Avatar for Duane Simolke

Duane Simolke

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first registered 02.04.09

last online 257 days ago

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about me

Duane Simolke (pronounced “Dwain Smoky”).

Majoring in English, I received degrees from Belmont University (B.A., 1989), Hardin-Simmons University (M.A., 1991), and Texas Tech University (Ph.D., 1996). My doctoral dissertation was on Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. StoneWall Society gave Pride in the Arts literary awards to my books The Acorn Stories, Degranon, and Holding Me Together. AllBooks Reviews gave The Return of Innocence a Reviewers Choice Award.

My writing has appeared in dozens of publications, including The International Journal On World Peace, nightFire, Midwest Poetry Review, Perception, Caprock Sun, and The New Voice of Nebraska. I also edited and co-wrote a fund-raising spin-off, The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer.

See my second link below for book trailers of my works.

I was born in New Orleans and live in Lubbock, Texas.

favourite books

Too many to list. I love classics from Faulkner, Anderson, Stein, etc., and many current/recent works of scifi, fantasy, or history.

my websites

http://DuaneSimolke.Com     http://www.youtube.com/user/AcornUniverse

HarperCollins is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Self-publish with CreateSpace

my books

Worried: A Science Fiction Adv....

Duane Simolke

Taldra and her twin sons face new dangers from outside their atmosphere, and from the protectors of their world.


Valchondria is a human-populated planet, much like Earth. They have a one-world government, composed of the Maintainers, the Supreme Science Council, and Leader. The Maintainers are genetically superior and serve as police, judges, and juries.

Degranon was a Valchondrian colony; they based their name on an ancient holy book. The Degrans turned violent, so the Valchondrians cut off contact with them. Centuries later, some of the Degrans managed to invade the home world through something called a “doorway” in space. Those events unfolded in Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

In this new adventure, meant to stand alone for new readers, a desperate attempt to flee an ancient enemy brings three Degrans into contact with the home world. The brilliant scientist Taldra again turns to her twin sons for help, but this time, Valchondria’s secrets, and the Maintainers, might pose a deadlier threat than any perceived invasion.

I prefer to mostly hear from people who have not read the original. Please actually read at least a chapter before commenting. **Again, pppppppppppplease actually read at least a chapter before commenting. ******

Cover design by the talented artist and Authonomy author Bradley Wind.

 

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latest

Scott Bartlett wrote 29 days ago

Hi Duane, I see that you haven't been on Authonomy for a while, and I....

ndaye wrote 91 days ago

(jessica_2vndaye@yahoo.com) My name is jessica i saw your profile t....

ndaye wrote 124 days ago

(rafica_4ndaye@yahoo.com) My name is rafica i saw your profile toda....

Eponymous Rox wrote 147 days ago

Hullo there, again. My book's on the Ed's Desk this month and, bec....

Eponymous Rox wrote 188 days ago

Hullo there.

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my comments

latest

I wrote 270 days ago

how may I help you?" The assistant said Maybe... how may I help you?" the assistant asked. Or put the dialogue tag first, though that upsets some Authonomy readers. An oily substance... Maybe a comma afer tip? The descriptions of the rituals are strange and disturbing. They're also believ... view book

I wrote 278 days ago

I'm not crazy about the phrase "I wonder to myself." It sounds too much like "I think to myself," which is always an overly obvious statement about thinking. Why not just "I wonder"? The rest of it I love! The use of pets, plants, and songs to help describe her inability to keep a relationship al... view book

I wrote 283 days ago

Chapter 1: 2nd paragraph, a comma before so? I would omit the date at the end, keeping it timeless. I like the chatty nature of the narrator. It's informal, without sounding like rambling. We get to know him quickly through his first-person introduction. view book

I wrote 284 days ago

The preface provides a total contrast to this chapter, which makes the narrator seem painfully ordinary, with problems that reflect countless other teenagers. I love the contrast, though, and think it makes him...and the story...much more interesting. The sense of foreboding keeps sneaking in, to ke... view book

I wrote 284 days ago

In the third paragraph, why is her the only word not in italics? I love the first sentence of this paragraph and wonder if you'd be better off starting the novel with it. You could work the preceding in, later in the paragraph. It just really grabbed me and suggested that there's a big story to tell... view book

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