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Content Notes for Handsome and Hideous
I’ve just added some content note links for Handsome and Hideous to the relevant website pages. I haven’t yet learned how to hide text, but I did leave a some space and an image of the cover between the introductory text and the actual content notes, so hopefully no one gets inadvertently spoiled.
For the content notes, click here.
In other news, I’m proofing the paperback copy of Handsome and Hideous. Looking forward to announcing the paperback release sometime in mid-June!
[Edited original 5/27/25 post to update what formatting I did to prevent spoilers, 5/28/25.]
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Yes, I Am a Human
Unless you’ve been under a rock recently (and frankly, who could blame you for taking an under-a-rock break?) you’ve heard about Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used to generate content for emails, posts, memes, and so forth (for the purpose of these discussions, people are not talking about applications like spellcheck, but the generation of text, images, etc.).
AI apps and programs are also used to generate stories and art, sometimes in an ethical manner, and sometimes not. AI is very often “trained” on existing, copyrighted work—without the owners of the AI programs requesting permission from, or even notifying, the creators of such work that they are using it.
(One cannot help but wonder why many of these AI developers do not make their own products open source, free, and available to all. But I digress.)
Here is a smattering of articles, to give you an idea of the concerns and controversies, in no particular order:
“A controversial experiment on Reddit reveals the persuasive powers of AI,” NPR, May 7, 2025
“The Problem With AI-Generated Art, Explained,” Forbes, December 30, 2023
Naturally, as an author, I am interested in the rapid increase of AI, especially in how people may be stealing others’ work to make their own more usable, attractive, and profitable.
The Authors Guild is stepping up to advocate for authors and protect their rights while understanding that AI is not going away:
(If you are an author, I recommend exploring the resources on their site. And becoming a member!)
I’m personally concerned as a self-published author, because most librarians and readers are understandably not interested in purchasing AI-generated novels and stories.
And it’s not easy to determine if something has been written by AI:
According to the SBTB blog post, there are a few indicators that raise suspicions of an AI “author”:
- Mostly one or two syllable first names
- One syllable last names
- All very basic nouns and adjectives as surnames
In addition, a not-very-active social media presence may lead to doubts.
Friends, my name is Maria Fox. I have social media accounts, but I am an introvert whether on- or off-line. I don’t post a lot on my website because I’m not a prolific or fast writer and writing posts takes time from other writing that is more important to me (stories).
So how do I assure readers that I, Maria Fox, exist as a human being and that I wrote my book, Handsome and Hideous?
Well, first, I’m going to make an effort to step up my online presence (look, a new post!).
Also, I’ve certified Handsome and Hideous with the Authors Guild “Human Authored” project. That’s what the badge on the copyright page means.
What a time to be alive.
Happy reading, friends.
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Handsome and Hideous is live!
Handsome and Hideous is live!
A powerful sorceress banished at birth…
Despite the pain and shame of her curse, Hideous channels her magic to carve out a sanctuary in her exile. As the years pass, she defends her small realm from the evil ravaging the lands beyond her borders.
An enchanting prince who knows nothing of magic…
When his mother, the queen, falls deathly ill, Prince Radvyed accepts a desperate quest to save her. He must reap a mysterious flower that grows in the garden of a hideous girl—a bespelled sorceress of unknown power and intent.
A curse that has deeper roots than they knew…
Radvyed and Hideous must work together to vanquish the decades-old scourge that has long tormented her and now menaces his kingdom. But an unexpected threat arises from the past, and it will take all their courage, knowledge, and magic to defeat an enemy obsessed with revenge.
Handsome and Hideous is available at fine purveyors of e-books all over the internet. Links will be added as they go live—different vendors have different timelines, so if you don’t see your favorite, please check back in a few days.
For library access, please check your preferred library app. If it’s not there yet, try checking back in a week or two.
Handsome and Hideous will also be available in print in June 2025. More details to come!
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HANDSOME AND HIDEOUS wins GOLD at the 2024 RPLA
Handsome and Hideous won gold (first place) in the Unpublished Fantasy category of the 2024 Royal Palm Literary Awards!
Hosted annually by the Florida Writers Association (FWA), RPLA is a highly regarded writing competition that celebrates excellence in writing across more than 20 genre categories for adults and 5 for youth. It’s a worthwhile contest because every entry receives scores and feedback on ten different aspects of writing (language, creativity, character, etc.) from two separate judges. Finalists receive feedback and scores from three judges.
The awards were announced at the Saturday evening banquet of Florida WritersCon 2024. I sat at a table with five other writers. None of us knew each other previously. It turned out to be quite the lucky table! Not only did we discover we were all finalists, we each won gold in our category.
Me and my award -
Messier than I thought it would be…
So I’m running into some problems as I’m working on the aforesaid redecorating, reorganizing, and updating of the site. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience as I work things out. Thanks for your patience!
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Hello, world!
I have to re-introduce myself because I’ve neglected my website and this blog for far too long!
Things are going to be a little messy around here as I redecorate, reorganize, and update, so I ask for your patience. Thanks for your interest.
I’m excited to announce that I am publishing Handsome and Hideous this Fall (2024). It will be available in ebook and print from all the usual suspects. I’ll provide more details soon!
I’m also pleased to share that Handsome and Hideous is a Finalist in the 2024 RPLA writing competition (Unpublished Fantasy Novel).
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Black Lives Matter
I haven’t been posting much on Twitter or Instagram recently, because I have been processing the difficult, sometimes horrific, events and developments of the past weeks. I don’t have anything significant to contribute to online discussions. I want to make more space for those who do.
However, I must make my solidarity with my fellow citizens clear: Black Lives Matter.
We need real police reform. Citizens should not fear calling on police for help or protection. Police should not consider citizens enemies or animals.
Because I deeply believe that all people are created equal and that no one is above the law, I need to reflect on how, as a citizen, I can do more to make that so in our country.
One important way: please vote. Vote.org
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I’m an award-winning author
My SF short story, “Lost Key,” won second place Short Story (Unpublished) in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards competition! The category is not broken down by genre, so it is one of the most competitive.
A woman used as a biometric key for a mob boss must escape her master before she is decommissioned—and terminated.
I’m hoping to place “Lost Key” with a magazine or online fiction site.
Watch this space for news! Or sign up for my newsletter…I’m not picky!
Readers who followed the RPLA link may have noticed the awards were announced in October! I tweeted and posted on Instagram then. I haven’t been so timely with the blog–one of my New Year’s resolutions is to be better about that.
Florida writers: the 2019 RPLA competition accepts submissions February 1 – April 30. Guidelines and entry forms are here. Why not submit? Every entry gets written feedback from at least two judges.
Good luck!
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Blog Test
Hello!
I’m testing out setting up a blog page.
Enjoy the standard dummy text while the page is under construction.
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Nulla rutrum ante vitae lectus suscipit, et viverra quam fringilla. Phasellus convallis ultrices viverra. Fusce quis congue neque, nec ultrices elit. Vestibulum hendrerit fringilla molestie. Donec ut nibh vitae justo tempor semper. Morbi eget odio ut turpis volutpat aliquam. Sed in nisl at arcu sollicitudin accumsan in id ipsum. Maecenas pretium efficitur eros quis efficitur.