Not on speaking terms ... with AI

As you can imagine, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone's mind, particularly those whose jobs or livelihoods are threatened by the new technology. As a writer, I'm grateful I've carved my niche with both my fiction and nonfiction editors before AI became a threat. (That said, I have yet to meet an editor who even remotely wants or encourages AI submissions.)

Recently, while lurking on a writer's forum, the discussion turned to using AI as an aid in generating cover art. One woman, seeking a prototype for a western-themed romance cover, wrote the following, which had the whole forum cracking up (and proved this woman can write!).

She started by giving the AI some prompts, and it went downhill from there:

"I tried AI to do scene suggestions. I prompted it to give me two people, a man and a woman, on a horse fleeing through the wilderness. I got two horses. I politely said they needed to be on the same horse. This time it was two horses with riders fleeing a fire. I, more firmly, said they needed to be riding the same horse. I got two horses with the riders using English saddles. I refrained from calling AI an idiot and went back through the list. I finally got two riders on the same horse. But they were missing legs. With gritted teeth, I said 'TWO PEOPLE, A MAN AND A WOMAN, ON A SINGLE HORSE, WESTERN SADDLE, EACH HUMAN HAVING TWO LEGS, FLEEING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, NOT RUNNING FROM A FIRE.' I got one horse, one rider, no bridle, and a fire.

I'm currently not speaking to AI."

Join the club, honey.

I'm writing as fast as I can...!

I have a manuscript due on Friday. It's not quiiite finished yet. Yes, I'm writing as fast as I can.

I got behind in my writing schedule for this manuscript, in part because of my fast trip to California (although I did get a fair bit written during travel time, thanks to my AlphaSmart) and in part because I had other demands on my time after I got home.

However I haven't missed a deadline yet, and I don't intend to do so now. As I post this, I have half a chapter left to write, as well as a short epilogue, and I'll be finished. Thankfully my first drafts are generally clean and require very little rewriting (the advantage of working off a detailed chapter outline). Therefore I'm confident that I'll be able to turn this manuscript in no later than Friday morning, right on deadline.

And then maybe I'll take the opportunity to sleep later than 3 am without getting up early to write.....

Ode to one of my favorite writing tools

The year was 2005. Don and I had moved to Idaho two years before. I decided to join the local chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America), meetings of which were held in Spokane.

It was there, for the first time, that I saw something that was to become something of an obsession: An AlphaSmart Neo.

It was more intense than an obsession. I coveted this little writing gizmo, but it simply wasn't within our budget to buy one new.

One day a woman in the writer's group wanted to upgrade to the newer version, and she offered to sell me her old unit for an extremely low price. I leaped at the opportunity and never looked back. A few years later, I saw an identical model in a thrift store and snapped it up, so now I have two.

Essentially an AlphaSmart Neo is a portable keyboard capable of storing 200 pages' worth of writing. It runs on AA batteries that seem to last forever (I change mine about every five years). Everything typed into the AlphaSmart is automatically saved, and the text isn't lost when changing the batteries. It has eight different files, so I can work on eight different documents at the same time.

And these things are tough. Older Daughter once dropped mine on concrete and it was fine. I believe these machines (there are several versions) were originally developed to teach schoolkids keyboard skills, so they had to be tough.

Today I needed to take our car in for new (used) tires at a local place. I had about an hour to kill, so I brought my AlphaSmart with me and got my daily half-chapter of my latest book written. When I got home, I ran the cord from the AlphaSmart to my laptop and downloaded it all.

In about a week, I'm taking a fast trip down to see my parents. Guess what I'll be packing in my suitcase so I can do some concentrated writing in the airports?

For times I need to just write and not be distracted by emails or the internet, the AlphaSmart can't be beat. Since it turns on and off instantly, I don't have to worry about powering it up or down. It even has a two-button "on" option so it doesn't accidentally get jostled on when carried in, say, a backpack.

Sadly, the manufacturer went out of business in 2013, doubtless unable to compete with newer whiz-bang electronics. However units can still be found online. Honestly, if Amazon had any more than a single unit in stock, this would be a product review. (You can find units available on eBay.)

So yeah, even though I've had my AlphaSmart for 20 years, my love affair with this remarkable little tool hasn't faded. You might call this blog post an Ode to the AlphaSmart.

"The Amish Baker's Redemption" available for pre-order

Remember how thrilled I was with the cover art for my upcoming book "The Amish Baker's Redemption"? (The book is due to be released next March.)

Well, the book is now available for pre-order on Amazon, either as a paperback or an ebook.

This is the sequel to the book that hit the New York Times ("An Amish Marriage Agreement") and is, I feel, even a better story. Plus it has WAY better art, ha ha. (No goofy-looking hero on the cover.)

Just thought I'd put the word out in case anyone's interested.

It's a go!

My editor at Harlequin just gave me the green light on the revised proposal I sent her last week.

I've already done a chapter outline, so now it's a matter of applying myself to writing half a chapter a day, i.e. setting myself a NaNoWriMo challenge. I should be able to have the rough manuscript done in a bit over a month.

Onward!

Seeking reviews

We have received an incredibly positive response to the indy release of "Rachel's Folly." Thank you all! Now I'm here with another request: Please post a review on Amazon!

Seriously, I'm aiming for at least 50 reviews of the book. The reason for this threshold is there is a direct correlation between reviews and free marketing opportunities on Amazon. These reviews are especially important for indy authors. Reviews don't have to be lengthy; just a few words and a rating will do.

Online book reviews are a reasonably accurate snapshot of whether a book is worth reading, so prospective buyers can decide if it's worth investing their money. Without those reviews, people naturally assume the author is an amateur and/or the book isn't worth reading since it wasn't worth reviewing.

But with that magical threshold of 50 reviews, the book then becomes a recommended product based on other books readers have viewed or bought.

On a side note, a number of people have asked about the possibility of a sequel to "Rachel's Folly." I had been resisting the idea, but then the plot line just ... came to me. Almost in a flash, in fact. I have the characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts already in mind. This seldom happens in such a bright and shining blaze, so I'm eager to start working on the chapter outline. It will be placed in the same Idaho wilderness setting as "Rachel's Folly," but with new developments.

Honestly, this is gonna be fun....

Anyway, back to the original point: If you would kindly leave a review for "Rachel's Folly" on  Amazon, I would be very grateful!

A beautiful surprise

I came in from cleaning the barn yesterday afternoon, and Don told me I had received a package. And not just any package – it was a box from 1-800-FLOWERS.

Cue the absolute shock. Who on earth was sending me flowers?

Inside the box, the bouquet and vase were packed with meticulous care. There was also a note on the lid.

The note read, "Congratulations on 'An Amish Marriage Agreement' making the NYT list, Patrice!" – and it was signed by both my senior editor and  the Executive Editor of the Love Inspired/Love Inspired Suspense line.

Yowza.

Took me totally by surprise. What a lovely gesture and a lovely gift.

I tell ya, Harlequin is a classy organization. I'm so grateful to write for them.

How fast can I write?

My Harlequin editor wasn't crazy about the latest Amish proposal I sent her, and asked for improvements. Within minutes of receiving the email, I shot back a somewhat different outline and then heard nothing for a week and a half. Early on Monday morning she emailed and said, "This sounds great! Can you please whip up a 1-3 page synopsis for me to look over? And if it won’t take too much time, 1 chapter?"

I told her I'd have it to her ASAP. How fast can I write?

I was able to punch out a five-page synopsis within a couple hours, and wrote an entire chapter in a day. (I can't take much credit for that. A lot of it was cut-and-spliced from the original three chapters I sent.)

But I got the proposal out the door on Tuesday before noon, about a 24-hour turnaround.

Now the waiting game begins again............

Squeeee!

I received some stunning news yesterday: My latest Amish inspirational, "An Amish Marriage Agreement," hit the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST!!

I mean, some of my books have hit the Publisher's Weekly Bestseller List, but this is the first time a book was on the New York Times mass market list.

My Harlequin editor sent an email to the two authors who made the list: "I am so proud of you both! This is wonderful news! NY Times bestsellers!"

The funny thing is, I'm not crazy about the artwork on the cover, which can often make or break a book.

But for whatever reason, the image of the dorky-looking Hero hasn't hurt sales.

I'm thrilled! Squeeee!

____________________________

UPDATE: As if this wasn't enough, ALL the Love Inspired releases this month hit the Publisher's Weekly bestseller list:

My latest Amish romance is available!

My latest Amish romance, "An Amish Marriage Agreement," is now available.

Here's the back cover blurb:

An unexpected family might be what they need to heal.

Amish basket-maker Olivia Bontrager moves to Montana looking for a fresh start…and finds instead her sister’s abandoned baby on her doorstep. Determined to give her niece a stable life, she accepts help from handyman Andrew Eicher, who offers a shocking proposal: a marriage of convenience. Now, after long resigning herself to spinsterhood, Olivia suddenly has the home and family she’s always yearned for, and Andrew’s betrayed heart slowly begins to open up again. But when Olivia’s sister reappears and jeopardizes the happiness they’ve found, will they be brave enough to fight for the future they both want?

It's funny – sometimes my Amish books generate a lot of reader emails, and sometimes they generate none. This one, for whatever reason, seems to have struck a chord. I've received several reader emails already, and the book has barely been available. Go figure.

As a new release, the book was featured at the top of Harlequin's Love Inspired category:

Decent Amazon stats so far:

At any rate, the book can be purchased either through Harlequin or Amazon:

• Harlequin

• Amazon

Enjoy!

Sales are booming!

Sales of "Rachel's Folly" are booming!

We won't get official sales numbers for another week or so, but I've been taking screenshots of the book's ranking on Amazon. Early yesterday morning, here's where it stood:

As of this morning, take a gander at the difference!

This is all due to YOU, dear readers. Thank you for your support!

It's Book Bomb Day for "Rachel's Folly" !!

Finally, after weeks of waiting (and a glitch in the publishing matrix!), we're pleased to announce the availability of my sweet indy romance, "Rachel's Folly"!!

If you're interested in purchasing it, both the Kindle and print version can be found here.

Now here's the thing: If you purchase the book today – Wednesday, August 20 – it forms what's called a "book bomb" and helps ratchet up the ratings on Amazon. Consequently this makes it more likely that anyone searching for the "tags" attached to my book on Amazon (such as sweet romance, contemporary romance, etc.) will see my book higher up on the list of possible purchase choices. Ahem. Hint hint.

Once you've read the book, please post a review! The more reviews the book receives, the more likely Amazon will place it on "recommended" lists.

Additionally, we would like to ask a sincere favor: To please post its availability on any social media you may have. Remember, this story is clean enough for your Grandma to read without blushing.

(Please note, the above links to Rachel's Folly use our affiliate account, which is permitted. This means we earn a small commission with each purchase.)

Thank you all for your support! Woot!

A glitch in the (publishing) matrix

Due to a series of unfortunate events, the official launching of "Rachel's Folly" – which was supposed to happen today – is being delayed for a little while longer.

Honestly, KDP (Kindle Direct Print) is a pain in the patookus. Don went in last night to check something. He didn't touch anything, but apparently his mere presence was enough to reset the book to "draft," which means an automatic delay of 72 hours before it's available in print. Grrr.

Sorry about this. We're still groping around and feeling our way through this whole self-publishing venture. I'll announce the official release when things settle down. Once again ... stand by!

One week to launch day!

A week from today – August 19 – is Book Bomb Day for "Rachel's Folly." We're stoked!

When the book becomes available, we will ask a sincere favor of everyone: To please post its availability on any social media you may have. We're hoping to show strong sales numbers on its launch day (publishers watch these things). Thank you in advance!

The countdown continues.............

Positive reviews so far

Two reviews from Advanced Readers have been published on Goodreads so far for my sweet indy romance "Rachel's Folly."

Here's one:

This book was hands down very funny and sometimes serious. I simply couldn't put this book down. Fast paced and fun at the same time lol.

Wonderful characters that I fell in love with and connected with along the way. I felt like I was there right along with Rachel as she learned the ways of pioneer life.

Lewis has done a fantastic job of bringing them to life. I loved every minute of this book. This story sort of reminds me of Big Brother 😅 😂

So very good that I hated to see it end. Lewis has shown us that she can write anything and it will be wonderful! I love it when God puts these characters in their places at the right time and moment! I just don't like it when He does it to me lol. So I can relate to Rachel.

Hands down 5 stars for an awesome adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed!

And the other:

Chapter 1 - I'm hooked, and so will you be. This sweet romance written by a talented author is a page turner, an absolute must read! It included a clever plot twist and I didn't want the story to end; I wanted more. This story is compelling and it will capture your heart too. Such a delight! Can't wait for what's next.

The book is being released on Tuesday, August 19. The countdown continues!

Two weeks until publication day!

Two weeks from today – August 19 – is the official release date of my sweet indy romance "Rachel's Folly"! As I've mentioned before, this is by far my favorite story I've ever written.

We're jazzed. So far it's received excellent advanced reviews. When the book is officially published, we'll be able to get those reviews posted on Amazon.

We're planning a book-bomb on the 19th, and I hope friends and readers will join in and get a copy in either paperback or Kindle format. By having a large number of people purchasing on the same day, it creates a "bomb" and helps push its ranking up on Amazon.

Honestly, I can't do this without you, dear readers, so thank you in advance.

I'll re-post here on August 19 to let you know the book is available, and to provide the link.

So stand by. The clock is ticking...

UPDATE: Yowza, go read this review on Good Reads! Thank you!

New cover art!

This morning I was sent the final cover art for an upcoming (March 2026) Love Inspired release entitled "The Amish Baker's Redemption." I love it!

It's always a chancy thing whenever I see that email in my inbox with the prototype for cover art. Harlequin's Art Department does their absolute best, and they deal with hundreds and hundreds of covers across many different lines over the course of a year.

Some of my covers have been "okay," and some have been spectacular. While this cover is not my Number One favorite, it's close.

I've heard chatter on the Love Inspired forum about authors who were terribly disappointed by their cover art. One woman, who had written a suspense set in a Western state, received a cover with a Western-themed ranch setting in the background, and a rattlesnake (coiled and ready to strike) featured prominently in the foreground of the image. The cover was meant to convey some menacing event experienced by the heroine in the book, but instead it was an ophidophobic's nightmare. As a result, her sales for that book were terrible (anyone with a fear of snakes literally wouldn't even pick the book off the shelf).

Thankfully, I've never had anything even remotely that bad. For the vast majority, I'm very pleased with the cover art I've been assigned. This one is especially nice. So kudos to HQ's Art Department.

NaNoWriMo is no more

For many years,I happily participated in National Novel Writing Month, popularly known as NaNoWriMo. This was the chaotic adventure of writing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, which meant a minimum of 1,665 words per day (or doubling up the next day if you skipped a day).

There was something satisfying about watching one's word count ratchet up...

...until you reached that final tally and crossed the finish line.

Sadly, NaNoWriMo is no more. Apparently the organization was having some legal as well as financial troubles. Those of us who were registered on the site received an email in late March or early April that the whole thing was shutting down. Just now I logged onto the NaNoWriMo website, and this is what I saw:

But the methodology lives on. I just sent in the proposal (synopsis + 3 chapters) for my next Amish romance to my agent, and immediately started writing my daily NaNoWriMo-esque word count so I could complete the story in a timely manner.

I'm sorry the official organization is now closed, but I'm grateful to have participated during their heyday.

My indie book is making progress!

If you recall, a couple weeks ago I announced a new venture: An indie book.

Don and I have been getting a crash course in marketing, which of course is a Brave New World for both of us. Meanwhile I've been in near-constant communication with Jessie Denning, who is doing the formatting and layout. She sent a pdf of the book and I went through it in detail and sent back corrections. (In one spot, I actually misspelled "four" as "for." How...?)

Meanwhile Don designed the cover. Ladies and gentlemen, here's the big reveal:

Here's the back-cover blurb:

What happens when the producer of an historical reality-show company in Los Angeles is challenged to live by the rules she sets for her contestants? This is Rachel's folly: To spend four months living like a pioneer woman on Samuel Finn's primitive Idaho wilderness homestead in exchange for a hefty promotion and a coveted corner office.
 
The physical and mental challenges are staggering. Together Rachel and Samuel face the potentially devastating trials of 19th-century life. But they also are blessed with incredible benefits, including quiet evenings of conversation and music on the front porch with a million-dollar view of majestic mountain peaks.

Can Rachel complete the challenge? More importantly, can she complete the challenge without falling head over heels for the handsome, rugged man who bets she can't?

We're planning the release date sometime in mid-August. Whee, this has been a fun journey so far!

A new venture

Since losing my online job in February, Don and I have had endless discussions about new ways to earn income. One of the things we wanted to do for some time was to self-publish a variety of things we've written over the years (including Don's collection of country humor stories).

But oddly, I also have a number of (clean) romance novels that remain unpublished. One in particular, titled "Rachel's Folly," remains my favorite unpublished manuscript. It's too long (74,000 words) for Harlequin's Love Inspired line, and too outside-the-box for Harlequin's Heartwarming line. So, with my agent's blessing, I'm going to go "indie" on this one and publish it myself.

Don started watching YouTube videos detailing how to self-publish books using Amazon, and it just spiraled out of control in terms of complexity. Between our daily workload and projects we're tackling, he just didn't have the bandwidth to learn something so completely unfamiliar to both of us.

So we connected with a woman named Jessie Denning, who used to be the managing editor at Backwoods Home Magazine before splitting off to start her own business. She quoted us a reasonable price for formatting and uploading the manuscript to Amazon. Don and I will try our hands at designing the cover art.

The mechanics of getting the book into print (especially since most of the heavy lifting will be done by Jessie) is the easy part. The difficult part is marketing. And that's where I'd like to pick the brains of you, dear readers.

Keeping in mind my limited experience with social media, what are your recommendations for how best to market an indie book? I'm all ears!