Shelley Martin Fiction

I’ve been hearing about the art AI for over a year. You know, the really neat programs that you type in what you want to see, and it gives options! As an artist, that made me feel just a little obsolete.

And now ChatGPT is here! I was so surprised when my daughter came home from college and told me she’d used the program, and it was pretty cool. She even has an account.

So, I joined a class.

I realized that I need to learn this. It doesn’t do me any good to be worried about something that I know so little of. And the fastest way to get rid of fear is to barrel right though it! I’m excited to learn this new program, and I’m curious to see what it can do for the writing community. My biggest question is- can it copy my writing style and flow? Each author has their own voice, and no one wants to lose that.

I’m looking forward with excitement at this personal writing adventure stretching out before me. I hope you have an adventure today, too.

I received a letter from a fan that had dug though some pretty dusty archives and found one of my fan fictions. I don’t write fan-fiction much these days, and they were encouraging me to try again. I was very happy they liked my work.

To be honest, I wrote my fan-fiction at the request of some friends. They loved an anime called Hetalia. But, they wanted romance, and asked if I could do it. Well, of course I’m going to try!

I often get to the end of a season of a show, or the end of a book and wonder if there will be more. And if there is more, what path will it take? I’ve certainly watched a second season, or second book, and didn’t like where they were going with it, and wanted to write it myself. Many times.

I’m guilty of doing so, myself. I wrote a continuation to a book, and no one like the path I was taking the character down. I was so very grateful for my beta readers comments, and I decided to let that story rest where it was, with a happy ending.

As I said, that fan made me look at a form of writing that had gotten lost by the wayside. Maybe I should dust those ideas off, and try a new fan-fiction? It’s always good to see how you may have grown!

A new hobby I’ve picked up this year is mushroom hunting. Up here in the northwest we have a variety of mushrooms that grow in the spring and fall. Half way through the day I sat on a fallen tree to take a break. As I took in the landscape I mentioned to my partner how the area surrounding us was like something straight out of a fantasy story. The carpet of moss stretched out to envelop fallen trees and rocks. A small brook bubbled near by. Small orange mushrooms dotted the ground like little bursts of fireworks, adding a warm, cheerful atmosphere to the cool forest floor.

I said “I wouldn’t be surprised if a fairy appeared next to us and a unicorn galloped by.” I thought places like that only existed in the movies or photo-shopped pictures on the internet. It was wonderful to be able to take in the fantasy-like landscape. It can be difficult to describe a scene if you’ve never been there. Much of what I write is fantasy. The places only live in my imagination and I always want to present these places to my readers in the most believable fashion.

I’ve always heard it’s best to write what you know. Getting out to these beautiful places certainly helps with my descriptive abilities, especially since I feel that is my biggest weakness! If you have a way to visit a place similar to what you’re writing about, I highly recommend it!

I’m so exited to see the Phoenix leave the nest. And the cover is amazing! Thank you to Ashley from Redbird Designs. Talk about a happy author, here. Phoenix Tonic is the first in a series titles “the Golden Brothers.” Phoenix Monarch, the second in the series, releases next month. I’m thrilled I won’t have to keep the two books separated for long. Here’s a little about the book. Enjoy! And thanks for stopping by!

       Hailey wants her freedom. Kallian wants Hailey’s love.  But the uncontrollable effects of the Phoenix Tonic may turn Hailey into a murderer.

What kind of jerk would offer a cure for cancer only if you married him? Hailey refuses the offer from her ex-boyfriend, Kallian, facing death instead of an imprisoned marriage. But when she wakes in a steel room, she learns her father made a different deal while she was on the brink of death.  Now she has to choose – stay quarantined, or marry the jerk.  Either way she’s a prisoner.

Kallian always loved Hailey. When he hears of her illness he offers up his family’s deepest secret – the Phoenix Tonic.  But the side effects are dangerous, and anyone given the tonic has always married into the family to preserve the secrets.

When Kallian administers the cure, he sequesters Hailey for her own safety against the side effects. But Hailey soon learns the inevitable; anyone who takes the tonic becomes irrevocably attracted to the source, which happens to be the man she hates more than anything: Kallian.

If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Phoenix Tonic, it’s available in paperback and ebook . Just click the link below, and have an awesome day!

Lately, I’ve been toying with a new genre, steampunk. Every time people ask, What’s that? I bring up Jules Vern, Sherlock Holmes, and the movies Wild, Wild West and Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s packed with steam run inventions, with a dash of fantasy. I absolutely love the adventure and inventions I get to come up with. The genre is fairly new, with more books popping up every day. It tends to fall more in the Young Adult and New Adult categories, which is fine by me!

As convention season hits you can find me in Spokane sporting my new air ship pirate duds, in support of my new manuscript. Here’s a picture of the base, but I’m adding brass wings, a jet pack, as well as numerous cogs and gears. I hope you might have a chance to delve into this new genre and enjoy the fun it brings with it. Happy reading!

I’ll be speaking this month at Post Fall’s JAM club (Japanese Anime Manga Club). This will be the third time I’ve met with this awesome group. I’m an avid cosplayer and con-goer. We’re going to be hashing out what the con experience is like, and I’ll be personally inviting the group to attend Kuro-Neko Con and SopCon this summer. Between Jeopardy and Family Feud style games, to masked balls and zombie walks, it’s going to be an awesome time. Not to mention all the other authors at SpoCon and the publishers taking face-to-face pitches for new and experienced authors!

Thanks for having me, Post Falls. JAM Club!

I’ve been invited to attend the Wrenching Fate virtual book release party! I loved this book, and remember watching this story go through edits. It’s gritty, raw, and completely romantic. If you have a chance to stop by, there will be many prizes given away, including a copy of Gargoyle and several other fantastic other paranormal books!

https://www.facebook.com/events/614516411935759/618599498194117/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

“Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is elated when he finds Akasha Hope, the woman his psychic visions revealed to him centuries ago. To his surprise, Akasha is infuriated when Silas interferes with her life. Furthermore, she is nothing like the sweet woman he’d envisioned. Instead she’s a foul mouthed mechanic and, due to being the accidental result of a military experiment, she possesses the strength of ten men ….and government agents are looking for her. Matters are further complicated when Silas’s vindictive ex lover spurs the Elders to investigate Silas in hopes to destroy Akasha and gain control of her friends, which are the key to an otherworldly prophecy. As government conspiracies and vampire politics collide, Silas teaches Akasha the meaning of trust…and love.”

I’m so excited to announce the Shadow Fan Series will be featured on YA Podcast, Books on Fire! I had a great interview with Amy Jones. We talked about how I got started as an author and running cattle… Yeah, weird, I know. If you have a chance to listen, at the end I read an excerpt from the second in the series, Keeper of the Shrine. I hope you enjoy it! If you click the link, under my picture is another link to enter a contest to win the entire series, free! Thanks for stopping by!

http://yapodcasts.com/

I’ve spent the day at Emerald City Writer’s Conference! I’ve had a blast going to classes, meeting other authors, editors, agents and promo specialists. I’ve learned so many new things, my head is buzzing with ideas. I’m excited to get that next story out, and I wish I could write like a speed demon! I’ve gotta tell you, being with my fellow writers is a great experience. We all hide in our offices turning out stories. But when we get here, we’re like little animals who’ve gotten out of their cages. We are a fun lot, us writers!

A bunch of authors, seem to think romantic suspense might be the next big wave. I’m excited for that, but alas, I cannot turn away from my extreme paranormal/fantasy mind. I will continue to write what I love, weaving action and suspense into my stories as always. Well, I’m going to head for a neck-deep bubble bath, then write some more. I can’t leave my characters hanging for too long!