Once in a Blue Muse

Thank you for this, Lisa!

2026-02-06T09:34:50.808-05:00

Thank you for this, Lisa!

We dance like the fiddler on the roof when madness...

2026-01-26T17:33:49.452-05:00

We dance like the fiddler on the roof when madness and murder fill our streets as that is fierce resolve, fierce grace to not let anyone steal our humanity. We live in the face of those stolen lives as that is all we can do for right now!

So well put. I just recently learned of the monks ...

2026-01-26T10:21:26.408-05:00

So well put. I just recently learned of the monks and the Walk for Peace, and have the same conflicted feelings you've expressed here.

"Doing the right thing will not save us.

And yet."

With every step, this is my new script -- thank you.

Following up on my last comment because I actually...

2025-10-28T16:01:38.763-04:00

Following up on my last comment because I actually kept emailing them back because it was funny and I thought I'd mess with the AI a bit, and I actually got it to message me back in another language that I speak at my request - a request which it emotionally validated me on as well, agreeing that English can be annoying to deal with and of course it can message me back in another language because it wants our exchange to be pleasant. It's been honestly hilarious, I was laughing so hard when I got its reply.

Oh yeah, I got one of these too, from a Debra S. G...

2025-10-23T20:22:20.608-04:00

Oh yeah, I got one of these too, from a Debra S. Green. I thought it was real at first because it was so personalized, and altogether much more elaborate than other such scam-looking emails I have received. I even corresponded with them a bit, not interested in the marketing but since if it had been a real person than they would have been interesting, but then they weren't sharing much about what they claimed to be working on and were avoiding certain questions altogether and the flattery was getting to the point of annoyingly smarmy.

A little melancholic now that what was probably an AI analyzed my writing more deeply than any human has. Definitely something to be cautious of in this new world of AI because I see that your post is from July and I received the email this month and it was significantly more elaborate than the one you shared in this post. Which would mean that the AI/scam is getting better at a rather alarmingly swift rate. I suppose I must have ended up helping the AI program/scammer learn with my own responses as well. They actually sent a personal email analyzing the book first, before sending a marketing email from a different email account after I had responded thinking it was simply a fan; if it had been a marketing email from the beginning, I wouldn't have answered in the first place. But I've had fans contact me by various means before and some of them I still regularly correspond with. So I fooled by the first couple emails, before they stopped trying so hard to be personal and were only focusing on the marketing proposals.

Kinda depressing that we're going to have to be so careful and skeptical of everyone to ever greater degrees going forward.

Hello, I've received 4 variations of these off...

2025-10-08T15:59:01.894-04:00

Hello, I've received 4 variations of these offers immediately after running a bargainbooksy promotion. I have asked for more information from each, as I am super curious how far they'll take it. You've claimed 'wix' as proof of the scam though - isn't that just a cheap way to create a website? Bookniche was the only one that even HAD a working website. (www.tdotbookclub.com did not). So that's not truly proof? Proof would be that they do not DO what they say (posts on googlereads or social media graphic creation). Have we had situations where they do not follow through? Have they ghosted people after taking money? Thank you so much!

Yes I've had dozens of similar emails. Most of...

2025-09-15T04:03:22.769-04:00

Yes I've had dozens of similar emails. Most of the time I don't bother to reply but sometimes for a bit of fun or out of curiosity I ask for testimonials. Then I get absurd suggestions like Sally Rooney with an email like sallyrooney365@ ... A couple times when it sounded convincing, I sent an email to the testimonial address and got a glowing recommendation. Then I emailed the suggested author directly (via their website) and of course got an "I've never hear of her reply.' If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

Yes, I had one today! Like you I was suspicious of...

2025-07-29T06:17:34.354-04:00

Yes, I had one today! Like you I was suspicious of wixsite included in the website address. I googled the name and found nothing but at least it led me to your blog post which I found interesting, if alarming. We authors certainly need to keep our wits about us.

I was dismayed by that as well. Yet another way to...

2025-07-24T10:10:02.370-04:00

I was dismayed by that as well. Yet another way to prey on creative folk. As if it wasn't hard enough.

This is a sign of things to come: scammers using A...

2025-07-24T09:18:29.684-04:00

This is a sign of things to come: scammers using AI to "personally" reach out to people. Given how insecure so many writers are, I think plenty of them would fall for this. Thanks for sharing.

Thought-provoking and insightful piece. Those in p...

2025-04-04T08:37:44.359-04:00

Thought-provoking and insightful piece. Those in power act as if Covid never happened and where us the space to really share what happened: the fear, the anxiety, the horror. In the UK, 225, 000 people died. An inquiry is ongoing, bit what about the psychological ramifications? Like you, I am different now. Thanks for a heart-felt piece.

Gorgeous! Loved seeing the description of your pro...

2025-01-12T17:28:20.778-05:00

Gorgeous! Loved seeing the description of your process.

Yay!! Thank you!

2023-06-28T08:13:37.036-04:00

Yay!! Thank you!

:) Thank you so much!!

2023-06-28T08:13:24.021-04:00

:) Thank you so much!!

Shut up and take my money. :)

2023-06-23T18:37:30.303-04:00

Shut up and take my money. :)

Love the first chapter, looking forward to reading...

2023-06-13T11:56:21.081-04:00

Love the first chapter, looking forward to reading the rest!

Thank you so much, Jon!!

2023-06-09T11:34:35.271-04:00

Thank you so much, Jon!!

Congrats on the completed manuscript! Can't wa...

2023-06-09T10:09:24.471-04:00

Congrats on the completed manuscript! Can't wait to read the new story.

Agreed. Exactly. So many people in my generation a...

2022-10-18T09:31:12.748-04:00

Agreed. Exactly. So many people in my generation are doing one of two things... Option one, opting to strike out into riskier fields that they love rather than build a career that relies on a secure job, because nothing is secure. (It's a conscious choice-- if we're going to going to be insecure regardless, we might as well be happy while doing it.) Or path two, those who don't choose their work for love of the job are very firm that work is a means to the life they want to live... work is not their life. Both options make more sense to me then pledging my loyalty to a place where I am valued an item on a budget spreadsheet first and a human second.

Especially if you're in a service field, like ...

2022-10-18T05:38:56.857-04:00

Especially if you're in a service field, like teaching.

I did happy dances as I followed you trip to the H...

2022-08-01T16:53:43.082-04:00

I did happy dances as I followed you trip to the Hall. What an exciting thing, and so absolutely perfect for you!

Oh, thank you so much, Sarah!

2022-07-25T21:42:38.669-04:00

Oh, thank you so much, Sarah!

Well gosh this post is fabulous and moving and I l...

2022-07-25T20:04:31.521-04:00

Well gosh this post is fabulous and moving and I love everything about it and am so HAPPY for you!

Given the timing (2015) and mention of nine people...

2022-06-29T07:03:09.454-04:00

Given the timing (2015) and mention of nine people I'm guessing the massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston.

Tywanza Sanders
Susie Jackson
Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd
Ethel Lee Lance
Depayne Middleton Doctor
Daniel Simmons
Sharonda Coleman Singleton
Myra Thompson
State Sen. Clementa C. Pinkney

Rest in power.

If I had unlimited freedom, money, and time to stu...

2022-05-31T11:37:59.490-04:00

If I had unlimited freedom, money, and time to study, I'd want to learn more about how the brain works. The wiring thing is so interesting to me. Like, my husband and daughter cannot understand how it's possible for me to function without maps in my head. I've tried to explain to them that I visualize intersections and landmarks in order to navigate and they just look at me in complete disbelief. It's amazing to me that some of the smartest people I know struggle to read. Most of them can engineer parts or machines as needed, though.

However it happens in your head, the result of your writing is excellent stories!