The HOT topic of AI in Books
This has been quite the debate as of late and I felt as an author with a decent following this should be addressed at least from my perspective.
As a writer who has spent hundreds, upwards of thousands, of dollars attending conferences, classes, and taking courses on how to better improve my craft, it is difficult for me to swallow the idea of someone being able to enter key aspects of a story into a chat engine and a story is returned, then subsequently published and marketed. I have been told by these “writers” that AI is here to stay and I should embrace it. As anything else, I have a choice and my choice is to not embrace it. I truly enjoy doing the research myself. I relish in the discovery of little-known histories and subjects and LOVE the process of flushing out the plot and characters on my own. Does this take time? Of course, it does, but I can truly say the work is my own. These AI writers also have a choice and while I don’t agree with the method of anyone just taking a pre-written story and publishing it, I can’t stop them. What I feel is offensive, is when chat companies such as Chatgpt take the hard-earned work of thousands of authors and scan their words and pages into their system so that someone else can use their style. This is stealing. I unquestionably stand behind these authors and their fight to retain their privately copyrighted works that are being stolen to train Chatgpt to be a better resource for people who want to write books the fastest way. Unfortunately, without starting a legal fight, I have no way to verify if my own work has been stolen.
However, I am here to assure you that I do not use AI for my work and do not plan to use AI-generated voices for my audiobooks either. This is taking away from the incredibly talented voice actors who have developed their craft and have earned a living from this.
I have not written this message to influence you one way or the other, I only wanted to present my stand on the subject. Thanks for reading!
Arminius!
4/9/2024 The release date of “Prince of Death- An Arminius Novel”. This was one of the most difficult books for me to write solely because it was from the perspective of a real person. I had to put myself in Arminus’ shoes when he was taken from his homeland at ten years of age and raised as a Roman. His ability to fight and lead a cavalry caught the attention of men like General Varus and it was due to his allegiance to Rome that prevented the plans of the Germanic ambush to be revealed.
I loved every minute of standing on the presumed battlefields in Germany, and imagining what the battle between the Romans and the Germanic tribes was like. I hope I have conveyed those feelings in my work and appreciate the insight and guidance of my German guides (Jan Mengeling and Maria Carrasco).
“Is there anything left for us but to retain our freedom or die before we are enslaved?”
–Arminius (Tacitus, Annals, II. 15)
Lucas is on sale!
.99 eBook deal for Lucas on Amazon from March 1- March 7! Get your hands on this clean, regency romance and fall in love with a handsome Gentleman of War!
Gentlemen of War- Lucas
Lucas Walsh thought he had left the horrors of war behind when he returned home to London after Napoleon's exile to Elba, but little did he know that his promised peace would be shattered by his noble father’s mysterious death.
While his elder brother, the Marquess' heir, sees to affairs in the country, Lucas takes on the responsibility of his three younger sisters’ welfare and, truthfully, he would have it no other way. But when he stumbles upon a perplexing secret, one that involves him more than he cares to admit, the weight upon his shoulders is tested.
Lady Helena Webster has always lived a free-spirited life of luxury as the daughter of a powerful Earl, but when her father’s failed investments are discovered and his debts are called in, her once good and kind father is replaced by a man to fear. In his desperation, Lord Webster arranges a marriage between Helena and the loathsome Lord Foxton, a man known for his deep pockets as well as his widespread cruelty.
When Helena’s safety is put at risk, she seeks refuge in the townhouse of her dear friend Genevieve Walsh where fate takes an unexpected turn…
Lucas’ wit, intelligence, and fierce protectiveness embody everything Helena desires in a gentleman, but as their paths intertwine, will Helena’s presence threaten more than the undeniable attraction that ignites between them?
Lucas is a clean, stand-alone Regency Romance. #1 in the Gentlemen of War Series featuring honorable military men who, after fighting for King and Country, return home to unexpected and unfamiliar lives.
Four second sons,
Four brothers-in-arms,
Four gentlemen willing to do whatever it takes to protect the women they love.
-Gentlemen of War Series
Author’s Note about the Polish Nurse
Good morning readers and friends, I felt it was necessary to address some thoughts surrounding the ending of my #1 Best-Selling novel, “The Polish Nurse”. In my Indie publishing format, my author notes at the end of the book, explain that the story is a prequel to the award-winning series, The Berlin Butterfly Series. When I signed the contract with ReadMore Press, I gave them the rights to publish the book in their format and because they attached it to a series called World War II Brave Women of Fiction, they opted to take out my notes which they had every right to. Though the notes are not critical to the story, they did explain how I had first written the Berlin Butterfly Series (A 3-book series surrounding the Berlin Wall published 2017-2019) and then decided to tell the story of Ella’s mom during World War II. “The Polish Nurse”, formally known as “Before Berlin” was created in 2022. I wrote it specifically to introduce Aleksandra and explain how Ella came to be in a Berlin orphanage. In light of this, There was only one way I could end “The Polish Nurse” to be able to lead into Ella’s story which had already been written. Without sharing the specifics, I hope this will help to understand why it ended the way it did but keep in mind for those of you who might not be familiar with my writing… I always provide a sense of hope if not a happy ending.
The previous blog shares some of the historical notes previously found at the end of “The Polish Nurse.” Enjoy!
The Polish Nurse
Previously known as “Before Berlin”, The Polish Nurse officially releases this week! This is the stand-alone prequel to the Berlin Butterfly Series and tells the story of Ella’s mom, Aleksandra and how Ella ends up in a Berlin orphanage.
Author’s Notes-
This story has given me an even greater appreciation for the people of Germany who did not blindly follow Adolf Hitler’s beliefs… the ones who stood up to the atrocities in both quiet and bold actions, and my heart goes out to those who were caught in the crosshairs, despite their valiant efforts.
It was important in this novel to represent both the good and the bad people of Germany and though it is easy for us to look back and make judgments as to why people did what they did, we don’t always know the whole story. For example…why would a Polish, non-Jewish woman remain in Germany after what they had done to her people? Surprisingly, many did and for many personal and unexplained reasons.
When Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, the underequipped Polish army could not withstand the forces of the Third Reich. The Blitzkrieg, itself, was designed to obliterate anyone in their path and within a month of fighting (mere days and weeks in some areas), the Germans took occupation of the eastern parts of Poland annexing them into Nazi Germany.
Much of what Aleksandra described in the first few months of occupation is true with the closing of many of the schools (with the exception of a few that had German ties, such as her private school), execution of government leaders, teachers, and priests, searches and seizures in private homes, creation of the Łódź ghetto and its forced Jewish and Romani inhabitants, and banishment of anything Polish such as the language, arts, and culture.
The Lebensborn (Fount of Life) Program was founded on the 12th of December 1935 by Heinrich Himmler after discussing his concerns over racial purity with Adolf Hitler. Initially, the different facets of the program were designed to encourage women to voluntarily breed with racially pure German men to create the perfect type of child. The girls who were involved with Hitler Youth were taught that their greatest role should be that of a mother and bring German children into the world. In fact, it is documented that when these girls would attend nationalistic conferences, many would return home pregnant.
Lebensborn homes were designed to be a comfortable place for a German woman to give birth, and if she could not raise the child with the country’s ideals, adoptive parents would be provided. The women who voluntarily entered the program were examined much like it was described in the story; they also had to prove their German heritage went back to their grandparents. They were then given the opportunity to live in a place where recreation and leisure activities were provided, as well as carefully selected officers who would impregnate them. They never exchanged personal information about one another and once the woman was confirmed to be with child, the man would stop coming to her bedroom. The pregnant mother was well taken care of and when the child was a couple of months old, he/she was placed with an ideal German adoptive couple.
However, as German losses mounted, leadership worried that the pure race would also vanish and moved to more drastic means to promote their beliefs. The program then evolved into the abduction of blond, blue-eyed children between the ages of 2-12, many times seized right in front of their parents, categorized, and placed in homes known to follow the Third Reich ideals. It is believed over ten thousand children were kidnapped and only 15 percent were returned to their birth parents after the war.
When the Germans began their occupation of other countries, they recognized a new pool of candidates with the fair, blond, and blue-eyed women—women from Norway, Denmark, Austria, Yugoslavia, France, Netherlands, and Poland. At this point it did not matter that they were not considered pure Germans, they had the correct Aryan features, therefore with the right German man, they would produce exemplar children.
We have since learned that this process, at times, required abduction and rape. There are estimates of over twenty thousand children born into the Lebensborn program, but no specific numbers associated with the enforced part are verified—only the word of the women who were subjected to such heinous acts. The identity of the German fathers was kept secret and many of the documents were destroyed at the end of the war.
Author J. Elke Ertle goes into great detail about the Lebensborn program in her book titled, Walled In—A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom. https://walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/lebensborn-nazi-baby-farms-during-hitlers-reign/
Also, a firsthand account is given by participant Hildegard Koch https://spartacus-educational.com/Hildegard_Koch.htm
New Friends
I love meeting new people and a few days ago I met a man in the grocery store who was lost looking for a specific cleaner. I don’t work at the store or ever have but tried to help him and we started talking. His name is Bennie and he had this infectious outlook on life. At 93 years of age he smiled, laughed, and told me jokes. I asked him what age he missed the most… I was completely surprised when he told me 88! I would have said 21 or 30, but he said 88 was such a good year, he would love to go back to that year. He danced the Charleston in the grocery aisle and talked about the fact that sometimes he has to fake a limp so his family members will come over and clean his house. Haha. He had me laughing out loud on more than on occasion. I feel so blessed to have met Bennie that day because occasionally we all need reminders that life is meant to be lived to the fullest! Thanks, Bennie!
CHARLOCK SERIES SALE
Charlock’s Secret, Return to Charlock, and Charlock’s Curse are all on sale for $.99 until August 25, 2023! A savings of $3 per eBook.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0918NC9JF?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn
$.99 Summer Reading Deal
https://www.amazon.com/Berlin-Butterfly-Ensnare-Book-ebook/dp/B07JX54BY6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39MPI89NUVSJU&keywords=berlin+butterfly%3A+ensnare+%28berlin+butterfly+series+book+1%29&qid=1688836310&sprefix=%2Caps%2C421&sr=8-1
Wonderful review of Before Berlin. Thank you, Julia (Christian Bookaholic)
Be sure to check out all the other books Julia has read. She gives thoughtful and compelling reviews.
http://www.christianbookaholic.com/2023/06/26/before-berlin-by-leah-moyes/
“Before Berlin” Award winner!
Dear Leah,
It is with great pleasure to announce that you have been selected as a Book Excellence Award Winner for the following book and category:
Book Title: Before Berlin
Category: Historical
There were thousands of entries from around the world and your book was selected for its high-quality writing, design and market appeal.
Virtual Book Club Visit
If your book club is reading Second Survivor, Before Berlin, The Berlin Butterfly Series or the Charlock Series, you can now reach out to Leah Moyes for a virtual visit the night your book club meets. This will give your club a chance to ask the author questions you don’t normally get answered. Email your requests to leahmoyesauthor@gmail.com
*Author will do her best to fulfill requests outside of schedule conflicts.
A fascinating Book Club
Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to speak to a book club that was created in Austin, Texas in 1996 and although many of these women have moved to another part of Texas or out of the state all together, they still hold their monthly meetings for who can make it. They have experienced it all…births, deaths, marriages, heartaches, tragedies, and illnesses, and have gone through it together. I was amazed at the closeness forged through these experiences and it made me miss my sweet friends in Arizona. I was truly honored that these incredible women offered a chance for me to become the newest member of their club. I don’t know how many meetings I will make, but through the afternoon speaking about my books and the stories behind them, we became fast friends and I will do my best. We enjoyed a delicious lunch (including black forest cake) hosted by Connie Hazen and a ride around her property to see the exotic animals they care for. Definitely a day to remember.
Many of these inspiring women drove hours to be together. I was grateful to be able to spend the afternoon with them.
