Writing Authentically Ever After

FOR THE RECORD: ALL my books, both published and unpublished, under my two pen names (Renee Regent and Leslie Crowne) were written by ME.

Only me!

My brain devised the premise, plot, and details.

My heart created the characters—their personalities, their emotions, their growth arcs.

My soul revealed the themes, the underlying messages of the stories.

Authentic As F*ck

Every laugh, every tear. The violence, the tenderness, the sadness, the orgasms (yes, I said it!), all came from my life experience, or my imagination. Some of it was difficult to get on the page, some of it was easy, but every word is ultimately my responsibility, my creation.

I worked with honest human beta readers, knowledgeable human editors, and talented human cover designers. I formatted the books myself for publication. The books I publish are 100% organic, artisan, hand-crafted pieces of my mind, heart, and soul, presented lovingly for readers to hopefully enjoy.

And more importantly, to connect with. It’s a beautiful thing when that happens—when a reader has a similar experience reading my book to what I experienced by writing it.

That’s when the process is complete.

Hand Made Tales

I learned to write my blurbs, or back cover copy, myself. Even when I use others to craft marketing for me, I insist on authentic, human-created materials, because that is my brand. I write Contemporary Romance and Fantasy Romance, and emotion is a big component in those genres—so I write as authentically as I can.

To me, creating the story, the world, the characters, the series…is the FUN PART! I will never outsource that to a Generative AI computer. Yes, it takes longer. But why would I give up the part that brings me the most joy?

I am not here to debate the use of Generative AI in publishing. What I am here to say is, for the record, I have no desire to use it at all, and will continue to write my hand-crafted stories as I see fit.

Authenticity Matters…To Me

 I also have no desire to read a book that was computer-generated. With technology overtaking us like a tidal wave, inserting itself into nearly everything we see or touch, entertainment that is real and not manufactured entirely by technology feels like an escape.

When I watch a show or movie, I want to see the subtle play of emotion on that real actor’s face, not a robot or computer-generated “person” faking it. When I listen to music, I want to hear the longing in the singer’s voice, hear the heartbreak in the tones of the guitar. An amalgamation of real songs mashed up to create a fake one, is to me, simply disappointing. If you didn’t struggle to learn these talents, then there’s a huge component missing—the one that makes me care.

This is my opinion only, and the way I choose to create. If you are a reader who values authentic voices, and stories with real life breathed into them, then the books of Renee Regent and Leslie Crowne might be for you. (www.reneregent.com for more info).

If not, I hope you find entertainment that you enjoy. As for me, the story ideas keep coming, and so I will write them.