That New Amazon AI ‘Ask This Book’ Thing Has Made Me Pause

That new Amazon Ask This Book thing has made me stop and think.

I don’t usually rush to complain about platform changes, although I did when Amazon switched Kindle Unlimited to paying by pages read. That move hit a lot of authors’ earnings, mine included, and it was worth pushing back on. This feels like another one of those moments.

On the surface, Ask This Book sounds quite handy. Readers can ask questions about a book and get instant answers. But the more I’ve thought about it, the less comfortable I am.

I came across this after seeing A. K Caggiano talking about it on Instagram. Worth a look if you’re an author and missed it.

So what does this mean? It lets readers type questions about a book and receive automated answers based on the text itself. But they aren't the answers the author’s chosen. It’s the system’s interpretation of what the book says. 

In effect, the system reads the book and tells the reader what it thinks the answer is.

In my opinion, stories aren’t reference guides. They aren’t meant to be skimmed for answers. They’re built on voice, pacing, tension, and emotional payoff. An automated tool doesn’t understand subtext, tone, or why a story can be bleak, unresolved, or heartbreaking and still be satisfying. If it flattens a character or misrepresents something important, readers won’t blame the feature. They’ll blame the author.

There’s also the spoiler issue. If someone can ask whether a character dies, whether a relationship works out, or what kind of ending they’re getting, that changes how fiction is consumed. Stories become something to query rather than experience. That might suit some people, but it feels like a loss to me.

And what bothers me most is that authors weren’t asked.

There’s currently no way to opt out. I went onto KDP chat and asked directly if my books could be unenrolled from the feature. The answer was no. There is no unenrol option at all. My objection was logged as feedback and given a case number, but that’s as far as it goes.

If you’re an author or a reader and you’ve got thoughts on this, I’d genuinely like to hear them. Feel free to comment or message me. 

As for me, I’m still mulling all this over.

After the Ending

Now that the Jelvia: Not Human series is finished, I keep catching myself thinking about it at odd moments. Not in a dramatic way. More in the sense of reaching for something that’s no longer there.

Six books is a long time to stay inside one world. Longer still when the story is built around memory, control, and people making choices they believe are right. Some of these characters have been with me through other books, other projects, and plenty of real life happening in the background. Finishing them wasn’t a rush of relief. It was quieter than that.

I’ve been asked whether there’ll be more Jelvia. There won’t be. The story reached the ending it needed, and carrying it on would have meant softening truths I wasn’t prepared to soften. That restraint mattered more to me than comfort.

That doesn’t mean I’m done writing. I already have the beginnings of something else, circling familiar ground from a different angle. It’s still rooted in memory and perception, but I’m letting it settle before deciding what it wants to be. I’ve learned to trust ideas that take their time.

Mostly, I’m grateful. To the readers who stayed with the series through its darker turns and didn’t need everything neatly resolved. To those who trusted me to finish it honestly, even when that meant sitting with discomfort.

If you’re new to the series, it starts with Holding Out for a Hero and follows its logic all the way to the end.

I didn’t give the characters the ending I wanted for them. I gave them the one their world allowed.

http://bit.ly/Jelvia

Step by Step: From Fiction to Digital ID #DigitalID #SciFiBooks #IndieAuthor #BookQuotes #PrivacyMatters

‘When I made the Committee, it was meant to be a tool, a safeguard against chaos. It gave order, nothing more. But order is never enough for those who wield it. They asked for more control, then more still, until the tool became the master, and I let it happen.’ Aldarn’s all-black gaze dimmed. ‘Remember, it does not come in a storm. It comes step by step, so small no one notices. By the time you do, it is too late. Choice will have gone, and the people believe it was never theirs.’

If you think this sounds familiar, the UK Government is already laying the groundwork with its digital ID plans. They call it efficiency, but function creep is real. 'Step by step', what begins as convenience can become control, until you wake up one day and find choice has gone.

The Committee is here already, I just didn't realise it at the time of writing Jelvia: Not Human!

Amazon

When Your Family Reads the Naughty Bits #rudebits

So, here we are. The Jelvia: Not Human series is complete, published, and out there for anyone to buy, read, and (gulp) review. You’d think the scariest part of publishing would be waiting for strangers’ feedback. Wrong.

The real fear? Family.

It’s one thing for a reviewer on Amazon to say 'gripping story, a little too steamy for my taste.' I can live with that. What’s harder to live with is imagining my grown-up son or daughter-in-law reading the same scene and then looking at me across the dinner table. Or worse — giving me a knowing wink.

Because here’s the thing: when you write romance, or even just sprinkle in a bit of spice, you know full well that people you love and respect are going to read it. Parents. Adult children. In-laws. That nice cousin who still calls you “our Lou.” All of them, potentially, turning the page and finding themselves somewhere they’d rather not be with me.

I tell myself they’ll skim over those parts. I tell myself they’ll be too busy admiring my clever plotting and alien world-building. But deep down, I know the truth: nothing sticks in a reader’s mind like a well-written sex scene. And when the reader is your own son or your daughter-in-law, you start wishing you’d written a sweet, wholesome book about hedgehogs instead.

But here’s the other truth: those scenes belong in the story. They’re not there for titillation (well, not only). They’re part of the characters’ journey, their vulnerability, their connection. To cut them out would be dishonest. And I’d rather my son and daughter-in-law squirm a bit than cheat my characters of their truth.

So yes, I worry. I worry about reviews, and I worry about family reactions. But at the end of the day, I wrote the story I needed to tell. If my son or his wife reads a page that makes them blush… well, at least it proves they were paying attention.

And if they really can’t handle it, there are five other books in the series with aliens, explosions, betrayals, and plenty of commas to argue about.

As for me? I’ll be hiding behind a cushion at every family gathering, praying no one says the words: 'Mum, about that scene…'

Wise Books | Kessler Books

You Read My Books but Won’t Give Me Your Email? Rude. #SupportYourSassyAuthor #AliensAreLessJudgy #MailchimpRegret

 I Swear I’m Not Trying to Take Over the World (But Sign Up Anyway)

So here’s the thing: I write books.

Not just any books. These are books where aliens have questionable motives, humans make worse decisions than a cat in a cardboard box, and romance happens in the middle of it all because, well, hormones don’t care about planetary politics.

You might be thinking, “Why should I give you my email address?”

Fair question.

Maybe you enjoy bonus content like deleted scenes, secret character files, or sneak peeks before anyone else sees them.
Maybe you like reading updates from authors who are 73% caffeine and 27% internet rage.
Or maybe—just maybe—you want to be prepared for when the alien committee finally takes over and I’m the only one sending out coded warnings via newsletter.

Either way, you should sign up.

I don’t bombard your inbox—mostly because I barely know how this Mailchimp thing works. If I manage to send one email a month, I’m basically a tech goddess.

But I will occasionally send goodies, exclusive content, new releases, and maybe a giveaway or two. You know. The usual bribery.

So go on. Do the thing:
👉 Click here to sign up

Your inbox deserves a little chaos.

—
Still not convinced?

Here’s the kind of subject line you could receive if you join:
‘A Jelvia just broke into my flat. He’s armed, half-naked, and demanding answers… Should I make tea or take off my clothes?’

Priorities.

See you in your inbox,

Louise Wise / T. E. Kessler
(Whichever version of me isn’t being controlled by a neural network)

And Then There Were Six—My Final Jelvia Book Is Ready #booklaunch #Jelviabook #romancebooks

And so it happens… I’ve finished the Jelvia: Not Human series. Books 1 to 6. Phew.

It began back in 2016, before Covid, before the AI controversy, before the world decided to get even stranger than fiction. I had this idea bubbling away—what if aliens didn’t invade with laser guns, but with paperwork, manipulation, and control disguised as help? What if they were already here, and we just didn’t know it?

Fast forward a few years (and a few rewrites) and Holding Out for a Hero was born. That book kicked off what I thought might be a tidy trilogy. Ha. You’d think I’d have known better. The characters had other ideas, naturally.

Macy and Narcifer led the charge with chaos, chemistry, and more problems than they knew what to do with. Then came Courtney and Aldarn, dragging their emotional damage and impossible love into the spotlight. And of course, Phil, Oliver, Calder and the rest refused to sit quietly in the background. They all demanded to be heard. And honestly, I loved every minute of it.

That said, writing the final book—‘Til the World Falls Apart—was hard. Properly hard. Not just because it had to tie everything together, but because life got in the way in the most personal and painful way imaginable. I lost my dad while finishing this book. Watching him slip away as I wrote the ending changed me. It changed the story. It made everything more raw, more real, more honest.

So here we are. The series is complete. Six books, countless twists, a few broken hearts (mine included), and a lot of late nights.

If you’ve been following along, thank you. Truly. If you’re just discovering the series now, welcome. I hope you fall into this world the way I did.

‘Til the World Falls Apart is available now.

Now excuse me while I go lie down in a dark room and wonder what on earth I’m going to write next.

Available digitally at the moment from 6th June. Will be available in all other formats after I’ve completed the sacred ritual of uploading, checking, deleting, re-uploading, and swearing.

Amazon.GodSaveTheQueenEvenThoughIt’sTheKingNow 

Amazon.yankie-doodle 

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Jelvia: Not Human series #scifibooks #alienhero

Celebrating the Completion of the Jelvia: Not Human Series!

To mark the conclusion of the Jelvia: Not Human series, I’m thrilled to unveil a brand new cover for the first book, Holding Out for a Hero. This fresh look symbolises the journey we’ve embarked on from the very beginning, and what a ride it has been!

The final book in the series, 'Til Forever Falls Apart, is set for release spring 2025. Brace yourselves for an explosive conclusion to this epic saga. I recommend having tissues at hand, along with a quiet room, a glass of Pinot, and a box of chocolates as you dive into the final chapters of this thrilling journey.

Stay tuned, and thank you for joining me on this incredible adventure.

Amazon.com | Amazon.UK