iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The #teen book club at my local library is reading my book and asked me join them for a Q&A. 🥰 Is your #school, #library, or #bookclub reading Light in the Canyon? Would you like me to visit? If you’re near(ish) #AnnArbor / #Detroit I’d love to. DM me! #youngadult #fiction #sff #booksky #scifi

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Too many irons in the fire, balls in the air, and whatever other idiom you’re partial to. Whew! Time to slow down, man.

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Reposted by Darren Cools

Rachel Beth Ahrens @rachelbeth99.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Note to self: Keep this in my backlog to read later. I want to see my eventual book on bookshelves someday. All bookshelves, including libraries. This would be cool. #booksky #writersky #WritingCommunity

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Been working to restore old trim and casement windows on our 1934 home these last couple of weeks. The work is rewarding, but wow am I tired.

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Come to Schuler Books in Ann Arbor on August 13 for a conversation about my #debut #youngadult #novel, signed copies, and a Q&A. Want to hear how a character visited me in a dream and redefined herself and the plot? RSVP for the full story… #booksky #sff #scifi schulerbooks.com/event/2026-0...

schulerbooks.com

Light in the Canyon with Darren Cools

Schuler Books is an independent bookstore with four locations in Michigan. Grand Rapids, Okemos, Ann Arbor, and West Bloomfield. When you walk into a Schuler Books store you can find what you need, an...

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Oops, forgot to tag @elizmanderson.com!! Sorry, sorry, but please, do come hang with us, it's going to be super fun! #booksky #books #authorevent

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Come see me and E. this Saturday (July 25) at @shopbooksweet.bsky.social in Ann Arbor! We’ll be signing books and discussing our author journeys (and maybe some plot and character stuff, too). #booksky www.eventbrite.com/e/725-author...

eventbrite.com

7/25: Author Event with E.M. Anderson and Darren Cools

Join us at Booksweet for an author event featuring E.M. Anderson and Darren Cools in conversation about their recently released books.

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

“To write about darkness when you’re in the light is a beautiful, gentle, tender thing. You get to appreciate all the ways the darkness is formed . . . can almost touch and smell what it was once like, and yet, miraculously, you’re safe and cradled in the light.” —Shannan Mann

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

So much to unpack in David Brooks’ article in the Atlantic: The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age. I posted a few excerpts that stood out to me. The full article is well-worth a read, especially toward the end where he discusses desire and motivation. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

theatlantic.com

The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age

What will differentiate people is not how smart they are but their relationship to mental effort.

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

“Before AI, many people believed that reason and intelligence were the qualities that define humanity. They are what make us different from the animals. But soon there will be entities that are much smarter than us; so that can’t be what defines humanity.” —David Brooks

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

“In the age of AI, these [are the] questions: ‘What is it that you truly want most in the depth of your heart? What out there in the world is truly worth wanting?’ In our current culture, everybody tells you to find your passion, but nobody tells you how.” —David Brooks

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

“The crucial task before us is to cultivate people’s desire . . . How do we train people to see their life as a hero’s journey . . . [to] have an explorer’s heart, a willingness to endure . . . even when their body and mind are telling them to give up?” —David Brooks

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

AI “offers competence without apprenticeship. Fluency without understanding . . . A student who internalizes that pattern does not become lazier; he becomes less formed, less present, less able to bear the weight of difficulty without reaching for a prompt.” —David Brooks

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Latest newsletter — take a look! mailchi.mp/71d8fab472cb...

mailchi.mp

Upcoming events

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Reposted by Darren Cools

E.M. Anderson | author & schism enthusiast too hot for Bluesky @elizmanderson.com · 16/07/2026

and Saturday's event with @darrencools.bsky.social at @shopbooksweet.bsky.social is also free, but please register to help the bookstore plan! register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/725-author...

In conversation with Darren Cools: July 25, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. EST at Booksweet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Join me and author Darren Cools to celebrate the releases of our new books, The Lord of the Wood and Light in the Canyon! Preordering the book will ensure the store has enough copies for everyone! The Lord of the Wood's cover is blue, paler in the center, darker at the edges, with a central image of a stag of foliage and flowers growing from a tree whose upper branches drip black ooze and the tagline, "Even a beastly woodland protector needs saving..." Light in the Canyon's cover has a central image of a person in silhouette—with stars in them as if their body is a universe—standing and waving, with an evergreen forest below.

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Happening Friday! RSVP: www.booklovebar.com/events/55463...

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

19 hours later, I’m still at #4... if you’re thinking of buying a book but haven’t yet, you might be able to bump my trend higher again right now! Tell your friends... #booksky

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Next week I'll chat with the editor in chief of Ann Arbor Observer, Brooke Black, about my debut YA novel, Light in the Canyon. Come out to Book Love Bar in Yspi for a cozy upstairs conversation and a signed copy of my book! #booksky @slantbooks.bsky.social www.booklovebar.com/events/55463...

booklovebar.com

Author Event w/ Darren Cools | Book Love Bar

Ypsilanti, Michigan's Local Independent Bookstore

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Reposted by Darren Cools

Christy Matthes | Kidlit Writer @christymatthes.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

One week away, and this young adult novel releases! My interview with Darren Cools posts on June 23. A profound debut novel with science fiction, magical realism, and fantasy woven throughout. Buckle up for a wild ride until the final stunning conclusion. @darrencools.bsky.social

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Somebody publish Shemaiah’s review so we can all read it! 😋 (she’s not on Bluesky, but you can find her here: www.shemaiahgonzalez.com) I wouldn’t mind if you preordered the book, too. 😎 Order from your local bookstore! Online alternatives: darrencools.com #booksky @slantbooks.bsky.social

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Did you know I have a Substack? Here’s my post from today: darrencools.substack.com/p/grey-friday #FridayReads

darrencools.substack.com

Grey Friday

The sun went away, but at least I’m almost done working

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

“... this artful novel demonstrates the power of community and empathy as it moves across three decades to restore faith and heal wounded hearts. Contemplative storytelling for teens looking for something off the beaten path.” —Booklist 😍 @slantbooks.bsky.social #booksky #yafiction #kidlit #sff

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Local to southeast Michigan, or feel like traveling? Come celebrate with me! All ages invited (teens especially) and the event is free! June 25, 6:30 p.m. @ Corner Brewery in #Ypsilanti. #booksky #yafiction #youngadultfiction #youngadult #childrensliterature #kidlit #sff #scifi #debutnovel

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

If you happen to be in the Ypsi/A2 area this weekend, join me for the YpsiWrites Anthology celebration at @ypsilibrary.org! There’ll be lots of wonderful people there and readings from local writers (including me!). www.ypsiwrites.com/events/launc...

ypsiwrites.com

Angelica's Anthology Launch Party Celebration Event — YpsiWrites

Join us for our inaugural YpsiWrites Writer in Residence of Ypsilanti celebration!

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Sometimes I pick the ARC of my book and just look at it. I’m dazed that many dozens of other people now also have ARCs... It’s hard to articulate how it feels to realize this powerful, life-shaping dream... Excited to see how it’s received. Hoping you love it, of course. #yafiction #sff #booksky

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Reposted by Darren Cools

Ky @ky.fyi · 24/04/2026

I wrote about why I quit my job, and how weird and tiring tech feels these days.

ky.fyi

Do I belong in tech anymore?

On quitting, the spread of AI, and the loss of an ideal.

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Pre-orders are now available! Indie Bound: bookshop.org/p/books/ligh... Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/light-in-t... Amazon (physical formats will populate soon): www.amazon.com/Light-Canyon...

bookshop.org

Light in the Canyon

Check out Light in the Canyon - <p>A year has passed since Halley's mom died, but she still feels like she's falling to pieces. Dad talks her into joining him at her uncle Gill's house for yet another...

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

WOW. You want to talk about AI and the design industry? This: “We are attempting to build precision software with the most imprecise tool available: natural language.” www.linkedin.com/pulse/detach...

linkedin.com

Detaching from Tomorrow

Like many of my design and engineering peers, I have been thinking about the future that looms before us, under the shadow of generative AI. Our creative tools are evolving, and design as an industry ...

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

New designs on Cotton Bureau, just for fun. cottonbureau.com/people/darre...

cottonbureau.com

Darren Cools | Cotton Bureau

Searching for the ghost

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

My wife recommends a lot of books to me. I read most of them (she has great taste). Yesterday I offered to return the favor. (I have great taste too...) “No thanks,” she said. “I’m not into ghost girl YA.” I opened my mouth to protest... and shut it. 👻 👩‍🦰 🕶️ Can I get a t-shirt of this please?

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

A rare luxury: I spent the weekend #writing and plotting my next #book. Grateful and excited! Crossing my fingers that you all buy my #debut #novel so I can spend most of my time crafting new ones instead of squeezing writing in after everything else. 😉 #yafiction #youngadult #sff #scifi #booksky

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Like the inside cover of an old paperback... A teaser from my book: “A shadow fell across the inside of the entryway. Someone (or something) was on the other side of the doors, inside the darkened library. The shadow stopped, still half in the glass. Then it began to move closer. Jamie fled.”

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Thank you! Hardest part... continuing to revise and query over and over again after months, then years went by. Hanging onto hope. 😅 Never give up folks, sometimes dreams do come true...

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

So amazing to finally hold a physical copy of my book in my hands. I've dreamed of this moment since I was a child... Thanks @slantbooks.bsky.social for bring my vision to life! #youngadult #YA #novel #fiction #yafiction #scifi #sff #yanovel #booksky

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

From now until my book launch in June, I’ll be posting occasional (very brief) teasers from my novel, as well as refections on writing, life, and creativity. Check out my Substack to follow along: substack.com/@darrencools #booksky #youngadult #fiction #scifi #sff #YAfiction #kitlit

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Goals. “Rest in the forest and grow calm.” —Anne Frank, ‘The Fairy’

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Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

A winter #haiku under a blanket inside, sky and sidewalk white outside, aching cold

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