Category: Writing

social media, Writing

Artificial Intelligence is…you fill in the blank

deborahanndykeman

The AI controversy is out there, and however you may feel about it, it’s making an impact on the world. You may believe it’s a bad one, or you might be going along for the ride, wondering where it’s going to take us.

It’s been something on my mind since the beginning of this year, 2024. Generally, I’m not a fan of advancement in technology, especially if it causes me to have to learn something new or adjust what I already know. This past week of updating this site has had me chewing on that more than a few times and I’ve wanted to spit it out and never try again! But I also recall my days of using a manual typewriter to write my first attempts, and then moving on to an electric typewriter, which I’ve written about on here before. I love my laptop, my big monitor, and my wireless keyboard. I feel lost without them. I’ve succumbed to technology in my own office on a daily basis.

Creativity as always been a huge part of my life. It’s how I function as a person in the way I look at the world. There is always possibility to make something better. That includes the characters I create, the world they live in, and now, I can create the way it all looks. I can take my thoughts of how something appears, and make it happen. And that is pretty spectacular!

I’ve been designing the covers for my books for a while now. It’s something that I absolutely love! I’ve never taken any kind of graphic design classes, or even art classes outside of what I did back in school forty plus years ago. Yes, I had some talent back then, and I enjoyed it. But I didn’t pursue a degree. I have great appreciation for those that did. So, it was with great fear and trepidation that I looked into the AI design on the site I use to design my covers. I’ve used this site for almost ten years now. I’ve taken the tools there, along with pictures and designed my covers. With the addition of AI, I can now put all those thoughts of what I think something should look like onto a cover. The results have been once again…spectacular! I will be sharing more of those results on here as books release. To this date, I’ve designed seven covers with the use of AI. For those of you that have read my Rubyville series of books, you may now see my vision of my characters. I still find that amazing!

Meet the characters of my Rubyville series.

I have thought long and hard about this new advancement or curse in technology. I think there will be good, and I know there will be bad things to come of it. Evil always seem to find whatever good potential there is. That is the world system that we live in. I am in constant vigil of others trying to steal my book content. Copyright doesn’t seem to mean much to some. To think that another person could steal my voice in writing, is very concerning to me. And so, my thoughts go to those that work as artists, those that design covers using mediums such as photography, watercolors, oils, sketches, etc. In no way do I want to take away from what they do to make a living or be creative. In no way do I want to fake something, which is what I believe is at the heart of this AI discussion.

In the middle of all my thoughts on this, Randy Travis releases a new song. When my husband and I were first married, around October of 1988, we were given tickets to see Ricky Van Shelton in the Albany area of upstate New York. He was not able to make it that night due to laryngitis. Randy Travis sang instead…and he was good! I want to say he was the first act, but I don’t remember all the details now. We followed his career over the years, and we were very sad to hear of his stroke. It seemed rather cruel that it would take the voice that Randy Travis was known for. When I listened to the release of his new song a few days ago, I knew it had to be AI, and I thought, “Oh no, here we go!” But after watching this clip from CBS Sunday Morning, this AI challenge began to take on a different meaning to me.

CBS Sunday Morning clip.

Technology is with us, and we can’t run and hide. Well, I guess we could if we really wanted to, but it would be difficult! That’s another topic for discussion. Some areas I’ve learned to embrace…like my computer system, and my Alexa controls in my house. Others I’m still not sure about, like my Alexa controls in my house, and AI. Yes, I know I repeated Alexa twice. And she’s probably listening ready to argue with me right now! But when I look at the covers I’ve designed, or listen to Randy Travis ‘sing’ again, I’m leaning toward being thankful, and praying I keep it all in perspective.

And BTW, his new song is beautiful!

A Quick Thought, Writing

Welcome Spring!

deborahanndykeman

Here in Kansas, today is a hot one! I do miss the long, slow progression of spring and autumn in the northeast. But here in Kansas, we don’t seem to have the mud problem either that I remember so well when my parents had their horses. I lost a shoe or two more than once slogging through mud in upstate New York!

The daffodils have bloomed at our house. The peonies I moved last year seem to be doing well so far. They came up anyway! Now I’ll be looking for blossoms. I had wanted to move the daffodils last fall, but plantar fasciitis slowed my autumn prep to a standstill. Maybe I’ll get it done before the end of May.

Writing books and designing covers has been my focus since the beginning of the new year. I designed six covers, and I wrote a new book…about 85,000 words between the first of February and yesterday when I finished going through the edits needed on the second part of 56,000 words. I wrote that second part in three weeks. For those of you that write, you know that is an accomplishment! The first three months of a new year have always been a great time for me to get writing done. Motivated, not a lot of outside work, and between spring and fall cleaning schedules. This year was extremely successful. That puts a smile on my face!

Last September also saw the release of the second book in my Love Defined series…Sweet Belief.

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Of course this is available right here: https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Belief-Mike-Katie-Defined/dp/B0CJSQFWBV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FFQYNYPU3ZRD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Z57xZ9EpuoKA-Cv3YKBaWg.2iWTLGur7eQqvHNvKTDDK5teixJjjg0-CAeXcrvRMJ0&dib_tag=se&keywords=deborah+ann+dykeman+sweet+belief&qid=1713117547&s=books&sprefix=deborah+ann+dykeman+sweet+belief%2Cstripbooks%2C161&sr=1-1

If you live in Texas, the view out your window today may look very much like the backdrop of the cover for Sweet Belief.

Happy spring to all! Enjoy the sunshine, the bright flowers, and new buds on the trees. And if you are in the mood to read, you know where to find a good book. 😉

Just For Fun!, Writing

Beautiful Spring

deborahanndykeman

I’ve shared a lot on baking for my past few posts. It’s something that I do on a regular basis…when it’s cold outside. But with warmer weather, I’m feeling the pull to be outside. Not to work as I once did…laying sidewalk, building rock walls, digging ponds…but just enjoying. I haven’t even mowed lawn this year. My husband has been keeping up with that pretty well. It’s a two-day job with our push mower. At this writing, I haven’t even planted my hanging baskets or pots for our front porch. That was typically a Mother’s Day goal.

What I’m feeling today is writing. I haven’t worked on my book in two months, and I’m being crushed by the weight of getting it done! With a writer’s meeting this Thursday, the weight is heavier.

I don’t like unfinished projects. But I’m not very good about completing one before I start another. My mind is always bouncing from one thing to the next. There is probably medication for that, and it would probably help my family and friends deal with me better. 😉 But I do like to live in the moment and feel everything! My editor not only edits my books but keeps me reined in when I think of another book to write. Which circles back to the weight of getting this third book in my series done.

Everything beautiful! A sunny, spring day with flowers! Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

I found the above picture when I was looking through Pixabay pictures for a comment on Facebook. It made me think of my writer friend Julane Hiebert. https://www.amazon.com/Julane-Hiebert/e/B017QGX5X4?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1652806690&sr=1-1 When I go to her house for our writer’s meeting, a bicycle with flowers in the basket lets you know you are at the right place. It always makes me smile and think of Julane and being Julane. She’ll get that statement.

So back to writing, so I have something to share at the meeting on Thursday. I hope your spring is going well, and that there’s beauty, sunshine, and maybe a bicycle with flowers in the basket for your Tuesday!

P.S. The header picture is from: Image by jplenio from Pixabay

Home Projects, Writing

Greetings From the Frigid Midwest!

deborahanndykeman

Actually, today is really nice! Fifty-four degrees at this writing. But a few days ago, not so good. Single digits are always a bit scary. You pray your furnace keeps working and the water running!

Last Wednesday, the 2nd.

Good news…our goldfish are still hanging in there. Last winter our youngest kept the pond cleared for them, and this winter my husband took over the job. Everything I read on goldfish said that they hibernate, and don’t feed them when it gets cold. Well, our seven fish didn’t get the memo, and they get a bit cranky when no flakes are given. So, every day, without fail, my husband goes outside, and bangs out a small portion of ice. This scares the fish, so they disappear for a while, but soon they are back. We still have all seven fish that have been with us for twenty-one months now. That’s almost two years! Pretty good considering the pet store said they would live about three months! If those seven fish keep growing, we are going to need a bigger pond, or small lake!

I’ve also made a little more headway on the kitchen project. Our son and a son-in-law put up the pendant lights over the pass-through. I love them! They are a real pain when it comes to changing the bulbs…but they are supposed to be good for twenty years!? I’ll believe that when I see it. As our son so graciously put it… “Will any of us be here in twenty years?”

I am now working on trim and staining…as you can see in the above picture. I tried a bit of staining with the doors closed, and I’m going to have to wait until warmer weather. My diffuser wouldn’t cut the brain-killing fumes!

The biggest news is…I’m just a few pages away from ending my second book in the Love Defined Series! Sweet Belief! This one has been a long haul for me. Difficult to find time to write, and just disgusted with myself and all the rewrites needed! I wrote this series of books before writing conferences, etc. and they are a mess! Head-hopping anyone? Too many points of view? Hey…let’s just trail off on another story all together. Ugh!

In honor of Valentine’s Day…just around the corner…already?! I am giving away the first book in the series, Sweet Hope. You may download this on Amazon, Wednesday the 9th through Friday the 11th, for FREE! This is a love story…no angst, just sweet. Kind of different than what I usually write, actually. But you need to read it to be ready for Sweet Belief…which is back to my normal voice…or as normal as it gets!

I hope you fall in love with this family, just as I have!

Click right here on the 9th – 11th to get your FREE copy! https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Hope-Jonathan-Elisabeth-Defined-ebook/dp/B08BJGJW1M/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2ORYZOE60XXPV&keywords=deborah+ann+dykeman

Happy reading!

Just For Fun!, Writing

The English Language

deborahanndykeman

My brother-in-law shared this poem on Facebook a couple days ago. At one time I really enjoyed poetry, and I read it a lot. I even tried writing it, but didn’t feel the pull as I do with writing books. I really enjoyed this poem, and it’s so very true when it comes to the English language. Enjoy!

English Pronunciation Poem 


I take it you already know

of tough and bough and cough and dough.

Others may stumble, but not you,

On hiccough, thorough, lough and through.

Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,

To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word

That looks like beard and sounds like bird.

And dead â€“ it’s said like bed, not bead.

For goodness sake, don’t call it deed!

Watch out for meat and great and threat.

They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,

Nor both in bother, broth in brother,

And here is not a match for there,

Nor dear and fear for pear and bear.

And then there’s dose and rose and lose

Just look them up — and goose and choose.

And cork and work and card and ward.

And font and front and word and sword.

And do and go, then thwart and cart.

Come, come I’ve hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,

I’d mastered it when I was five!

Quoted by Vivian Cook and Melvin Bragg 2004, by Richard Krogh, in D Bolinger & D A Sears, Aspects of Language, 1981, and in Spelling Progress Bulletin March 1961, Attributed to T S Watt, 1954. 

I’ve shared the above poem and credits from this site: https://www.speechactive.com/english-pronunciation-poem/

Writing

Reviews

deborahanndykeman

Reviews are a wonderful thing. I almost always review a product if given a chance. And as a side note, I rarely review books because I just don’t read as much as I once did. I do a lot of reviews through Trip Advisor.

I write a review because I know how extremely helpful they are to me when I purchase an item, or go on vacation, or eat at a new restaurant. (Also a thing of the past…;)) I rely heavily on them. They have usually been pretty accurate as well. If I read about a hotel being dirty, or the staff not friendly or helpful, and we stayed at that hotel, it was what the review said. Kind of rare that it was inaccurate. I don’t believe most people write reviews to be nasty or bring a product, or place down. If they are, you can generally see through that angst.

By their very nature, reviews are subjective. You are giving your opinion. Some people are more opinionated than others. Reviewers may look at the product as a half-full item, or half-empty. When I write a review, I try to highlight the positive, state the negative. If it’s mostly negative, again, I try to state it, rather than pound home my opinion. It’s better to let those reading it come to their conclusions objectively if possible.

As an author, book reviews are extremely important, and a huge marketing tool. Book sales, check-outs at the library, and reading groups are based on other’s opinion about that book. And it can be good or bad.

I greatly appreciate a reader taking the time to write a review. I love to talk with my readers and hear their take-away of my stories. I write what is important to me, things that I have struggled with in my own life. It is my therapy. If that reaches someone else and helps in any way…or gives hope, my purpose has been fulfilled.

Reviews are needed. Write them when available, state your opinion as objectively as possible.

Please, please keep this in mind. Don’t review a product you haven’t given a fair chance. If it’s a book, and you just can’t read it for whatever reason, state that. But please don’t review what you have not read. We’ve all had the experience of something not beginning so great and ending up to be the best thing ever.

social media, Writing

Yep, I Did That Contest

deborahanndykeman

Sometimes it seems like you can’t get it right. So this post is not for all you perfect people out there! If you read my last post, you know it’s been a wild ride for our family the past year. So it shouldn’t surprise me to find out I messed up a book cover.

Why is it that if you make mistakes, they are more than likely ones that should have never happened, or ones that someone should have pointed out ahead of time, or should have been easily seen? A ‘well duh!’ moment. So you feel really stupid. God is still working on humbling me. I would like to think that I’m going to get it right someday, but it’s not looking good.

I have done several of my book covers. Designing book covers is something that I really enjoy. If I had more training in the area, I would probably work on covers as a side gig. But for now, other than a couple small projects, I just do my own. I designed the covers for the When series, and I’ve designed the covers for my current Love Defined series of four books. The first book in the series, Sweet Hope was released in June of this year. So it was with great surprise when our oldest daughter (also my editor) shared this picture with me.

Whoops!

My father has been a great supporter of my writing. He reads all my books, and even writes reviews! It shocked me, since my books are not what most men would read, but since they are not the typical love story, my father can handle it. So when he ordered my latest release, the above picture showed that it doesn’t have anything on the spine! Oh no! Not a good thing. So, I do apologize for those of you that ordered my newest release, which didn’t have any spine information on it. It will be fixed.

I enjoy writing, but I’m human (as is my editor!). I mess up. I need your help, and my editor and I thought this might be a fun way to catch any other errors. Because it seems like no matter how many times a book is gone over, and no matter how many eyes have been over those words, there are still errors! And it is aggravating!

So, I’m running a little contest. If you read Sweet Hope, I would appreciate you looking for mistakes. You may purchase a paperback or e-book version, or even borrow it from a library or friend. Just read it! If you find a mistake, please e-mail my editor at:

peasinapodeditinganddesign@yahoo.com

Each time you e-mail with an error that you have found, your name will be entered into a drawing that will be held in 2021. If your name is drawn, you will receive a free, signed copy of the next book in the series, Sweet Belief. I am currently working on this book. It is written, and it’s  good…one of my favorites…but it’s currently in rewrites and edits. I will update on here how it is progressing and when the drawing will take place. It will be before June, but I will give an exact date at the beginning of the new year.

In the meantime, while it is cold outside, and we are looking at another lockdown due to Covid-19, read, read, read! Here is a sneak peak of Sweet Belief…

Sweet Belief cover for wordpress contest post

A Quick Thought, Writing

A Place in My Heart

deborahanndykeman

Rubyville, Book #4, A Place In My Heart, is probably my favorite of the four books. I say probably because I do love this series, and it is very difficult to have a favorite, the same with children.

Believe it or not, I learned a lot while writing this series. The research for the different eras that are traveled through was really fun and interesting for me. But I also learned a lot about myself, and the way not to handle a situation. Below is a meme I created for the release of the book.

Rubyville Book #4 - Prom

Get your FREE ebook copy today! https://www.amazon.com/Rubyville-Place-My-Heart-Book/dp/1537096826/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=deborah+ann+dykeman&qid=1574790687&s=books&sr=1-5

Writing

#4 Begins Today!

deborahanndykeman

If you have been following these posts for the past month, you know that today is the start of the FREE ebook promotion for A Place in My Heart. I’ve had so many great comments on this series of books, and especially this one. If you have read the series, you may think you know the ending, but all my readers have still expressed shock and surprise at the close of Rubyville.

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Book #4 – Rubyville

Julia Ryan designed the beautiful covers for this set of books. I’ve had so many compliments on them! Be sure to get your free copy today! https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1572544500&sr=1-1

Writing

#3 Begins Today!

deborahanndykeman

The third book in the Rubyville series is A Place to Heal. Get your FREE ebook copy today through Friday, November 22nd!

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Book #3 – Rubyville

As always, please leave a review when you are finished reading. It is so appreciated! Get your free copy right here: https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1572544500&sr=1-1