The Rise of Use of AI by Authors

Imagine: Two of Zoe Saldana’s alter egos having fun with karaoke. Limitless prompts!

Advances in AI are providing authors with exciting new tools to bring their stories to life. Recently, text-to-image generators like #MidJourney have popularized the ability to create original images simply by describing them. This emerging technology has intriguing implications for writers looking to vividly visualize their fictional worlds. After a lot of soul searching, I’ve decided to add Artificial Intelligence image creation to my creative toolkit.

Benji, THE GREAT BIG FAIRY, as I visualize him.

For any novelist, a core part of the writing process is imagining how our characters and settings look. Translating those mental pictures into words through descriptions is part of the artistic challenge. Our readers take our words and reinterpret them into their own mental images. Something is often lost in translation. After all, we each imagine things in our own unique way.
I enter word prompts to the AI (MidJourney for me) and it generates a myriad of original images. After picking the one that best matches what I imagined, I fine-tune it with more adjectives. The AI helps me crystallize my vision into impressions that I can describe in new ways, boosting my creativity in how I share my vision with readers.
I love the way the technology bends to my will. I control the size of the image, lighting, and settings. I can also employ whatever media and technique I want to use. These images can be photos, woodwork, line drawings, posters,or works of art based on the Masters, all tailor-made to match my verbal prompts. They can also be fun, whimsical, and made out of metal!

My impression of 2004, the Chinese Year of the Metal Monkey.

It’s also useful for advertising books and sharing inspirations with fans on social media. I created the one above to describe my evening with a brown bat that had come in, uninvited. Isn’t this great for conveying a moment of panic?

Here’s what I got when I asked for a red-haired 18th-century Scot. No names or books were mentioned. Since he also happens to look like Jody Pomeroy in THE FAIRIES SAGA series, he’s a keeper

Fleshing out my fictional characters with AI-created images has allowed me to promote my books in exciting new ways. For readers, AI art shared by authors grants a peek directly into their imaginative process, a glimpse inside their heads to see how they see their characters. Like concept art in movies, it makes the fictional realm feel real.

Here’s Grace from THE SET UP and THE WHOLE SHE-BANG collection

As with all new technologies, there are debates on ethics we must consider, too. However, used judiciously and with respect for human creatives, text-to-image generators like MidJourney feel akin to any new tool in an author’s creative kit. Much like concept artists at Pixar using digital software, these AI can enhance imagination in fresh ways. But human creativity, skill, and labor still remain essential! Someone has to tell the ‘bot what to create!
At the end of the day, it’s the writer who breathes life into her worlds and characters through meaningful stories that connect with readers. In the hands of skilled creatives, AI image generators are an innovation to get excited about. This fusion of emerging tech with the enduring craft of storytelling will be fascinating to watch unfold.

Thanks for tuning in! Dani Haviland

If you’re looking for a box set of Romantic Sizzle, check out Unforgettable Devotion. It contains ALL these titles. It’s also free to read with #KindleUnlimited!

Spring Gifts for Mom

I would like to take this time to wish all of the women who read this page a wonderful Mother’s Day this year. It’s a special time to watch over our offspring who are growing and trying to become good citizens. Like most older people, I often say that today’s world is not the one I grew up in. It’s harder now with so many changes that my head is on a constant swivel. Therefore, most of us love our families, pray they’re happy and healthy, and watch the progress constantly happening from the comfort of our old ways.

Lose yourself in the sound of a story

Imagine darkness, picture glory

The voices you’ll hear are but a hook

Join us! You may win an audiobook!

https://www.facebook.com/events/586936736690206

Are We Living in the Wall-E World? AI, Robots, Social Media, and a Sedentary Lifestyle by Rachelle Ayala #mgtab @mimisgang1

Who remembers Wall-E? That adorable and curious little robot who couldn’t resist collecting interesting trinkets he found among the heaps of trash. With his big expressive eyes and his cockroach buddy, Wall-E swoons over the love scenes in Hello Dolly and yearns for someone to love. One day, Wall-E meets Eve, an advanced robot sent from the spaceship Axiom to search for signs of life on Earth, which has turned into a garbage planet.

Today, in 2023, when I look around, I realize we’re on the brink of a Wall-E world. While I hope we don’t ruin our environment, we’re definitely looking and acting like the citizens aboard the Spaceship Axiom. For one thing, we’re glued to social media, instant messaging, and video chatting. I see high school and college students standing around looking at their cell phones instead of talking to the people next to them. Everyone walks around in their own little “screen bubble” instead of making eye contact with the folks nearby. This behavior was puzzling to Wall-E in the scene where two guys were video chatting about playing golf and just happened to be floating in their hoverchairs right next to each other without seeing each other face-to-face.

Not only are people glued to social media, but they are not aware of their surroundings, preferring the “virtual” world rather than the physical one. In one scene, Wall-E knocks the screen from a female passenger and she’s surprised to see that they have a pool. We’re headed into that space with virtual reality games where people play in a metaverse, build virtual assets, build virtual towns, and make virtual friends.

However, the biggest gamechanger in 2023 is the explosion in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. We already have robot waiters who deliver food to the table and kiosks where you can order food and get it from a locker. Whatever tiny bit of human interaction is going the way of the dinosaur as robots will quickly take care of our physical AND social needs. People would rather chat with ChatGPT who is always affirming and encouraging. What’s more, with AI generating avatars for video conferencing and social interactions, we could soon be engaging with completely fabricated faces and voices. As we saw in Wall-E, the captain of the Axiom found himself at the mercy of an AI system that dictated his actions.

Finally, we have to be mindful of our sedentary lifestyle and dependence on processed food. We’ve been controlled by the Big Food Industry just like the people on the Axiom. The result is metabolic dysfunction and a whole host of preventable diseases and chronic conditions. Today, 88% of people in the United States have insulin resistance and we are paying for the consequences of our unhealthy lifestyle with skyrocketing medical bills. One can easily see how far we have become a Wall-E world by contrasting “man on the street” or “people on the beach” photographs taken in the 1950s with that of the general population surrounding us.

There’s no need to panic, but being aware of these issues and making small changes can have a big impact. Each of us can do our part to create a healthier, more connected world.

Start by reaching out to a friend for an in-person catch-up, or make it a point to take a walk in the park without your phone. These little moments of genuine connection and fresh air can make a huge difference.

Taking control of our health is also essential. We can do this by focusing on reducing insulin resistance through healthier food choices and regular physical activity. Remember, every small step counts towards a better, healthier life. [Read Dr. Benjamin Bikman’s book, Why We Get Sick].

And don’t forget about the simple joys of reading a paper book. Not only is it a great way to unwind, but it also helps you avoid the blue light from screens that can disrupt your sleep.

Be sure to watch the romance between Wall-E and EVE when they dance outside the spaceship Axiom and inspire the folks inside to yearn and hope for a better (and more physical) future. Wall-E (2008)

While you’re decompressing from the Wall-E world, be sure to check out my free ebooks and audiobooks. https://rachelleayala.net/free-books/

Wall-E (2008), an animated film from Pixar.

No Diet But…

Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you still need to be vigilant about the amount of sugar you consume every day. From sweetened beverages like fancy store-bought coffee to pasta sauces to breads — and of course, desserts — sugar is in lots of foods we eat.

When blood tests and MRI revealed that I had to pay attention to my health, my general practitioner sent me to talk to a nutritionist. Hearing that I was borderline diabetic put the fear of the Lord in my mind and convinced me I really should pay more attention to what I eat, and more precisely to the junk food I nibbled on between meals when I am stressed or bored. Luckily I met with a wise and understanding dietician who didn’t try to change the food I was used to but showed me how to eat wisely. So here are a few tips if you are interested in protecting your health:

  • Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day.
  • Fill half the plate with fruits or vegetables.
  • Choose low fat meats and dairy.
  • Make half your starch whole grains.

To build a plate:

  • Choose 3 food groups for each meal.
  • Choose 2 food groups for each snack.
  • You need a protein with each meal and snack.

Servings:

  • Whole grain or Starchy vegetables: 5 servings per day
  • Proteins: 9 serving per day
  • Non-starchy vegetables or Fruits: 2 servings per day

Examples of meals:

Breakfast2Eggs
1 sliceToast with 1 teaspoon butter
1 cupOrange slices
AM Snack2 tbspNuts
Lunch¼  cupTurkey deli meat
1 sliceCheese
2 slicesBread
2 cupsGreen leafy vegetable/tomatoes
1 tbspMayonnaise
PM Snack1 tbspPeanut butter
1 cupApple slices
Dinner2 ozChicken Breast
½ cupPasta
1 cupBroccoli
Night snack½ cupYogurt
½ cupBlueberry

Eat healthy and keep your mind healthy: read fun romance novels

No Vacation Plans

ON SALE TODAY Only April 19, 2023
Denise Lambert fell in love at first sight with Damien Booker, a biracial law student. They danced the night away, and she welcomed his passionate kiss. But then he disappeared.
Five years later, she can’t believe her eyes when the pizza delivery boy sporting a long frizzy mane and a bushy beard is none other than Damien. He kisses her and runs away. She manages to get his phone number and reconnect with him. For weeks, they chat on the phone, until she bumps into Zorro, the exotic male dancer, at her friend’s bachelorette party—Damien again who kisses her senseless. But Denise is fed up with the jack of all trades, working long hours at three low-paying jobs. She’ll have to break it off with him unless…
Determined to be worthy of her love, Damian set aside his resentment against discriminating lawyers. Clean cut and well-groomed, he applies to various firms, until he garners several interviews and finally lands the right position in the right firm. Will his effort pay off? Or will he have to fight her friends and relatives to bring Denise into his arms?
No Vacation Plans is part of Love Plans Series.