Who is Dain Ray Devon?

As a bilingual author, I write to encourage youth, adults, and families in the Shelbyville community and around the world. The source of my writings flow from my walk with the Lord, Jesus Christ, my years of service as a teaching aide and Sunday School teacher, and the influence of my parents and home church.
Speaking of which, Diane Lee Taylor, my mother, happens to be the center of inspiration in my current project, What’s Going on in Room 223?. Diane served as an elementary teacher for thirty-eight years and has been regarded as a favorite by many children in the Shelbyville community. She always had a way to connect with the students and motivate them to learn. One time, she had my brothers, Adam and Seth, wrap her up like a mummy in toilet paper for a lesson on the pyramids of Egypt. Talk about a frightening way to enter the classroom and see a mummy talking!


Many of her co-teachers probably thought, “Man! What’s this crazy lady going to do next?” And that was the kind of teacher and person that Mrs. Taylor was and is-impactful, witty, creative, patient, and engaging. She always taught the whole child and put his/her needs first. And that is kind of the theme that is run throughout this reading series. Each child has his/her own unique personality and interests, and I try my best to encapsulate that with the dialogues, the illustrations, and the plot.

Some of the characters mirror my experiences as a student because I have encountered problems like theirs. Take Santiago Cruz, for example. He is a shy and timid individual who has a language delay and does not like speaking in front of people. Like him, I had to take speech classes to improve my speech. Later in the middle school and high school years, I enlisted in choir to improve my speaking in front of people. And since that time, I have participated in many Easter and Christmas programs at Trinity United Methodist Church.

Currently, I am a member of the Blue River Community Choir, and this community partner has been a blessing for me because I have never seen myself as a soloist; nevertheless, Mrs. Jackson and other choir members have given me the confidence to say, “Yes, Dain, you can do it! You can stand on your own as a soloist! Trust in your skills and believe!”

And that serves as one literary goal for me. I want my books to push my readers in setting goals for themselves as readers. They may see my books as challenging, but I believe that anything is possible when God is on one’s side. We should never ever limit God. To learn about me I highly encourage viewers to visit my author website at dainraydevonbooks.com and follow my social media posts on You Tube, Instagram, and Twitter. On these platforms, I post updates about my events, snippets of my writing, and cover reveals..