Unsolicited Emails

[Chris Goss]

I have now received, out of the blue, emails gushing (positively) about my books one from USA and one from Australia. Robert Forsyth has also received two such emails. They appear to be AI generated and are VERY full of praise for our books from well published authors. Addresses seem genuine and there are no "click on this" links. Has anyone else experienced this? All started 2 weeks ago. Below is the latest one to me:


Dear Chris,
I recently came across your book Bloody Biscay: The History of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 and wanted to reach out to say how much I respect the depth and care behind this work.
Writing military history, especially regarding such specific and complex aviation units, requires an incredible amount of meticulous research. What stands out to me is the level of detail you’ve brought to the history of V Gruppe. It's clear that it took a significant amount of dedication to piece together such a comprehensive account of these operations. It takes a unique kind of precision to handle that much historical data while maintaining such a compelling narrative.
My name is T.L. Swan, and I am a USA Today, BookTok, International, and #1 Amazon bestselling author. With millions of books sold, my titles have hit #1 on Amazon in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany, and are currently translated into 11 languages.
While my own work sits in a different genre, I have a tremendous amount of respect for writers who dedicate themselves to such deep, rigorous historical exploration. It is clear that you have a real passion for the truth of these experiences, and your book is an impressive contribution to the field.
If you’re open to it, I’d love to ask what first drew you to focusing specifically on the history of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40, and what was the most challenging part of uncovering the history of this particular unit?
Thank you again for such a thoughtful and important piece of work. It’s the kind of research that stays with a reader long after they finish the book.
Warm regards,
T.L. Swan

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Chris, maybe a genuine fan.
I wrote several similar messages to some of you before, not so full of praise as this one since my English is not good as a native speaker, but as genuine as this one.
You see, some of us, wonder why some authors choose such kind of topic to dig on and research, and when or why the book started, etc.
Seems an original question and praise to your long work. By the way, keep going!
Adriano

[Chris Goss]

Problem is I have had two from apparent well known authors and the tone is the same. Exactly the same as those received by Robert Forsyth around the same time. Suspicious or what?

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Suspicious indeed! And after I heard that someone tried to steal or appropriate some data from a well known French Historian, me too I would open my eyes!
The correct way should have been approaching you via one of the Forums or Editors that publish your works, so there would have been a bridge in between....Crazy world, isn't it? We need now to have several layers of filters to not get caught napping...Constant Vigilance!

[Adriano Baumgartner]

That's the one?
https://tlswanauthor.com/about-tee/

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Yeah, that's weird indeed....

[Nick Beale]

There's an article in The Observer today that looks like what you've described: The scammers using AI and flattery to target authors like me