Author: Carol Van Natta

AI Art for Spring 2024

AI Art for Spring 2024

As far as generative AI art services, I find that MidJourney (MJ) is still the leader for most things I want to do. Not all, mind you, because sometimes MJ whiffs it. As I’ve mentioned before, the services vary significantly across the platforms in terms of prompts. What works well in one may be a…

Audiobook News for 2024

Audiobook News for 2024

In audiobook news for 2024, if you’ve been looking for audiobook versions of my stories, there’s been a glitch. The good news is that my Ice Age Shifters® paranormal romance series has audiobook versions. My Central Galactic Concordance space opera series had audiobook versions, and will have again. The bad news is that none of…

Galactic Pirates Collection: A Kickstarter Special

Galactic Pirates Collection: A Kickstarter Special

Announcing my first Kickstarter campaign — whee! I’m calling it the Galactic Pirates Collection, a Kickstarter special. It’s in pre-launch right now while I finalize all the parts that make it special. ❗ UPDATE 27 Feb 2024: CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED! ❗ The campaign will start a short run at the end of this month. If you…

AI Art for Winter 2024

AI Art for Winter 2024

Several highly popular generative AI art services continue to roll out new versions. I primarily use MidJourney, but dabble in others, notably NightCafé. I’ve seen impressive results by others from DALL-E v. 3, but I haven’t played with it myself for over a year. The nuances of prompting — describing the image you want —…

How to Kickstarter a Project

How to Kickstarter a Project

Kickstarter is an online all-or-nothing crowdfunding platform that helps people find creative projects to support. Artists offer special benefits to people who pledge support for a creative project. If the project meets its funding goal, the artist gets the funds, and the backers get the rewards. If the project doesn’t make it, no one’s credit…

Plans for 2024

Plans for 2024

Most years, but not all (looking at you, horrible COVID year!), it’s fun to look ahead. I come from a long line of folks who are rather bad at looking back, so that section will be brief. The more interesting sections — to me, at any rate — are plans for 2024.  2023 Plans vs….

Coloring Pages Just For Fun

Coloring Pages Just For Fun

Sometimes when I need a break so my brain can have time to think, but I can’t go for a walk, I get generative AI art services to make some coloring pages just for fun. As is always the way with A.I. anything, some attempts are more successful than others.  Fair warning: This is image-heavy…

Disabled Veterans, Service Dogs, and Spaceships

Disabled Veterans, Service Dogs, and Spaceships

What do disabled veterans, service dogs, and spaceships have in common? When I was invited to participate in the first of several Pets in Space® anthologies, and later took over as editor, my favorite thing about them was the charity focus. Of course, I love science fiction romance, but the chance to help Hero Dogs…

A Pilot and Her Pet

A Pilot and Her Pet

A Pilot and Her Pet Gargoyle In “Stellar Drift,” my novella in the Pets in Space 8 science fiction romance anthology, the heroine Sairy has a pet gargoyle named Kyala. A pilot and her pet… what?  A gargoyle, you say? Yes. In the worlds of the Central Galactic Concordance, it’s all kinds of illegal to…

Great Aussie Adventure Part 4

Great Aussie Adventure Part 4

I recently visited the Land of Oz, otherwise known as Australia, and had a blast. I took so, so many shareable photos that I had to break this down into four posts. This the last post about my Great Aussie Adventure, Part 4. (Click the images to see larger versions.) Melbourne (Part 1) • Cairns…

A.I. Art for Summer 2023

A.I. Art for Summer 2023

It seems like every day brings the announcement of another A.I. art service and/or another A.I. writing service. And owing to my recent Great Aussie Adventure and busy summer, I was already weeks behind in keeping up with these and MidJourney changes. So many things to catch up on! This is my exploration of and…