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Saralyn Richard
February 29, 2024

Happy Leap Year Day!

It’s been a very busy February here as the release of MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX continues with several events and book clubs taking place and scheduled. Coming up soon is an author event at the Rosenberg Library on March 23, a meeting with the Bay City Book Review Club on April 8, and ArtWalk on April 27. If none of these are convenient or appropriate for you, and you want to connect to chat about books, let me know, and we’ll figure something out. You know how important our connection is to me.

Terry looks so cozy as she reads Murder Outside the Box.

Meanwhile, I’m in the process of re-publishing A MURDER OF PRINCIPAL (cover below), which should be available March 3. Doesn’t the new cover look mysterious?

I THOUGHT you might be interested in a topic that has been occupying my attention for a while, and not in a good way. The topic is AI, or Artificial Intelligence. AI presents an existential threat to literature as we know it, and most authors have strong concerns. As an example, one of my friends asked the ChatGPT computer to write a book in the style of Stephen King. She included a few details of what she thought the story might include. The computer generated a coherent Stephen King-like story in TEN SECONDS!

Of course, the story might contain plot holes or other errors, and the computer might give the same or similar story to thousands of others, but still—TEN SECONDS!

My books take an average of 15 months to write, and that means regular daily writing, editing, re-writing. The thought of having a computer churn out a Saralyn Richard-like novel in ten seconds is appalling.

To give you an idea of the power and quality of ChatGPT, I asked it to write a book description of MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX, given a few details about the setting, plot, and characters. This is what it turned out:

In the tranquil Brandywine Valley, where the whispers of history mingle with the rustle of leaves, a startling double mystery sends shockwaves through the community. MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX unravels against the backdrop of this serene landscape, where the unexpected convergence of an abandoned infant on a caretaker’s doorstep and the tragic death of a young women within the estate of a billionaire scotch whiskey tycoon sets the stage for a gripping tale of suspense and intrigue.

Enter Detective Parrott, a seasoned investigator, whose keen instincts sniff out connections where others see only chaos. As he delves into the heart of these perplexing incidents, Parrott finds himself drawn into a labyrinth of clues that lead him down unexpected paths, both professional and deeply personal. With each twist and turn, the evidence becomes increasingly confounding, testing Parrott’s resolve and forcing him to confront the shadows lurking beneath the valley’s picturesque façade….

Well, what do you think? If you’ve read MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX, do you think this is an apt description? If you haven’t read it, does this description make you want to read it? Inquiring HUMAN minds want to know.

Actor Corey Jones, my former student, gives me permission to use his likeness to represent Detective Parrott.

Because of the prevalence and accessibility of AI generators, publishers are now requiring authors to verify that they haven’t used AI in creating their works of literature. Personally, I would never use AI to write a book for me. Aside from accusations of plagiarism or worse, I wouldn’t want my readers to wonder whether a beautiful turn of phrase of mine was original. I wouldn’t want my name on a book cover unless the story was 100% and certifiably my own.

But I can understand the temptation to peek at what an AI generator would turn out, and that worries me for the future. Will it cheapen books to the point of destroying their relevance? Will creativity and diverse thinking become a thing of the past? Or will discriminating readers rise up and demand better from the authors whose books they read?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject… 

MEANWHILE, if you have read MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX, please take a few seconds to rate and review the book (just a few words will do) at one or more of these links:

I’m very close to the number of reviews that will tip the algorithm at Amazon into advertising the book, and I don’t have to tell you how important that is. So pretty please and thank you very much for reading and reviewing and inspiring and encouraging me in so many wonderful ways. Your support and friendship mean the world to me.

Much love,

Saralyn

p.s. If you know of anyone who might like to have me attend their book club in person or virtually, or anyone who might like to sign up for this monthly newsletter, please forward to them. Subscribe at https://saralynrichard.com. Purchase autographed books there, too, on the Bookstore page. Cheers, and more at the end of March.