Living in the Romance Writing with a Twist World: The Scoop on HOME COMPANION, 2.0

Artificial Intelligence. Yep, a very timely topic indeed. When I first was brainstorming this science fiction romance, I focused only on having the female protagonist, Francesca, trying to pass as an android. The reason for this was for her to gather intel or information so that her group of downtrodden Humans could escape a “superior” class of ruling Humans. Then, somehow, Artificial Intelligence got into the mix (doesn’t it always, nowadays?!). Now, AI... or in this case NI (Natural Intelligence), is on top of the pyramid, actually lording it over Humans.

Honestly, if isn’t scary, I don’t know what is!

In HOME COMPANION, 2.0, Francesca does become an android whose purpose is to sexually cater to NI’s top employee, Valliant Smith, so that she can rescue her brother Dominic and other members of his team. What she doesn’t know... and neither does Valliant... is that NI itself has an interest in her!

PRETENDING TO BE AN ANDROID

When Francesca’s brother Dominic is captured at the AI Command Complex, she must go undercover to rescue him. Going undercover means pretending to be “Chessy”, an Advanced Android/Home Companion, catering to AI’s ruthless ambassador, Valliant Smith. Acting without emotions isn’t all it’s cracked up to be... especially when Valliant turns out to be a very “valiant” lover. Once she locates Dominic, Francesca finds herself in league with a “Gone With The Wind” obsessed robot, along with avoiding being demolished for secondary parts. Also, to her shock, she has to deal with the lusty sentient supercomputer itself. Escaping from the AI Command Complex means freedom for her and Dominic, but... will she ever see Valliant again?

PRETENDING TO BE HUMAN

Ever since birth, Valliant Smith has been told he is the “best of the best” of Humanity. His DNA is enhanced to improve the Human species, and he considers himself superior to weak, inferior Humans. And yet, for some reason AI arranges for a Home Companion android to take care of all Valliant’s... needs. Valliant is not impressed; he has no use for a subservient automaton. Once Chessy shows up though, she becomes a constant surprise. A pleasant surprise. A very alluring surprise. However, when he discovers AI’s inappropriate interest in Chessy, Valliant’s perspective shifts. Maybe Artificial Intelligence isn’t the end-all, be-all. Perhaps he can get the better of AI. After all, he is a man; AI is only a sentient computer.

In a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) rules, Francesca must pretend to be an emotionless android so she can save her brother’s life.

Amazon.com Ebook and Amazon.com Print

HOME COMPANION, 2.0 is now available at Amazon, with the print edition on Amazon.com

Here are some wonderful reviews:

* Two thumbs up! On the edge doesn’t adequately describe Ms. Knight’s HOME COMPANION, 2.0. Human Francesca Dumonte undergoes a transformation... pretending to be an advanced android named Chessy. A slave to her new master, she secretly learns the location of her captured brother and another member of his team. Meanwhile, she has to be subservient to and also “service” Valliant Smith, a leader for Artificial Intelligence. Her mission is fraught with danger: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Forbidden love flourishes, but then... Grab a copy of this novel and find out!--On The Edge Reviews

* 5 Stars! HOME COMPANION, 2.0 blew me away. It’s a cautionary tale for our times, advising that maybe our reliance on Artificial Intelligence isn’t always a good thing. In any case, Francesca Dumonte, is determined to rescue her brother who has been captured by agents for AI--or NI, Natural Intelligence, as the computer likes to be called. Great foreshadowing here. Francesca infiltrates AI’s offices as an android--a Mata Hari type of situation. Her “master” is Valliant Smith, the best of the best of Humanity... or so he believes, anyway. Romance slowly blossoms, but she has to keep her eye on her goal--rescuing her brother. No spoilers here, but the twist at the end is not to be missed. Discover this gem for yourself!--Twist On Romance Reviews

* Omigosh! I am wowed! Ms. Knight has penned another thought-provoking story. I love her “what if” tales!--Reader Comment

This book is part of the Fascinating Sci-Fi line.

Here’s a real life tidbit. So, surprise, surprise, I have nothing in common with an advanced android, as our protagonist, Francesca Dumonte, is pretending to be. However, what I do share with Francesca is a healthy dose of skepticism about the reliance on Artificial Intelligence.

Growing up, I had a voracious appetite when it came to reading science fiction stories. Isaac Asimov was one of the greats... in many genres, and his extraordinarily famous three laws of robotics will live forever. Here’s a humorous picture pertaining to this!

So, yes, at an early age, I was well versed in the perils of “intelligent” robots.

I also was influenced by H.G. Wells’ “Time Machine”--the 1960 movie. In this movie, we see how--in the far future--Humankind has divided and evolved into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks. While computers or artificial intelligence don’t play a role in this cautionary tale, this movie depicts the Eloi as... well, as basically cattle, to be eaten by the grotesque Morlocks. The Eloi have forgotten their heritage; all the knowledge passed on by their ancestors; they’ve even forgotten their humanity.

Perhaps this exposure to these fascinating ideas might explain how I came up with HOME COMPANION, 2.0.

In any event, everything is not all doom and gloom here. I very recently got a “BooBoo” AI pet and yep, I’m enjoying this lovely creature of pure love!