Tag: 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

social media, Writing

Branding and Marketing

deborahanndykeman

When I first started attending conferences for writing…I discovered how much I didn’t know about writing. And then the journey of learning more about writing began. One of the items that was shared was to make memes for Facebook and other social media to help with branding, marketing, and promoting books. So I jumped on and created memes every week. Now I have a bunch to pull from if I need one…but I still love to create new ones. And as with the writing, I have learned so much more about creating memes since my first ones!

To design memes, my business cards, bookmarks, banners, posters for events, book covers, and the list goes on…I use https://www.canva.com/ . I get my pictures from https://pixabay.com/ . These two sites have been a gigantic help for me in developing a brand and marketing my work. They are very user-friendly sites, and I find them fun. If you have a creative side, you should check them out! Canva has updated and you can now share directly to social media sites rather than downloading, etc. What will they think of next?

So now you have two great tools to go out and design for yourself. One thing that was pointed out…when making a meme, sign it as you would art work. I use my website, and I use the same font each time. People remember that. For example, what comes to mind when I say any brand name? You think of their logo. Great branding and marketing right there. Coke anyone? 😉

Remember, this week A Place to Call Home is being promoted as a free ebook. Get your copy today! Yesterday, this book was doing this:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

It’s pretty exciting! Below is one of the first memes I did. I’ve learned a little bit more about downloading, etc. now, but I still love the picture I found on Pixabay. Have a great Thursday everyone!

 

Rubyville - A Place to Call Home

 

social media, Writing

Review, review, review please!

deborahanndykeman

Today is the last day you can get your free ebook for my newest release, When Faith Begins. It’s been a lot of fun having the book promotions for the When series of books. By far, When Love Grows was the most popular in the giveaway. I think it’s the cover…which goes to show, your cover matters…a lot! I love the color red, and it looks as though many others do.

If you are a writer, trying to get your book published, and then branding, marketing and hoping to sell your work…well you know it’s a long, difficult process. Most of us don’t hit the New York Times bestseller list the first time out, if ever. It takes daily contact with readers, your target audience, and places to promote your work. Some writers may use a blog, website, newsletter, Facebook, etc., to do this. Many use all of those listed and then some!

My WIP is a manuscript I wrote in 1998. It’s 124,000+ pages long, and I wrote it on a typewriter in two weeks. I had four children at the time. I got them up, got them dressed, tossed some food at them and then sat about five feet away from them to write. Repeated two more meals each day, and then did the reverse at night for bedtime. Those were the days when our oldest was 12 and our youngest 2. Those were the days when I still made bread every day, and we had healthy smoothies for breakfast. We didn’t eat out. I relied heavily on my 12 year old, who is now my editor.

But that book had to be written at that time, and I wrote 24 hours a day for those two weeks. I wouldn’t recommend that, but we artistic people can be strange at times. Maybe most of the time! Now, I am rewriting and editing that book, and the three others in that series that I wrote several years later. It will take me a while, because it is a mess. And when I hand it over to my editor, proofreader, etc., it will probably still be a mess.

I have so appreciated the feedback from my readers during this book promotion! But I want to clarify a couple items. Those that write and are trying to sell books, will understand. Today, my rating for When Faith Begins is here:

If you go to the above links…you have to go to the FREE section to see mine. Not the paid.

That is huge for me! My books are usually in the thousands, if not millions. But this is for the FREE ebooks. Not the paid list. I’ve had several people comment about my royalties now. I’ve made under $10 dollars this month. The book promotions are about me getting my name out there, and loving that people are taking the time to look at my covers, read a portion of my books online, and then even downloading them. If I can earn money off my books at some time, that will be super fantastic!!! But right now, people don’t know me, and that’s where all of you can help…and writers should be helping one another.

Authors LOVE reviews, even bad ones. It helps them tone and tweak their craft. Please ALWAYS leave a review when you read a book. My books are desperately in need of reviews. The other huge help to authors, and anyone promoting a business, is to SHARE on Facebook and other social media. Again, it gets their name and business out there for all to see. There can be so much wrong with social media, but sharing a business for someone is a great opportunity to help. (An apology here to an editor that told me I shouldn’t cap words, but…) 😉

Again, thank you for all the support. Prayers and best wishes for those of you struggling in this writing market. And of course…be looking for my next book promotion, because there will be one!

3

Writing

Free!

deborahanndykeman

I’m having so much fun with my free ebook promotion for my When series of books! The first book in the series, When Hope Blooms garnered a lot of attention, many people ‘purchasing’ it. Right now, the free ebook promotion is on for the second book in the series, When Love Grows!

Get your copy until October 25th, midnight, right here: https://www.amazon.com/When-Love-Grows-Deborah-Dykeman/dp/1978088914/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=deborah+ann+dykeman&qid=1571850701&s=books&sr=1-3

When Love Grows - Tuesday Teaser

Be watching for the third book in the series and my newest release, When Faith Begins.

Happy reading everyone!

Marriage, Our Christian Walk

Truth Be Told

deborahanndykeman

When I first began this blog in 2015, my goal was to write about me and my family, and light issues that would help my readers connect with me as a person. I didn’t want to bombard  with just writing topics. For one thing, I don’t have a master’s degree in writing anything. I rely heavily on my editor to fix all that I do wrong. I don’t know much about branding or marketing. I go to others and read lots of other posts about it to broaden my knowledge base. And considering sales of my books…I have lots more to learn in those areas! 😉

So now, four years later…I’m still a little mired down in this blogging world. I read other sites that are really successful. I try to figure out what they are doing right, and what I’m doing wrong. I wonder if my scope of topics is too large, or the site just not interesting. I’ve even considered starting over, but what would my focus be?

Truth be told, my knowledge base is marriage and family. It’s what I’ve done for all of my adult life. Sunday, the 20th will be my husband and my 35th wedding anniversary. It’s one I’ve looked forward to. Others celebrate by going on a cruise, having another ceremony to rededicate their married lives, or going out for a nice dinner. I thought that by this time in our marriage, we would be doing the same. We won’t be. I think spam is on the menu this year.

My husband and five children have always been the world to me. It’s what I invested all my time in. Some may say that was crazy, and that I didn’t plan for the future. I always thought it was the best way to plan for our future together. But children grow up and have families of their own, they move away, and they make their own choices in life. I am no longer in control of all of that…and maybe I never really was.

So, here I sit at almost 55 years of age. This past year as been beyond difficult in so many ways. There are days when I feel as though the rug has been yanked out from under us, and we haven’t hit the floor yet. But when we do, it’s going to be bad. My faith has taken a serious hit, and there are more days than not that I would like to run away and be a different person.

This Life is Real…and so are the Answers. I truly believe that. None of us live in a fairy tale world with light and laughter, flowers and fun, around every corner. Many of us deal with darkness and tears, an inability to breathe because of all that has been dumped on us. The flowers in our lives are dead and crumbled, blowing away in the wind, and a smile is hard to summon.

rose-581396_1920                          flowers-384280_1920

I don’t have a master’s degree in anything. Just a lot of learning through difficult experiences. I try to share that in my books. In my books, there is an answer for that struggling character. Writing helps me work through all that has been allowed in my life. This blog has been a release for me to express all that bottles up…whether it be good or bad. I pray that my books reach people and the struggles they have in their lives. I pray they find an answer.

So for now, I’ll stick with what I’ve been doing here, and I welcome any suggestions to improve.

Philippians 4:6-7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Writing

New Release!

deborahanndykeman

It’s autumn here in the mid-west! Yay! Cooler weather, leaves turning, and that autumn aroma of damp and wood smoke. I’m loving it! What better time for a new release?

When Faith Begins - Love

When Faith Begins is the third book in the series that began with When Hope Blooms and When Love Grows. It is available in paperback and e-book right here: https://www.amazon.com/When-Faith-Begins-Deborah-Dykeman-ebook/dp/B07Z28984V/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=when+Faith+Begins+deborah+ann+dykeman&qid=15712

If you haven’t read the first two, or need a refresher, they are available on Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million (BAM). Or, right here: https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_8&qid=1571243983&sr=1-8

It’s autumn! Pick up a great book and snuggle beside the fire with a hot drink. Have a great day!

social media, Writing

The Eye Of the Beholder

deborahanndykeman

 

Well, it is the day after. Always a bit sad for me, but I do look forward to the New Year’s Eve celebrations and the first day of the New Year. So it’s not completely over yet! And I always leave the decorations up until after New Year’s Day. It keeps that holiday feeling for just a little bit more.

I don’t do a lot of book reviews on here. I really don’t do much of anything on a consistent basis on this site. I mean, this is not a food, health or parenting blog. It’s a ‘whatever pops into my head’ blog. So for those of you that stop by, it’s always a surprise. Rather the way it is for my children when they stop by our house. They never know what project I’ll be working on! Back to this post…

I first began this blog back in May of 2015. One of my first followers/likes, and a blog that I did the same for was this one: https://eyedancers.wordpress.com/

I was intrigued by the cover of his book, The Eye-Dancers. I also enjoyed his posts, and insights into life, the stories he shared. It reminded me of my teenage years living in upstate New York and Vermont. But since I don’t read Young Adult, I really didn’t think of reading his book. Well, after a year or so of struggling with getting my own books out there, and understanding how very important it is to have reviews of any kind, I decided I would read it. I had purchased it a while back, and then I finally began reading last July.

I don’t normally take so long to read a book, but I’ve had several on my nightstand for a couple years now. I made it a personal goal to read 25 books this year on Goodreads. I reached that goal and reset it to 30. Now I’ve read 32 for 2017…and that feels really good! At one time I loved to read. It was better than watching a movie, or having friends over. But marriage and children put that love on the back burner. Unfortunately I’ve read some not-so-good books lately, and that makes it hard to forge ahead. Just a bit of advice if you are going to self-publish. If you don’t have a degree in journalism, etc., take some writing courses, attend some writing conferences, or have a really fantastic editor. The typos, bad research of a topic, head-hopping and boring plot-line really lose a reader’s attention…and quickly! 

On Christmas Eve morning, I finished reading The Eye-Dancers, and I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t mean that in a condescending way. I literally went into it with the idea that it was a book for Young Adults, and just not my cup of tea. What turned it all around and kept me reading was the great writing, well-researched topic, well-developed characters, and the believe-ability of a time-travel book. Me, a 53 year old woman could enjoy the story, and look forward to more. Because I’ve heard there’s another one coming! 😉 Because of all the above, I wanted to share my thoughts here, and support a fellow author and their writing. Below is my review for Goodreads and Amazon:

I don’t normally read YA, but I do enjoy time travel-type books and movies. So I thought I would give this one a try. I rated it a 5-star because ‘it was amazing’ since it was well-written, very thought-provoking, and well-researched. That is saying a lot after some of the books I’ve read lately with the head-hopping, plot holes, etc. The author didn’t ‘dumb-down’ the characters as I’ve seen so many times in YA. The author also nailed the teen years of angst and thought patterns. It made me think of my own years and the struggles I experienced and felt. And somehow, the author made this story feel as though it could really happen…which is fantastic in my mind, considering the plot! It is what I loved about the Time Traveler’s Wife and Somewhere In Time. I read the books behind those movies, and I loved the books even more. Thank you for a very good read! 

You may purchase The Eye-Dancers right here: https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Dancers-Michael-S-Fedison/dp/0692262784/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514136399&sr=1-2&keywords=the+eye+dancers

From the reviews the book has received so far, readers are thinking the same as me.

 

*I purchased the book and wrote the review on my own with no encouragement from the author. These thoughts are my own. Did I cover all the bases? 😉
social media, Writing

Shifting Down

deborahanndykeman

This is a post I’ve debated about writing for several months now. For the month of October, I tried some different things, just to see what that would result in. Some of you gave me feedback. A few people really liked the Monday One Liners and the Friday Trivia. A couple people said they would just rather read a post. To be honest, I’m rather lost in this blogging world. I just don’t know what works...for me.

I’ve blogged regularly for over two and a half years now. For those of you that blog, you know it is a time investment. Some bloggers seem to be able to take the world, (literally) by storm and within a few months they are off and running with thousands of hits and followers. That has not been the case for me, and I’m not really feeling that I’ve found my corner in the blogging world…or if I’m even supposed to.

As a writer, I love to write. I have written most of my life in some form or another. I will continue. But right now, I feel as though I should concentrate more on my novel writing, and those stories I need to tell. And I need time to do that.

So, I will be doing some reconstruction with my social media. My goal is to have more of a website, maybe a section that I blog in once a week, or once a month. I might offer a newsletter every three months or so for those that are interested in my books, and new releases. I have four books written several years ago that are badly in need of edits and covers. So, I want to make those a priority. I also have a little bird whispering to me about a fifth book in the Rubyville series. I also need to concentrate more on events, and speaking engagements.

The most difficult part of this decision is not having the daily contact with those of you that have become a part of my life on here. I so appreciate you! For sharing your lives with others, for the encouragement you have given me, for all the interesting stuff I’ve learned from all parts of the world.

This is not good-bye, but a pulling back and regrouping. I will still be here, and I will still share my life with all of you, just at a slower pace. You can still find me on Amazon right here: https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Ann-Dykeman/e/B01B2BYPK6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1509656300&sr=1-2-ent and my author’s page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborahanndykeman/?fref=ts

I check Goodreads daily as well. It’s a great place to encourage others, as well as authors. If you’ve read a book of mine, or another author, please leave a review there and follow them. You don’t need to purchase their book to do those two things. Every little bit of encouragement helps an author get their stories out there. It’s not only about purchasing their books, which is wonderful of course…but about getting that author’s name known around the world.

Until next time…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOY0C5F8dfw