Stories there for free and encourage other readers and writers to join.

Fun Escapist Fantasy

An accidental legend and her queer allies battle a magical warlord in the fun fantasy The Return of Innocence. The Barnes & Noble Nook edition will be free June 6-13, 2026.

Seeing Sean Gay Book Review

Seeing Sean by Patrick Doyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Patrick Doyle’s inventive and unpredictable novel Seeing Sean starts with a romance between two likeable gay men and expands their story to include time travel, dystopia, and many other science fiction elements. The mixture gels because Doyle keeps everything grounded around the relationship of Sean and Wyatt. They internalize the injustices, the dangers, and some bizarre imagery. As a fan of both gay stories and science fiction, I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

View all my Goodreads reviews.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please also read about Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures. A brilliant scientist and her twin gay sons protect humanity. “Edge-of-your-seat action, scenes that detail the turmoil and terror of an alien attack and an inside look at love and acceptance for humanity’s differences.” —Dianne at Tome Tender.