Steven Ramirez

In the age of AI, authors have an opportunity to up their game using the myriad of tools that are now available. This embarrassment of riches comes with a price, though. First, how do you wade through all the choices? And second, how do you master th

In the age of AI, authors have an opportunity to up their game using the myriad of tools that are now available. This embarrassment of riches comes with a price, though. First, how do you wade through all the choices? And second, how do you master the tools so they are a help and not a hindrance?

Fortunately, J. Thorn has come to the rescue. In his excellent book, Three Story Method: Editing Your Scenes with ChatGPT, you learn how to utilize the power of what is arguably the best LLM out there to sharpen your prose. The methodology is based on the author’s time-tested Three Story Method.

What I appreciated most about this book is the care the author takes with the prompts required to get the results you want. Also, I was impressed that the author isn’t suggesting you let the tool write your novel for you. Throughout the chapters, he emphasizes that the goal is to get your manuscript in the best possible shape before handing it off to your editor—brilliant.

If you are an author who’s decided to take the AI plunge, then grab this book. You won’t regret it.

I’ve been reading J.P. Choquette for a while now and have found her stories to be inventive and creepy. She insists on placing her characters in the worst possible situations and watching them squirm. I imagine her sitting at her desk, rubbing her ha

I’ve been reading J.P. Choquette for a while now and have found her stories to be inventive and creepy. She insists on placing her characters in the worst possible situations and watching them squirm. I imagine her sitting at her desk, rubbing her hands together, saying, “Let’s see you get out of this one, bud.”

With Writers’ Retreat, the author has outdone herself. In a way, she’s turned the tables if you believe the writer Flora Rossi might be a proxy for the author. I’ll leave that one to the experts. In any case, this novel is chilling. Her descriptions are just detailed enough to make the reader see and taste everything, including the awful tea Venetia likes to serve her guests. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that Flora suffers in this novel—and you feel that, too.

If you’re looking for something to keep you up at night, grab this book. And if you’re thinking about going on one of those writers’ retreats, choose Hawaii—trust me.

I love Los Angeles, especially when reading about the city’s sometimes notorious past. S. R. Mallery loves LA, too, because when she writes about the period between two world wars, the words pour out, creating a landscape you can see and almost touch

I love Los Angeles, especially when reading about the city’s sometimes notorious past. S. R. Mallery loves LA, too, because when she writes about the period between two world wars, the words pour out, creating a landscape you can see and almost touch. In All Those Masks, she’s got her work cut out for her, taking on Hollywood, corrupt policemen, and the Klan. And she succeeds beautifully.

Detective fiction requires a body. In All Those Masks, it’s a Jewish journalist who is found brutally murdered. And all signs point to the local chapter of the Klan. As Frank Lozano and his team investigate, the author takes us on a dizzying jalopy ride that introduces us to speakeasies, movie stars, a vicious police captain, and a bevy of side characters with colorful backgrounds.

If you enjoy fast-paced historical fiction with strong female characters, splashes of humor, and romance, I heartily recommend this book. Careful, though. You might just fall in love with Los Angeles, too.

Admittedly, I know little about Chinese history and folklore. But fairy tales are universal, and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is infinitely magical. The story is set in the late 1800s in a British colonial town in Malaysia. Like many young women o

Admittedly, I know little about Chinese history and folklore. But fairy tales are universal, and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is infinitely magical. The story is set in the late 1800s in a British colonial town in Malaysia. Like many young women of the time, Li Lan’s only option is to get married. And usually, though the groom may not be the girl’s heartthrob, at least he’s human, right? But a ghost?

It would never occur to a Westerner to hitch themselves to a spirit, even if it meant financial security for life. Well, okay, maybe if you’re paying off a student loan… But Li Lan’s family is strapped, and the wealthy Lim family is in a position to get them out of their troubles—if only she agrees to pierce the veil in a creepy wedding ceremony.

The Ghost Bride is a heroic tale. And like other heroes’ journeys, the protagonist must change. Li Lan starts out as a relatively unassuming girl, especially when dealing with the Lim family. But there’s a feistiness in her that only manifests after she crosses into the ghost world. Her arduous journey through faux cities and houses is thrilling. And her rejection of the scheming groom, Lim Tian Ching, is vicariously satisfying—like watching a paper funeral offering burn.

Years ago, I saw Wag the Dog, a wickedly funny movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Hilary Henkin and David Mamet wrote the screenplay, based on a novel by Larry Beinhart. I’d never read this author’s work until now. And boy, am I glad I

Years ago, I saw Wag the Dog, a wickedly funny movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Hilary Henkin and David Mamet wrote the screenplay, based on a novel by Larry Beinhart. I’d never read this author’s work until now. And boy, am I glad I did.

It’s not every day you read a crime thriller with a seventy-year-old protagonist. Often, people that age are portrayed as quirky, talkative, and harmless. But not Tony Casella. This guy is still dangerous. And he doesn’t say all that much. Though he’d like nothing better than to save his house and enjoy the Catskills vibe, the universe isn’t having it. There’s work to do, and Tony is the man.

I enjoyed the writing style immensely. It’s terse, mordant, and sometimes downright hilarious. We’re talking about contract killing here, but this story was fun. Oh, and just when you’ve had enough of the east coast, we’re off to Austria for a ski trip. I don’t ski, but reading the author’s descriptions, I could almost feel the powder on my skin.

If you’re looking for a different kind of novel with plenty of bad guys, I recommend picking up The Deal Goes Down. Then, rent Wag the Dog.

The opioid crisis in America used to dominate the news. Everywhere, it seemed, families were destroyed when someone, usually through no fault of their own, became addicted to painkillers. And I have to believe that the children suffered the most.

In N

The opioid crisis in America used to dominate the news. Everywhere, it seemed, families were destroyed when someone, usually through no fault of their own, became addicted to painkillers. And I have to believe that the children suffered the most.

In Never Less, author Geoffrey Wells uses this crisis as a backdrop for a thrilling story of two friends, Mindy and Pablo, who stumble on an illegal drug operation and decide to do something about it. Both have fathers who are in trouble. Mindy’s dad is a doctor addicted to painkillers. And Pablo’s father is an illegal alien. Then there are the criminals—a nasty bunch.

What I liked best about this story is how much these kids value their friendship. Though they are from different backgrounds, they are, in every sense of the word, simpatico. In an ideal world, young people shouldn’t have to deal with adult problems. But we know better. Sometimes, they have no choice. And in Never Less, they do not shy away from their responsibility.