A Time for Thanks

With Thanksgiving next week, I thought it was a good time to tell you what I was grateful for. So, here we go.

First, I'm thankful for my family, my husband in particular. There are often long days or late nights spent at the computer while I'm in the zone. I don't always want to go out because I have a self-imposed deadline looming over me. My husband is also the computer guy, the graphic designer and is responsible for my website design and maintenance. That's a lot  of support for one person.

I'm thankful that I can be a writer. When I was a child reading books by authors like Judy Blume and Lurlene McDaniel and S.E. Hinton, I dreamed of being a writer. I never thought it would actually happen, never thought I was good enough, but here I am; a best-selling author. That's an amazing feeling.

I'm thankful to my peers. People like Erin Nicholas, Lucy Lennox, JM Dabney and Sloane Kennedy have given me a leg up with their generosity. They've allowed me to promote my work on their social media and have shared my book with their fans. Thanks to their support, I've reached more readers than I ever expected to. I can say with certainty that I wouldn't be a best selling author without their support.

I'm thankful for e-readers, blog tours and social media. Without these things, I would still be toiling away, trying to find a way to get my books in the hands of readers. Thanks to the evolution of publishing, independent authors are thriving. When I first started out, I thought I needed an agent to succeed. That was true, but it's not the case anymore. Indie authors can do as well, if not better, than traditionally published authors. And even better for me is that I get to retain full artistic control. From the words inside to the cover outside, I have the final say.

Most of all, I'm thankful for you, the readers. If it wasn't for all of you taking a chance on an unknown author, I wouldn't be where I am. You gave me a chance and you accepted me. Your support and love of my books showed me that I do deserve to be here. For every book you buy, every review you write, every social media post you write or share, every email you send telling me how much you liked my book, for all of that and so much more, I'm thankful. I can never adequately express how much.

To those of you celebrating next week, Happy Thanksgiving, but even if you're not celebrating, I'm still thankful. 

Is It Trash or Treasure?

In two different reader’s groups I belong to on Facebook, I recently saw a question posted asking what fellow group members didn’t like to see in a story. Several group members chimed in with their answers. Naturally, I had my own answer as well.

As I watched the comments wrack up, I reacted as an author and not a reader. My first inclination was to take all these comments and make a spreadsheet along the lines of what not to do. Something I could refer back to when editing to make sure I wasn’t doing anything to cause readers to turn away.

There were several comments and the thread got pretty long before one best-selling author chimed in with her opinion and it wasn’t what you would expect. Instead of telling group members what her deal breakers were, she pointed out that likes and dislikes within books are as varied as the books themselves and that’s okay. The author expressed her dismay that readers would be disparaging these things instead of celebrating differences. From there, several people felt put in their place and apologized. Others pointed out it was meant to be fun while a few people took exception to being chastised for exercising their rights to free speech.

Here’s the thing. Everyone was right and that’s okay.

There are a lot of topics brought up in online groups that are meant to spark discussion. I read every comment for this particular one, and no one came across as hurtful. Most of it was straightforward. ‘I hate it when characters fall in love instantly’ or ‘I don’t like to read books where main characters cheat on each other’ and even ‘I don’t like books about males getting pregnant.’ These are just a small sample of the comments, but most were along these lines. Some even had people commenting on their comments to voice their agreement.

The lone author, who waved her metaphorical mom finger, was also right. You will never find a book that everyone loves, and that includes some of the most popular and best-selling books out there. If you’ve ever written a book review, you know that’s true. You go to write your five-star review and a one-star review catches your eye. You read it and are surprised and maybe a little incensed to find everything the other reader hated about the book was what you loved.

The author’s basic point was that you read what you want and do it without putting others down. While I didn’t think anyone was putting authors down, her comment did get me thinking about how right she was. Something I knew firsthand. When I started out in this business, my goal was to get an agent and then let the agent get a book deal. No two agents ever had the same feedback on my book. 

One would say the characters were well developed but the plot was weak while the other would say the plot was strong, but the characters could be better fleshed out. And they were talking about the same book!

So, I have a few takeaways from this experience. One, I am not going to keep a spreadsheet of readers’ dislikes. Not only are there too many, but readers’ tastes aren’t universal. I could omit something that someone likes and end up losing readers that way as well. Two, I’m going to write what I want. I have a loyal reader base who have demonstrated how much they like what I’ve done so far. I’m not going to compromise the integrity of my storytelling for fear of alienating a few readers who might not even be reading my work in the first place. Three, and most important of all, that old cliché is true, even when it comes to books. One person’s trash really is another person’s treasure.

Killing Characters

I recently read a book in which one of the main characters had what doctors suspected was an inoperable brain tumor. Treatment methods were failing, and the character was physically and mentally deteriorating. Death seemed near.

I don’t normally read books where a main character is going to die. At least not knowingly. I also don’t read books where a main character commits adultery, but that’s a story for another day.

The only reason I kept reading this book despite knowing the hero would likely die is that I’d become invested in the character. This book was one in a long series I was reading, and the character had been in each of the other books. Throughout the course of the other books, he was aloof and secretive while also taking dangerous risks, and we never knew why. When he gets his own book, his diagnosis is revealed and now we understand him better. We’ve also become invested in him and have to see this through to the end.

Since I’m not going to reveal the name of the book or the series or even the author, I feel safe in telling you our hero doesn’t die. A groundbreaking treatment abroad becomes available and our hero spends six grueling months participating in a clinical trial that ultimately saves his life.

I know it probably sounds cheesy or like the author took the easy way out. In her defense, the trial wasn’t easy for him and even after it ended, it took even longer for him to regain his physical and mental capacities. He wasn’t back to his old self immediately after the trial ended. We saw the aftermath of his recovery, which I was able to appreciate more since he didn’t die.

As for the author taking the easy way out by letting him live, I’m all for that. There are some deal breakers for me as a reader. Killing a main character is number one for me. It used to bother me when I would read warnings in the blurb in which the author mentioned triggers as well as story themes like death and adultery. It seemed like such a spoiler. Guess what? I’d rather be spoiled so I’m not shocked later on. Reading about the death of a main character is too emotional for me. I actually end up depressed, despite the story being fiction.

Here’s where I have to make a confession. I have actually killed a main character in my novels. My Reader View’s literary award-winning book, Extraordinary Will, is all about the declining health and ultimate death of young adult Will Cooke which happens in the midst of him experiencing his first love. It was such a hard story to write that I contemplated pulling a miracle out of my ass and letting him live. I couldn’t compromise the integrity of the story. In the end, he died, and I cried my eyes out the day I wrote that scene. In other books I’ve written, I’ve also killed off secondary characters and implied the death of one. Since his body was never found, readers always believed he would come back one day. Who knows? Maybe he will.

In the meantime, I am going on record right now as saying I will never kill another main character again. And if I can help it, I’m not going to read any books in which this happens. Let’s just hope the authors are kind enough to give fair warning before killing a main character.

Too Much of a Good Thing

When I first started writing, all of my novels were standalone. It didn’t occur to me to write in a series until readers started reaching out to me asking if certain characters were going to get their own book. That input changed the way I approach writing. Now, when I write a story, I do it with a series in mind.

My shortest series is two books; The Lincoln Bothers. My longest is my six book new adult series, New Beginnings. To date, I’ve released four books in that series with two more on the way. I have a few that are four books and one that’s five.

Recently, I fell down the rabbit hole of reading a series that had sixteen books. Not only that, but it has a spinoff series that currently stands at three books. When I realized there were sixteen books in the series, I was a little overwhelmed. My first thought was that it was a lot of books and that would cost me a lot of money when all was said and done.

I ended up reading all sixteen of those books and am now on the first book in the spinoff series. While each book was a standalone, there were overlapping story arcs and, of course, appearances from characters in prior books. I could have chosen to read only a few of the books, but there would have been some confusing gaps for me.

Reading all of these books got me thinking. Is sixteen books in a single series reasonable? Is there such a thing as a reasonable number of books in a series? Can you have too much of a good thing?

There is no industry standard that dictates how long or short a series should be. Obviously, readers are buying these books. Each one had several reviews and most were positive. I did notice the newer books in the series had fewer reviews, making me wonder if readers had jumped ship. Maybe they got tired of the characters or the story line and decided they’d had enough. Or maybe the readers are still there but they just didn’t dedicate themselves to doing reviews as they did when the earlier books were released. Whatever the reason for the lack of reviews, it’s clear the series has a loyal fan base.

Some authors, me being one of them, know exactly how many books will be in a series before they even write the first book. Often, that is shared with fans in advance in order to increase the buzz for the series. That’s not to say authors are driven by demands of the fans. If the fans want more of a certain series, authors might be likely to deliver because it keeps readers happy.

As an author, I’m not just writing for the happiness of my readers. I’m doing it for my happiness as well. That being said, whether or not sixteen or more books in a series is too much isn’t for me to say. The author is going to write what she wants. The reader has a choice. Either read all the books and get lost in the wonderful world the author has created or pick and choose which booksto read. 

For this series, I’m sticking with it until the end. In this case, that sounds to me like the answer is no. This isn’t too much of a good thing.

Someone Else's Trash

Last week, I read a m/m romance. In this book, a hair stylist falls for one of his customers, a wheelchair user in his first relationship since his accident ten years ago. I love stories like this. I not only read them, but I write them. A few of the books in my New Beginnings series have disabled characters so I’m always excited to read about them.

Only a few chapters into the book I was reading, I found myself rolling my eyes, but I kept going. The premise was strong and the potential to be great was there so I didn’t want to give up. The more I read the book, the less I liked it. Finishing the book became about seeing my investment of time through to the end as opposed to not being able to put it down.

So what was the problem?

The biggest issue for me was that everywhere this couple went, the wheelchair user was met with a form of discrimination. I am not kidding when I say every time they went out in public, some asshole was insulting or attacking the wheelchair user. And every time it happened, his able bodied boyfriend was there to save the day with a sharp word or threat to anyone who wronged his man. Let me tell you, it got grating. Instead of this book exploring the relationship between these two, it was more about the able bodied guy having to fight for his disabled boyfriend. 

Guess what? I wasn’t the only one who found this off-putting. Another reviewer gave the book the same rating I was going to, and her review was so lengthy, there was no way I couldn’t read it. In reading this review, I learned something about my own writing of disabled characters that I hadn’t even realized I was doing.

Like me, this reviewer was disgusted by the number of times the able bodied man has to swoop in and save the day for his disabled boyfriend, but our reasons were different. I felt like it happened far too often to be realistic. The other reviewer pointed out how ableist it was. Our able bodied character is determined to stand by his man, which is fine, but he’s always the first to speak up when the discrimination occurs. He doesn’t ask if his man needs or wants the help. He just jumps up to defend his man and then magnanimously points out that the discrimination isn’t happening on his watch. Not being disabled, I hadn’t considered this, but it makes sense that it would be annoying to assume someone wants or needs that type of defense.

I’ve written books with amputees and one with a wheelchair user. I’m currently working on one with a blind character. Reading that review made me wonder if I was guilty of what this writer had done. Going back through my current work in progress, I was dismayed to find two scenes exactly like this reviewer described. I did the insensitive waiter and the ignorant department store clerk shtick. In both scenes, my sighted character takes it upon herself to speak up before the blind man even has a chance to react.

As the reviewer of the other book pointed out, this isn’t intentional. When you’re not disabled, you don’t always have the right perspective to understand how insensitive and annoying that can be; how it has the opposite effect of what you were going for.

Thanks to a bad review on someone else’s book, I learned a few things to make me a better writer, including strategies to avoid being unintentionally ablest. One woman’s bad review turned out to be a treasure for me.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I’m one of those rare breed of readers that loves both male/male and male/female romance novels. Because of that, I write for both audiences. When I started out, though, I was only writing m/f stories. I had quite a few of those under my belt when I decided to try my hand at m/m romance writing. In the beginning, I threw one m/m book in each of my m/f series.

Earlier this year, inspiration struck for an entire m/m series. And when I say it struck, it hammered me over the head. In a matter of days, I had the entire five books planned out with character outlines, titles and summaries. Once I’d finished that, the main characters of the first book started talking to me. Rather than ignore them, I gave in and started writing their story. Since I’d just finished the second book in my six book m/f series, I figured I might as well give in to the m/m pull of my creative muse.

I finished the first book in my m/m series, polished it up and released that bad boy on the world. I also paid a visit to the social media groups of some of the more prolific m/m writers and pedaled my book. Thanks to their support, my book took off. For the first time ever, I made the Amazon best seller list, reviews were coming in and readers were already asking for the next book. It was exciting and humbling.

It would have been easy to give in, toss aside my m/f series and just keep writing in the m/m genre. I couldn’t do it though. Not only have I promised readers a six book series that I was only halfway through releasing, but I still wanted to write those books. I just wanted to write the other four m/m books too.

My solution?

Write both series but alternate release dates. After my first m/m series release, I went back to my m/f series and wrote and released the third book. Then I wrote and released the second m/m book. I’m currently working on the fourth book in the m/f series. The plan is to write the third m/m book when that’s done, but you know what they say about best laid plans.

Work has been slow going on the fourth m/f book. Why? The characters in the third m/m book won’t stop talking to me. They keep telling me things. I write them down because I don’t want to lose them before I’m ready to write the story. I also seem to have more readers of my m/m novels than my m/f and those m/m readers are voracious. They’re ready for that next book. I want to give it to them, but I also want to stick to that commitment I made. Not just because I do have some readers waiting for the next m/f book but also because nothing ticks me off more as a reader than an unfinished series.

When I decided to alternate releases for each series, I thought it was a good idea. I thought it would be easier to switch mental gears than it has been. I’ve learned my lesson. Writing more than one series at a time may work for other writers, but it doesn’t work for me. While I will honor the commitment I’ve made to how each book in the respective series will be released, this will be the last time I have simultaneous series in the works. Working on two series at the same time is too much for this writer.

End of an Era; With Good Reason

A few months ago, I talked about the copyright infringement issues being faced by some popular photographers. Specifically, there were authors who were using unlicensed pictures for their book covers. When the photographers reached out to the authors to inform them of the issue, the authors were combative. One even took the stance that she’d done nothing wrong because she found the picture on the internet.

Naturally, fans of these photographers, many of whom are also readers, came out of the woodwork in support of the photographers, as they should have. The result was that these authors likely lost a lot of future fans. They’re just lucky the photographers were kind enough to give them the benefit of the doubt instead of seeking legal action first.

I’m sorry to say it’s happening again. Photographer Michael Stokes is once again the victim of piracy. This time, authors on Wattpad are using his pictures as covers for their books.

For those you not familiar with it, Wattpad is an online writing community where you can publish your stories with no publishing contract and retain the rights. The idea is that you are able to grow readership. When I participated several years ago, authors published stories one chapter at a time and fans could read and vote on their stories. It’s since changed and I believe some authors can now be paid through the site.

Though I no longer publish on Wattpad, and haven’t for years, I left my stories there for readers to enjoy. For years, I contemplated closing the account but always went back to not wanting to disappoint readers. Unfortunately, Wattpad has left me no choice. 

After discovering he’d been a victim of copyright infringement once again, Stokes reached out to the Wattpad authors who felt they hadn’t done anything wrong. If it’s on the internet, it’s free right. With no luck there, it’s my understanding he asked the Wattpad administrators to intervene and his pleas were ignored. It was thanks to public backlash that one author caved and changed her cover.

Stokes should not have had to go to this extent to be heard. He had substantial proof of the violation, but no one at Wattpad seemed to care. What’s more, it’s not the first time they’ve turned an apathetic ear to these issues. According to some readers, plagiarism runs rampant on the site with no regulation, and I can tell you for a fact one of my stories published there was plagiarized on another site.

In light of this, I've closed my account. To those of you who are strictly Wattpad readers, I am sorry I’ve had to take this step, but I have to do what I feel is right. I can no longer support a company that has demonstrated it doesn’t value the work of all artists. I hope you understand, and I thank you for your years of loyal support. You helped launch my mainstream career, and I will never forget that.

What Would You Do?

The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across an intriguing post in one of my reader's groups. The user said that she'd just finished reading two books by a new to her author. While she loved the books, she was disappointed with the number of typos in the book. The reader wanted to know if she should reach out to the author.

Before self-publishing became the norm, authors didn't have to worry about this. They signed a contract with a publisher and handed off their novel. The publishers had in-house proofreaders and editors who would catch any errors before the book went to print. It was rare that they missed something. When an error went to print, avid readers were filled with glee at knowing that our favorite authors were mistake making humans.

These days, most authors are independent authors. That means we're responsible for our own writing, editing, proof reading, formatting, cover design and marketing. That doesn't mean we have to do these things ourselves. We can most certainly contract the services out, but that costs money. New authors, and authors with smaller followers, can't always afford all of these services.

I'm lucky. I have a husband who's handy with Photoshop. I don't pay the cost of labor associated with cover design and promotional materials, however, I do have to pay for the photos we use. That's another expense, as is hosting my website and buying and renewing the domain name of my website.I also pay someone to format my e-books, pay someone else to proofread them and I pay someone to do online promotion.

I have nearly twenty titles out and I've only recently been able to afford a proofreader. My last two books were professionally proofread. When I was new to the game, I could not afford all of these expenses. I had to do it all. I did, and still do, my best to make sure my work was polished. Unfortunately, things get missed. No matter how good you are, your eyes sometimes see what your brain thinks should be there.

Writing is not my day job. Thanks to my most recent m/m series, I'm making more now than I have in years past, but I don't support myself with my writing. Even with my growing success, I still probably spend more on my writing than I make. As much as I'd like to, I can't afford an editor yet. I can't relieve my poor husband of his cover art duties. I have to rely on stock photos for my covers since they're more affordable.

Do writers make mistakes? Yes, we do. Do I want you to reach out to me if you find them? Yes, I do. I want to know what you found so I can fix it. My name is attached to that book, and I want it to be the best it can be. Readers' sharp eyes see things diligent writers miss. One thing though.

When you reach out to me to let me know what you found, please be kind. Keep in mind I'm not a full time writer. That I have high overhead and low profits. That I am doing my best and mistakes aren't intentional. That I want them fixed as much as you do. Most importantly, I appreciate your care and concern for my book and respect the courage it takes to tell someone a hard truth. I will appreciate your help and hope you will deliver your message gently. 

You've Been Warned

If you're a reader, you probably have a specific genre you like to read and some that you absolutely detest. I do. I love contemporary romance, but I can't stand historical romance. There are also certain things that turn me off a book that have nothing to do with the genre. For instance, I don't like when one of the main characters cheats on the other, and I'm not the only one. In fact, it's such a big deal for some readers that books often have disclaimers at the beginning to assure readers there is no cheating and the characters will get their happy ending.

That sounds like a spoiler right? I guess it is, but since cheating is a hard limit for some readers, authors have started warning them whether or not it's going to happen. And that's not the only warning authors are giving readers.

Many books these days contain reader advisories for everything from depictions of sexual assault to domestic violence. I'll admit when I first started seeing these warnings, I was put off. Most characters are keeping big secrets later revealed to the reader. Knowing what they were before I even read the first line of the book seemed like it would ruin the story for me. Then I started to give it serious thought.

We live in a time where we're more conscious of our mental health, and that's a good thing. It's something we need to foster and respect. A person who was the victim of sexual assault or domestic violence may not want to read about these subjects. What's more, she might not be in a place where it's safe for her to do so. It could trigger a setback in her recovery to be reminded of it.

Beyond that, sure a subject matter warning might be a bit of a spoiler, but I'v found it doesn't have to detract from enjoying the story. I can still have the same emotional reaction as I watch the main character navigate her trauma and learn to live in a new normal. Sure, I'm missing out on the shock of the big secret being revealed but a good enough story makes that incidental.

I applaud those authors who care enough about readers to warn them certain subjects might be upsetting. I'm also going to take a page out of their books, in the proverbial sense, and will now be letting my readers know about sensitive subjects ahead of time.

You've been warned, and I think we're all better for it. 

Shame On You

A few days ago, I'm on Facebook, scrolling through my feed, when I see a book recommendation request from a m/m reader. After watching Game of Thrones, the reader was in the mood for some twin action, as in twin brothers getting it on.

I came pretty close to doing a little self-promotion. My book, Triple Play, has a set of twins who share some sexual experiences though they never actually go full anal. I ultimately decided not to throw my hat in the consideration ring. My story is actually about a woman who pursues a relationship with both men, and some m/m readers don't want any m/f intimacy in their books.

A day or so later, I'm scrolling through my Facebook feed once again, and I see a lengthy rant from a fellow m/m author. This author stood on her soap box and went on and on about how disgusting it is for readers to enjoy twincest (yep, it's popular enough to have its own trope name) and it's no wonder the m/m romance writing community can't be taken seriously. As if it wasn't enough for her to disparage other peoples' tastes, she took a screen shot of the original reader's query to further shame her.

My first reaction after reading her post was to feel shame. I didn't feel shame for her. I was ashamed of myself for having written a book with some twincest action. For a few moments, I gave serious though to rewriting the entire book and taking out all of those scenes to make it more palatable.

That feeling was short lived. Once I got over my shame, I was outraged. First of all, how dare she try to publicly shame anyone's reading pleasure? Second, how dare she try to make other authors feel lesser for writing tropes she doesn't approve of? Third, and worst of all, who does she think she is trying to make it seem as though all m/m authors share her feelings? That bitch is giving us a bad name.

Even if I hadn't written Triple Play, I would never condone shaming someone else's tastes because they don't align with mine. If I don't like something, and you do, I'm probably not going to read the book you're recommending. And I am definitely not going to make you feel like shit by publicly shaming you. That is not cool.

I made the choice to stop following the author and to remove her and her spouse from my friends list. I also decided I will no longer buy or promote her books, no matter how much I enjoyed them in the past. Satisfied with my decision, I was ready to move on, but then something amazing happened.

I learned I wasn't alone in my outrage. You know how social media is. Things spread like wildfire there, especially if they're controversial.  It started with the moderators of the m/m book reccomendations group posting an apology to the original twincest reader and reminding all group members it was never acceptable to publicly trash another member's preferences. Many group members chimed in to offer their support to the reader who'd made the original post. Even those who didn't enjoy twincest were encouraging, taking an attitude of to each his own and you do you.

And it didn't stop there. A number of m/m authors took to their social media pages to say it's not okay to publicly shame someone's reading taste. Many removed the offending author from their groups and have pledged to no longer support her.

I am thrilled to see so many people getting behind the original reader. I'm sure this author didn't realize the shit storm she was going to stir up, but it's unfortunate. With the amount of readers she's alienated, it's likely she'll see an impact to her sales. There were countless people vowing never to buy another of her books or never to buy them at all. That's going to hurt, but I have two things to say about that.

Always think before you speak, and shame on you for trying to make others feel ashamed. That's going to be an expensive lesson to learn. 

Don't Leave Me Hanging

Last week, I read a book by a new author. It was a shifter romance with an interesting take on the cultural hierarchy, and yes, before you say it, shifter culture is a thing in fiction novels. Not the point. The point is that I was happily reading this book and being drawn into the story when the unthinkable happened.

The author ended the book with a cliffhanger, leaving me to wait for the next book to wonder what’s going to happen.  And let me tell you, I was pissed.

Now, I knew going in that the book was the first in a series. That’s fine. When I’m emotionally invested in characters and the story, I’m excited by the prospect of more books. Sure, I get impatient waiting for the next book, especially when I’m quick to devour the one before, but I understand writing takes time.

As for the cliffhanger, I had no idea it was coming. Not only was I pissed off when I realized the book was over, and we were left wondering what would happen to our beloved alpha and the mate he was so desperately hoping for, but I was also left unfulfilled. I felt like I’d been cheated.

I know what the author was doing. Creating the suspense and hoping the cliffhanger would leave readers so excited to know what was going to happen that they would be sure to come back for more. The funny thing is I’ve done this before. It’s been a long time. I’ve done it before, but I don’t do it anymore.

I would never tell another author how to write her book, unless she asked for my advice. I will say that I’ve become spoiled. Very few of the authors I read these days are using cliffhangers as a means to entice readers. Most, myself included, are writing each book in their series so that it could be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable when all preceding books are read in order.

On the rare occasions that I read books that have cliffhangers, I usually do it knowingly. Most authors are kind enough to realize readers don’t like to be left in the lurch. They typically include a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that warns readers the story ends on a cliffhanger. Some even go as far as to include the release date for the next book so readers can decide if they want to take the risk.

Believe it or not, reading a book with a cliffhanger is a risk, especially when the book is written by a new author. I can’t tell you how often writers come and go. There are quite a few with staying power but just as many who stop writing. Some not only stop writing but also seem to fall off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again. It’s disappointing when an author I like stops writing, but it’s frustrating when an author I like stops writing after leaving their last book on a cliffhanger. Then I never know what happened, and that sucks.

It sounds petty, but as a reader, I’m begging all authors. Don’t leave me hanging if you can help it. If you’re going to do it, at least warn me before I open the book. Give me the ability to make an informed decision about whether or not I want to read the book yet.

A Thief Strikes Again

In a recent post, we talked about plagiarism, the act of one author stealing from another (or several others) and passing the work off as her own. I hate to say it, but a different author has committed the crime of theft, only this one is more interesting than the last.

Every author knows writing a book is only step one in the process of releasing your book. So much more goes into it, including having a cover. Anyone will tell you that a cover can make or break a book. You can have the best-written book, but a bad cover can kill your sales.

So, what do you do when your book is written and you need a cover? There are several options.

I’ll tell you what you don’t do though. You don’t search the internet for a photo, find one you like and then use it for your cover. If you do, chances are high you are committing a crime. Like books, most photographs are copyrighted. To use a photo that has a registered copyright without permission of the photographer is copyright infringement.

And guess what folks? You can’t hide behind the ‘I didn’t know’ argument. If you’ve found a photo you like during an internet search, it’s your responsibility to track down the photographer and find out if it is available for licensing. If you don’t do that, and you use the photo anyway, you are engaging in copyright infringement. What is that old saying? Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Now, let’s say you don’t heed this advice and you use a stolen photo. If the photographer finds out, and contacts you and asks you to stop using his work, you’d better comply. If not, you are not only a terrible person you are also in violation of copyright laws.

I’m equal parts disgusted and saddened that photographer Michael Stokes was the subject of one such thief last week. Even more appalling is that when Stokes reached out to two authors he found to be using his work without permission one took him for a ride on the crazy train. The author accused him of being a liar and a racist, among other things, and refused to stop illegally using his photograph on her book cover. The author in question defended her actions by saying she paid $1.50 for the picture and would continue to use it.

I don’t know about you, but the fact that the picture only cost her $1.50 raised a huge, red flag for me. Michael Stokes, Golden Czermak and Wander Aguiar are among the most prolific photographers in the industry. There is no way any of them would sell their work at such low cost, and they shouldn’t be expected to. Even if the author did pay someone for the picture, the photographer has informed her that he wasn’t paid for its use. That should be enough to get her to stop using his work, but she continues to refuse.

As if that isn’t bad enough, she’s also taking shots at anyone who defends Stokes. Not only has she made disparaging remarks about Stokes, his colleagues and his fans, but she’s failed to keep in mind some of us stepping up to stand at Stokes’ side are readers. Readers who are so outraged and disgusted by her actions that we do not intend to purchase her books. This woman has cost herself a loss of future income in addition to the financial loss she’ll face if Stokes pursues legal action.

I’m not just a reader. I’m an author. Would I love to be able to license photos from industry titans like Stokes, Czermak and Aguiar? Sure, I would, but I’m not in a position to do so now. Does that mean I’m going to use their work anyway and then have the audacity to justify my theft? Absolutely not.

The bottom line here folks is that using a photograph for any reason without the photographer’s permission is stealing. No self-respecting author, or person, would ever to such a thing. I, for one, hope Stokes takes her to the cleaners.

Give Up the Ghost

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about a scandal in the male/female romance community. An author was found to have plagiarized several other authors in the genre. As if that wasn't bad enough, because there is no excuse for plagiarism, she ripped off best selling authors, including industry titan, Nora Roberts. Instead of owning her mistake, the author blamed her ghostwriter. The ghostwriter fired back, making sure everyone knew that every word she wrote came from the author, who by the way did not pay the ghostwriter for her services, instead giving her a sob story about needing the money for a sick child.

Plagiarism is  deplorable, but this scandal sparked another debate. Is it okay to use a ghostwriter? Before we go any further, let's define what a ghostwriter is. In the simplest terms, it's having someone else take your ideas, and usually your rough draft, and polish it up until it becomes a full fledged story. The ghostwriter is not credited for the work done and consumers buy and read books assuming it was written by the author listed on the cover and title page.

Have you ever wondered how some authors can release a book a month while others are good for only a few a year? And still others only release one a year? For a few writers, they are dedicated enough to sit at their computer every day and do nothing but write. Some have a backlog of already written stories they're pulling from. The rest? They're using a ghostwriter. 

Using a ghostwriter isn't a new practice, but this scandal has raised some questions. Is it fair for authors to use ghostwriters? Are authors who use ghostwriters duping readers? When a ghostwriter is used, what is the impact to the rest of us who aren't using them?

In the wake of the latest plagiarism scandal, many authors decried using ghostwriters. Several authors made sure to use their social media platforms to inform their readers if their name was on a book, they alone wrote it. There was even a few Facebook threads of authors posting pictures of their pets and cheekily proclaiming those were their ghostwriters. Given how passionately so many authors are speaking against it, I'm sure you can guess how most of us feel about ghostwriters, but why?

Like it or not, using a ghostwriter is a misrepresentation to your readers. Your cover and title page boasts you as the author, but you're simply the creator of the idea. You're not earning your fans or your money honestly, and that is not fair to the people purchasing your books.

Then there is the fact that ghostwriters are usually able to crank out these stories in thirty days or less. How? Because it's their job. They earn their living by writing one story after another. The more they can produce, the more money they make. Sure, the quality of the storytelling suffers, but many readers who are fans of the "author" will snap every one of those books up.

For those of us who write our own stories, we suffer. Fans want to know why we can't write a book a month. If we take a few months in between, there's a risk our fans are going to move on and find writers they know are producing. Part of this is because readers worry the author is going to abandon the series and they don't want to get invested. I hate to say it, but it happens for a variety of reasons.

So far, I've never abandoned a series, but I do take several months in between releases. I'm not the only author in my genre who does, and it's my hope that true fans will understand. I'm taking my time so I can give them the best product. I would rather take longer to give you the most polished product than give you something every month that isn't up to snuff.

As long as the practice of using ghostwriters is legal, there are people who will take advantage of it. I submit to you those people aren't real authors and they aren't truly invested in their craft.

My Annual Birthday Wish List

My birthday is this Friday. About a month before, my family starts asking what I want. From a personal perspective, I struggle to answer this question because there's not a lot I want. If I do want something, I usually buy it, which doesn't leave a lot of choices this time of year.

As a writer, I can easily answer this question. If you're one of my longtime readers, you already know the answer, but there's one thing this year that I think it will surprise you.

Okay, so what do I want?

Reviews, I always want reviews of my books. Reviews on Amazon have a direct relationship to how much promotion effort the online retailer does for the book. The more reviews a book has, the more likely it's promoted. I also like seeing reviews. If they're good, they make me happy, make me want to write more. If they're bad, they give me a means to improve my craft.

 Book sales are another great gift idea. Last year, I finally achieved a longtime goal. I became an Amazon best selling author with my m/m romance novel, Going Inksane. Now, I would like to become a NY Times and USA Today best selling author. The only way that happens is through book sales. All of my novels are $3.99 or less. Hopefully, the low price point motivates people to buy.

People taking a moment to promote one of my books on Friday would be a great present. Word of mouth is an effective sales tool. The more people that say they like my books, the more likely it will attract new readers.

Join my Facebook group. That's a new thing I'm trying in my promotion efforts. So far, it's slow going. There are around thirty members. I'm hoping that as I release more books, books that people hopefully like, that more readers will join. I would love to have the level of engagement some of my peers and idols have.

This year, you'll be surprised to hear that I want to be a finalist in the Lambda Literary Awards. For those of you who don't know, the Lammy is an award given to authors of LGBTQ books. Finalists are being announced tomorrow with the winners awarded in June. I entered my novel, The Truth Inside, for consideration in the transgender romance category. This new adult novel tells the story of an up and coming MMA fighter in his first relationship with a woman since his transition. The cover also features transgender activist and model Jeffrey Rubel. Since my birthday is Friday, and finalists are being announced tomorrow, being a finalist would be the best present ever.

There you have it, my annual birthday wish list. It doesn't change much, does it?

A Thief Strikes Again

Last week, the romance community was rocked with yet another scandal, and it’s an ugly one. Much uglier than one misguided author trying to copyright a commonly used word to prevent other authors from using it in their titles. It was a case of one author stealing from another, more commonly known as plagiarism.

The theft was discovered by an astute reader. While reading a best-selling novel, that’s right, it was a best-seller, the reader was certain she’d read this novel already. The problem was it had been written by another author, who also happens to be a best-selling author. The reader alerted the author to the theft, beginning our trip down the rabbit hole.

The author who had been plagiarized was incensed, rightfully so. She reached out to the other author and demanded she take action to remove her stolen story. The victim also demanded a public apology and suggested the thief keep a thorough accounting of any money she’d earned through the sale of her stolen property, as she would need to compensate our victim. Wisely, our victim also suggested the thief come clean about any other authors she had plagiarized. Better to own up to it rather than have it discovered after the fact because you’d better believe everyone was going to take a closer look at every work our thief had published.

And do you know what our thief did?

If you guessed that she denied her crimes, you would be partially right. Our thief took her denial a step further and added a hearty helping of good old pass the buck. In other words, she blamed someone else. According to the thief, it wasn’t her fault. The ghostwriter she employed was actually the thief. That right there is an entirely different can of worms she opened, but we’ll talk about that later, and when I say later, I mean in another blog post. If we talk about it today, we’ll never get through this topic.

My initial thought was there was no ghostwriter. This was just a case of a desperate thief trying to keep from incurring any penalties that came from being guilty of the crime. Imagine my surprise when I learned there was a ghostwriter. The ghostwriter adamantly denied plagiarizing anyone and instead insisted she took several piece meal scenes given to her by the writer and turned them into a readable novel. If our ghostwriter is to be believed, she wasn’t compensated for her work because the author gave her a sob story about not having the money to pay her due to an unexpected illness of her daughter.

I’m inclined to believe the ghostwriter and not our thief. Anyone who steals from another writer has already proven she has a compromised moral compass. It’s no stretch of the imagination to think she would lie about her culpability and refuse to pay for services rendered.

To add another log on this steaming pile of dung, it turns out our thief did indeed plagiarize other romance authors, including Nora Roberts. In the wake of this scandal, the thief deleted her social media accounts. While she may be doing her best to hide from what she’s done, I have no doubt we haven’t heard the end of it. Don’t be surprised if multiple copyright infringement lawsuits are brought.

There have been times when I’ve read something another author has written and wished I’d written it, but it’s never crossed my mind to steal it and claim it as my own. As an author who’s been plagiarized, I know how gut wrenching this crime can be. It’s like having someone reach inside of you and rip out a piece of your soul.

Writing a book is more than just putting words on paper. It’s pouring your heart and soul into something and hoping enough people like it that you can at the very least break even on the cost of production and promotion. For someone to take your work and try to pass it off as their own is not just a slap in the face. It’s a hit to your bottom line, which can be devastating to those who make their living as authors.

As much as I hate to say it, this isn’t the first plagiarism scandal to rock the writing world, and it won’t be the last. All we can do as authors is continue to fight back, but it’s sad that we have to.  

Here Comes 2019

Is it too late for me to say happy New Year? I’ll be the first to admit I’m on the slow train here. This is usually the time where I’ve already recapped what happened last year and am telling you what’s on tap for the upcoming year. Normally, I have one post devoted to each, and I thought about doing it this year. Then I realized it might make more sense to combine both.

So, here we go.

I started a new book series in 2018. The New Beginnings series is a six book contemporary romance series. Each book is a standalone new adult novel, though the characters do crossover into each other’s books. Last year saw the release of The Truth Inside, which features a transgender character. 

The second book, Standing on His Own, came out a few months later and told the story of an amputee war veteran finding a new love.

In addition to release the first two New Beginnings books, I re-released my two Sapphire Falls novellas; Going for Wilder and Going Even Wilder. These books were part of the now defunct Kindle Worlds. When KW fell by the wayside, Sapphire Falls author Erin Nicholas was kind enough to offer all KW authors the option to re-release our books. With as much fun as those books were to write, there was no way I was going to pass that up. These novellas are back and still available for the low price of $1.99 each.

New Beginnings wasn’t the only series I started last year. I also released the first book in the Nice Ink series entitled Going Inksane. Nice Ink is a five book male/male romance series featuring five tattoo artists and the brothers they fall for. While Going Inksane isn’t my first foray into the world of m/m romance, it’s my most successful. Thanks to some generous promotion from peer authors, Going Inskane became an Amazon best seller in the m/m romance category. I can tell you that I about fell out of my chair when I saw that. I’m still smiling about it three months later.

Last year, I submitted The Truth Inside for consideration in the Lambda Literary Awards. Results won’t be announced until March 2019, so I’ll keep you posted.

Now that 2018 is out of the way, what’s in store for 2019?

More writing of course and more books being released. I’ve already finished, Coming Back Broken, the third book in the New Beginnings series. It’s with the proofreader now. Once I have it back, I’ll make the corrections and send it off for formatting. I’m shooting for a 1/29/18 release date.

After that, I’ll be working on Never Again, the second book in the Nice Ink series. For those of you Nice Ink fans, Never Again will tell Derek and Flynn’s story and I can’t wait. Flynn has several secrets to share.

In the coming year, I’ve committed to alternating the books released in each series. Normally, I’m not a fan of authors having multiple series at once, but the Nice Ink guys did not want to wait to be heard.

In addition to writing, I’m hoping I can do at least one author event. While I’d love to do GRL or Coastal Magic, I may have to think smaller. I’m still not as well known, so I have to consider the cost. I want to meet everyone though, readers and fellow authors alike.

So, there you have it. 2018 is behind me. Bring on 2019 and let’s see what happens!