Nancy's Notes From Florida

Warrior Prince – New Print Edition
August 15, 2023

I am excited to announce a new trade paperback edition of WARRIOR PRINCE, #1 in the Drift Lords Series. Inspiration for this action-packed fantasy romance came from the Maelstrom ride at Disney’s Epcot theme park. The tale begins in Orlando and involves sinister theme parks, ancient prophecies, and Norse myths.

Warrior Prince

Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-13-3
Print ISBN: 978-1-952886-32-4
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Interior Design by Formatting4u.com

A galactic warrior joins forces with a feisty mythologist to stop a dimensional rift from destroying Earth in this action-packed fantasy romance.

Nira Larsen’s dream job interview at an Orlando theme park turns into a nightmare when she’s attacked by costumed thugs. She’s rescued by a band of space warriors known as the Drift Lords. Their leader, Zohar Thorald, explains that Nira’s assailants were Trolleks, invaders from another dimension. They’ve targeted her because she has the power to defeat them. The Trolleks have opened a dimensional portal through which they’re invading Earth, and Zohar needs Nira’s help to seal this rift.

As her dormant powers awaken, Nira realizes the ancient myths she’s studied as a mythology grad student are real. Her elemental abilities are derived from the Norse gods. But she also feels an unexpected connection to the Trolleks that she can’t explain.

Zohar falls for the feisty redhead until one of the Drift Lords is murdered, and his doubts about her loyalty threaten to derail his mission. While he’s torn between his duty to save Earth and his love for a woman who might betray him, he has no choice except to trust her. A worldwide cataclysm will result if he fails, and only together can they succeed in saving Earth.

“I’m a huge fan of Nancy Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mysteries and was thrilled to discover her latest book, a terrific mix of science fiction, mystery, and sizzling romance.” Mary Kennedy, author of the Talk Radio Mysteries

“Cohen’s Drift Lord series weaves science fiction, fantasy, and ancient Norse mythology into a sexy tapestry of action, adventure, and love. A fun read.” Muddy Rose Reviews

“Sci-fi, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, and humor wrapped up in a steamy romance.” Wilovebooks

Excerpt

Zohar noticed her sudden silence. “You will be fine, Nira Larsen. We shall talk as soon as we finish these tasks. Sweep the signal detector over each surface in the room and let me know if a red light blinks.” He focused on setting up his poles around the perimeter of the suite.

“That sounds easy.” She did as instructed, glad to put some distance between them. Whenever he neared, her senses zoomed into hyperdrive.

Absorbed in her task, she scanned the drapes and bedding, even inside each drawer. Meanwhile, Zohar stood two of the poles at the far corners of the bedroom. A heavy silence fell between them as they worked.

Her rounds produced negative results. Probably the killer had been in such a hurry that he’d left right after gunning down Rayne. Or maybe he’d shot Rayne elsewhere then dragged the body here for Zohar to find.

Another thought chilled her. What if Rayne’s death had been a mistake? What if the murderer had meant to get Zohar instead? Is that what Zohar meant when he’d said Rayne wasn’t the target?

Zohar finished setting up the remaining poles. “When I activate these rods, our defense grid will prevent the Trolleks from spatial shifting into our location.”

He was just about to press the switch when the door burst open and a wild-eyed man charged inside, a curved blade in his hand.

ORDER NOW

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KD6X9VF
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952886325/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/warrior-prince/id6447256889
BN Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warrior-prince-nancy-j-cohen/1112989278?ean=2940185602539
BN Print: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warrior-prince-nancy-j-cohen/1112989278?ean=9781952886324
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Hnm3EAAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warrior-prince-7
Indiebound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/warrior-prince-nancy-j-cohen/20067446?ean=9781952886324
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/Warrior-Prince

Norse myths & magic mix in this action-packed fantasy romance #fantasy #pararomance Share on X

Play the Warrior Prince jigsaw puzzle – https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=2b2b63038e2d

GIVEAWAY

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Taking the Plunge into AI
August 9, 2023

You may have noticed that AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is suddenly in the news. This new technology could be a valuable tool for writers. However, authors are concerned about copyright issues since the source material for AI’s algorithms is based on previously published material. The Author’s Guild has a letter calling for AI industry leaders to obtain consent, give credit to, and fairly compensate authors.

There’s also the issue of disclosure. If your idea derives from AI, do you need to announce it? If you’ve written an article or blog using AI, are you truly the author? And what’s the danger of AI taking over for audiobook narrators and writers entirely?

Artificial intelligence lacks our human emotions, our compassion and empathy. How can a program write a story that derives from the writer’s deep well of experience? While I wouldn’t rush out to read a book written this way, I admit that AI can be useful for other tasks.

Until recently, I’d been ignoring the online commotion about ChatGPT. Don’t even ask me what this stands for. I couldn’t see myself using it until I read an interesting article on using Prompts to get the results you want. As an experiment, I wrote this into the box at ChatGPT:

My prompt: “I write a mystery series featuring a hairstylist and amateur sleuth. Give me six unique story ideas centered around national holidays.”

After the first round, I repeated my inquiry and asked for six more unique story ideas.

AI Response: “These holiday-themed mysteries will challenge your hairstylist amateur sleuth and keep readers entertained with the perfect mix of beauty, suspense, and intriguing puzzles.”

Combining the two rounds, I received multiple ideas for St. Patrick’s Day, April Fool’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. One of the elements sounded suspiciously like it came from my book that spoke about the “Black Gold” hair trade. It’s hard to know what’s being copied and what isn’t since these suggestions are all based on material that’s already out there.

Here’s an example for Easter from ChatGPT. I’ve already done this holiday in Easter Hair Hunt, #16 in my series. Note that my story includes a missing jeweled Faberge egg.

The Easter Egg Heist: In the weeks leading up to Easter, your hairstylist sleuth has been busy organizing an Easter egg decorating competition for charity. When the highly anticipated event finally arrives, the town’s precious Golden Egg, filled with valuable jewelry, goes missing. With all the suspects in their colorful Easter attire, including rival hairstylists and charitable participants, your protagonist must untangle clues hidden within elaborate hairstyles and uncover the thief behind the Easter egg heist.

Not too bad, huh? Some of the ideas I gleaned from this experiment could be springboards to plot a novel. In this way, ChatGPT can be useful. It may provide the spark of inspiration to get the writer’s brain up and running.

ChatGPT also gave me a step-by-step outline for another story when I gave it a few parameters, but the plotline had quite a few holes and didn’t relate to my series characters. The results were interesting but I don’t want to write a book that way.

My stories stem from my characters and their evolving relationships along with the setting, and much of the plotting happens in my subconscious. Story magic kicks in and then the book takes off on a direction of its own. AI will squash that creativity. But I can see others taking this easy road once AI is more established. Then what will be disclosable and what is not?

Book titles could be generated this way. Ditto for Book Descriptions. Check out the suggestions on this Kindlepreneur site on how to make your own book blurb better using AI. First you need to write a story blurb. Then you paste it into the AI dialogue box and ask for a better version.

I gave it my book description for Warrior Prince, book #1 in the Drift Lords series coming in a new trade paperback edition on Aug. 15. Then I said to the AI: “Make this Book Description Better.”

My Blurb

Nira Larsen’s dream job interview at an Orlando theme park turns into a nightmare when she’s attacked by costumed thugs. She’s rescued by a band of space warriors known as the Drift Lords. Their leader, Zohar Thorald, explains that Nira’s assailants were Trolleks, invaders from another dimension. They’ve targeted her because she has the power to defeat them. The Trolleks have opened a dimensional portal through which they’re invading Earth, and Zohar needs Nira’s help to seal this rift.

As her dormant powers awaken, Nira realizes the ancient myths she’s studied as a mythology grad student are real. Her elemental abilities are derived from the Norse gods. But she also feels an unexpected connection to the Trolleks that she can’t explain.

Zohar falls for the feisty redhead until one of the Drift Lords is murdered, and his doubts about her loyalty threaten to derail his mission. While he’s torn between his duty to save Earth and his love for a woman who might betray him, he has no choice except to trust her. A worldwide cataclysm will result if he fails, and only together can they succeed in saving Earth.

AI Version:

Nira Larsen’s dream job interview at an Orlando theme park takes a dark turn when she’s attacked by otherworldly thugs. Rescued by the Drift Lords, a band of space warriors, Nira learns she possesses the power to stop these invaders. As her dormant abilities awaken, Nira discovers a link to Norse gods and an inexplicable connection to the enemy.

Zohar Thorald, the Drift Lords’ leader, battles his growing feelings for Nira while a traitor among them threatens their mission. With Earth’s fate hanging by a thread, Nira and Zohar must overcome mistrust, embrace their unique bond, and save both worlds from impending destruction.

What do you think? Is the AI’s version better than mine?

How about you? Have you ventured into the deep waters of AI? Do you believe it can be helpful or dangerous for your career as a writer?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our August giveaway:

Booklovers Bench Contest Aug2023

 

IN-PERSON APPEARANCE

Saturday, Aug. 26, Book Signing 3:00-6:00 pm EDT
Orlando Reads Books
Embassy Suites by Hilton – Orlando North
225 Shorecrest Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
Get your free tickets here: https://orlandoreadsbooks.com/

 

 

 


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Banana Rum Cake
July 27, 2023

This Banana Rum Cake is a deliciously moist cake with a distinct banana flavor. It makes a lovely dessert presentation for company. The recipe makes approximately two cups of glaze. Use extra portions as an ice cream topping or sauté ripe bananas with the glaze in a saucepan. 

Ingredients

CAKE
2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1/4 cup rum
15.25 oz. package yellow cake mix
4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix

GLAZE
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1/4 cup rum

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup banana liqueur, and 1/4 cup rum together in a bowl. Add cake mix and pudding mix and stir until batter is smooth. Pour batter into a well-greased fluted tube pan. Bake for 50 minutes.

Prepare the glaze – Bring sugar, butter, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup banana liqueur and 1/4 cup rum and blend. Remove from heat and pour glaze into a glass measuring cup.

When cake is done, remove pan from oven. Set on rack for 15-20 minutes and then invert cake onto plate. Pour glaze over top and sides of warm cake. Cool until ready to serve and then cut into slices. Serves 16-20.

CHICKEN WITH BANANA RUM SAUCE

If you don’t wish to make another dessert with the leftover sauce, consider pouring it over three boneless chicken breasts in a greased baking dish and baking in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Slice and serve. Serves 4-6.

 

In case you missed it, check out my recipe for Strawberry Cobbler at Lois Winston’s Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers


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Clues and Buttons
July 18, 2023

My latest cozy mystery release, Star Tangled Murder, takes place over July Fourth weekend. Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton attend a Seminole War battle reenactment at a living history village when the town marshal is murdered. A pearl button is found at the scene of the crime. It’s a vintage design with a gold metal shank. Since the site is a pioneer village, such a relic isn’t an anomaly. However, how it ended up under Phil Pufferfish’s body is a mystery.

Since Dalton is close to retirement, Marla joins his investigation to help him wrap things fast. One of the suspects collects buttons, and Marla gets an earful of button lore when she interviews the guy. Here’s what she learned:

The word ‘button’ comes from the French word bouton, meaning bud or knob. Buttons have been around for nearly five thousand years. The earliest one came from the Pakistan region and was made from a curved shell, its purpose being more ornamental than useful. The ancient Romans also made buttons from wood, horn, and bronze. However, it wasn’t until the thirteenth century that buttonholes were invented.

Buttons became widespread throughout Europe and then button-maker guilds were formed. These guilds regulated the manufacture and use of buttons. In those days, they were signs of wealth. By the eighteenth century, steel and ivory buttons replaced fabric ones. Then pewter and brass came into play. Fabric-covered buttons started being made mechanically in the middle of the next century.

In the U.S., early pearl buttons were produced from imported sources. Then an American manufacturer discovered that a bend in the Mississippi River near Muscatine, Iowa caused mussel shells to accumulate there. He began using this source to manufacture buttons. By the turn of the twentieth century, over one-third of the world’s pearl shell buttons came from this region. The industry declined when plastic buttons were introduced. Depletion of the source and the high cost of labor contributed to its demise.

Until the nineteenth century, most buttons were used for men’s clothing. Women’s clothes were fastened by hooks and laces. Then women became the primary consumers. Do you know why men and women button their clothes from opposite sides? Men’s clothing buttons on the right side. That’s because most men were right-handed and dressed themselves. Wealthy women, on the other hand, were often dressed by maids. Placing buttons on the left side made it possible for servants to face their ladies and fasten the buttons.

This is more than you wanted to know, right? I couldn’t put all of this info into my story, but I can share it with you here. I learn all sorts of fascinating things while researching my books. Fortunately, my editor and critique partners catch me out when these passages go on too long. But learning new topics is what makes each book exciting for me to write.

As for the button clue in Star Tangled Murder, you’ll have to read the book to find out what it means.

Buttons as clues in STAR TANGLED MURDER and a bit of button history - #cozymystery #research Share on X

Do you keep a jar of assorted buttons in your house like I do? Would you even know how to sew a button onto a shirt?

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