Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

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AI Writing I just finished reading several articles about AI-authored books.  Some authors accused of using AI to write their books claim it is just to overcome writer’s block.  As a self-published author in an already swamped market, this trend is discouraging.  Every day, I get emails and ads telling me that I can write more and faster using an AI application.   Equally, I get AI marketing advertisements suggesting how easy it is to fool people.  I’m aware that AI is here to stay and I’m no Luddite, but AI is changing our lives, sometimes much faster than we want or faster than we expected. 

AI Graphics A ten-year-old just encouraged me to try the image-generating aspect of Microsoft’s Copilot. She was excited to find an easy way to illustrate the book she is writing.  I tried it, she is correct, it is astoundingly easy to produce a believable image. This is the language I used to generate the graphic, the text that Copilot changed it to, and the image it produced. This is not me, but it could be.  Note that one of the things that AI has struggled with is hands, and these hands are done perfectly. Many of you will find this information old news but there is a wealth of folks out there that will see this as “magic”. The left side is AI me and the right side is real me.  This is the prompt I used in Copilot.

State Of My Art I tell stories.  Many times, the same story to the same people ad nauseam. Often, I write those stories down and sometimes put them into books, mostly children’s books.  The books are my AI Generated Me words, often truncated or sharpened by my editor, but nonetheless MY words.  My books sell, dismayingly, not very well, but my goal is to impact one kid.  I love to write. I struggle to market my work because I’d rather be writing another book.  So, despite being retired, writing can be laborious. I perceive my writing as art. My art, my work, perhaps delusionally, but I see it as art.  I want to get my concerns about Internet safety, bullying, domestic abuse, and more in front of kids. The children’s book market is glutted with books, ghost-written, AI-written with the goal of generating income, not helping kids.  The point of this diatribe is to encourage book buyers to support human authors who care about their book topics. AI wri...

Darkest Fear: A Myron Bolitar Novel  by Harlan Coben 4.4 out of 5 stars   (11,149) 4.1 on Goodreads 31,752 ratings Book 7 of 12: Myron Bolitar Edgar Award-winner Harlan Coben brings us his most astonishing—and deeply personal—novel yet. And it all begins when Myron Bolitar’s ex tells him he’s a father . . . of a dying thirteen-year-old boy. If you are overly emotional about kids being in trouble, there are parts of this book that will be very hard to read.  Spoilers Myron never saw it coming. A surprise visit from an ex-girlfriend is unsettling enough. But Emily Downing’s news brings him to his knees. Her son Jeremy is dying and needs a bone-marrow transplant—from a donor who has vanished without a trace. Then comes the real shocker: The boy is Myron’s son, conceived the night before her wedding to another man. Staggered by the news, Myron plunges into a search for the missing donor. But finding him means cracking open a dark mystery that involves a bro...

Echoes of Betrayal Paladin's Legacy Hardcover  February 21, 2012 by Elizabeth Moon  4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,088) 4.2 on Goodreads 3,355 ratings Book 3 of 5: Paladin's Legacy Editors' pickBest Science Fiction & Fantasy Available in Hardcover, Paper and Kindle Buy It Here I will admit it, I am a fan of this series.  In fact, I haven't read an Elizabeth Moon book I haven't truly enjoyed.  She keeps you alert and awake as you read.   This third book in the series leaves you hanging on the cliff.  The beauty of reading a series that is this old is that you don't have to wait years for the results of the cliff hanger.  You just buy the entire series and can sate your fantasy appetite in one beautiful orgy of consumption.  The books are that good.  The action continues fast and furious in this third installment of Elizabeth Moon’s celebrated return to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter. This award-winning author...

Kings of the North (The Deed of Paksenarrion, 2) Hardcover – March 22, 2011 by Elizabeth Moon  4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (973) 4.2 on Goodreads 3,749 ratings Book 2 of 5: Paladin's Legacy Paper and Kindle Versions are Available Buy Here This is the 2nd book in a five book series.  It is excellent, I gave it five stars.  I do recommend reading them in order.   Elizabeth Moon returns to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter—Paks for short—in this second volume of a new series filled with all the bold imaginative flights, meticulous world-building, realistic military action, and deft characterization that readers have come to expect from this award-winning author. In Kings of the North, Moon is working at the very height of her storytelling powers. Peace and order have been restored to the kingdoms of Tsaia and Lyonya, thanks to the crowning of two kings: Mikeli of Tsaia and, in Lyonya, Kieri Phelan, a mercenary captain whose royal b...

Oath of Fealty (Legend of Paksenarrion Book 1)  Kindle Edition by  Elizabeth Moon   (Author)     Format: Hard Back 4.6  4.6 out of 5 stars       (1,279)   4.1  on Goodreads   5,071 ratings Book 1 of 5: Paladin's Legacy Goodreads Choice Admittedly, I am a huge fan of Moon. I love her characters and their moral values.  She brings them alive and  shows strength and wisdom.  I have owned this book for years, but I have just got around to starting the trilogy This book was excellent and I am now halfway through the 2nd book.  Moon's work is excellent.  I strongly recommend this book and the series.  From Amazon: For the first time in nearly twenty years, Elizabeth Moon returns to the thrilling realm of her superb Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy.   Thanks to Paks’s courage, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary who e...

Kids Art Display Frame – Wall-Mount Storage for Artwork, Drawings & Crafts – 12.99" x 9.53" (A4) Easy-Swap Book-Style Frame in Durable MDF & Plexiglass - (Light Oak) Brand: Generic 4.3  4.3 out of 5 stars       (5) Brand Generic Color Light Oak Product Dimensions 12.99"L x 9.53"W Shape Rectangular Mounting Type Wall Mount Frame Type Wall Frame Frame Material MDF and plexiglass Finish Type matte Style display frame Theme decorative art About this item Creative Display Solution: Change your home into a gallery of creativity with this versatile artwork display frame, ideal for showcasing your child’s drawings, paintings, crafts, or photos. Ideal for adding a personal and artistic touch to any room, it turns their creations into cherished wall art. Easy-Swap Design: Featuring an innovative book-style opening, this frame makes swapping out artwork effortless. Easily replace older pieces with fresh creations while securely storing previous ones, keeping everythi...

It seems like no matter how many ports I have, I need more.  This is a great little hub that provides HDMI as well USB ports.   I like it. 5-in-1 USB C Hub for Live Streaming: Dual USB C 2.0 Ports for Mic/Audio, 25W PD Charging, HDMI 4K Output, USB A 3.0, Aluminum Type C Adapter for iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy, iPad, MacBook, Laptops 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars   $19.99    Buy It Here Brand lulaven Hardware Interface            USB Type C Special Feature       4K HDMI, Fast Charging, Fast Data Transfer Compatible Devices            Laptops phones Total USB Ports      1 About this item [Perfect for Live Streaming] – This 5-in-1 USB C Hub is designed for streamers, featuring dual USB C 2.0 ports to connect microphones, headphones, or other audio devices, ensuring crystal-clear sound quality f...

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