I find myself excited as well as having a touch of nervous anticipation for the release of my latest novel, “Abalim,” coming out on May 29th. This book, with its blend of science fiction and romance, is a project close to my heart. Let me give you a brief overview of what’s in store with this tale. Crafting a Tale Across the Stars“Abalim” sets the stage for the upcoming series: Alien Legacy Brotherhood. Here’s a brief look at the series: Thousands of years ago, five brothers engineered as slaves by an alien race, endowed with hidden psychic powers that allowed them to break free and escape through time to our era. Now, in a future where liberty is fragile, these former slaves are thrust into a critical mission: to rescue four women who disappeared on their way to an alien exchange program. These women are essential since they’ve since become pawns in a much larger game. An alien invasion from another dimension is imminent. The Krystalii, a race of psychic, crystal-based entities, aim to purge our universe of organic life to make room for their own expansion. Their first target? Human women, whose genetic makeup is key to their rapid reproduction plans, are necessary to build an army large enough to overthrow established governments. The brothers are tasked to locate and protect each woman destined to be with them, traversing hostile planets—from stark desert moons to dense jungle worlds. The journey is fraught with danger, betrayal, and unexpected love, pushing each brother to his limits. Galactic tensions rise and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Can the brothers overcome their dark pasts and prevent the Krystalii from executing their ruthless agenda? Or will their newfound freedom be short-lived? Book 1: AbalimTo introduce the two main characters, I’ve crafted a brief bio on each of them. Let’s start with Abalim himself: Name: Abalim Species: Hybrid Human/Various Alien DNA Age: Unknown–mid thirties Occupation: After traveling 7000 years from Earth’s past to stop an alien invasion, he has volunteered to rescue a human woman who’d been kidnapped in space from a legitimate alien exchange program. Sidekick: JR15—a silver/emerald green spider-shaped AI droid The worst thing to ever happen to him: He was created along with four brothers as slaves in Earth’s distant past by an alien race called the Akurns. While a slave, he underwent physical and psychological tests and torture. His biggest secret: He and his brothers have practically endless psionic abilities and are driven by deep emotional needs to protect those he cares for. His psychic powers might give him an advantage, but it also makes him vulnerable to the darker aspects of his nature. His goal: Find Lisa held captive by galactic gangsters. A woman who’s haunted him in his Dreamwalks late at night. The problem: A new, sinister force from another dimension is hell-bent on capturing Lisa for their dark experiments. It’s a fight against time on who can find her first. Name: Lisa Ivy Species: Human Age: 32 Occupation: Successful SciFi Romance author. Accepted an invitation from the Zerins attending an alien exchange program to find her one true love. The worst thing to ever happen to her: Kidnapped by a trusted liaison in the exchange program and ended up on a gangster planet with four other women. From there she ends up on a planet of unemotional aliens who want her to judge a life-and-death situation for an entire peaceful species. If she makes the wrong decision, not only will that species be eliminated, but Abalim and she will suffer the same fate. Her secret desire: She left life on Earth without a backward glance, since the men she'd met treated her superficially at best. To give herself one more chance at love, she swallowed her vulnerability to find true love with an alien of her dreams. And lately these dreams have been of a dark, handsome man whose very touch sets her on fire. Her goal: Live long enough for this man to find her. The problem: The extraterrestrials holding her captive have temped her with the promise of freedom. Of course there’s a catch: she must work with Abalim and undergo a grueling, otherworldly trial. Can she take the chance and revel in who she is inside, the scars, and all with the man who haunts her dreams? Why "Abalim" is a Must-Read“Abalim” is more than a novel; it's a journey that challenges the very notions of love and duty. As I wrote this, I aimed to create a universe where every choice had profound implications involving the heart’s deepest desires as our heroes navigate the stark realities of a universe in flux. So, join me on an unforgettable cosmic odyssey that weaves a tapestry of love, resilience, and the human spirit's indomitable will to exist against all odds.
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As a writer, I love exploring and learning new things. And lately, I’ve been caught up in the AI craze, exploring what it can do for me in my writing career. But there are some of those in our community who cry foul, claiming AI will soon take over the creative process of fiction writing. Why, they say, pay a human when all it takes is a prompt in an AI software to get you the same thing? Au contrair, mon frere. In my humble opinion, AI programs (like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, and Claude) are mere tools that help a writer, not replace them. Much like a typewriter back in the day. It won’t hinder the creative process, but instead enhance the experience. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at what I mean. What AI Can't MimicOne of the most important things to remember is we’re humans… writing to entertain/inform other humans. Who, but us, has that kind of insight? Only we can tap into the unlimited variety of human emotions and the baggage we carry with us in all the complexities of being human. AI lacks this innate understanding of our behavior. That gives up the upper hand at creating characters with authentic feelings and flaws, as well as the importance of emotionally growing. Throughout our lives, we’ve wallowed in a plethora of emotions like joy, sorrow, love, coupled with an abundance of longing for something else, something different that only a human can experience. Another exciting example of we can do and AI can’t is our innate urge to play with language. This is our palette… what we color the world with. As a writer of SciFi romance, I love coming up with alien and diverse ways to say something. Just recently, I had to ponder what an ancient person (who traveled in time to our present) would say in an exclamation. I’m going to keep it clean here… but some modern man won’t say “Great Caesars Ghost!” (for one thing, Ceaser hadn’t been born yet). So, I had my guy shout “By Tiamat’s titties!”. And I also took a pretty common cuss word that starts with a “f” and ends in a “k” and turned it around for an alien. They say fruk instead. I love coming up with unfamiliar words and phrases for my alien characters to use. Another thing I do is draw inspiration from the people I’ve met and work with over the years. In fact, one of my first books is loosely based on real life. Because I felt wronged/betrayed by someone back then, I had the good guy shoot the jerk right between the eyes. Boy, I gotta tell you; that was immensely satisfying. Ah, revenge. Remember, don’t do a writer wrong, they’ll take it out on you in a novel. Leveraging Technology WiselyAs I mentioned in the beginning, AI is a tool. While it can be used for such mundane tasks as grammar check and research, I love to use it as a writing buddy who is there whenever I need them. Especially since I wake up at the crack of almost-dawn (4:30am to get in two hours of writing before I have to leave for work). I use AI not only as a critique partner, but someone who never gets impatient with me when I ask questions I get stuck on. Sometimes more than once. For instance, this morning I was writing a scene in my newest novel and wondered what a tree would look like on a planet where a civilization of panther-like beings of an advanced technology lived. The AI gave me more than one scenario to choose from. So, what I did was combine what I liked best about everything it suggested and came up with something new and different. To take it up a step, I asked it what one of those creatures would dress like on that type of planet. It came up with several wardrobe suggestions. But the funnest part (yeah, I like the word funnest) was asking it to create a picture depicting this alien. And here’s what it came up with: Cool, eh? As I planned this blog, I asked the AI to create a picture for the header (see above). When the AI was done, this is what it told me: “Here’s an image for your blog post. This visual aims to encapsulate the essence of human creativity and the enduring value of authentic writing in the digital age. It symbolizes the balance between traditional writing methods and modern AI technology, inviting writers to explore and assert their unique voices.” Can’t argue with that! Other BenefitsHere’s an outline of some of the other benefits how an AI companion can help a writer be more productive:
Last ThoughtsWill AI replace authors? I’m afraid my tarot cards are suspiciously vague, but I have to say we can speculate on how the future of AI will advance in the next couple of years. As of now, I doubt AI will replace authors any time soon. Most techies and web gurus claim artificial intelligence cannot totally replace a human writer’s insight or their creativity. There is a huge market for creative writers to put themselves out there, to share their experiences with the world. What we should concentrate on as AI advances is we, as writers, better learn how to use this wondrous innovation. Discover how to strike a balance between automation and human creativity. Use that available technology to save time so you can set your creative juices free. Let it help you weave the magic only you can create to take your writing craft to a higher level. While AI evolves and algorithms sharpen, remember this: you are irreplaceable. The world doesn’t need another robotic rendition; it craves your authenticity. Embrace your quirks, your scars, and your hard-earned laugh lines. AI may be the brush, but you are the artist.
As a SciFi Romance author, whenever I start a new series, I like to do a little research in the genre to find out what makes it more appealing. In choosing the ever-evolving world of romance novels, a fascinating trend has been on the rise—the fusion of genres. And I know I’m not the only author who likes to push the limits of imagination by blending two seemingly unrelated genres like science fiction and paranormal romance to make my stories more exciting.
If you are thinking about delving into writing something different, let me help you out by lightly touching base with the intriguing prospect of cross-genre romance novels. So sit back, and we’ll explore the growing popularity of combining science fiction and paranormal elements in romance together. Then I’ll include examples that showcase the creative brilliance of this trend. Keri
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