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The inspiration(s) behind Dark Mode
I started writing Dark Mode in July 2019 while on residency at Varuna, the National Writer’s House. I remember opening a blank Word doc and thinking, okay, now it’s time to start a whole new book. My first book, My Name Is Revenge, had come out in April that year. I’d also just received a…
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What are those creepy plants on your book cover?!
It surprises a lot of people to learn that writers generally don’t have much, if any, say in their book covers. If a publisher takes on your manuscript, they’re in charge of the book cover. Sometimes you get to voice an opinion on a few options, sometimes you don’t even get that. The publishers are…
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Artist statement – on becoming a crime writer
My first publication happened when I was seven, in the Young Saskatchewan Writers school district anthology. In my copy, a message from my grade one teacher reads, ‘Keep writing stories.’ In 2017, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, and ended up mostly homebound and unable to participate meaningfully in my own life. I was…
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Dark Mode sneak peek – read an excerpt
My debut novel is out in less than two months! I’m incredibly excited to share it with readers – if you’re a fellow crime fiction fan, I wrote this book for you. Dark Mode is a psychological thriller that explores the intersection of violence and misogyny online and in real life through the story of…
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New Year’s Resolutions for 2023
Looking over the past few years, my relationship with resolutions has been complex. In 2019 I made an intentionally ludicrous list. In 2020, I tried for sincere resolutions, and then the pandemic happened. In 2021 I refused to make plans or goals, and 2022 wasn’t much different. I must be feeling optimistic again, because I’ve…
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Writing advice – Keep going
A lot of emerging writers ask, ‘Can I do this? Should I keep going, or am I wasting my time?‘ I asked it all the time during my many years as an aspiring and emerging writer, and I kept sending my work to people hoping someone could give me a definitive answer. I used to…
Ashley Kalagian Blunt 