Saturday, March 28, 2015

Will AI Just be Slick and Catastrophic?

I just finished listening to Monica Lewinisky’s Ted Talk on the price of shame. You can also listen to it here: The Price of Shame
She shared her experience of public shaming, and the overwhelming intensity of having it occur on the internet. She ended the 22 minute talk with a call for compassion. She received a standing ovation. It made me think: Compassion is a brilliant concept, why are we so (often) averse to practicing it? Why do we really, truly, not give it much more than lip service as a species? I’m not saying compassion doesn’t exist. I’m just noting that on March 28, 2015 compassion is not a guiding force in the global forum.

A few days ago I read an article about Steve Wozniak’s (Steve Jobs best friend, ex-best friend, best friend) fears about artificial intelligence (AI), i.e. The Future of AI is 'Scary and Very Bad for People'

I’ve been mulling that over in my mind. That article wasn’t the first such article I’ve browsed. Stephen Hawking a physicist and the subject of the move The Theory of Everything (which I haven't seen) also has dire predictions concerning the proliferation of AI. But I’ve been thinking. Compassion, benevolence, generosity. These qualities require intelligence. They require looking beyond the instant gratification of bullying, dissent into destructive envy, violence resolution, and advertising-fueled consumption. Could AI advance the trajectory of a universal wisdom that our collective emotional-social-personal human psyches have not been able to achieve to date? Could AI usher in a brighter future?
I don’t know. But it certainly makes for interesting daydreams.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Guardians of the Dead by Shelley Wilson

Thank you Heidi for this opportunity to share my new release with you and your blog readers. I have had huge success with my non-fiction titles, moving to fantasy fiction has been a huge leap of faith. I am an avid reader of YA fantasy so to write in this genre made perfect sense to me – that and the fact I have three teenagers under my roof!

Guardians of the Dead is book one of the Guardian Series and began life as a NaNoWriMo project (National Novel Writing Month – write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days). When November 30th arrived, I celebrated my ‘winner’ status and put the manuscript away until January. Once the New Year began I started the re-writes. The editing process was arduous but, as any writer knows, it is the most important part and I found enjoyment in moulding the manuscript to show off its best assets.



ABOUT Guardians of the Dead:

When sixteen-year-old Amber Noble’s dreams begin to weave into her reality, she turns to the mysterious Connor for help.  His links to the supernatural world uncover a chilling truth about her hometown and a pact that must be repaid with blood. As her father alienates her, and the Guardians take her best friend, her true destiny unfolds, and she begins a quest that well see her past collide with her present.

Drawn deeper into the world of witchcraft and faeries, it is only at the end of her journey that she realises how much she could lose. I have begun the edits for book two and will be writing the third book in the series as part of my NaNoWriMo challenge for 2015. Writing a series was never the plan but my characters had other ideas and once they were unleashed they took off running. I think that’s the beauty of writing, you never know what to expect next.

It was an honour to join Heidi on her blog and introduce this book. Her tagline is ‘Fearless Journeys & Epic Transformation’, and I hope that I’ve provided as much action, tension and adventure as my host does in her beautiful books. Thanks for having me over.


Find Shelley:




Thursday, March 5, 2015

Once Upon a Time Today — New Release & Freebies

I’m excited to announce the release of the 4th Once Upon a Time Today novella.  I Am Lily Dane, A Horrific Fairy Tale is a retelling of Han’s Christian Andersen’s “The Shadow”. Early readers have said it’s “twisted and awesome” and “disturbing and beautiful.”

I Am Lily Dane

Other news: The three short stories that serve as a prelude to the collection, as well as the bundling of the three stories, The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales are now FREE on Amazon, Apple, GooglePlay, and Kobo. AND, for at least the rest of March, the first novella in the collection, Beautiful Beautiful, will be FREE.

Beautiful Beautiful

The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales (Three Short Stories)

The Girl Who Watched for Elves*
GooglePlay | Kobo |Scribd

The Girl Who Dreamed of Red Shoes*

The Girl Who Couldn't Sing*

*If you'd like to help make this free on Amazon, please report a price match!

The rest of the novellas in the Once Upon a Time Today collection are now available wherever you find your reads. Each story has been enhanced, thanks to editor Vince Dickinson, and updated with an Author’s Note about how I retold the original tale.

Dreaming of the Sea

The Tree Hugger

Once Upon a Time Today is a collection of modern fairy tale retellings for those who have already left home.