What Are The Dangerous Possibilities of AI?

A Killer App explores the dangerous possibilities opened by Artificial

Intelligence and deepfakes.

Deepfakes Can Be Murder

The Chameleon, an Artificial Intelligence expert, can create a deepfake of almost anyone-living or dead. Even more frightening is the Chameleon's ability to seek out disturbed souls and laser-focus their rage. A talent she employs to compel her subjects to commit violence on her behalf.

Kylee Kane, a security consultant for Welch HOA Management, finds the Chameleon's first victim, Andy Fyke, crumpled at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Kylee suspects the fall's no accident and is tied to Andy's campaign to prohibit rentals in his Hilton Head Island community. Andy's obvious enemies have ironclad alibis.

Then another Lowcountry HOA retiree dies in a hit-and-run boat tragedy. Are the incidents linked? Kylee thinks so, and relentlessly pursues the Chameleon, who turns her full attention on permanently sidelining Kylee.

A journalism major, I got my first paid writing job with Plymouth Traveler Magazine the summer after my sophomore year at Northwestern University. My editors were a hoot, and I was hooked.

In the decades since then (my gray hair hints at the number), I’ve written hundreds of magazine features for business and trade magazines, freelanced for advertising agencies, written speeches for corporate executives, produced marketing brochures and newsletters, planned PR events, scripted videos, and written Help for tech products.

I enjoyed it all, but nothing compares to the joy of researching and writing mysteries and suspense novels. In 2022, I celebrated my tenth year as a traditionally published author!

When I’m not writing (or reading), I enjoy tennis, swimming, gardening and long walks with my husband. We now live on a lake in Upstate South Carolina. Though we’ve also called Fripp Island, SC, Durham, NC, Atlanta, GA, and Rochester, NY, home.

To learn more:  https://www.lindalovely.com/

Any Excitement in Your Subdivision or Homeowners Association?

Some of us live in a subdivision, and it is likely that subdivision has a “Homeowners Association” in which we must join and pay our dues.

In those subdivisions, there are quite a number of people living there. Author Linda Lovely said, “More than 40 million U.S. households sit inside HOAs. That's more than half of owner-occupied homes.”

Most of us loved the Agatha Christie novels, growing up. And if you remember, they were set in English villages. Just like English villages provided perfect settings for Agatha Christie, Linda Lovely, has found a perfect setting for her new series. HOA Mystery series is set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where Linda made her home for a dozen years.

Linda said, “Today’s HOAs provide ideal backdrops for intrigue and an abundance of suspects in modern mysteries. Community residents tend to know about each other—either through personal contact or gossip. The ability of HOA Boards to make and enforce rules that impact people’s daily lives, and their most important financial asset can generate animosity. And power struggles are inevitable—as they are in any human organization.”

Book One in the series is With Neighbors Like These. HOA CORPSE STAGED TO SHOCK…. An arrow pierces a corpse’s chest. A trophy deer head is dumped in the dead hunter’s lap. Not your typical yard art in a wealthy homeowner’s association.

 

The posed homicide freaks out neighbors, and Ted Welch asks Kylee Kane, a retired Coast Guard investigator, to help his HOA management company address owner fears. The stakes become personal when Kylee’s mother gets death threats over her crusade to stop a horde of hunters from invading the HOA’s nature sanctuary. ANOTHER DEATH SPARKS HOA=DOA PANIC…A second murder in a different HOA and bizarre attacks in other neighborhoods spark panic. The local sheriff’s department blames Ted for letting HOA disputes spiral into homicide. Kylee isn’t convinced, and searches for links between victims to uncover the killer’s motive and identity. The investigation puts Kylee in the executioner’s crosshairs. Kylee learns a controversial general is cast as the next murder victim. Can Kylee foil this newest act in the killer’s death-as-theater game?

Linda's Book Two, Neighbors to Die For releases November 8th.

A CRAFTY KILLER’S BLAME GAME

Refereeing homeowner association spats over acceptable mulch color was never part of Kylee Kane’s post-Coast Guard retirement plans. The irate combatants are trying the security consultant’s patience when gunfire erupts and a SWAT team swarms in. How did they arrive before any possible report of an active shooter?

Two days later, Kylee discovers a ghost boat. Not a soul onboard. Among the missing—presidents of HOAs managed by her employer. Are the incidents linked?

As Kylee chips away at shift-the-blame deceptions, the ruthless killer expands his hit list to include not only Kylee but everyone she loves. Will it be Kylee’s last Thanksgiving?

I am eager to get this new book by Linda Lovely. She writes Women's Sleuths. Whether she’s writing cozy mysteries, historical suspense or contemporary thrillers, her novels share one common element—smart, independent heroines. Humor and romance also sneak into every manuscript.

Drop a note to Linda, she loves to hear from her readers.

https://www.lindalovely.com/contact-me

Check out her website:

https://www.lindalovely.com/

Catch up on events at https://www.lindalovely.com/news-events and see what is going on with Linda.

Meet Linda Lovely, Author of Home Owners Association Mysteries

Meet Linda Lovely, author of a Home Owners Association Mystery
series.

Her new book, Neighbors to Die For, releases November 8. You will want to mark the date on your calendar.


Linda says, "My soon-to-be-released HOA Mystery, Neighbors To Die For, is set in Beaufort County, and the heroine lives aboard a boat at the Downtown Beaufort Marina.

Why a homeowner association mystery series?


More than 40 million U.S. households sit inside HOAs. That's more than half of owner-occupied homes. Just like English villages provided perfect settings for Agatha Christie, today’s HOAs provide ideal backdrops for intrigue and an abundance of suspects in modern mysteries. Community residents tend to know about each other—either through personal contact or gossip. The ability of HOA Boards to make and enforce rules that impact people’s daily lives and their most important financial asset can generate animosity. And power struggles are inevitable—as they are in any human organization.


Tell us a little about the book.

Neighbors To Die For is my second HOA Mystery set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where I made my home for a dozen years. The series heroine is Kylee Kane, a 50-year-old retired Coast Guard investigator who’s been roped into consulting for a life-long friend who owns an HOA management company. This mystery opens with Kylee listening to HOA Board members quarrel over acceptable mulch color. Little does she suspect the coming Thanksgiving week will find her searching for kidnapped HOA presidents, investigating a SWAT incident, and trying to stop a killer whose hit list includes Kylee and everyone she loves.

This is how Jonathan Haupt, coeditor, Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, describes the novel.

“Multiple mysteries converge as retired Coast Guard investigator Kylee Kane returns in this welcome second installment of Linda Lovely’s HOA Mystery Series. Lovely excels at balancing the life-and-death stakes of her well-paced narrative with the character developments of her robust and memorable cast, all against the backdrop of the deceptively benign world of HOA machinations. A delightful, page-turner of a mystery, not to be missed.”


How many novels so far?


This is my tenth published novel. Whether I’m writing cozy mysteries, historical suspense or contemporary thrillers, my novels share one common element—smart, independent heroines. Humor and romance also sneak into every manuscript. I’m secretary of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and a former president of the Upstate SC Sisters in Crime chapter. I also belong to International Thriller Writers, and the South Carolina Writers Association. For many years, I helped organize the Writers’ Police Academy.



Don't miss this book. Follow Linda Lovely https://www.lindalovely.com/ she loves to hear from her
readers.


BIO:

"A journalism major, I got my first paid writing job with Plymouth Traveler Magazine the summer after my sophomore year at Northwestern University. My editors were a hoot, and I was hooked.


"In the decades since then (my gray hair hints at the number), I’ve written hundreds of magazine features for business and trade magazines, freelanced for advertising agencies, written speeches for corporate executives, produced marketing brochures and newsletters, planned PR events, scripted videos, and written Help for tech products.


"I enjoyed it all, but nothing compares to the joy of researching and writing mysteries and suspense novels.In 2022, I celebrated my tenth year as a traditionally published author!


"When I’m not writing (or reading), I enjoy tennis, swimming, gardening and long walks with my husband. We now live on a lake in Upstate South Carolina. Though we’ve also called Fripp Island, SC, Durham, NC, Atlanta, GA, and Rochester, NY, home.


"My hometown is Keokuk, Iowa. Though none of my contemporary heroines live there, most grew up in Keokuk. That explains why they share my affinity for some Midwest expressions and attitudes."

Reviews:


A Fun, Fast Page-Turner--Tami Hoag, #1 NYT Bestselling Author

“Linda Lovely delivers another twisty mystery with the perfect mix of wry humor and quirky characters. Anyone looking for a fun, fast page-turner, here it is!”



Captivating Suspense--
Katherine Ramsland, bestselling author of How to Catch a Killer

“HOA communities seem deceptively safe, but the mix of gossip and politics in rule-bound groups can be a fertile breeding ground for murder. For the gutsy Kylee Kane, a fact-finding gig in South Carolina’s Lowcountry turns increasingly complex and dangerous. With Neighbors Like These offers a distinctive setting, a tenacious female sleuth and captivating suspense.”



Crackling Dialogue--Richard Helms,
​Derringer & Thriller Awards winning author of Brittle Karma

"Low Country murder, intrigue, and even a little romance abound in With Neighbors Like These. Kylee Kane is a welcome addition to the genre, and author Linda Lovely knows how to stir the pot with crackling dialogue and a tidy little mystery. Highly recommended!"

RESEARCHING A 1938 SUSPENSE NOVEL

By Linda Lovely

Why did I set my new suspense novel, LIES: SECRETS CAN KILL, in 1938?

The answer is simple: to honor my mother, who shared colorful stories about the 1930s and the hardships the Depression posed, especially for strong-willed females who were the sole support of their families. Mom’s tales helped me sketch out ideas for my heroine, but I lacked even a hazy idea for a plot. For that I needed to do a lot more research.

I should add I’m a pantser. I don’t outline, and my plot often veers in unexpected directions once I start writing. Yet, before I begin Chapter One, I need an overall notion of where I’m headed—if not how to get there. Since I write suspense, coming up with my core idea demands in-depth knowledge of the time period and setting, including known criminal activities, law enforcement operations and abilities (e.g. could they type blood or compare fingerprints in 1938?), religious and union affiliations, jobs women might hold, and general public attitudes and prejudices.

For me, research efforts are half the writing fun. For LIES, my wide-ranging sources included:

·         local and national newspapers

·         the era’s popular songs, movies, lingo and the 1938 Sears catalog

·         accounts of famous scams, Chicago ballrooms, and mob activities post-Prohibition

·         1930s patent applications and an interview with a psychologist on PTSD

·         Iowa histories of labor unions, businesses, and banking

·         histories of the women’s rights movement, census records

·         and, most fun, conversations with individuals in their nineties who shared stories about everyday life that never appear in history books.

The biggest problem with research is when to call it quits and start writing. Here’s what I gleaned doing just my preliminary setting/time period research reading a local newspaper.  

SETTING/TIME PERIOD: Keokuk, Iowa, my hometown on the Mississippi River, is a short drive from the caves Mark Twain made famous. Take one bridge out of Keokuk, and you’re in Missouri; take the second, you’re in Illinois.

Having settled on a year, 1938, I needed specific dates. I picked September when the Street Fair, an annual highlight, came to town. Mom told me the Fair was as big a magnet in the 1930s as it was when I was a kid/teen in the 1960s. So I began my setting research reading microfilm copies of my hometown Daily Gate City newspaper at the Keokuk Public Library. I perused the issues cover-to-cover for the weeks before, during, and after September 19, 1938, the day the Street Fair arrived. Here’s what I mined:

·         Colorful accounts of the Street Fair, including rides, where and when thrill acts appeared, visits from speech-making politicians, livestock shows, size of crowds.

·         Weather. Daily times of sun rise and set, high and low temperatures, rain and wind conditions, and a big surprise—reports on unusual fall river flooding, including daily flood stages and the impact on bottom-land farmers.

·         Area news. The burning of the Opera House in nearby Nauvoo, IL.

·         Ads told me what folks paid for popular items ranging from the newest style dresses and shoes to movie tickets, groceries, and automobiles.

·         Sports. Lots of reporting related to the World Series.

·         World & national headlines, news reports, and editorials. Painted a picture of what folks knew about Hitler, the growing crisis in Europe, unions, and the economy, as well as public opinion on these and other topics.

Research Hint: Three “saintly” librarians in Keokuk not only directed me toward multiple local research sources, they read my manuscript and helped me nail down an address for my heroine’s home, bus routes, popular eateries, active funeral homes, and more. THANKS!    

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS: While libraries and the Internet provide a wealth of resources to obtain historical information, there’s nothing as compelling, funny, poignant and colorful as the reminiscences of individuals who lived through a time period you’re writing about. If you can find such individuals, you’re on to a gold mine.

Friends put me in touch with several individuals in their nineties, who vividly recalled life in the 1930s. I also talked with lots of younger folks, who’d listened to their parents’ and grandparents’ stories. My conversations with these folks are responsible for much of the local color in LIES. Topics included farm foreclosures, dresses fashioned from feed sacks, and rumors about a doctor treating ailing prostitutes from St. Louis. There was also a story about a bagman who carried money from local gambling halls to Chicago plus detail-rich descriptions of visits to soda fountains, school days, and, of course, the wonder of the annual Street Fair.

Were all these reminiscences accurate? Impossible to know. But, hey, I write fiction! In fiction (as in everyday life) what people believe to be true can influence events just as much as objective “reality” can.

Have fun researching!  

______________________________________________________________________ 

Linda Lovely writes a mix of romantic suspense/thrillers/mysteries. She’s published five novels (available e-book, paperback, and audiobook). Her first four novels are set in the current day, but, her newest book, LIES is set in 1938. To learn more about Linda Lovely visit her website: www.lindalovely.com.

South Carolina Settings—Novel Atmospheres

By Linda Lovely

While I’m not a native Southerner, I’ve called South Carolina home for 26 years, living in the low country for 13 years and the Upstate for 13 years. It’s no surprise that I’ve capitalized on these atmosphere-rich regions as settings for two of my novels. Two of my works in progress also feature these appealing locales.

But don’t bother consulting a map to pinpoint where my heroines and heroes hang their hats. There is no Dear Island—the private barrier island terrorized by a pun-loving murderer in Dear Killer. Nor is there a town of Shelby, home to fictional Blue Ridge University, the troubled campus threatened by homegrown terrorists in Dead Hunt. The private island and the college town are inventions. Here’s why.

I write mysteries, suspense and thrillers. Ergo, bad things happen. People die. Killers elude authorities. Developers are sometimes greedy. Public officials may lie or cheat. Deputies are occasionally crooked. University administrators may be clueless. Suffice it to say, that unsavory, if not downright despicable, antagonists flourish in my novels.

I need a cast of smart, unscrupulous characters to weave my mysteries and challenge my heroines and heroes. What I don’t need is a lawsuit. Also, I don’t want to irk residents of a real island community. I’m loath to suggest there might be bad apples among the law enforcement officers in an actual county. And I’m not about to poke fun at administrators serving an accredited university. That’s why I’ve given make-believe names to the institutions, companies, towns and counties populated with such characters.

Yet I still try to faithfully capture each region’s beauty and majesty as well as what can become frightening elements if my protagonists are alone, lost, or being pursued by ruthless villains. I hope this balance works.

Using fictional locations with the local region’s flavor also gives me handy latitude. Since my fictional Dear Island is a composite of several barrier islands, I could play with the geographic puzzle pieces—golf courses, canals, marinas, marshland, and beaches—and anchor them anywhere I wished within the island’s confines. That means they’re ideally situated to serve my plot. I did take care, however, to offer readers a variety of touchstones—references to neighboring Beaufort, Hilton Head and Parris Island—to ground them within the Lowcountry.  

In Dead Hunt, my imaginary university’s students reside in Leeds County, another invention. Yet I made certain the campus was a comfortable drive from Greenville, Clemson University, and the Jocassee Gorges mountain wilderness, which serves as an enchanting and scary backdrop for my heroine and hero when terrorists are gunning for them in the dead of night.

I love to set my books in places where I can close my eyes and recall exact moments in time. Paddling a kayak in the calm of an ocean inlet, hearing the cries of seagulls, and smelling the acrid aroma of the marsh. Hiking a mountain trail and listening to the gurgle of a rushing stream and inhaling the scent of crushed pine needles in the shadowy twilight of the dense forest.

While my places names may be make believe, my South Carolina settings are as real as my most vivid memories allow.

________________________________________________________________

Author Linda Lovely writes two series. Her Marley Clark mysteries feature a 52-year-old retired military intelligence officer who lives in the Lowcountry and works part-time as a security officer on private Dear Island. Lovely’s Smart Women, Dumb Luck romantic thrillers shift the focus among three heroines brought together by “dumb luck” at Upstate South Carolina’s fictional Blue Ridge University, the setting for Dead Hunt. The author is a member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and the South Carolina Writers Workshop. For more information, visit her website: www.lindalovely.com.