Donovan Street Press Inc.

02/02/2025

Off to a good start with Matt's book!

Youth Ambassador Julia Crocker just finished reading Matt Watt's "Hope of The Wasteland" Check out her 5-star review below! 👇

I have the perfect book for National Literacy Week! If you are interested in reading my review see below!

Hope Of The Wasteland is a sci-fi adventure novel for middle grade readers. This book was written by Matt Watts and published by Donovan Street Press.

This book follows our main character Huey as he goes against his days wishes, ( which is to stay in the bunker) where he is safe from the wasteland, but when his father doesn’t come back Huey must save his remaining family. Huey goes through his own adventures and finds a feisty girl to become his companion.

I absolutely loved this book and fell in love with Huey because of his courageous attitude and how he did not let his anxiety win. I liked how this book made Huey change. His character changed from being a small, timid and anxious character to a strong character in the end.

I liked how this book brought in nature and how the reader can try to make life better in the world.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and really hope there will be more books to come in this series. I thought that it was really well put together and how I loved Huey from the first page. I think I will miss the characters immensely!

I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Donovan Street Press Inc.

12/01/2024

Introducing A Peculiar Symmetry by debut novelist Tanah Haney!

A Peculiar Symmetry is the first novel officially published under contract by our brand new little indie publishing company, Donovan Street Press Inc.

Tanah Haney has been a friend of mine for a long time and I'm proud and honoured to be a part of her publishing journey. A Peculiar Symmetry is traditionally published and available in ebook and trade paperback versions online just about everywhere fine books are sold, including Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Amazon, Apple Books, Smashwords, and so on.

A Peculiar Symmetry is a superbly written mystery thriller featuring a neurodivergent protagonist. Here's what it's all about:

***
Aiden and Minnie. Two of the least ordinary people you’re likely to meet.
Aiden’s missing the first eight years of her life, yet she can play Beethoven’s Concerto without ever having been taught. Minnie can see people’s emotions, in vivid colour, no less. That doesn’t help much when she meets Aiden, who doesn’t seem to have any.
When British Intelligence sweeps in, along with belligerent spies and a half-brother Aiden never knew existed, Minnie soon discovers that whatever Aiden might lack, she more than makes up for in intrigue. Getting to know one another will have to wait, though; when bullets start to fly, and the bodies begin to pile up, the two young women find themselves caught up in a clandestine war for control over the human psyche…and their own lives.
***

10/31/2024

Today on our podcast Re-Creative Mark and I are joined by Christopher Guerin, poet and music aficionado, who is on the podcast to champion the work of classical Indian musician Ravi Shankar.
Christopher spent twenty-six years in the symphony orchestra business, including twenty as President of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. After that he went on to work for Sweetwater (“the world’s leading music technology and instrument retailer”) as a VP.
Since retiring, he’s been putting his English degrees to work as a writer. He started out writing short stories and has become a poet, focused on ekphrastic sonnets. (In his case, poems that describe, or are influenced by, specific images.)
We take a deep dive into the history and current state of poetry before discussing the music of Ravi Shankar.
Shankar’s sitar music was in the background as Christopher wrote his sonnet sequence, My Human Disguise.
“Ravi Shankar’s music is so overwhelmingly complex and free that when I have it in the background I can concentrate on the poems and rhymes in a way that I can’t with any other music,” Christopher explains.
He’s also a huge fan of Shankar’s daughter, Anoushka, in particular a piece called Jannah.
“You can hear the same piece over and over again and you’ll think it’s brand new because of the complexity of the music,” he says.
Christopher makes a great case for authors to listen to raga while they write.

https://re-creative.ca/ravi-shankar/

Joe and Mark are joined by Christopher Guerin, poet and music aficionado, who is on the podcast to champion the work of classical Indian musician Ravi Shankar.

10/31/2024

Today on our podcast Re-Creative Mark and I are joined by Christopher Guerin, poet and music aficionado, who is on the podcast to champion the work of classical Indian musician Ravi Shankar.

Christopher spent twenty-six years in the symphony orchestra business, including twenty as President of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. After that he went on to work for Sweetwater (“the world’s leading music technology and instrument retailer”) as a VP.

Since retiring, he’s been putting his English degrees to work as a writer. He started out writing short stories and has become a poet, focused on ekphrastic sonnets. (In his case, poems that describe, or are influenced by, specific images.)

We take a deep dive into the history and current state of poetry before discussing the music of Ravi Shankar.

Shankar’s sitar music was in the background as Christopher wrote his sonnet sequence, My Human Disguise.

“Ravi Shankar’s music is so overwhelmingly complex and free that when I have it in the background I can concentrate on the poems and rhymes in a way that I can’t with any other music,” Christopher explains.

He’s also a huge fan of Shankar’s daughter, Anoushka, in particular a piece called Jannah.

“You can hear the same piece over and over again and you’ll think it’s brand new because of the complexity of the music,” he says.

Christopher makes a great case for authors to listen to raga while they write.

10/30/2024

Poor Spot.

10/28/2024

The family that publishes together... Coles in our hometown of Summerside (in the County Fair Mall) kindly stocks books by my sister Susan Rodgers, my father Tom Mahoney, and Yours Truly. Can you guess who among us is the most prolific? (Hint: it ain't me.)

10/26/2024

Tired of real life getting you down? Escape to another galaxy with some brand new space opera! Here's chapter three of Captain's Away! Which critics are calling... Captain's Away! (Um, cuz that's what it's called.)

Completely free to read on Substack!

In today's episode, the Doucette family join hundreds of other refugees on the Northumberland. While exploring this new space station, Marie-Josée and her brother Alain have a strange encounter with a uniformed official.

https://mahoneyj.substack.com/p/captains-away-chapter-three?r=1wgmq

"The Northumberland"

10/24/2024

Today on our podcast Re-Creative Mark A. Rayner and I are joined by Evan Gary Hirsch and Kip Baldwin, who make up the duo Soul Twin Messiah (STM). The two are full of passion and energy, which resulted in an inspiring and engaging conversation.

Evan Gary Hirsch, AKA The Blue Rocker, gets his aesthetic from his blue eyes and glitzy clothes. A California boy, he's into many different forms of music -- classic rock, new wave, punk and psychedelic rock.

Kip Baldwin, AKA Oshalla, is a farm kid from Washington State, where his family raised racehorses. When he was young, he had an experience of infinity that changed his perspective on everything. He moved to the Bay area in 1985 specifically for a musical community. He spent a lot of years doing "hair metal" music, which was popular at the time.

Evan jokes that Senator Bernie Sanders brought the two together. In 2016 he was looking for a producer to help him document his support of the politician and that's how Evan and Kip met.

Both artists have a central message, which is the importance of love and selflessness.

That informs their choice of media. Kip champions the classic John Lennon song Imagine (1971). Evan makes the case for why we should give Construction Time Again (1983) by Depeche Mode another listen.

An inspiring and hopeful conversation!

https://re-creative.ca/soul-twin-messiah/

Evan Gary Hirsch [pictured right], AKA The Blue Rocker, gets his aesthetic from his blue eyes and glitzy clothes. A California boy, he’s into many different forms of music — classic rock, new wave, punk and psychedelic rock.

10/24/2024

Okay, this is a bit dark, so steer clear if that sort of thing isn't your cup of tea. It's me trying to make sense of humanity's worst impulses. I don't know that I succeeded, but I gave it my best shot. Would love to know your thoughts on the matter if you manage to wade through it all.

Just a suggestion

10/22/2024

I signed this.

An open letter on AI training signed by creators around the world.

10/22/2024

I would be remiss if I did not mention that Chapter Two of Captain's Away! (entitled "Life Pods") is available on Substack:

While their space station Evangeline is under attack, the Doucettes wait for their chance to board an escape pod, but they’re last in line, and there may not be enough.

"Life Pods"

10/17/2024

Today on our podcast Re-Creative Mark and I talk to editor and writer Robert Runte. I consider Robert a driving force in Canadian SF; he knows everyone, he's edited many books, written and published a ton of short stories, and he was the official Five Rivers editor of my first book (and that's just barely skimming the surface of what this man's all about).

Not surprisingly, we begin the conversation talking about editing:
“Most publishing houses work off the Chicago Manual of Style,” Robert says, “mainly because it was the first style guide for books.”

We chat a bit about the art of editing before Robert launches into his main purpose in joining us, championing R. F. Kuang’s novel Yellowface (which I subsequently devoured and also recommend).

Robert recommends that everyone listen to the audiobook version of Yellowface (which I did) because the actor, Helen Glazer, does such a great job of conveying all the subtleties of the story.

“If you’re a writer or you want to be a writer, you HAVE to read this book!” Robert insists.

A fun read and a terrific conversation!

https://re-creative.ca/yellowface/

.f.kuang

Editor and writer Robert Runte joins Mark and Joe on the podcast to encourage everyone to read R. F. Kuang’s satire of the publishing industry, Yellowface.

10/13/2024

In a fit of (quite possibly) insanity, I've decide to serialize my next novel, Captain's Away! on Substack:

It’s one thousand years in the future. The Earth is a distant memory. And the Doucettes have seen better days.

It’s certainly not every day your space station is blown to bits beneath you in the opening volley of a senseless war. In the aftermath of this attack on their home, the Doucette family find themselves careening from one fantastic space adventure to another as their lives are upended in ways they can barely comprehend.

Technologist Yolande Doucette must fix the starship Beausoleil before its crew goes insane. Both Yolande and her husband Bertrand mourn their son, Alain, lost in the devastating attack. They pray that their seventeen-year old daughter, Marie-Josée, recovers from a mysterious illness while Marie-Josée herself, unaware that her body lies comatose, is forced to impersonate the captain of the Beausoleil. Meanwhile, the stuck-up daughter of the grieving emperor responsible for all this mayhem is kidnapped by a rude robot on a secret mission.

Hostile aliens, rebellious robots, murderous despots and more all stand in the Doucettes’ path as they try against all odds ta reunite as a family while doing their best to help Akkadia win the war. Will they succeed?

Read the exciting space adventure Captain’s Away! to find out!

(Oh, and wish me luck.)

https://open.substack.com/pub/mahoneyj/p/captains-away?r=1wgmq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

A Strange Dimensions Book

10/12/2024

Shepherd Books has posted three of my favourites reads for 2024. (I have more favourites but they only allow you three.) Check'em out!

https://shepherd.com/bboy/2024/f/joe-Joe Mahoney

Joe's top 3 reads of 2024 include Something Sweet and two other amazing books. Discover what makes these books unmissable!

10/11/2024

Today I look back at 60 episodes of recording Re-Creative, the podcast I've produced with my friend and co-host Mark A. Rayner over the last couple of years. It's a free read on Assorted Nonsense, my newsletter on Substack. Completely free to subscribe!

https://open.substack.com/pub/mahoneyj/p/on-podcasting?r=1wgmq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The official newsletter of Donovan Street Press Inc.

10/10/2024

Today on our podcast Re-Creative Mark A. Rayner and I talk to television and film veteran Tony Schwartz, who makes a compelling case for why everyone should watch The Wire.

Tony shares some great stories about working as first assistant director and line producer on productions like Freaks and Geeks, Firefly and Terminator 3 (as well as many others). He talks about the pain of working on such great shows only to have them succumb to the whims of how the industry sometimes works.

As for The Wire, Tony says, "It has often been described as the greatest show that nobody saw."

In fact, Tony makes his case so well that Mark wound up buying the complete DVD collection while we were still recording this episode!

Joe and Mark invite Tony Schwartz, a veteran freelance first assistant director and line producer for film and television, to make the case for why everyone should watch The Wire.

10/08/2024

Last night we held the first ever (historic!) group meeting of Donovan Street Press Inc. Pictured are authors Mark A. Rayner, Matt Watts, Tanah Haney, Business Manager Jenn DeLagran, and Yours Truly as we discuss plans for world domination... on the publishing front, at least. You can see Jenn happily dreaming about all our future projects. Stay tuned!

10/04/2024

In today's Assorted Nonsense, my newsletter on Substack, an homage to lost friends.

https://mahoneyj.substack.com/p/paul-and-jane?r=1wgmq

An homage to lost friends