Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 3

Book Review: Great Australian Ghost Stories, by Richard Davis

I’m reading up on Australian ghost stories and mysteries as I’m working on a new urban fantasy series, and this looked like an amazing resources.

What to Expect

A collection of ghosts, spooks, poltergeists, and other hauntings from around Australia, arranged by themes. The ghosts themselves date from the 19th century to almost present day, and involve people from all walks of life (though to do justice to Aborigine stories would require a much more involved work, and the author had cho...

Tools of the Trade Book

[image error] Photo credit: Marco Djallo, Unsplash

You have your manuscript all debugged edited and proofed, sorted out your cover. Before you rush over to hit publish, there’s this thing about producing your book — making the paperback and ebook files.

Sure, you could just upload your Word file. In terms of book design, that’s the equivalent of using spell-check for editing and a stock image for a cover. It’s not hard to do better.

In the past year alone, I’ve produced 3 books: Felix’s latest advent...

Reflections of Past and Future

After the last few years, one has to wonder what lurks ahead

As I’m wont to do at this time of year, here are a few reflections on the past year and the coming one. This isn’t anything earth shattering, insightful, or dramatic — just a touch more personal post than usual.

Books!

Yes, well, that’s the main focus of this blog and my creative efforts. That’s probably why you’re here, so let’s start there.

Unless you’re new around here, you’ll know I’ve published two new books this year,...

Poor Dead Larry

Photo credit: congerdesign on Pixabay

This is the first short case from DI Jack Finkel (back when he was still a DS), while I’m working on his first full length novel. There are a few more shorts to come — though fear not, I haven’t abandoned Felix

DI Jack first appeared on my mailing list back in October, and there will be another short published there for the end-of-year festivities. Want to get his stories before anyone else? Subscribe here! You’ll also get a free novella as a thank you...

Book Review: Twisted Expectations, by Brent A. Harris

Who doesn’t like Dickens and Dinos?

What to Expect

Expect some favourite Dickensian characters, re-imagined in a world with Steampunk technology and a touch of the supernatural. This one sees Oliver Twist and his colleagues visiting the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition with its reconstructed dinosaur exhibits — only to have a real Megalosaurus (with feathers, not the heavy lizard scientists thought it was), a band of Zulu warriors, and other creatures and people come together, as time it...

Book Review: Artificial Bodies: How Machines Replace People, by Remmelt Ellen

My day-job involves responsible AI and my interests lie in speculative fiction, so this was an obvious choice to read.

What to Expect

A pamphlet-style work that’s hard to classify, blurring the lines between present reality and dystopian science fiction. The author examines some of the (very real, unfortunately) risks around present day Artificial Intelligence and BigTech (FAANG) approaches, but then continues painting a path into a Skynet-like world, where machines have taken over the...

Book Review: Shadow of the Serpent (Mon Dieu Cthulhu!), by John Houlihan

I loved the Mon Dieu, Cthulhu! series since I first came across it, with it’s perfect blend of history, fantasy, humour, and dark tones. I was very excited to read the new installment.

In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places!

What to Expect

The protagonist, who speaks about himself in the 3rd person, is the most charming French rascal – an hussar from the Napoleonic era. In hi...

Book Review: The Ibbur’s Tale, by Lenny Cavallaro

This is a novella combining history (20th century) with Jewish paranormal folklore, so an interesting mix for me.

In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places!

What to Expect

A short read, from the point of view of an aging professor assisting a former student trace her family’s connections and a cross-generational curse. Considering the student had died in a car crash some time ag...

Book Review: Claws of the Collector, by Douglas Lumsden

I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this novel, something I looked forward to with glee considering how much I loved Lumsden’s previous series.

In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places!

What to Expect

A new protagonist in the same world as Alexander Southerland. Shade is after the Demon’s Dagger (first mentioned in the similarly named novella) — but so are a lot of...

GenAI is like an Angle Grinder

There’s a lot of froth about AI — specifically Generative AI — these days.

I have been a creator (author) for nearly a decade. I’ve also, in my day job, been building software products for 25 years, managing and launching new products for 15, and had AI modules in their products for about 6 years (long before it was cool).

I’ve been around enough to be a cranky old product manager, and be frustrated by the misunderstandings on both sides.

Think on AI is an angle grinder. It’s a power ...