Indies at War

Over the weekend one of my writer friends posted a link to a blog where the blogger listed 30 plus authors who had supposedly purchased fake reviews. My friend’s name was on the list – and since he had never paid for a review, he was pissed. There were some big names on that list. Of course, the blogger did not disclose his/her name nor did he offer up any evidence to support his damning claim.

This all came about around the same time as Goodreads announcing its cleanup, by removing nasty rhetoric aimed at authors or reviewers. Goodreads reminds us: Play nice kids, and stick to reviewing the book.

I won’t post a link to the blogger’s page, because frankly, I have no desire to spread lies about my fellow authors. Those on the list have publically denied purchasing reviews, and some are joining forces to wage a legal war against the blogger.

Yet, even if the authors had paid for a review, who really gives a crap? I mean really, you don’t think the big publishing houses haven’t paid for reviews? Grow up kids.

As a reader, I make my purchases by reading the blurb, preview and can be influenced by the cover. Even recommendations by my friends don’t significantly impact my choices, because I understand we all have different tastes.  Reviews, in my opinion are simply additional entertainment - especially those wacky one star reviews where the reviewer spends so much time searching for cutesy animated gifs to dress up their petty rants.

I wondered, why does someone like this blogger do this - even if they honestly believe an author has purchased a review? But, then I remembered when I went to see Woody Allan’s Annie Hall. The only reason we went to see it was because it walked away with four Oscars, which included best picture. We figured it had to be a great movie.  

My husband and I thought Annie Hall sucked. How could it have possibly won all those awards? After taking a closer look at the selection process, we discovered it was just a big ol’ popularity contest between their peers. We felt robbed! Not only our time, but the price of our tickets, and all the unnecessary calories we consumed in theatre popcorn and candy!

For a brief moment we considered going online and bringing attention to this atrocity.  We didn’t care how ridiculous we might look to the world; we were determined to bring down those Hollywood swindlers. But then we remembered….the modern Internet highway hadn’t yet been built.

In other words nasty bloggers….get a fricking life; would ya.

White Slavery a Taboo Term?

In yesterday’s blog I wrote: “Personally, the only thing that will get me to stop buying an author’s book, or paying for a movie featuring a misbehaving actor, would be if that person was doing something truly horrendous, like torturing puppies or profiting from white slavery.”

After reading my blog post, one of my author friends wrote “So white slavery is bad, but if they aren't white, well, profit away?  I'm sure that's not what she meant, but that's what she wrote.”

No, that isn’t what I wrote. If you look up the definition for white slavery you’ll find it means: “enforced prostitution” -  no mention of race. 

Another writer friend disagreed with me, and pointed out that the term is on the no-no list --- not politically correct. She suggested I use “human trafficking.”

I disagree. If I am talking about human trafficking specifically for the sex trade, the term white slavery is more specific. Human trafficking can apply not just to trafficking for the sex trade, but for forced labor.

This writer friend insisted the term  is offensive because it seems to discount the suffering of black slaves. Again I disagree.

If you do an online search for the origin of the term, you’ll find varying opinions. I’ve read that the term originally referred to the exploitation of English women in factories.

I have also read that the “white” in white slavery does not refer to race, but to purity and virginity – which was stolen from women when forced into prostitution.  White slavery is a crime committed against a woman of any color. According to Merriam-Webster’s current definition of white slavery, it is about enforced prostitution.

Sometime the desire to be politically correct gives me a headache. I'm told not to use white slavery because someone will get offended because they will assume that because I say white slavery is bad, I must therefore think slavery against a person of color is okay or not as severe. I really don’t get that logic, especially when white slavery is a crime against women of all colors.

 (So what’s with the flapper? The first time I heard the term was when I was a young girl and read the book Thoroughly Modern Millie.)

Saving the world from rude authors!

Ridding the world of misbehaving authors - one list and shelf at a time!

Over on Goodreads they’ve just announced their new policy: “We will also delete shelves and lists of books on Goodreads that are focused on author behavior.”

They remind us “Reviews should be about the book.”

Bravo Goodreads!

Of course, if you read the comments over there, you’ll discover a number of reviewers are not happy with the change. After all, it is their job to rid the world of rude authors – their mission is to keep authors behaving according to their standards.

I’m not sure how this notion came about, that book reviewers critique not just the book but the author.

Ironically, being a nice author is not necessarily one who avoids ending up in time out – banished to some dishonorable list or shelf of shame to be publicly humiliated, such as author’s misbehaving or butthurt author. No, if an author wants to avoid such lists he must shut up and take it.

Take for example one of my reviews where the reviewer critiques my book on a plot element that was not in the book. I can’t nicely comment, “Excuse me, that didn’t happen.” Nope, I need to shut up and take it.

But the funny thing about creative people – like authors, actors and musicians – good ones are often passionate and outspoken, it’s in their DNA. If we rid the world of all but nice and properly behaved authors, we are going to end up with some pretty boring entertainment.

Personally, the only thing that will get me to stop buying an author’s book, or paying for a movie featuring a misbehaving actor, would be if that person was doing something truly horrendous, like torturing puppies or profiting from white slavery.

Is that Sam and Ella? Not quite.

I have a habit of copying images from my digital camera, instead of moving them completely off the device. This evening, while removing pictures from my camera I came across this one of my sister and Lady, and had to share - since Lady was the inspiration for Sam in While Snowbound.

My sister and Mom tagged along on a family reunion this summer in South Dakota. The reunion was for my mother-in-law’s side of the family. Since my daughter and her family were coming down from Alaska to attend, we invited Mom and my sister, Lynn along.

Lynn shared a room with my husband and me. The room had two queen sized beds. When it came time to go to sleep, Lady didn’t think it was right my sister have that big ol’ bed all to herself. Lady never barks (much like Sam in While Snowbound) – but she sat next to the bed, looked at my sister, and gave a little WOOF.

You can see who got her way.

Stepping Back in Time

Coming soon - Coulson's Wife

I'm stepping back in time and telling the story of Randall Coulson - and his wife Mary Ellen, the grandmother of Lesson's Garret Coulson.

The story tells of Mary Ellen's unusual relationship with her husband, taking the readers from 1900 to 1949 -  from Virginia to Philadelphia to Chicago and finally to the founding of Coulson.

A reminder to those who might assume my premise is far fetched - the idea a man could purchase a parcel of land in the 20th century and grow a city, remember Coulson was inspired by my hometown of Lake Havasu City, which was founded by an Industrialist in the mid-1900s.