Do you use AI to assist in your writing?

Big-fat-nope-waffles, there. I don't use AI in anything art related, and I do whatever I can to steer clear of it everywhere else as well. Actually, for someone who’s never willingly interacted with generative AI, I have a borderline unhealthy hatred for it. What can I say? I’m a traditional artist.

 

I use two computers. I write and edit on a MacBook that hasn’t been connected to the Internet in more than a decade, using a twenty-year-old version of Word. My hand-drawn art is digitally rendered on a MacBook from 2015, using Clip Paint Studios. I have various drafts of my work, (both written and visual), which include various timestamps and proof of the literal thousands of hours that have gone into each project. If I can’t make or write it myself, I pay real people to do it for me.

 

That said, I like my threes. I adore my em dashes, (though, admittedly, I’ve traded many of them out for hyphens). I like my semicolons. I love my big, beautiful words. I’ll be damned if I let some plagiaristic machine take those things from me, or dictate how I write. Therefore, you’re guaranteed to encounter many, if not all of those “AI red flags” and more in my books.

 

Please don’t let those things deter you. Remember, AI stole—I mean ‘learned’ from writers, not the other way around.

 

Now, with that unpleasantness out of the way…

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What is the spice level in this series?

To be clear, I will never describe graphic sexual encounters in works targeted at young audiences. However, as the series progresses, I most certainly “allude. I insinuate. I tiptoe to the brink of impropriety.” (If you caught what I did there, we're gonna be besties).

 

Later installments really walk the line between young adult, and new adult, but even at my most exploratory, scenes are still fade to black.

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Here's a look at where each book goes according to the chili pepper spice rule.

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Book One (13+):

One pepper. The first book, Grinning Dragon, is extremely tame, which makes for romantic tension like pressure building in a burning propane factory.​

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•  No sexual content or explicit acts.

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Book Two (14+):

One pepper, but with slightly more sensual or expectant descriptions.​​

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• No sexual content or explicit acts.​

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Book Three (15+): 

Two peppers.

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• Mild heat.

• The door closes or the scene fades away before anything gets graphic.

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Book Four (16+): 

I'll say this one is three peppers just to be safe, however the language used is entirely euphemistic and reflective. ​​​​

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• Moderate heat.​

• The reader is present, but nothing physical is described in graphic detail. My encounters or recollection of encounters focus almost entirely on the emotion accompanying or proceeding an act.

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Book Five (17+):

Three peppers.

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• Moderate heat.​

• The reader is present, but nothing physical is described in graphic detail. My encounters or recollection of encounters focus almost entirely on the emotion accompanying or proceeding an act.

• Note: The fifth book is rated at 17+ due to much more mature themes, but not due to an increase in sexual content.

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Ultimately, I didn't want to prevent young readers from finishing the series due to explicit sexual descriptions. It's good to keep in mind, though, that each book is written to grow with my readers, exploring increasingly mature themes ranging from sexuality, peer pressure, sexual assault, spirituality, death, and morality. Those subjects and others are handled with the same level of depth, caution, realism and understanding as I would use when discussing such matters with the young people in my own family.

 

As the books are released, those pages with details of the gory or graphic kind will be postmarked on my website and in my disclaimers for parents and guardians to review.

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Are your books really appropriate for my young adult?

You’re the only person who can say whether or not this series is appropriate for your youngen. What I can tell you is that virtually no inappropriate language is used in these books, and what cuss words may be written throughout the series itself is nothing that your child wouldn’t see on TV.

 

When each book is published, my disclaimers will include where to find any words or discussions that could be construed as problematic for parental review.

 

 

Do you have any trans or LGBTQ characters?

Yes, these identities and sexualities do make appearances in Pivotal Dawn. With that in mind, since the stories tend to be fixated on the romantic relationship between my leads, as well as the trials they undergo, trans and LGBTQ representations are not initially a major part of the main plot.

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Do your works focus on the negative, or positive?

My books are written to uplift audiences, fortify hope, and promote unity in an increasingly divided world, facilitating understanding in societies rife with rejection. While my characters face harrowing challenges and seemingly unbeatable odds, such obstacles are almost always met with perseverance and courage.

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Tropes???

A few of the tropes specific to Grinning Dragon are as follows: 

Instalove.

Yearning.

Romantic tension.

Chosen one.

Morally gray.

Slow burn, (but a whole lot of heat).

Secret identity.

Forced proximity. 

Burned the world.

Save the world.

And more! For a deeper dive into my chosen tropes, I hope you'll feel welcome to follow my blog.

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How many books will be in the series?

There are five books in the series. I also plan on writing a sixth companion novel.

 

 

Will your books have disclaimers?

Yes, each new release will include disclaimers. While I wouldn’t personally categorize my books as traumatic, I realize that disclaimers are meant for the people who need them. I have no desire for my work to open old wounds.