Almost a year since my last post. I really thought I'd attempt to be more regular than that, but Life keeps throwing curves at me.

Personal update. I'm on dialysis 3X weekly which basically messes up the whole day with four hours in the chair, plus hookup and unhook time - depending on whether they are using the chest port (fast) or the dual needles (much slower, 10 min per needle when removed) then you need to include the drive time there and back. I was able to cut my drive time down from 40 min each way to about 10 min. Yay!

Writing Update. With the above, obviously not a lot of writing time available, but I've been able to squeeze some in. I finished the Amish Singer series - six books. I've been getting a lot of good reviews on the series. At the last show, I had two customers come up, all excited, hoping they'd find me there, they wanted the last two books - five and six. A customer I was talking with when the one rushed up and cut in, she listened and decided to buy the full six-book set. 

I decided to leave the Amish world and work on some fantasy. My granddaughter suggested I do the cat series I'd written many years ago. Following her advice, I released book 1 of Scepter of the Fire Cat, book 1, The Legend. I'm now finishing up book 2, The Lost One. And, with any luck, I hope to have book 3, The Return, finished by the end of the year or early next year. 

So, what's in the wings of my writing? I want to finish book 2, The Topaz, of my Shiyula series. Also, book 4, Missing Mommy, with my Barry Hargrove detective series. Also, I have an epic I've been working on with the working title of The Azores which deals with Atlantis. And, I have my Viking/Native American tale, Sky Eyes, which I'd like to finish.

But, I've not forgotten my Amish fans, I have another story, hopefully, just a single book, Amish 9//11 which deals with the Twin Towers and September 11, 2001. I'm figuring it will entail a nephew of Jacob Longenfelter to tie in with my Amish Singer series, but be a stand-alone. 

Also, for my horror fans, I hope to get The Amish Hunter (working title) which involves the Amish and vampires. I have a twist I hope to throw out there to make it interesting.

I won't mention the other 15-plus books I've got started and need to finish. What I really need to do is to put the outlines I have in my head into the Scrivener project for each novel so IF, in my demise, perhaps somebody would want to pick up my work and finish it. I know my #3 son enjoys writing and he might be the one to do it. Otherwise, some of those stories will never see the light of day.

Now, for a different topic. AI - Artificial Intelligence. Some authors are using it to write their novels which allows them to slap out a story in no time. Keep word, I feel, is "slap out" because they aren't really writing it, they're allowing some vague ... I hate to say intelligence ... knowledge base might be a better choice ... to create the story for them. I'm not against AI, I think it is useful to help a writer enhance their writing ability. Call it a "Muse" if you want, but allow it to give your imagination a new shot of adrenaline, a new view aspect. In my novel, Missing Mommy (mentioned earlier) I was stumped as to what would be the cause for her to be missing. I mean, a lab technician by day, an exotic dancer by night, with a young boy at home. Why would she come up amiss? AI gave me the suggestions and I was able to create my story. I AM WRITING THE STORY!!! Not using AI. 

So, what are your thoughts on AI?

Until I ramble on again...