Fri. June 20, 2025 - See Previous Newsletters

These days, it seems like AI is everywhere.

It can write emails, fix grammar, even churn out entire stories. So naturally, people ask me: "Aren’t you worried AI will replace fiction writers?"

Honestly? Not really.

Here’s why:

A story isn’t just a string of words. It’s a long, carefully crafted chain of decisions made by the main character. And at every turning point, the writer has to decide which path she will take—out of thousands of possibilities.

Take my novel Lust, Money & Murder, Book 1, which you're probably familiar with.

Elaine Brogan’s father dies by suicide in prison after being wrongly accused of passing fake $100 bills, money that Elaine accidentally gave him.  The man who gave her those fake bills was Ronald Eskew, a sleazy modeling agent who took advantage of her.

At that moment in the story, Elaine could’ve done any number of things, including:

- Hunted Eskew down and killed him.

- Paid someone else to do it.

- Leaked his crimes to the media.

- Run away from it all.

- Or joined the Secret Service and used the long arm of the law to bring the man down.

As you know, she chose the last option.

That decision didn’t just move the story forward. It defined her character. It set the tone for the whole series. It told the reader: This woman plays the long game. She’ll leap through any number of flaming hoops to do what’s right.

Could AI suggest all five of those options? Sure, easily.

But could it feel the weight of each one? Could it choose the one that fits Elaine, fits the themes of the story, and leaves readers hungry for more?

No. Because AI doesn’t care what Elaine would do. It doesn’t understand growth, revenge, redemption, or justice.

It doesn’t understand what makes a choice feel right, or the deeper implications that it might have on someone's life.

That’s why fiction still needs human hands—and always will.

Sky Trap

Speaking of the Lust, Money & Murder series, if you haven’t picked up Sky Trap yet and want to escape for a little while, join Elaine Brogan, Luna Faye, and Giorgio Cattoretti for a high-stakes adventure at 30,000 feet. It’s just $0.99—or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Blob

Blob, the romantic sci-fi novel I'm serially publishing, is jetting along, getting close to the finish line. The premise is simple and thought-provoking:  What if an alien escaped from a planet where AI-based machines enslaved everyone—and came to Earth to warn us?

Chapters posted today:

Blob, Chapter 50 - Blind Trust
Blob, Chapter 51 - Push-Ups
Blob, Chapter 52 - A Change of Plans
Blob, Chapter 53 - The Addictive Limelight
Blob, Chapter 54 - The Girls Return
Blob, Chapter 55 - Radio Silence
Blob, Chapter 56 - The Viral Photo
Blob, Chapter 57 - Panicked Privacy
Blob, Chapter 58 - A Long-Forgotten Gift

You can read Blob free on Substack—but just a heads-up, I’ll be taking the novel down shortly after the final chapter is published.

I hope you are enjoying the summer!  I know I am.

Mike

P.S. Have you read all my books?

Catch Up on the Lust, Money & Murder Series With

These Discounted Trilogy Boxed Sets

More 'Unputdownable' Books by Mike Wells
(Click on the photos for full synopses)

International Crime Thriller - Lust, Money & Murder (Series)
The deeper she goes, the more she risks becoming a criminal herself.

International Crime Thriller - Outback Diamonds
In the Outback, trust is the most valuable gem of all.

International Crime Thriller - Marilyn's Secret Lipstick
The past never stays buried.

Crime/Psychological Thriller
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Crime Thriller - The Drive-By Wife
Takes "home invasion" to an entirely new level.

Crime Thriller - Renata's Revenge
They. Picked. The. Wrong. Girl.

Crime Thriller/Serial Murders - With Mother's Approval
A mother's love is eternal. For some, it's lethal.

Romantic Suspense - Forbidden (Series)
Temptation has its price.

New Adult Sci-Fi Adventure - Wild Child (Series)
You don't choose the green water...the green water chooses you.

Horror/Black Comedy
Babies always know...and they don't forget.

Technothriller - The Tesla Secret
Unlocking Tesla’s free energy secret could power the world...or end their lives.

Technothriller - Blind Scorpion
He could walk away a hero...but for which country?

YA Sci-Fi Romance - The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer 
Lost in between worlds, will his heart lead him home?

Romantic Comedy - Secrets of the Elusive Lover
He plays the field, but she changes the game.

Coming of Age Suspense - The Wrong Side of the Tracks
First love in the teenage hell known as high school.

Book-Related Merchandise

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