Featured Book
After over 10 years in print, Aisling D’Art‘s small coloring book, Coloring, Hippie Style, has – once again – surged in popularity.
Here’s its description.
Relax. Find yourself in a gentler time, when peace and love guided the planet… and inspired the hippie movement.
This small coloring book (5 1/4″ x 8″) will take you back to the 1960s, when art was inspired by the Beatles’ music, posters by Peter Max, and all things Woodstock.
You can download a free sample coloring page at this link.
Featured Author
As of early 2026, Shannon Bowen’s nonfiction books about a neighbor’s child abuse remain popular.
Sadly, it’s a topic that needs steady monitoring.
Though Shannon wrote them to get the attention of New Hampshire (USA) government offices, and fix a broken child protection system, her story has resonated with readers worldwide.
If you’re interested in a raw, unedited, and heartbreaking story, read the first book in this series, Momma, Don’t Hit Me!
Links We Love
New fiction authors are encouraged to read Save the Cat! Writes A Novel, by Jessica Brody. You can learn more at her website, JessicaBrody.com.
Also, we recommend how-to books related to “tropes” in authors’ respective niches. They can save you considerable time.
We also love these articles: How to Start Writing Again, by Mike Shreeve, and Scene Layering with an Example, by Rebecca Zanetti.
You may also enjoy this advice. Our authors have found it useful.
Coloring Books and Trademarks
Recently, some authors have worried about efforts to trademark popular and descriptive phrases related to coloring books.
Though we cannot give legal advice, our authors aren’t concerned about their coloring books’ titles.
First, we believe that trademarks cannot be enforced retroactively. That is, no one can trademark “bold and easy” and then try to take down existing coloring books using that phrase.
Also, per Justia, “Marks that are merely descriptive generally are not protected or accorded trademark rights.”
So, since the first “bold and easy” coloring book clearly stated that the phrase is descriptive, (the lines are “bold” and make it “easy” to color the pages), we doubt that any related trademarks can be registered.
Likewise, we raise an eyebrow if anyone tries to trademark adjectives like “cute” or “cozy.”
If you need further clarification for peace of mind, we recommend consulting an attorney.
Your AI Questions, Answered
For basic tasks, including general plotting, early story outlines, and the very simplest of editing, AI can be useful.
Also, nonfiction authors may find AI useful for research, if fact-checked regularly.
However, in both fiction and nonfiction, AI phrasing can seem stilted and shallow, similar to many AI-generated cover images.
Though AI is advancing quickly, and can produce remarkably good text, we advise against relying on it to produce entire books, even if you’re mixing two or more AI services.
AI can make errors. It may also rely upon easily recognized text that’s copyrighted.
For editing, AI can be effective in spotting typos and some grammar errors. As a “first pass” editing effort, that’s fine. However, we still recommend hiring an actual human editor to fine-tune your book.
AI can suggest effective book blurbs. However, some AIs write in a distinctive, recognizable style that – like AI book covers – might dissuade a reader from buying your book. Check your AI-produced blurbs against competing books’, and see if they’re too similar.
You’ll want your book to resonate with your intended audience and retain your unique, original voice.
In general, we think AI can be a useful tool for authors, if used cautiously.