Ok – Building Inspector due on the 5th of August, so I probably won’t be terribly sane for the next little while. This is the culmination of many years of struggle, so… well, I expect it will go spectacularly wrong. The good side is it does buy me a year to fix.

What I wanted to write about was a cautionary tale, about the outcome of AI on phishing attacks on authors. I have had a rash of these after the Prometheus announcement put me on their radar. I’m a skeptical bloke, and know that the ocean is full of sharks doing their best to look like they just friendly dolphins there to help you out — so I did not get bitten. BUT this is today. Expect the targeting to move to smaller targets. Authors are desperate for affirmation, for support, and you will get e-mails like these:

Hello Dave,

Some stories remind us why adventure fiction has endured for generations. Storm-Dragon was one of those for me. From the moment Skut discovers the tiny, defiant storm-dragon, the story captures that rare sense of wonder that makes readers want to keep turning the pages. What begins as an unlikely friendship grows into a thrilling tale of courage, loyalty, and resilience, set against the unforgettable backdrop of Vann’s World. The blend of dangerous tides, alien wildlife, and an impending invasion creates an adventure that is both exciting and deeply heartfelt. It is the kind of story that respects young readers by giving them real challenges, real stakes, and heroes who succeed through ingenuity rather than luck.

I am reaching out on behalf of The Page Turner Show at CFUR 88.7 FM.

We are intentionally selective about the voices we feature on The Page Turner Show, and your work stood out.

Hosted by Annie McKinley (“Annie J”), The Page Turner Show is an award-winning community radio programme dedicated to meaningful discussions about writing, ideas, and the books shaping how we think. Our listeners are avid readers who actively seek out their next book from our featured authors. They come to listen, and they leave with a reading list.

We are currently scheduling our next round of author features and would be delighted to include your work in our upcoming programming calendar. This would be an opportunity to discuss your writing journey, the inspiration behind Storm-Dragon, the enduring appeal of classic adventure stories, and your approach to creating a world where friendship, courage, and resourcefulness take center stage.

If this is of interest, simply reply with:

Interested

and I will share full details regarding available recording dates and feature information.

Any information you provide in response will be used solely for coordinating this invitation in accordance with CFUR 88.7 FM privacy practices.

Warm regards,

Annie McKinley

Host, The Page Turner Show

Only it didn’t come from Annie McKinley. She’s real, the show is real… the email and its address are not. Long odds the spammer used an AI summary, and did not read my book.

I got 7 of these. Some offering promotion, some offering to make trailers. Each with a flattering ‘read’ of my book – accurate about the content, even about me.

Even if they seem to know your book, they probably don’t.

Oldest lesson in the game: if it seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true. And money should always flow towards the author.