Around the Fire is Sniffing Out Scams That Makes a Bassett Hound Howl.

Thank you all! Such a great response to last week’s blog post. So many of you have had your inboxes inundated with fraud, spammers, greedy fingers, etc. So the basset hound is back and on the scent and digging into the dirt.
This image is of my first Basset Hound, Fred. His motto was nose to the ground and gone so I thought he'd make a great addition to today's blog. Fred crossed the Rainbow Bridge about 25 years ago and we still tell stories of his escapades. 
Let’s hit the emails today. AI is a blessing and a curse, in my opinion. Do I use it? I do. ONLY for marketing. Creating memes like the one above, and short hooks for social media, frees me to write my books and my blog. No AI is used in my writing as an author. But for the unscrupulous, it’s a boon for trying to get into your world and your bank account.
"But D., they sounded so real."
Yeah, they do, and get better each day. I wanted to see for myself how it worked. Here’s my example.
I asked AI to create an introductory letter to D. V. Stone, author of Rainbow Sprinkles, about how much I liked the book and would like to connect. Be specific. Here’s the response.
Absolutely! Here’s a warm, specific, and sincere letter you could send to D. V. Stone:
Subject: A Sweet Connection Sparked by Rainbow Sprinkles
Dear D. V. Stone,
I just finished Rainbow Sprinkles, and I couldn’t let the moment pass without reaching out to tell you how much I adored it.
From the very first chapter, I was pulled into the delightful world of Glimmer Lake and its community of charming characters. Specifically, the way you crafted Zach and Glori’s relationship—with warmth, humor, and just the right sprinkle of tension—felt refreshingly real and deeply satisfying. The scenes at the ice cream truck had me smiling like a kid at a county fair, and your vivid descriptions made every scoop and swirl feel deliciously alive.
What stood out most was the book’s heart. You wove in hope, healing, and second chances in a way that felt both uplifting and grounded. I found myself lingering on certain lines, especially Glori’s moments of self-reflection, which resonated more personally than I expected. The story was sweet, yes, but it also carried substance—and that balance is no small feat.
I’d love to connect with you—not only as an admirer of your work but also as a fellow storyteller who believes in the power of warmth, humor, and heartfelt narratives. If you’re open to it, I’d be thrilled to learn more about your creative process and maybe chat about your upcoming projects.
Thank you for bringing Rainbow Sprinkles into the world. It was the kind of book that leaves a little light behind long after the last page.
Warmest wishes,
D.
Would you like help adapting this into a social DM or something shorter for email? I can tailor it to any platform.
Pretty scary. Not only did it create it, but it also offered to go further. It would have adapted it and made it a DM. I don’t respond to any DMs that I don’t know, and even then, I’m very cautious.
So what do I do with this? I would ignore it and flag it as spam, and block the sender. But maybe it’s real? What would tell me it’s not? Well, I have the usual Social Media accounts: Facebook, IG, X, TikTok, blah blah blah. You want to connect? Go to those and start a conversation. I received two emails just this morning asking about things. If you found my email, then you can quickly answer the posed questions. Are you on Goodreads? Are you on Amazon? Just click yes. The Basset and I both howled.
Put your inner Basset hound to work. What would that tell you? A lot, actually. In any of those, you can see how long they have been active on socials. You can see if not personal things, then a string of posts to tell you who they are. Go to the about section. Honestly, though, if they went straight to emailing me, I wouldn’t bother. But, as you could see from last week’s post, the contact regimen varies.
Top 5 red flags?

1. Money. Anything looking for cash at the onset? Bye-bye.
2. “I can get your book in front of x amount of readers”. Why would I trust you? There are many legit book promos. I’ve used several. I can’t think of one who cold-called me. I was always the one to reach out based on recommendations from people I know.
3. “OMG! One of the Big Five emailed me.” Congratulations. The Basset Hound points to the email address it came from. Just hover, don’t click. Are XYZ publishers using a Gmail or a Hotmail account? The Basset howls with laughter. No. They will have their own in-house accounts.
4. Spelling and grammar. Not only in the address and the heading of the email. Go back and look at the AI-generated letter. The names are wrong. The Lake is wrong. It wasn’t an ice cream truck but a shop. If I just scanned it and began to do a little dance at having my ego stroked, trouble would have followed.
5. Any salutation that doesn’t include my name. Often it’s Dear Friend or something like that. Really, what scammer wants to take the time to individualize the emails?

Now the Basset hound and I are both whining. I just want to write the books. The hound? She just wants to roll in something smelly. Unfortunately for both of us, we have to be part of this thing called the marketing world. Look at that! We’re both into something that’s often smelly.

This is the real image of Fred. He was also known as Freddy Lumpkin, a nod to Fatty Lumpkin, a pony kept by Tom Bombadil in Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. I took him to a Bassett Hound Waddle, IYKYK. His claim to fame there was the loudest. One day I was driving with him in the car. He howled so loud and deep that my eardrums vibrated. Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic. Fred eventually settled down until two biker dudes behind the vehicle started howling, and Fred couldn’t let them sing alone. It wasn’t funny at the time. I pounded my head on the steering wheel, but now, years later, I realize how hilarious it was.

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So sniff out those stinkers and don't let them get into your flews. My what? Flews in Basset Hounds, refers to the loose, hanging skin on their face. It helps with scenting. 
Fred's advice is...

1. If it sounds too good to be true. Most likely it probably stinks
2. Someone reaching out to you without you making the first inquiry? Fuhgeddaboudit, as we say in New Jersey.
3. Train your inner Basset Hound to study the details, such as spelling and wording.
4. When in doubt, ask others.
5. Don’t be discouraged. We need to learn and navigate this ever-evolving technical world.

What would you like to talk about next week? What cheat, con, rip-off makes you want to sic the hound on?

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