E716 - Richard DeVeau - In Plain Sight - In Washington, nothing is what it seems

EPISODE 716 - Richard DeVeau - In Plain Sight - In Washington, nothing is what it seems

In this engaging return visit to the show, author Richard DeVeau discusses his new thriller In Plain Sight, the second installment in his Eve Tanzi series following the debut Lights Out. Living in Batavia, Illinois—a suburb along the Fox River west of Chicago—he shares how his brother's lighthouse refurbishment on Cape Cod sparked the idea for Lights Out. Intrigued by lighthouses as historic guides with foghorns offering comfort to sailors, DeVeau flipped the concept: what if someone weaponized them for evil? His antagonist launches missiles from real lighthouses in Boston and Maryland, subverting their heritage in a tale of domestic terrorism known as the Greater Boston Massacre.

DeVeau explains how In Plain Sight stands alone while advancing the series. Picking up after the first book's tragedy, protagonist Eve Tanzi—a tough Special Forces operative, CIA agent, and artist—works directly with the president from a D.C. apartment to unmask remaining cabal members: a senator, judge, and presidential insider. She recruits a trusted Afghanistan comrade—described as Einstein in Arnold Schwarzenegger's body—for brains, brawn, and budding romance, amid fresh conspiracies threatening national control. Each book builds momentum for readers jumping in mid-series, with key backstory woven in naturally.

Drawing from his New England roots, World War II comic fascination, and French Canadian heritage (echoed in Eve's Quebec ancestor), DeVeau revels in research via books like Modern War in Ancient Land and firsthand accounts. He compares writing to his 35-year fine art painting career: both involve dialoguing with the work, solving problems, and immersion. Sensory details, especially smell's memory power (burning tires in Kabul, his grandmother's tourtière pie), enrich scenes. Dialogue flows naturally from eavesdropping at gallery openings and ad copywriting experience, avoiding stiff "writing-speak"—a tip reinforced by reading screenplays like early drafts of Roxanne.

DeVeau aims for a book-a-year rhythm, planning the third by summer. He credits early readers like his Harvard-educated pastor friend for developmental edits sharpening Eve's reactions, and highlights her warrior-artist balance as an ancient archetype adding depth. His early ebook involvement—crafting ads for Stephen King's 2000 novella Riding the Bullet, which crashed servers with 500,000 downloads—foreshadowed the digital revolution.

Books are available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Ingram distributors; local signings continue at his nearby store. Visit richarddeveau.com for updates.

Key takeaway: Lighthouses symbolize guidance, but DeVeau shows how flipping familiar icons fuels thrilling stories—write what you love, research deeply, and let process mirror your passions for authentic, immersive tales.

https://richarddeveau.com/