About

Hi, I'm Devon. I quit my job in tech so I could focus on turning my side hustles into my main squeeze. No pressure, right?

Fun facts

1. I used to be a game show host. The show was called “Face the Music”. We went around hosting corporate Christmas parties in small towns you’ve never heard of. It was, without a doubt, the best job I’ve ever had.

2. I had jaw surgery when I was 21. When the surgeon asked if I also wanted a “Tom Cruise chin” I said, “Just the jaw, please.”

3. I once bought a Pez dispenser for 10 cents and flipped it for $300. It was a One-Eyed Monster.

4. First job = movie projectionist. Growing up I also wanted to be a baker, a zamboni driver, and an antiques appraiser.

5. I took a cooking class in Hội An, Vietnam from Bill Clinton’s personal chef. I don’t think he was lying, but it’s possible.

6. I once bowled over 300 in game of 5-pin bowling. That includes a strike or a spare in every frame. The scorecard is still in my parents’ basement.

7. My favorite video game is Curse of Monkey Island. Second and third favorite games? The original Monkey Islands.

8. I’ve been to 27 Broadway shows and kept all the playbills. The best was Next to Normal, the worst was Mary Poppins.

9. I write dark holiday stories for mature children and immature adults. If that doesn’t scream “commercial appeal”, I don’t know what does.

10. I eat kiwis with the skins on, which apparently is a hate crime.

Favorite quotes

→ “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” -Jay-Z

→ “Less is boring, more is more.” -Stephen Sondheim

→ “Perfection can also be spelled p-a-r-a-l-y-s-i-s.” —Churchill

→ “Learning by reading is like making love by mail.” -Pavarotti

→ “I keep inspired to write because if I don’t then the mortgage company will be inspired to foreclose on my house.” -John Scalzi

→ “Life is more about motion than direction. Imagine you’re on a beach and you want to get to a fantasy island where all your dreams come true. Problem is, you can’t see the island. It’s foggy. You’ve got to get in a boat and start paddling. As you go, you’ll realize where it is. It’s much easier to move a boat when you have some momentum. You’ll put your paddle in the water and turn toward the island.” -Shaan Puri

→ “The life of a writer is absolute hell compared with the life of a businessman. The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make his own hours and if he doesn’t go to his desk at all there is nobody to scold him. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” -Roald Dahl

→ “These results are as good as it gets. Do with that what you will. Go climb Kilimanjaro, if that’s what you want to do, just get out of here.” -My cardiologist after reviewing my CT angiogram.

Contact me

→ Email: devon@devonhennig.com

→ For publishing inquiries and speaking engagements, please contact my literary agent, Jill Marr, at jill@dijkstraagency.com.