My MCs Refuse to Pose Shirtless

 

I’m a pain in the ass about spoilers; I consider almost everything a spoiler. A friend tells me they like a show: spoiler, because I know enough about the kind of things they like. Maybe they can’t stand a sad ending; maybe they root for a specific kind of contestant on a game show. Maybe they say something more obvious, like I hate this guy or when they don’t want to meet my eyes when I comment that I like a villain more than the protagonist.

However, I think I give them more credit than I should. The reality is, I’m friends with many spoiler monsters. They are worse than above. Some examples that I remember: one spoiled the ending of a popular book series a day after it was out by posting on Facebook, thankfully I had stopped reading it, one casually mentioned a winner of a reality show the first morning after it aired, and one told me which characters died from a movie I was considering to see. The good thing is, I don’t often watch and read the same thing with them, and if I do, I become very cautious that I threaten thunder and curses to their firstborn or lalalalala when they talk about a show I want to see.

Long story short, I always took extra steps to avoid spoilers, from avoiding friends and social media before I watch/read something to never reading a book review before reading the book (I also want to form my own unbiased opinion).

Unfortunately, that had changed.

I joined a few reading and review groups. I’m selective, but I’m open to all genres and pick those that sound intriguing, and that was how I accidentally read an AI book. There was no declaration or disclaimer, and even though Amazon asks authors to declare whether they are using AI, it doesn’t show any indication to readers. Platforms like Story Origin and others don’t have any way to identify AI books. I think they should, I think they frigging should.

Look, about the book, I refrained from accusing it of being AI-generated. It could be very poorly edited, but suspiciously, not in terms of grammar or typos, but the content itself. In my review, I pointed out and gave examples of things I found odd, including the quotes, paragraphs, and chapters they came from. I know there are many AI witch hunts, and many of them are inaccurate from what I've learned, so I’d rather let readers decide. This book has repeated chapters, repeated paragraphs, repeated scenes. There are repeating paragraphs in Chapter 23, then in Chapter 27, for example. Some similar paragraphs even appear in the same chapter. The book is about a magical journey, so there is a possibility the author would justify, and some readers would think that as part of the foggy journeys ‘That is why they feel repetitive and they are intended that way’ (well, to be honest, they have to be quite thick not to notice that). When I read other reviews after I finished the book, many pointed out the same things, so I wasn’t crazy.

Personally, it felt very—I don’t know how to put that—it was not angry, it was not rage, but maybe disgusted was the word. I’d put it above stepping on a chewed, extremely sticky, fleshy, bloody lizard courtesy of my cat a long, long time ago (twice). I don’t know why any readers would enjoy soulless AI books. Don’t settle for a few prompts; demand those books drenched by the authors’ sweat, tears, and blood, dammit!

So now, before deciding on a book, I skim the reviews, risking spoilers, and, to be honest, it has saved me a few times from other AI books. (For me to avoid one, I’d look for multiple inputs from reliable reviewers and exercise my own judgement from other things. I’m sorry (not) to say I do avoid all books with AI covers.

Anyway, this long rambling is a disclaimer. For each newsletter, I try to find a swap or participate in a group promotion, hoping to get some exposure or a sale (spoiler: it hardly works, unfortunately). Still, at least I try to do something because I’m really bad at marketing myself. I will try to pick books that I think are interesting, books you might like. I assume you guys are here because you don’t expect me to show you books where the main characters have lost their shirts, because, trust me, there are tons of them; it’s hard to find others. However, I honestly don’t know how to really spot AI books the sure way. Some covers look suspicious, but that might be the most I could do. It’s sad that we have to live in this world now. If you are like me and appreciate human efforts, it feels like we are losing our grip.

Another disclaimer: all my books and their covers are made by me. I have a background in graphic design, but I’m not sure how to make a cover more marketable since my MCs refuse to pose shirtless. They are the products of sleepless nights, hunched back, messy overload brain, and panda eyes. Sometimes I drooled on my laptop or cut my finger while opening a midnight snack, so you can be certain all of them were made with blood, sweat, drool, and tears. Well, I barely cry, but I mentally do that when I look at how hard it is to market them.

I went through my phone (which is full to the brim with dog pictures) to dig out some progress photos of Felt Locky to make my point that I prefer human-made art, if you can call Locky Felt art. I admit I didn’t make this as art, but it’s my way to hold on to everything about him while I can. I use his fur (he needs to be trimmed every two weeks, and he sheds a lot). There are not many progress pictures in between because I didn’t have confidence at all about how it would turn out (I mean, look at the lizard structure!). I also stopped a few months in between.

Thank you for sticking with me for the long rambling. Please know that you matter, and I really appreciate your presence here.

Book news: ATLAS is coming out on 15 June 2026. Maybe it’s your cup of tea. What is it about? Well, it’s weird. I’m very thankful for my beta readers to help make it better.

ATLAS

This is a parallel post from my main newsletter, there are free book downloads there and by signing up.

My Sunshine, My Gollum Story, and My New Book

 

Locky just celebrated his eleventh birthday ten days ago (23 May 2026). On the left is his first picture on the first day he arrived at my house (5 September 2015). He is my sunshine, my best friend, my best therapist, and my everything. Someday, he will break my heart, and it will be irreparable, but for now, let me give him the best life.

I don’t see my neighbor often. I keep everything to myself and just crawl out once in a while to get my deliveries, hissing, “My preciousss.” 

I live in a quiet cluster that consists of ten houses: five on the right, five on the left. The walls are touching, and we all share one small dead-end alley as access connecting us to the neighborhood road. Only three houses were occupied when I moved in, and the other two inhabitants were people like me, who were very reserved. We enjoyed the quietness and solitude. 

Eventually, people started to move in. It’s still considered a peaceful place compared to others, although it can be noisy when there is construction and rowdy kids. I was invited to some housewarmings (I think they felt that they had to, it's a polite and friendly culture here). Nothing here is small-scaled because any event almost always involves the whole family. It was not something I could survive, so I purposely stayed out until the day was over, but I did give them cards and housewarming gifts. 

Eventually, despite all my efforts, they become familiar with my Gollum face because I still need to go around and sweep the leaves in front of my fence. Thankfully, they are quite alright and kind from the way they treat the strays around (I judge people based on that). I can see that they try to respect my privacy and understand that my hideous grin is the best I can do. 

However, I get to chat more often with this woman next door. She is kind and always helps to sweep the ground outside my fence without me asking. She is also someone I ask or someone who would tell me if I haven’t seen a regular stray for a while. So, we do engage in small talk now and then. By this time, I had stayed here for around a decade. 

One day, without being prompted, she declared, “You should look for a spouse.” Spouse. Not a relationship, not a companion, not a date. Spouse. She bypassed everything and said that with all seriousness, adding that she could introduce me to someone. We were just saying hi and exchanging remarks about the falling leaves, and I had moved inside, almost reaching my front door. 

After I picked up my jaw, I told her I have been happily married for over two decades. I guess she mistook my spouse for a family member who visited now and then, and she never questioned my absence once in a while. 

She apologized and thankfully didn’t say anything more besides initial surprise. I guess she can live in peace now that I’m not a solitary cave Gollum. 

In my experience, most people don't take it kindly when they learn about long-distance relationships. They would become judgmental and offer unsolicited advice that is obviously close-minded, centered around ‘it won’t work.’ I have met many people who have the same long-distance relationship, and they received the same judgment. It's weird that people feel they need to inject themselves, and to my amazement, these people are usually not close friends or close relatives who wonder why I avoid them when every time they see me, they want to know my groin activity and possibly goblins that might come out from that. To her credit, my neighbor doesn't do that. That was an isolated incident, and now we are back to small talks about plants and stray dogs, which I appreciate.

I also have great news to share about my upcoming book, Atlas. This is the weirdest one I have so far. It's lighter (but it still has dark scenes and mature themes), and it's in a different style than my other books. I had some reservations at first, but I have gotten great feedback so far. Maybe it's your cup of tea.

I always consult my mom every time I set up my publishing dates. She has this knack of finding good dates, according to her belief. However, because of time zone differences, Amazon always screwed them up (I swear I stayed up until our date aligned, but it was still wrong). So, I'm setting up my pre-order date, it's a foolproof way to get the right one.

ATLAS is out on 15 June 2026

ATLAS PRE-ORDER

Thank you so much for being here. Your support means the world to me.

Anyway, other books!

There are many books here. Every image and link lead to a collection of books. I hope you find something you like.

BOOK REVIEW: BURNOUT (Tanner Petterson)

Burnout is a terrifying book about the journey of a character who doesn’t seem to have a break in battling with hardship, rejection, addiction, and depression. It’s way too real. Sometimes it’s easy to judge others for their life choices, but most of the time it’s not that simple to put ourselves in their shoes.

The reading is not always smooth; it’s not easy to like the characters at first or to understand their directions. The book can be clunky here and there with some missing details and stiff dialogues, however, it’s a powerful emotional journey that feels raw and real. What might make some readers stumble in the beginning might be an intentional and subtle projection of the character, who is hardly a reliable narrator in every way. It’s sad and depressing, especially because it’s a very real problem that can happen to anyone we know.

This is a debut novel, and I hope the author writes more, because this is a powerful, emotional book that draws me in as a reader. It doesn’t necessarily ‘follow’ the pattern of others in a similar genre, and I think the author delivers the message the book tries to convey.

4.5 rounded up to 5

BOOK REVIEW: THE CURE: TERMINAL TEAM SIX (Diego Orsini)

 

The Cure Terminal Team Six is the third book of a trilogy. Tbh, I didn’t know this until near the end. However, it can be read as a standalone. The story works, although there are things that seem to be missing along the way, like the relationship of the team member and the history of Terminal Team Six; they don’t really affect the overall plot. It would be great if there were a brief history of them in the beginning of the book, beyond the characters and their abilities. 

To me, the faith part feels very preachy, and it dominates the book, especially because Collier is the main character who gets the most screen time. It has the right to be, though, especially for those who believe in it, faith is stated as the power in the blurb, and Collier is called The Preacher. 

Maybe it’s because The Cure is the third book, I don’t really root for the main characters because they feel detached to me. I know they’ll be fine, and it takes out a lot of stake and anticipation. My favorite character, Anatoly, only appears much later in the book, and he comes and goes, leaving a more memorable existence than them. 

This book is well-written, and it takes a daring approach to include the real historical event and mix it with fiction, religion, and superheroes, a combination that I never expected to find.

4 out of 5 stars

 

PEN PALS

 

I spent my childhood in a small town. There were no libraries, only comic book rentals that appeared here and there in the front yard of residential houses. Well, there were basically a few make-shift shelves, with very limited-edition comics (as in, there was only one per title), some series were missing, and the conditions were mostly poor. However, visiting one was a highlight of my day. My brothers and I painstakingly saved our pitiful lunch money so that we had something to read.

We also spent a good chunk of our childhood without TV. I’m not that ancient, I’m a ‘young’ Gen-Xer. I’m not fifty yet. However, we were behind in terms of technology and facilities. On top of staying in a laidback town, we were not well-to-do. Our education and knowledge were limited to what we learned at school and our own practical exploration. If you are around my age or older, we know that childhood experiences are precious. It’s a miracle that my siblings and I didn’t break any bones or get kidnapped.

Anyway, another miracle: I had a pen pal. An international pen pal from Austria, a country that I didn’t even know existed back then. If I remember correctly, it was the effort of my language teacher who encouraged us to write a letter. I believe they were some exchange or something. There was no target, no one to address to yet, just a gesture, some kind of friendship invitation. I don’t think my teacher even believed in it. You see, my dad used to work in the jungle (literally), and whenever we sent him letters, it would reach him 6 months later. Kids grew up fast like puppies; 6 months was a very significant delay for sharing stories but letters were the best we could do when he was away. My dad had a very unique workplace, but that is the story for another day.

So, besides the friendship exchange program being unlikely, the long delay in letters, we were also horrible at English. We only had very basic lessons, we had never used it, and it had only been around for a few years since it became a subject. Imagine my surprise when I got a reply. I can still picture everything in my head. It was a two-page letter filled to the brims with neat handwriting on beautiful papers. Attached was a photo of a beautiful girl wearing a lacey dress. She told stories about her and her place far, far away that felt further than the moon because I could see the moon! She chose to reply to my letter! I was delighted. We wrote back maybe two or three times before I moved to a different school. Since the school was handling logistics, I couldn’t continue doing so. I didn’t even know where the post office was, and it served only domestic purposes.

I still think about the pen pal, and I still kept her letters and pictures until they were lost when we moved to another state, together with all my childhood pictures. Yep, I don’t have any childhood pictures with me. They were not digitalized yet. We asked an uncle to keep it for us, but I don’t think he cared, and they were gone.

Anyway, I remember all the blabbering above because most times, I still feel grateful that just by pressing some buttons, you at the other end of the world can read my gibberish. I can ask someone about their dogs or cats and get a reply straightaway on Twitter. I can see the lives and journeys of others and chat with everyone around the globe with no delay. It still amazes me. It’s like having many pen pals!

While I love the more personal touch of the old days, and I’m still reluctant to be reachable 24/7, I can’t imagine doing this without everyone who has supported me so far. Things like sharing and communicating with me about writing, helping me with feedback on my books, and just by being here, enduring my ramblings. Thank you. You matter to me.

As I had mentioned before, I’m doing this writing thing alone. I have mental support from my loved ones, but they are not readers, and they are not involved in the process. So, you are all I have, and I’m glad that this one doesn’t need 6 months to reach you.

Have a great day!

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Alien Contract (David Kilpatrick)

 

The Alien Contract is a book that can be finished in one sitting. I read it for over a week because real life was in the way, but it was easy to pick it up and get into it again. 

The story follows the protagonist, Gary aka The Man, as the PoV switches back and forth between him and the detectives interviewing him. I like this because readers can see Gary’s viewpoint and nod along ‘this is what I would do’ ‘this is insane’ ‘oh duck!’ and when it switches to the detectives, their thoughts also represent what most readers would have in their mind ‘this guy is batshit crazy,’ while pulling a chair and grabbing a popcorn because the stories are high level nut case but entertaining at the same time.

Along the way, there are many things that seem unbelievable, especially the way the detectives deal with The Man after he had done a crazy hit on an unkillable cartel member. Gary seems like an unreliable narrator as his stories get weirder, and they go around like a green man on a Roomba. 

Alien invasion plot has been done many times before, together with the mysteriousness, cow subplot, and rear-end explorer. Each time, there is a sense of familiarity, and each time, I feel like I know where it is going. Sometimes it’s hard to escape a certain formula, just like my attempt to read a classic romance book, the feeling of reading the same story over and over again can be overwhelming. 

Not with Alien Contract. 

Yes, it has everything the usual alien story would have, but it’s packed in such a unique and fun way, and the ending is both satisfactory and ties up the loose ends or whatever questions and doubts I had while reading. 

It doesn’t take itself too seriously, in line with the style of Man In Black. It doesn’t try to be subtle. Here is the green guy with all the classic alien look and gotcha, built-in fleshy uniform! I almost spit my tea (it sounds way less cool than spitting my coffee, but that is my life now), reading how Gary deals with them, most times with no questions asked. Poor carrot nose.

Besides all the light-hearted shenanigans (my light-hearted shenanigans might be different than yours), I think the main idea of the book is intriguing, especially because it alters Gary’s way of thinking from someone who is very stoic. Put himself in someone’s shoes, literally and figuratively. 

The timeline is not linear, but it flows smoothly, and there is no point at which I was confused in the book. 

This book is fun, entertaining, fast-paced, and as sharp as extraterrestrial titty twister.

5 of out 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: The White Room (Christopher Cooke)

 

 

The White Room is a long tale about a relationship gone wrong, and everyone and everything that comes with that.

IMO, this book feels longer than it should because the flows aren't compacted. For example, the dragon kid is totally unnecessary and does nothing to advance the story or help familiarize readers with the important characters. Then there are times when I think it’s very clear the story is leading somewhere, yet it takes forever to get there. One of the most jarring ones is Christian’s revelation to Francis. The other one is the courtroom scene that takes away too much of the flow. Some repetitive reminders also put little faith in readers’ attention to detail. We are reminded of the hair and picture of the chain every time. I don’t blame this, because some readers are indeed very inattentive. Besides that, it feels very directed. I can’t help but feel that readers are sometimes steered in a certain direction.

It’s obvious that The Raven is created to be an omnipotent villain. A genius, menacing, hidden under the shadow, and untouchable. Unfortunately, he does little to convince me of all those. He doesn’t really make smart decisions. This probably bothers me more than it should. Characters that are described as meticulous (it appears many times) aren’t doing that. Being an old-timer, these are the things he does: he burns the victim’s car; his idea of making a vehicle disappear is an effective method to draw attention instead. He deletes local records, just around the suspicious time, he takes a trophy, and he buries ALL his victims in one place. Another character, who is an expert in ‘retrieving’ things, takes the only thing. No staged robbery, no diversion. It becomes quite a suspension of disbelief when supposedly expert characters are not as skilled as they are portrayed, yet readers are supposed to buy it.

The contradiction and incompact storytelling are the reasons why I don’t rate this book higher. They affect me throughout the reading, but it’s a matter of personal preference. The story is creative, and there are many things to unpack from start to end. The technical appendix is a great addition and shows the effort the author had put into the main device of the story. The glimpse into the Raven’s past is a great shoo-in to what I assumed is a planned sequel with the same character. The book also leaves no end unturned; there are backstories for most of the characters, and each is crafted well.

 The story has great potential, and I can see it becoming powerful if it flows better.

3 out of 5 stars