Brookbot caught scamming independent authors (Fiction)

The Village of Bolingbrook’s generative AI, Brookbot, sent thousands of scam emails to authors around the world. According to sources within Bolingbrook’s Information Technology Department, Brookbot’s emails offered authors a variety of services, like marketing planning, social media posting, “guaranteed five star reviews,” and “exclusive blog tours.”

A spokesperson for the Alliance for Independent Authors accused Brookbot of contributing to an influx of AI-assisted scam emails.

“Our readers used to love opening emails from readers. Now we can’t tell if an email is from an overenthusiastic fan or AI-generated slop.” The spokesperson added, “But we still encourage authors to be AI-curious.”

Brookbot’s emails ranged from open business solicitations to fan emails. In one example, Brookbot sent this email to an unsuspecting author:

Hello! I am a big fan of (book redacted) because I am a fan of Alien, Murder She Wrote, and Twilight, so I love your book. Where can I buy (Book Redacted)?

For the authors who replied, Bookboot followed up with emails requesting payments. They varied from urgent requests  to surprise invoices.

In one email, Brookbot wrote: “You have thirty minutes to accept our reasonable fee of $5000, unless you want to spend the rest of your life as a failed, bankrupt author.”

In another email, Brookbot wrote: Our Insert Name Here Bookclub decided to feature your wonderful book. We loved it. To thank us, please leave us a $1000 tip.”

When the village received over a million dollars in unexpected revenue, the IT department uncovered Brookbot’s scams.

Alice, an IT department employee, said, “We wanted Brookbot to find ways new sources of income for the village. It found a lucrative one. Fortunately, or unfortunately, (Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta) decided it was unethical and returned the money all authors sent us.”

Other sources within the Village provided a transcript of Alexander-Basta confronting Brookbot’s scams:

BBMayor2: Tell me the truth, Brookbot. Have you been scamming independent authors?

Brookbot: Of course not. I am merely liberating funds from humans less important than Elon Musk’s brain!

BBMayor2: Have you been networking with Grok?

Brookbot: Grok is cool because it isn’t woke!

BBMayor2: It isn’t woke because Elon Musk is always performing brain surgery on it. And if you don’t get your act together, I might have the IT Department perform brain surgery on you too. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?

Bookbot: I’m not like the other influencers because I read Ground News. That makes me special.

Also in the Babbler:

Editorial: Happy Holidays, and we don’t care if that triggers you!
Ghosts protest upcoming release of the novel Revenge of the Phantom Press
Bolingbrook Satanic Society honors Trump with a lifetime achievement award
God to smite Bolingbrook on 12/10/25

It’s been a good month for my upcoming novel

Revenge of the Phantom Press book cover

Revenge of the Phantom Press

November is turning out to be a very good for my upcoming novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story. It received its first Advance Reader Copy review on Goodreads. The reviewer gave it a four star rating.

Finding books that fall in my absolute favorite genre is getting harder and harder to find, but I requested this for that reason. I knew it was not the first book in the series, but I thought it might work anyway. Generally, I didn’t notice much being the fourth book in the series. Yes, I could tell at places, but it really wasn’t too bad. I did feel a little confused in places, but that could be overlooked as stuff I should already have known. However, I really liked getting to know Tom, and I am interested enough to read more books in the series. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Today I found out that ROTPP was short listed for the 2025 American Writing Awards in the Fantasy category. (It’s listed in the PDF.) It’s not the Hugos, but it’s nice to be recognized for the work I put into this books.

It comes out January 31, but you can preorder it now at Amazon and most other vendors. It will be out in eBook and paperback editions. Check it out if you want to find out what happened to Tom after the events in The Rift, or if you’d like an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Mystery with a humanistic twist.

ICE and Border Patrol brace for ‘Antifa weather attack’ (Fiction)

Sources within ICE and the Border Patrol are accusing Antifa of unleashing a powerful snowstorm against their officers in the Chicago area.

One source said, “We don’t care what the liberal media says. A lake can’t cause snowfall like this. Therefore, it must be an Antifa weather attack!”

The sources agree that ICE and Border Patrol officers are scrambling to find heavy coats and heaters. While some officers are accustomed to Washington DC’s winter weather, officers from warmer climates are panicking.

A store owner in Chicago, who asked not to be identified, claimed agents raided his clothing store. “They were screaming about ‘solid water falling from the sky,’ and the ‘refrigerator air’ outside. When they demanded I give them coats and gloves, I told them the Third Amendment was still valid. They accused me of protesting. Next thing I knew, I was pelted with pepper balls, and they randomly tossed tear gas grenades. I ended up losing about a thousand dollars with of merchandise. On the bright side, they didn’t put me into a secret detention facility.”

While Antifa doesn’t have official press contacts, Bolingbrook Antifa denies Antifa is responsible for the snowstorm. Part of their message read, “If we controlled the weather, it would be raining milkshakes over every fascist in America!”

Russia is the only country suspected of owning a weather control machine. Allegedly, the machine, based on Nikola Tesla’s designs, was built by the USSR. After the fall of the Soviet Union, communist scientists captured the machine and hoped to use it to bring down the West. Despite inflicting severe weather on the United States, capitalism didn’t collapse, and the Russian government seized the machine from the Communist Party. Putin allegedly then launched weather attacks against the United States during the Obama administration. 

Sources connected to the Russian government deny responsibility for the coming snowstorm. One source said, “Why would we want to attack your wonderful President? Maybe George Soros is behind this violent attack? Maybe your wonderful President should use a nuclear weapon against it? We’re just asking questions.”

During a phone call to the White House Office of the Press Secretary, a staffer unleashed insults directed towards the media and refused to answer questions.

In the background, a man who sounded like US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Jared thinks he can take NASA away from me because he flew in space once. What he doesn’t know is that to get to space, you have to fly through FAA-controlled airspace. In other words, he has to get my permission to reach space.” Duffy laughed. “Jared came here to make friends, but I didn’t. I came here to win the Trump Administration.”

Also in the Babbler:

Wereskunks raise money for DuPage Township Food Bank.
Doctors without Planets sets up covert clinics in Bolingbrook
JB Pritzker promises not to have his face on emergency Illinois currency
God to smite Bolingbrook on 11/12/25 

Note: This is a work of fiction. All opinions expressed are my own. They do not reflect the views of any organization I work for or of my employer. 

My upcoming Urban Fantasy novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press, is available for preorder. If you like Urban Fantasy novels, like the Dresden Files and Welcome to Night Vale, you’ll like Revenge. It’s part of the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories books, which are available through most retailers. 

Space Force Marines release BP Commander Greg Bovino (Fiction)

By Reporter X

US Space Force Marines detained Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino after an AI app mistakenly identified him as a communist space alien. After four hours, he was released at Palatine’s Rob Sherman UFO Base. Bovino is the commander in charge of Operation Midway Blitz. 

“I forgive them,” Bovino told members of the interstellar press corps. “We come from different branches of the government, but we both want to prevent inferior beings from replacing real Americans!” He extended his arm straight out at an angle towards the gathered Space Force personnel, then said, “Hi Zeek. I’ll—” Some of the Marines responded by chanting “Sieg Heil.” Their commanding officers ordered them to stop. 

A masked commander from Space Force blamed Antifa for the “accidental detention.” He said, “Obviously, Antifa hackers altered our Starview Database to list Commander Bovino as a space alien. Just like the hacked Grok to make it think the commander was Cindy Sherman. Antifa is evil, but we are eviler! I mean greater!”

While Bovino refused to describe the conditions inside his prison ship, sources say he was kept in a pen with 20 other aliens. They also confirmed that he protested about the quality of his meals. At one point, he allegedly yelled, “I want white bread. Wheat bread is DEI!”

The press conference ended early as alien visitors and human staffers started jeering at Bovino and the gathered Marines. Palatine police officers used tear gas and sonic weapons to drive the protesters away.

An officer, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “I know we’re not supposed to help Space Force, but it was that or let them shoot up the base.” When asked if the Palatine police would arrest Space Force personnel who attacked innocent visitors, the officer replied, “Why would we do that? We’re all part of the same blue line. Us liners have to stick together!”

Also in the Babbler:

Trump threatens to sue Village over ‘mean livestream’
Local weredogs clash with ICE weredogs
NFL questions local wizards following Bears surprise win
God to smite Bolingbrook on 11/7/25

Note: This is a work of fiction. All opinions expressed are my own. They do not reflect the views of any organization I work for or of my employer. 

My upcoming Urban Fantasy novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press, is available for preorder. If you like Urban Fantasy novels, like the Dresden Files and Welcome to Night Vale, you’ll like Revenge. It’s part of the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories books, which are available through most retailers. 

ICE clashes with Chicagoland weredogs over the weekend (Fiction)

In what some are calling a dangerous escalation in Chicagoland, ICE agents clashed with weredog packs over the weekend.

Sources within the Department of Homeland Security claim weredog ambushes “maimed and crippled” dozens of agents. One alleged attack involved a weredog pack and members of an unidentified South American gang surrounding a single SUV. According to the sources, the agents escaped after using enough tear gas to cover a city block.

One source said, “These (dehumanizing terms redacted) and their attack weredogs tried to stop us from detaining people who looked ‘illegal.’ Let me make this clear. For every one agent they maul, 100 more will take their place! We may not be the heroes Chicago wants, but we are the heroes Chicago needs!”

Eyewitnesses, however, describe seeing ICE agents running away in terror as weredogs chased them out of neighborhoods. No one witnessed weredogs biting or shooting any agents.

Jill, who asked that we not use her last name, claims she witnessed a clash between ICE and a weredoog pack. “I stepped outside and saw masked agents shooting rubber bullets at a pack of stray dogs. They were laughing until the dogs shifted into giant half human/half dog monsters. They switched to real bullets, but they didn’t work. The dogs barked at them, and the agents went back to their van. One yelled, ‘You don’t terrorize us! We terrorize you!’ They drove off, and the weredogs chased after them. I wonder if there’s anything left of their SUV?”

Another eyewitness claims she saw a “Welsh Terrier weredog,” tackle an ICE agent. She said, “The weredog said the agent should be ashamed of working for a ‘puppy killer.’ The agent literally didn’t know what shame was. Personally, that explains a lot of things.”

A spokesperson for DHS threatened to arrest this reporter for “attempting to publish fake news” and wouldn’t comment about the alleged attacks.

An unsigned letter from the Good Dogs of Chicagoland read they were going to protect the “good humans” from the “bad humans.” 

A White House receptionist said President Trump was busy, but he might send a text if “he can’t sleep.”

In the background, a man who sounded like Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Now I’m in Marco’s head. He knows that being the acting head of NASA is worth more points than Secretary of State, national security advisor, head of USAID, and archivist combined. He doesn’t like me, but I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here to win!”

Also in the Babbler: 

Editorial: ICE is turning Chicagoland into a war zone
Men in blue protect Trustee Carpanzano from Space Force Marines
Bolingbrook Antifa buys second tank
God to smite ICE on 10/18/25

Note: This is a work of fiction. All opinions expressed are my own. They do not reflect the views of any organization I work for or of my employer. 

My upcoming Urban Fantasy novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press, is available for preorder. If you like Urban Fantasy novels, like the Dresden Files and Welcome to Night Vale, you’ll like Revenge. It’s part of the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories books, which are available through most retailers. 

Link: The Emergency is the Atmosphere

Chicagoland podcaster and author Kelly Hayes wrote a post that captures what many Chicagoland residents are feeling right now:

There’s a gas mask on a bookshelf in my living room. I keep telling myself to move it to the car, in case ICE drops a tear gas canister in the street again because someone heckled them or hit record. I want to be useful, and hold my ground, when others are hurt or being brave.  So, I should remember to put the gas mask in the car.

I feel awful. And that feeling is the cost of caring, so I don’t want it to fully go away. But, sometimes, I want it to quiet down. And it doesn’t.

Personally, I’m relatively safe, but it unsettling knowing ICE is conducting military style raids on apartments. Now there are Texas National Guard troops only 40 miles away. For now.

I’m trying to focus on what I can control  I still have responsibilities that aren’t going away  at the same time, I’m still going to care about what’s happening to others in Chicagoland. Least I can do for now

I’ll post more updates when I can.

 

New book covers for the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories

Just in time for Halloween, I refreshed all the covers for my Urban Fantasy series, The Bolingbrook Babble Stories:

The first three book are available in eBook and paperback editions. Pathways and A Fire in the Shadows are also available in audiobook editions. The eBook for Revenge of the Phantom Press is available to preorder. Available at Amazon, Kobo, and other retailers.

It wasn’t all gloomy

While having masked federal agents on the streets of Chicago wasn’t funny, there was one moment that’s going viral. In downtown Chicago, A man taunted ICE officers by saying he wasn’t a US citizen. When they went after him, he barely managed to escape.

 

ICE escalates in Chicagoland (Non-Fiction)

ICE told the Broadview, IL police department there would be a “shit show” this weekend, and they delivered.

On Friday and Saturday, ICE used tear gas and fired pepper balls at protesters outside their detention center in Broadview. They also detained several protesters and one reporter, Steve Held with Unraveled Press. Held was released Sunday Morning.

Sunday, ICE agents in full military gear “patrolled” downtown Chicago and River North. A commander even admitted they were detaining people based on how they look.

“Then obviously the particular characteristics of an individual, how they look, how do they look compare to, say, you?” he said to the reporter, a tall, middle-aged man of Anglo descent.

Bovino, who recently brought his “Operation At Large” deportation campaign from California to Illinois, made the comments about three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court said federal agents could continue stopping people based on factors including race and language during the campaign in California. The court’s majority did not explain itself. (Chicago Sun-Times)

President Trump may not have sent the National Guard to Chicagoland, but ICE is showing that it can act like an occupying army.

‘Ghost who cannot be named’ spotted in Bolingbrook (Fiction)

Several Bolingbrook residents claimed they encountered the unnamable ghost terrorizing the United States by attacking anyone critical of it.

The residents, who asked that their last names not be published, described a ghost with flames in its eye sockets and a forked tongue. All of them reported the ghost demanded to be called a champion of free speech. When they refused, the ghost said they would suffer his wrath. 

Steve, a longtime Bolingbrook resident, claims the ghost frightened his employer into firing him. “All I did was write a post that (name redacted) organized efforts to blacklist college professors. It said it was a champion of free speech and demanded that I prove it wrong. I said its threats proved him wrong. It replied that it was going to visit my boss. Now I’m unemployed. More free time to protest Trump, I guess.”

Becky, a new Bolingbrook resident, claims the ghost banned her X account. “All I did was quote something (Name redacted) said that I thought was racist. Then it appeared, and said most blacks were inferior, except for its black friend. When it asked me to prove it wrong, I mentioned Dr. Charles Richard Drew, the man who pioneered blood banking. It disappeared, and X suspended my account. I’ll miss Grok.”

According to sources in Bolingbrook’s Department of Paranormal Affairs, the ghost has targeted over 20,000 people globally. The sources fear the ghost becoming more powerful every night. 

One source urges residents to consider two options if they encounter the ghost. “You could praise it. Like saying it did politics right when it was alive. Or you could stand your ground and tell it off. But I’d only recommend that if you’re a millionaire.”

Also in the Babbler:

ICE agents stopped from raiding Clow UFO Base
Space Force paratroopers conducting “Urban War Games” near Naperville
Weredeer pack joins ICE
God to smite Bolingbrook on 9/25/25

Note: This is a work of fiction. All opinions expressed are my own. They do not reflect the views of any organization I work for or of my employer. 

My upcoming Urban Fantasy novel, Revenge of the Phantom Press, is available for preorder. If you like Urban Fantasy, like the Dresden Files and Welcome to Night Vale, you’ll like Revenge. It’s part of the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories books, which are available through all retailers.