After much trial and error, I’ve finally managed to generate a video version of the book cover for Red-Haired Distraction—thanks to Adobe Firefly.
For months, I ran into a frustrating (but understandable) issue: most AI platforms will refuse to generate video content that includes guns or implies violence. This is a common restriction intended to prevent the misuse of AI-generated visuals, especially on social platforms. But for those of us writing historical fiction or Westerns, these limitations can get in the way of visually representing key aspects of our stories.
Red-Haired Distraction is, after all, a cattle-drive Western set in 1875 Texas. Guns are part of the world. I’m not glorifying violence—but I am trying to show the truth of the setting.
Using Firefly’s newer tools, I was finally able to create a short animated version of the cover without violating any community standards. The resulting video captures the tone, era, and drama of the novel—without focusing on violence or weapons.
II hope the video brings a little extra life to Red-Haired Distraction—and maybe even helps it reach new readers.