In the age of AI, authors have an opportunity to up their game using the myriad of tools that are now available. This embarrassment of riches comes with a price, though. First, how do you wade through all the choices? And second, how do you master the tools so they are a help and not a hindrance?

Fortunately, J. Thorn has come to the rescue. In his excellent book, Three Story Method: Editing Your Scenes with ChatGPT, you learn how to utilize the power of what is arguably the best LLM out there to sharpen your prose. The methodology is based on the author’s time-tested Three Story Method.

What I appreciated most about this book is the care the author takes with the prompts required to get the results you want. Also, I was impressed that the author isn’t suggesting you let the tool write your novel for you. Throughout the chapters, he emphasizes that the goal is to get your manuscript in the best possible shape before handing it off to your editor—brilliant.

If you are an author who’s decided to take the AI plunge, then grab this book. You won’t regret it.

I’ve been reading J.P. Choquette for a while now and have found her stories to be inventive and creepy. She insists on placing her characters in the worst possible situations and watching them squirm. I imagine her sitting at her desk, rubbing her hands together, saying, “Let’s see you get out of this one, bud.�

With Writers� Retreat, the author has outdone herself. In a way, she’s turned the tables if you believe the writer Flora Rossi might be a proxy for the author. I’ll leave that one to the experts. In any case, this novel is chilling. Her descriptions are just detailed enough to make the reader see and taste everything, including the awful tea Venetia likes to serve her guests. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that Flora suffers in this novel—and you feel that, too.

If you’re looking for something to keep you up at night, grab this book. And if you’re thinking about going on one of those writers� retreats, choose Hawaii—trust me.

I love Los Angeles, especially when reading about the city’s sometimes notorious past. S. R. Mallery loves LA, too, because when she writes about the period between two world wars, the words pour out, creating a landscape you can see and almost touch. In All Those Masks, she’s got her work cut out for her, taking on Hollywood, corrupt policemen, and the Klan. And she succeeds beautifully.

Detective fiction requires a body. In All Those Masks, it’s a Jewish journalist who is found brutally murdered. And all signs point to the local chapter of the Klan. As Frank Lozano and his team investigate, the author takes us on a dizzying jalopy ride that introduces us to speakeasies, movie stars, a vicious police captain, and a bevy of side characters with colorful backgrounds.

If you enjoy fast-paced historical fiction with strong female characters, splashes of humor, and romance, I heartily recommend this book. Careful, though. You might just fall in love with Los Angeles, too.