Has Penguin/Putnam House Lost Its Mind?

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A book to avoid

If you’ve been hanging around Bookstagram or checking out authors on Facebook, you might have come across a post or an article about Sibylline by Melissa de la Cruz. This YA romantasy (from Penguin/Putnam House) has drawn a lot of backlash, and many reviewers are raising concerns. Why? Because of the content. The author included graphic sexual content with a threesome (a girl and two boys), one of whom is either asleep or dead. I’ve only read a brief clip of the scene, but based on some extra information on the plot and some help from AI, I believe he’s dead.

There are several problems with all of this.

  • If the character is dead, that makes this scene necrophilia.
  • If the character is alive but asleep, what happens to him is rape and nonconsensual.
  • Regardless of whether he’s alive or dead, this kind of content is for much older audiences and is unacceptable for YA.
  • This material passed through at least one editor, a publisher, and several promoters.
  • Good Morning America picked the book as their YA Book Club Pic and interviewed the author.
  • ARC readers raised concerns after reading it, claiming it was too adult for YA.

The YA genre targets readers aged 12-18, and readers can be as young as 8 or 9. There is a broad crossover market, with 74%-78% of YA readers being over the age of 18. But why include it at all? No one at Penguin/Putnam suggested a rewrite or revision. There’s no warning anywhere on or in the book that this is for adult readers. During Good Morning America’s interview with Melissa de la Cruz, the content was never mentioned, and GMA still has a post up on their website supporting the book. The ARC reviews raised concerns, but nothing was changed.

So with all the disregarded opportunities to correct a mistake, I have lots of questions: Why label it as YA and not adult? Is there any genre where necrophilia or nonconsensual sex is acceptable? How did this material bypass the editors/promoters/publisher? Are publishers specifically targeting younger readers with graphic content? If Melissa de la Cruz and her publisher see nothing wrong with this kind of content, where does it stop? If publishers feel there NEEDS to be “sex on the page” in YA**, the days of picking a book off the shelf at B&N are gone.

An interesting fact is that the author shut down comments and issued no apology. I also noted this book is the first in a duology. Will a publisher release a second book if the first is rated so poorly? (On Goodreads, over a quarter of readers gave it a rating of 1 while 50+% of Amazon readers gave it a 1. Clearly, this isn’t something the reading public wanted.)

I wish I could offer a solution to avoid all the garbage that’s being pushed onto the shelves and into our and our kids’ hands. Here are a few things I do:

  1. Read books by authors who promise a clean read. There are plenty. Just beware of those that promise the confusing blend of “sweet and spicy.” See below for my list of indie and traditionally published authors.
  2. Check the Amazon reviews—there’s a section above the reviews for each book that reads Looking for specific info.? I’ll type “smut,” “spicy,” “language,” or “violence” to see if there are other reviews mentioning these words.
  3. Read books recommended by other authors. I try to recommend mostly clean reads, and if they’re not, I’ll tell you what I found between the pages.

 

** In a newsletter last month, I mentioned author Lorie Langdon’s most recent message from her publisher—her newest YA manuscript wouldn’t sell unless it had sex on the page. I’m wondering who’s asking for this kind of content. I know of plenty of readers who are looking for the opposite—stories with a riveting plot, action, and interesting characters. No smut/spice needed.

Below, I have a list of clean traditionally published authors and a list of small press/indie authors just for you. 🙂

Clean Traditionally Published Authors:

Some are Christian authors. If the author doesn’t write consistently clean books, I’ve included the clean titles for you.

  1. Rebecca Ross (Letters of Enchantment Duology–sex is mentioned but not explicit and the characters are married.)
  2. C.J. Redwine
  3. Lorie Langdon
  4. Brandon Sanderson
  5. Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles)
  6. Brigid Kemmerer
  7. Shannon Hale (Princess Academy and The Goose Girl)
  8. Gail Carson Levine
  9. Nancy Campbell Allen
  10. Kathy Tyers
  11. Nadine Brandes
  12. Lisa Bergren
  13. Rachelle Nelson
  14. Morgan Busse
  15. Jamie Foley
Clean Independent or Small Press Authors
  1. Janeen Ippolito
  2. Sarah Delano White
  3. Mary Meacham
  4. Laura Zimmerman
  5. Carrie Ann Noble
  6. H.L. Burke
  7. Haley Reese-Chow
  8. E.A. Hendryx
  9. Savannah Jezowski
  10. E.J. Kitchens
  11. Sarah Ashwood Blackwell
  12. Savannah Goins
  13. Pam Halter
  14. Dawn Ford
  15. J.M. Hackman 😊

If you have kids, protect them. My oldest child was a bookworm, and it was really difficult to stay on top of what she was reading. Unfortunately, we can’t rely on the publishers to keep explicit content from our kids.

 

Happy Launch Day: The Firebrand Chronicles Returns!

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After five years (more or less since the first book Spark was published in 2017 and the last book Burn in 2020), The Firebrand Chronicles re-releases today! *(cue the confetti!)

I spent the summer and fall revising, editing, rewriting passages, adding extra content, and finding new covers. The result is fantastic. Would you like to see the pretty covers?

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In

five…

 

f our…

 

three…

 

two…

 

one!

 

If you’re not familiar with the series, here’s a little more information.

One girl. Two worlds. A thousand ways to fail.

When Brenna James steps through a portal to find her mother, she lands in Linneah—a kingdom where unusual gifts awaken in teens and griffins can bond with humans.

But with her ADHD brain in overdrive and a new fire power ability, focus is a struggle, impulse is her middle name, and staying out of trouble? Yeah, that idea went up in smoke.

As Brenna struggles to control her fire power ability, Baldwin, an attractive local swordsman, and Arvandus the griffin keep her alive by refusing to leave her side. When darkness rises and worlds hang in the balance, Brenna battles distractions, self-doubt, and her own impulsive choices. Are her unique strengths and weaknesses the key to saving both worlds?

The Firebrand Chronicles is a YA portal fantasy packed with danger, prophecies, and a heroine who refuses to play by the rules.

The complete trilogy is in paperback, ebook, and can be found on KU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FY5Y17QG

Another neat thing about releasing the books today is the way it coincides with the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast. They picked my short story, “The Greatest Adventure” for a read-through! The story is set in the Firebrand Chronicles world and takes place several hundred years before our heroine Brenna James comes on the scene. I listened to it during my lunch hour and thoroughly enjoyed it.

To listen to it, go to https://www.findingfantasyreads.com/the-greatest-adventure-by-jm-hackman

 

Swag Ideas That Are Fun, Flat, & Frugal

There’s nothing like bookish swag. When an author sends a printed Advance Reader Copy (ARC) or a book that I’ve won, sometimes they tuck little extras in with it. It’s often swag, like a bookmark or some other item. And sometimes, the author or sender gets creative with the package by giving it a pretty wrapper, bow, or even an attractive mailer. But coming up with new swag ideas that are fun, flat, and frugal isn’t easy.

Fun and frugal make sense for obvious reasons. But flat? Why? I remember writing to pen pals back when I was much (much!) younger. Getting a letter always made my day. We would write letters using fun stationery, and include pictures or cards, and we’d add doodles or use elaborate handwriting. What was the one thing we never sent? Items. Why? Because it was too expensive. Things haven’t become any cheaper since those days of pen pal writing (which I know dates me, but there was something special about getting real mail that someone wrote by hand. I text and DM, but it’s not as special. Anyway…)

So what are the rules and regulations concerning postage? Currently, a first-class stamp costs $0.73. For each additional ounce, it costs an extra $0.28. There are quite a few guidelines for parcels. An envelope is considered a parcel if it’s thicker than ¼” and weighs more than 3.5 ounces. If the contents are too inflexible to go through the machine, the package is considered a parcel. And last, if it’s non-rectangular, rigid, or lumpy, it’s considered a parcel.

Shipping parcels internationally is prohibitively expensive. A simple, under-one-ounce letter going to New Zealand costs $1.25—not terrible, but the heavier it gets, the more costly it becomes. And a letter will cost more or less depending on the country it’s heading to.

So now that USPS requirements are out of the way, it’s easy to see why flat swag is the easiest route to take to reward readers. It ships internationally without too much cost, it works for giveaways, preorder gifts, newsletter thank-yous, and Patreon perks, and readers appreciate it.

What flat swag ideas could you come up with to put in those envelopes to say thanks or delight readers? Once you’ve tucked in a bookmark or two, it’s difficult to create unique ideas that are under ¼” thick.

Here are 20 ideas that are flat, lightweight, easily mailable (fits in a standard envelope) *, and inexpensive.

*It’s possible to purchase big 5”x7” envelopes. I used them for my last launch team and since they’re bigger, everything fit inside neatly.

 

Bookishly Themed: Stickers/Bookmarks/Cardsflat swag

  1. Stickers: art, quotes, or genre-themed designs (vinyl or paper); series-themed packs
  2. Bookmarks: printed with book covers, links, quotes, or series art (i.e., “collect all 5 bookmarks!”)
  3. Temporary tattoos: runes, symbols, logos, or insignias from your fictional world
  4. Mini Button Pins (w/ cardboard backing): still fits in padded envelope if thin
  5. Custom Stationery/Notepaper: themed around a faction, planet, or society
  6. Author Signature Plates: printed stickers readers can use to “autograph” their copy
  7. Quote Cards: high-impact quotes from the book with stylized backgrounds

World Building: Maps/Character Cards/Lore

  1. Character cards: like trading cards with stats, art and bios
  2. Exclusive Short Story Cards: QR code or URL linked to a digital-only bonus scene
  3. World Map Prints: folded or postcard-sized fantasy/sci-fi maps
  4. Die-cut Shapes: flat cutouts of spaceships, family pets, magical objects
  5. Foil Seals or Stamps: “official” guild seals, royal emblems, or rebel insignias

Interactive Elements: Quests/Recipes/Coloring pages

  1. Recipe Cards: “in-world” recipes (e.g., Elven Tea Bread, Space Pirate Ration Bars, etc.)
  2. Printable Coloring Pages: best when digitally delivered but can be printed and mailed
  3. Puzzle Clues/Secret Messages: interactive swag tied to promo game or campaign
  4. TBR Cards: cards with genre-themed reading prompts or challenges

Collectibles/Keepsakes: Mini Art Prints/Postcards/ID Badges

  1. Mini Calendars: small themed calendars with release dates and character art
  2. Mini Art Prints (4×6 or smaller): postcard-size character or world illustrations
  3. Postcards: with in-world messages, book quotes, or location artwork
  4. Access Passes/Badges: “Official” ID for readers—Space Cadet, Magic Initiate, etc
  5. BONUS IDEA—Coupons/Gift cards: if you sell merch or books on your website or have an Etsy shop

 

This isn’t an exhaustive list of flat swag ideas, but you don’t have to attempt the complete list. With my last release, I had an ARC review team I wanted to thank. I created a recipe card, added some wolf stickers and temporary tattoos from Amazon, and added a bookmark with an in-world tagline. To finish, I included a small card that said “thanks!” with a pretty seal on it. (Lesson I learned: The thickness of the wax seal matters. If it’s too thick, it exceeds the ¼” thickness limit. It also adds weight. It’s good to know for next time…)

envelopes ready to be mailedHere are some bonus tips when creating your flat swag for readers:

  • Bundle sparingly: include 2-3 items per envelope max to stay under weight limits (yes, I exceeded that—oops!—but stayed under the limit for most of the envelopes)
  • Work with small printers: try Sticker Mule, Vistaprint, Moo, or local printers
  • Use reusable designs: generic maps or lore pieces can work across multiple books
  • Weigh your envelope: do a trial run with a digital postal scale or take a filled sample envelope to the post office and have them weigh it for you
  • Add a personal touch: handwritten notes, wax seals, or themed stamps
  • Go digital too: offer digital swag for international readers (PDF, printable art, or exclusive stories)

Have fun with the possibilities and consider unconventional ideas. One sticker or card or even a handwritten “thanks!” could create a special connection between the reader, the story, and you.

Are there any swag ideas I missed? What are your favorites? Share them in the comments or tag me; I’d love to add your flat swag ideas to my list!

Tropes I Love (and Tropes That Turn Me Off)

The Evil Overlord, The Reluctant Hero, Enemies to Lovers—tropes (common themes or devices) have become big in fiction. While we don’t see tropes much in literary fiction, genre fiction is proud of its tropes and advertises them, hoping to grab new readers. Like many readers, there are several tropes I love to read. Finding a book that contains one of my favorites is a guarantee I’ll be picking it up. But there are definitely tropes that turn me off. More on that later…woman looking over glasses

Romantic tropes like Forbidden Lovers or Second Chance Romance can cross over to other genres pretty easily, especially since popular genres like fantasy or action/adventure may include a romance subplot.

BookTok (a subcommunity of Tik-Tok), which often focuses on romances and the bestseller lists, Amazon, Instagram’s sub community Bookstagram, and other social media platforms are full of text and video posts sharing their favorite popular tropes in their newest read. (Great places to look for book recommendations!)

Mentioning the tropes in a story is a good marketing strategy. Readers look for them and often buy them. Listed below are three tropes I love (and will read any time).

  • The Secret Heir/Hidden Royalty: I love this one. Either the main character knows he/she is royal, or everyone is unaware of it and a plot twist reveals it. By the end, it’s common knowledge and everyone gets a happily ever-after (except the villain, of course.) Either setup can be written well, especially with a loved main character who had a rough beginning or tragic backstory (Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson is one of my favorites with this trope.)
  • Soulmates/Fated Lovers: If soulmates or fated lovers were a sure thing, matchmaking services would suffer a bit. There’s something so simple about meeting someone who’s meant “just for you.” With this trope, there’s usually someone or something attempting to tear the couple apart and the angst is thick. (Sun and Moon by Desiree Williams is a fantastic standalone clean fantasy with this trope.)
  • Chosen One: Some readers feel this trope has been overdone, thanks to the Harry Potter series. Even so, I love it. I love reading about the difficulties the character faces in this new position of power and the magic or weapons training that occurs. In a world where many are searching for meaning, knowing your purpose means you skip all the soul-searching. (My trilogy the Firebrand Chronicles, which starts with Spark, uses this trope. Many other series do too—Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. I enjoyed them all. 😊 )

While I enjoy the above tropes, there are three tropes that turn me off. In fact, if I see these mentioned in blurbs or reviews, I move on to the next book.

  1. Love Triangle: I really don’t understand the draw of this trope. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate. I’ve NEVER had two equally desirable men interested in me at the same time. And if by some weird quirk that occurred, I’d never have trouble deciding who I liked the most. Often, the female main character is a Mary Sue, totally perfect and unrelatable or so bland she doesn’t remind me of anyone. Maybe super popular girls who have to fight guys off with a stick get this trope. *Shrugs.* Any super popular girls out there who can comment on this?  There are always exceptions to every rule. One well done love triangle is All That We See or Seem by Kristian Mahr.
  2. The Playboy/Alphahole/Bully Romance: Playboys are portrayed as promiscuous men who become reformed by putting away their wandering ways when they meet The One. An Aphahole is usually a super controlling, possessive jerk who, again, just needs to meet The One to change his behavior. I hate to be a realist, but a man won’t change for a woman. He has to WANT to change. Would you even want a man who had either of these issues, regardless of what he looked like? And Bully romances are an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp or safe nuclear war. Why, why, why would you be attracted to someone who treats or treated you like dirt? Aside from the sheer toxicity of the situation, it’s not even a little realistic. Have these authors ever been bullied? Because as someone who has gone through it, there is no world where I would have warm fuzzy feelings or attraction for someone who put me through a nightmare. Give me a main male character who, while far from perfect, has some redeeming qualities so I can see why the female character is falling for him. While I love to give book recs, I can’t think of any for this trope.
  3. Reverse Harem/Why Choose?: Sit down and buckle up, buttercup, because I have a serious problem with this this one. For the grand finale, this trope is my most hated (and ironically the one that pops up most in my Facebook feed. Why?!?). I will ignore a fantastic plot if this trope is mentioned in a blurb. Reverse Harem/Why Choose? often shows up in urban fantasy, shifter, or supernatural romances, as well as romantasy. In general, fantasy features unbelievable elements, requiring readers to suspend their disbelief. When the author includes a reverse harem trope, my brain immediately goes “what?” It becomes overloaded with too many speculative elements to overcome. confused woman saying make it make sense...

Men and women in everyday relationships like to know their significant other is exclusive. They don’t share well, which is as it should be. This is why the reverse harem trope doesn’t work. It takes the Love Triangle Trope and dials it up to eleven. All the men are gorgeous, all of them don’t mind sharing (which makes me laugh. Every. Time.), and the woman has no problem with the setup. She never says, “no thanks” or “I just want one boyfriend/husband/partner” and walks away. She just accepts it, and the story continues. Like I said, in order for a speculative story to work, there must be moments that are totally real. Those moments make the fantastical easier to believe. Another fact to consider: if multiple men (or women) are okay with sharing, that means the other person is only an object to satisfy their own needs, not a person to be loved, cherished, and respected.

Finally, while trying to wrap my head around the idea, I asked an author friend, and she clued me in to why the reverse harem/why choose trope is so popular. She said, “The main female character is in charge. She gets to call the shots and be in control of all of it.” It made sense. The female main character is the queen of her domain with multiple adoring love interests. I’m not anti-sex. While God made everything and called it all very good, He was also a big proponent of the one man/one woman relationship, too. (Mark 10:7-8) I think deep down that’s why I can’t reconcile the trope whenever I come across it.

If any of these tropes I mentioned are your favorites, please share in the comments and tell me why. And if you have other favorites, please share those as well! I’d love to hear your opinion!

**Tropes reveal desires and insecurities within each person. So, if you’re curious to find out what kind of book trope you’d be (if tropes were personalities!), click on the link or the pop-up to take the fun quiz, “What Book Trope Are You?”

Happy Release Day, All the Wild Hearts!

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It’s finally here!

My futuristic Red Riding Hood novella All the Wild Hearts is live on Amazon! I’m excited and nervous and overwhelmed…and proud of myself. 🙂

Anyone who puts in the work to release a book should be. But before this time, I didn’t think it was for me. I’d put limitations on myself. I was too distracted, too old, too busy, blah blah blah, to be an indie author. I had an author friend tell me I should be one, and I remember laughing and disagreeing with her. (That conversation was pre-Covid, so it took place at least several years ago.) I was content in my traditional publishing bubble and while I had fleeting thoughts of being a hybrid author, I had no intention of doing it anytime soon. (because–see the limitations above), When the rights to my portal fantasy series reverted to me, I was stunned. What did I do now? I grieved, I wondered, I prayed. I even spent some of that time feeling like a failure, because I felt like I was right back where I started. Eventually, I realized I needed to decide: indie or traditional?

It was a massive decision. I either needed to look for an agent or start looking for an editor. Each path to publication differs from the other (and it’s even more different within the indie author circle, with options like Kickstarter, Substack, Patreon, other serial publishing models like Wattpad). Through much prayer, God told me to go into indie publishing, but I didn’t do it immediately. (Yeah, don’t do that. Bad decision.) I had been traditional—I knew the pros and cons, but indie was scary! So, I spent a long time thinking, praying, arguing, and just trying to understand what being an indie author would look like. God gave me the time, but didn’t change His answer. To this day, I still don’t understand why He led me here (and maybe I won’t ever understand this side of heaven. It takes faith, and that’s okay because faith is a big part of my life).

Since I was still writing despite the wondering, praying, and thinking, I finished the novella All the Wild Hearts, book 2 (a Snow White retelling titled All the Poisoned Hearts), and part of book 3. Now that I’m on the other side of publishing the novella, I’m amazed at what I’ve learned to do. Reels, marketing, graphics, keywords, metadata, formatting—I’m not an expert and I’m still learning. I’m also still distracted, still old, still busy, but God has had His hand on this endeavor every step of the way. I don’t know where He’ll take this series. Maybe it will offer hope and enjoyment to readers—I pray it does, since hope is such a precious commodity these days. I also pray it will make readers think, because fairytales are so much more than silly little oral tales passed around a campfire. Deep truth or hard situations can be buried in the structure of fairytales.

I’m hoping to write a longer blog post someday soon on how fairytales have changed, but the day my novella releases is not that day. Instead, I’m going to celebrate my accomplishment, have some chocolate (a critical part of ANY celebration) and begin working on the next story.

Please go to Amazon and pick up a copy of All the Wild Hearts!

A New Series, a New Book, & a New Opportunity (to read and review)!

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It’s been too long since I wrote on this blog. Let me give you a short summary of what’s been happening in my little corner of the world since last year.

I’ve been learning how to be an indie author!

A lot goes into being an indie author. You don’t just write the story and then upload it to Amazon (although some do with disastrous results). You write the story, revise it ad nauseum, hire a cover designer, hire a professional editor, make the edits, hire a formatter, and then learn — about marketing, about Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing, about advertising, as well as numerous other facets of publishing.

In the last year, I’ve received an education (even on things I didn’t know I needed to know–lol!). On April 29th, I’ll be releasing the beginning of a new series called the Stardust Hearts series. The stories are futuristic fantasy fairytale retellings (reminiscent of the Lunar Chronicles). Book one, a novella, is titled All the Wild Hearts: A Red Riding Hood Retelling.

I’m so excited to get this story out into the world, but first, I’m looking for eARC readers (eARC: ebook Advance Reader Copy). If you’re not familiar with what this is, an eARC reader reads an early copy of the ebook and agrees to review it on Amazon, Goodreads, or B&N on release day. They can also talk about it on any social media channel they like, share about it on their blog, or share it in the newsletter.

The market is saturated with books; in the United States last year, there were 500,00 self-published books released. This doesn’t even take into account the books released by the bigger publishing houses or books released in other countries. It’s hard to get noticed with that many books available. Reviews on Amazon are one of the small ways a book can get noticed, so eARC readers/reviewers are a big help.

Anyway, I digress. If being an eARC reader/reviewer sounds like something you’d like to be involved in, here’s a beautiful view of the cover, a little bit about the book, and a link you can click on to sign up.

Who’s afraid of the big bad businessman? Everyone.

On the snowy planet of Amaris, Avarill Engle makes deliveries for her grandmother and the residents of Skift, while avoiding unwanted advances from the gray tycoon Wolfgang Vujic. When the crooked CEO buys the mortgage to her grandmother’s neo-res, the only way to keep their home is to go to work—for him.

With every passing day, Avarill feels more desperate and afraid. Blaiz Weylin, her new friend and expert codestitcher, creates a plan to destroy Vujic, and Avarill eagerly joins the sting operation. But Blaiz’s past entwines with Vujic in ways he can’t confess, even as his feelings for Avarill deepen. When his secret comes to light, Avarill must make a choice: trust in the man who could break her heart or fight to free herself from Vujic’s iron grasp. With one wrong move, her freedom will become a distant memory. Time is running out, and the wolf is closing in.

For fans of The Lunar Chronicles, this futuristic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood blends swoony romance, creative technology, and high stakes adventure into an engaging tale of hope and redemption.

Sign up here to be put on the eARC reader/reviewer list!

I’m only leaving this link available for five more days–on March 15th, it’s coming down. But if you sign up, you’ll get bookish swag/goodies below and my eternal gratitude for your help!

I hope we can celebrate this release together!

Drop a comment to let me know what you think about this new series!

 

The Seven Books of August

storm between bookstacksAugust was a banner month for reading. When I’m writing, I don’t have as much time for reading, but that wasn’t the case this month. While I usually share 3-4 reviews in my newsletter, I didn’t have room to cover all my recent reads. Here are  ALL the reviews/recommendations! Enjoy!

 

 

**The Unsound Theory (Emilia Zeeland) 4.5/5  Yalena isn’t star crazy, but when she gets an invitation to the Star Academy, it might answer all the questions about where she came from. This reminded me of Harry Potter, in that it was the orphaned Chosen One in space that goes to a special school and makes friends. I enjoyed it and have book 2 waiting on my Kindle.

**Once Upon A Dream, A Twisted Tale (Liz Brazwell) 3.75/5 Although the Prince tried to wake Aurora, he fell asleep. Since she’s still asleep, too, they must navigate her dreamscape and try to break the curse together. This fairytale was based on Disney as the source material (which I disliked a bit) and the Prince was written with Golden Retriever vibes—not very bright but with a goofy happiness and eternal devotion. I didn’t hate it, but I think I’ve read better Sleeping Beauty retellings.

**The Game She Hates (Ella Marie) 4.5/5 In this Christian romcom, Zane and Pearl couldn’t be more different. Although he’s charming, handsome, and plays center for the popular Glaciers hockey team, Pearl isn’t interested. She wants commitment, family…and a man who loves Jesus. Still determined, Zane offers her friendship hoping a mutual attraction will grow, but does he have room for Jesus in his life? Reading a romcom with a faith element was interesting, and I loved the way Zane fell first. The strong faith element didn’t overpower the connection between all the characters, including Zane’s teammates and Pearl’s best friend, Robyn.

***House of Hybrids (Savannah Goins) 4.25/5 This sequel to Whisper of Weapons continues the tale of a misfit group of friends as they travel to recover a missing friend and his animal familiar (which is a rare hybrid). Once they arrive, their search for answers raises more questions and reveals layers to the queen’s deviousness. This multi-POV coming of age story includes adventure, friendship, and a touch of romance.

***Just A Friend (Deb Goodman) 4/5 This sweet romcom follows Sophie and Oliver who have always had an annual standing date for a milkshake…until he doesn’t show. Sophie knew this would eventually happen. So even though she’s stuck in a small town, she’s determined to ignore the feelings she has for Oliver that Won’t. Go. Away. When the two suddenly reconnect, Oliver finds Sophie…different. In a good way. Not that they have a chance—their families have been feuding for years and he can’t see how his jet-setting and her homebody tendencies can mesh. Plenty of sweetness and romance ensue as they strive for their own happy ending.

***Bluebeard and the Outlaw (Tara Grace) 4.25/5 This clever retelling is a mashup of Bluebeard and Robin Hood with fae elements. Robin Hood and her band of brothers rob the rich to help the poor the evil Duke Guy Bluebeard taxes so heavily. So what if the duke is handsome? And brooding? And nothing like she expected? Their community needs financial help, so Robin chooses to marry the duke and kill him to get to the treasure he’s hiding. But as the duke slips past the walls around her heart, she finds more trouble than she expected.

***Her Maine Catch (Ash Keller)4/5 Aspen is ready for a No Drama, No Men summer family vacation. Especially after being dumped by her boyfriend last Christmas. But when her cousin shows up with her new boyfriend, he just happens to be Aspen’s ex. To avoid her ex and his snarky comments about her lack of fishing skills, she begs her way into a fishing class for seniors. Anything has to be better than dealing with her ex in the cabin’s close quarters. But with every cast, she finds herself drawn to the grumpy instructor, leaving her revenge plans far behind…

 

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Freedom of Speech? Or a Hate Crime?

boy in black hoodie with duct tape on mouthIn my newsletter this month, I chatted about why I’m choosing to pursue independent publishing. I have several reasons. One reason was because a freedom, one I always assumed would be available, seems to be on shaky ground.

Words are powerful. As a storyteller, I know views and opinions can be changed by words. That said, I’m not a fan of vulgarity (it shows a lack of creativity), I don’t condone sharing dangerous ideas (how to make a homemade bomb, for instance), or spreading hate whether it’s on a digital page or in person.

Yet…isn’t vulgarity, the sharing of ideas, and the freedom to articulate any idea exactly freedom of speech? If we live here in America (and some other countries, as well), we have the freedom to say what we want. If your message is despicable, vulgar, and/or insulting, there could be consequences for what you say. But if no one is harmed, the government can’t arrest someone for things said.

Until Stuart Seldowitz.

Recently, Mr. Seldowitz was arrested for a hate crime in New York. He’d been harassing an Egyptian halal food vendor. Even though the man asked him to stop, Mr. Seldowitz continued. He made Islamophobic remarks and threatened to send the man’s picture to his friends in immigration. He even went so far as to say, “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian children, you know what? It wasn’t enough.”

His comments turn my stomach and pains my heart. People are people, regardless of their ethnicity or where they live, but the issue in the Middle East has everyone on edge. In the last week alone, the news reported several hate crimes, most of them shootings. Mr. Seldowitz’s behavior and speech was abhorrent. But is it a hate crime?

New York thought so. Here’s their list of the hate crimes that can be prosecuted, which include harassment and stalking. (https://www.ny.gov/designated-hate-crimes)

The U.S. Department of Justice has the following to say about hate crimes. The “crime” in hate crime is often a violent crime, such as assault, murder, arson, vandalism, or threats to commit such crimes. It may also cover conspiring or asking another person to commit such crimes, even if the crime was never carried out. Under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, people cannot be prosecuted simply for their beliefs. People may be offended or upset about beliefs that are untrue or based upon false stereotypes, but it is not a crime to express offensive beliefs, or to join with others who share such views.

https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/learn-about-hate-crimes

If it’s not a crime to express offensive beliefs, where’s the line between it and harassment? I’m not condoning what Mr. Seldowitz did. For the record, after his arrest, he was charged (he pled not guilty), and released without bail.**

Everyone seems eager to be offended by something. Dog-piling has become an Olympic-level activity on social media. The message goes out, “We will withhold our support from this person and their unpopular beliefs and will do anything else we can to make their life difficult” and then we hear about that person struggling to keep their small businesses running while dealing with hate email. Cancel culture is alive and well, my friend.

But what if it’s you next time? You disagree with someone—you don’t like their political affiliation, their country’s actions or beliefs, their sexual identity, or their religion. It comes up and the other person becomes offended by your views and feels “excluded and attacked.”

Kindness should always be the response when dialoguing with someone who holds opposing views. While I’m not saying we should roll over and be a doormat, we can speak the truth in love. Even with this mindset in place, you may share an unpopular opinion that offends another.

Will it cause you to be arrested?

 

 

 

Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash

Would You Like Some AI With That?

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As a Coke drinker (please, no hating from the Pepsi drinkers!), I noticed new flavors in the store. Apparently, they’re being inventive with a new “Creations” platform. In 2023 alone, they’ve created at least seven new varieties of Coke. Instead of your usual Cherry or Lime, they’ve released limited editions of the following. I’ve pulled most of these interesting descriptions straight from their website.

*Starlight: inspired by space. Consumers say it has a raspberry flavor (after a study came out stating that space tastes like raspberries)   https://next.voxcreative.com/ad/20726659/space-taste-like-raspberry-titos-cocktail

*Dreamworld: “tastes like dreams”

*Byte: has a “pixel flavor”

*Ultimate: no description here, but consumers say it tastes like Coke + fruit punch

*Move: co-created with Grammy-award winner Rosalita, it “brings to life the transformational power of music”

*A no-name version co-created with the entertainer Marshmello: it tastes not like marshmallow, which would make sense, but like strawberry and watermelon

*And lastly, the new Y3000: “co-created with AI.” After trying it, I can say it tastes like Coke and Dr. Pepper had a baby.

This last creation, Y3000, made me suspicious because it was co-created with AI. Anything created with AI is like no-calorie sweetener—unhealthy and synthetic.

Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous. It crept into the artistic world creating images “scraped” from the internet and cobbled together—with no recognition given to the original artists. Then the literary world was invaded. A surplus of books written entirely by AI showed up on Amazon. Jane Friedman, a columnist, professor, and writer with twenty-five years in the literary industry, had several books show up on Amazon with her name on them—again, written by AI trained on blog articles she’d written. Amazon eventually pulled them down and is now requiring authors to declare which of their books were written with AI, and if so, by how much. (How many people will be honest about that?) And just yesterday, I read Kindle will be beta testing audiobooks with AI narrators.

Last month, I played around with ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot. I asked for poorly written paragraphs for an editing exercise I was planning. On a whim, I asked for a Christian fiction example. What I got didn’t look anything at all like Christian fiction. There was no mention of faith, grace, or mercy, no life-changing events. It mentioned the sun rising and feeling positive as a new day began. I would categorize the paragraph inspirational, although I didn’t find any of the vague drivel truly inspiring.

There has been some worry circulating in the literary world about what this infiltration of AI means for authors. Will we be replaced? How do we “compete” with AI? AI is soulless. It can’t have an existential crises or think about eternity or explain what love feels or looks like. It has no emotion, thought, or sentient properties and only puts out what was put in. It can’t explain the miraculous, the divine, a priceless gift given that isn’t deserved.

This is why we need real authors creating real stories, not some bot spewing words. Original, creative stories don’t have to include perfect characters in a beautiful utopia. But each story can shed a light in a dark place and offer hope to those who might not even know they need it. Original, imaginative stories (speculative, romance, and other genres) include not just beautiful words strung together, but believable characters and strong emotions to hook the reader. No random AI program can do that.

If you’re a writer, go forth and write the best story you can—include imaginative plots, flawed characters, and vivid worlds with hope shining through at the end. And if you’re a reader, buy those books written by real authors that speak to you, the ones you can’t put down until the wee hours of the morning. Share them with others and tell your next-door neighbor about the newest gem you’re reading. Write reviews to share your thoughts and to direct others to books that deserve to be read. Let’s do our best to bury AI by focusing on the real and the enduring, instead of the unhealthy and fake.

Are You A Rebel Reader?

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Banned book week was October 1-7. Although I’m a bit late, here are some of the top banned/challenged books of the last decade.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  3. 1984 by George Orwell
  4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  6. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
  8. Animal Farm by George Orwell
  9. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  11. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  13. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  14. Beloved by Toni Morrison
  15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
  16. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  17. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
  18. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  19. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  20. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  21. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  22. Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
  23. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
  24. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  25. George by Alex Gino
  26. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
  27. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
  28. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

How many of these have you read? I’ve only read 6. I’m obviously under-read in most of the classics. Some of them I don’t enjoy them because, well, I’m shallow like that. Lol! Also, with all the new books available, I usually forget to go back and read the classics, and I won’t read books with unhappy endings. (I’m talking to you, Looking for Alaska!)

Although I’m conservative, and I don’t like smut, I don’t approve of book banning for two reasons.

1. Books provide a marketplace of ideas. You don’t have to approve of every book’s message or worldview, but you can’t dialogue intelligently about a book you’ve never read. In the past, I’ve had conversations go like this.

Them: “Book X is terrible, just terrible. Why, it should be banned!”

Me: “Have you read it?”

Them: “Well, no! Of course not. It’s trash.”

Me: “Then how do you know?”

Them: “Well, I heard from my sister’s husband’s cousin three times removed that it’s just full of garbage.”

Me: Blinks. Waits. Moves on.

Some of the “questionable” books I read were trash, but I could talk intelligently about WHY I wouldn’t recommend the book to others. There were others I loved, and I couldn’t understand why someone would prevent another from enjoying the story (the Harry Potter series is a case in point).

2. Who decides what gets to be banned/removed? Who’s the gatekeeper? What if they don’t hold the same views you do? I have a book in my possession that I read as often as possible. It’s also one of the most banned books of all time—the Bible. The thought of someone taking away my right to read it (or any book) upsets me because it’s an infringement on freedom.

I remember an interesting conversation when I worked as a librarian. I was talking to an acquaintance whose son I went to school with. She was part of a group that wanted to put brown wrappers on all the Cosmo covers and/or put the magazines behind the counter so children wouldn’t see them. They weren’t asking for banning per se, but a “limiting” of material. When I said I didn’t agree with her, she lost it and began yelling at me in the children’s reading area of the library. I’ve never forgotten how ugly she became when I voiced a view different from hers.

Of the banned books I’ve read, I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry Potter series, The Great Gatsby, and To Kill A Mockingbird. Earlier this year, I picked up 1984 at a used book sale, and I plan to read it soon (even though I know the ending. It helps if I can prepare myself. : -)  ) What banned books were your favorite? Which titles do you plan to read or have already read this year?

Let me know in the comments!