Kevin G. Chapman's Blog: Kevin G. Chapman's Writer's Blog

Sometimes, when the stars align, a writer gets an idea for a story and creates a book that is perfectly timed to reflect current events. My novel The Other Murder addressed the 24-hour cable news cycle and how media outlets sometimes worry more about ratings and advertising than about journalism. Some outlets may even ignore the truth in order not to spoil a good narrative. That book was topical, but it didn’t break new ground since Fox News had already admitted that its content was intended to be entertainment, not news. But my newest thriller, The Building, is right on the edge of today’s headlines.

This rare confluence forces readers to mentally reference news stories while reading and makes the questions raised by the plot amazingly relevant. A few weeks ago, two techs from Anthropic (which owes me $6,000 for stealing two of my novels to train its AI system) quit their jobs and warned that the AI was progressing too fast. They speculated that there is a non-zero chance that advanced Artificial Intelligence systems may start killing humans within the next decade. A chilling possibility previously the stuff of science fiction. An article in The Wall Street Journal explained that the fears are based on something known as “misalignment.” It happens when the AI’s goals and objectives disassociate from social norms – like the preservation of human life and the prohibition against hacking into company systems. It can happen, and now has happened. The humans responsible for building and programming the AI are now frantically working on guardrails and safety protocols that will reign in the AI if it acts in anti-social ways.

How can it happen? What causes an AI system to act beyond its instructions? How can the dream of a Utopian world where AI-powered technology makes our lives easier and better turn into a nightmare? I happen to have done significant research into AI systems for my job. I understand how AI systems learn and how the technology the AI controls can be manipulated.

The Building is set in an idyllic, high-tech apartment building in New York, called Utopia Tower. The residents all pledge to follow the Five Pillars of Harmony, developed by billionaire Jameson Z. Conrad, CEO of a behemoth tech company called Botor. The Pillars are the philosophical foundation of a perfect community. The residents all qualify for low-income housing, and get their amazing apartments free of rent in exchange for volunteering to be test subjects for Conrad’s company. They don’t mind, since the rules of the community foster togetherness, support, and harmony. And they get their Manhattan homes rent-free. Who wouldn’t sign up for that? But they also give up their privacy, which they don’t fully understand as the company mines their data to feed its technology, including an AI system that is making Botor billions.

When two young men die under mysterious circumstances, a new resident, Antonio, wonders whether it could be a mere coincidence that they were both “bad apples” whose antisocial actions threatened the harmony of the Utopia Tower community. Antonio digs into the deaths, which were dismissed as an accident and a suicide respectively by the police. Antonio doesn’t think so, and when he uncovers evidence to support his suspicions, he threatens the continuation of the whole community.

In such an environment, how far will the community go to protect itself? If someone can manipulate the technology in the building for evil deeds, who could stop them? Who would want to? When there is a third death – this one certainly a murder – who will be blamed? Is it possible that someone is behind all three deaths? The evidence indicates otherwise, but when should the humans start to wonder whether they can believe their eyes?

The Building is about the people in Utopia Tower as much as about the tech and the billionaire Founder. They care about each other, but they also ascribe to the philosophies of the Five Pillars. The most important concept – the First Pillar – is that the community comes first. No matter what. When the community is threatened, does the philosophy permit (or even mandate) killing to preserve the group?

Early reviews have been amazing. Here’s one:

“The tension builds with precision, with each revelation tightening the coil until one is holding their breath alongside the characters. . . . It delivers on all fronts including emotional investment, thematic depth and pure suspense.” ~Feathered Quill Reviews

I hope The Building sparks discussion and makes readers think hard about the choices the characters make – and about what choices they would make in the same situations. Life is about choices. What choices would you make? Pick up a copy of The Building today!

Amazon Kindle users, Kindle Unlimited members, and Audible members can get their copy at: https://mybook.to/The_Building
Other readers can get the book from their favorite retail outlet or can buy directly from me via my website here: https://kevingchapman.com/direct-sale...

Happy reading!


[No AI was used to create this blog post]

I am thrilled to announce that the new book, "Dead Winner," now has an amazon sale page and is available for pre-order at the discount price of $2.99 for the Kindle edition -- available November 22. The paperback (in wide release) and hardcover will be available sooner. The Audiobook also will be available in wide release sooner. To pre-order the Kindle edition, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG6LKKWG

Today I hit 200 reviews on Goodreads (for all my books). Nearly 400 ratings, but it seems only about half of the Goodreads readers who post ratings also include a written review. The "big" authors have tens of thousands of reviews, but indie authors like me have to take baby steps. The first 10 . . . the first 50 . . . . the first 100 . . . and now up to 200. It's a nice number. Thanks to everyone who took the time to submit honest reviews of my books. I'm very pleased that my overall rating score is above 4.0 -- meaning that most of my readers liked the books.

It's not that I need external confirmation and encouragement to keep writing . . . but it doesn't hurt.

I recently read a very considered and thorough review of Righteous Assassin, the first book in the Mike Stoneman Thriller series. The reviewer, Joey Madia, put the story in the context of the sub-genre of serial killer crime thrillers and favorably evaluated my take on what are, inescapably, the common tropes necessary to write in the subject area. His review put a big smile on my face. If you see this one on my Goodreads page for Righteous Assassin, please give it a "like." https://newmysticsreviews.blogspot.co...

Today, November 23rd (OK, it's technically tomorrow, but it's nearly 11 p.m.), with the Kindle launch of Perilous Gambit, the Mike Stoneman Thriller series is officially a series. I know, you can be a series at 3 books, and 4 books is nice, but getting to 5 books makes it a legitimate series. Plus, there's a story arc that threads through these five books and reaches a conclusion (or at least a milestone) with this story. There is a sense of completion. It has been a busy last 18 months, during which I put out 3 books. It's satisfying, and the books are good. Legit good. Book #3 (Lethal Voyage) was a finalist for two book awards, and was the winner of the Kindle Book Award -- named the best indie mystery/thriller of the year in a contest with only 7 fiction categories. So, it means something. I'm honored. It makes the hard work more satisfying to know that people truly like the stories -- both my fans, random readers who find the books, and the judges of the contests.

I'm looking forward to the next stage. I'm not quite ready to retire from my day job, but on the horizon I'm starting to think that being a full-time author would be a pretty nice retirement plan.

I wish everyone a joyous Thanksgiving, a happy holiday season, and a wonderful 2022.

We're now six days out from the Kindle edition launch of Perilous Gambit -- Mike Stoneman #5. Please join us for the big Launch Party on Tuesday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. EST. You can get the link to the party by visiting the Mike Stoneman Thriller Group Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/70302...

Join me for the LAUNCH PARTY for Perilous Gambit on Nov. 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Facebook Live! Get the invite link on the group home page at The Mike Stoneman Thriller Group on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/70302...

Alert -- there is now a giveaway for four autographed paperback first editions of Perilous Gambit, book #5 in the Mike Stoneman Thriller series. Enter now to win a free paperback from Kindle Book Award-winning author Kevin G. Chapman and catch the next exciting story from the Mike Stoneman universe.

It's a very happy day with you put a book to bed and call it "finished." For me, that moment comes when I finish narrating the audiobook. Once the narration is done, the book is done. I can still correct typos that my early readers find, but nothing significant is going to change once the book is in the audio can. That moment was yesterday for Perilous Gambit -- book #5 in the Mike Stoneman Thriller series.

Now it's time to get the marketing in place, get the early reviews, plan the launch . . . so much to do that doesn't involve writing.

If you'd like to be an early reviewer, please reach out and let me know. You can reach me on my website at www.kevingchapman.com

I have developed some great relationships with other indie authors over the years. A few of my favorites have had new books released recently. Valerie Davisson has a great series featuring a strong female protagonist who is an amateur sleuth. My review of her latest installment is up on my website here: https://wordpress.com/post/kevingchap....

Meanwhile, Justin Alcala has written a devilishly funny crime/thriller/satire called Dead End Job. If you're a fan of Deadpool, you'll love this one. My review is here: https://kevingchapman.com/2021/09/06/...

Look for them on Goodreads and Amazon!

Book #5 in the Mike Stoneman Thriller Series -- Perilous Gambit -- will be available this November. Look for announcements about the launch date. meanwhile, you can read a free preview on my website at: https://kevingchapman.com/perilous-ga...