And The Fucktard of The Week Goes To…Deborah MacGillivray!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008Posted in: e-book authors posting under the influence, e-pubbed authors behaving like fucktards?, Highland Press
She’s a batshit loony author who writes for Kensington, and Dorchester and apparently co-owns Highland Press (an e-publishing company). Apparently, she’s also suffering from the Madris DePasture disease. Nofuckingclueitis.
I just spent the most amusing half an hour of my day reading the comments over at Dear Author. Happy HP Author amused me the most of course. People who wade in with their size nines, defending blindly, always tickle my funny bone.
Anyway, thanks to Google Cache, (apparently she deleted her comments to the reviewer) this is what Debbie Macwhateverthefuckhernameis had to say to a reviewer who had issues with her book:
Reba,
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed “A Restless Knight” so much you read it twice. It’s always nice to hear this. I appreciate when people take the time from their busy lives to let me know what they feel about my books. Sorry, you didn’t let me know before. As it was my debut book, I was very interested in responses.
I think perhaps, as Anne posted, that you are a bit too much in love with Challon, and thus resistant to Damian. It does me credit that I can create a character who conjures such loyalty from you. I can understand this. Challon is a powerful hero, he lived in my heart for a long time, both heroes have since I started working on the books in the middle 1990s. As a writer, it’s tough to move from one hero you love so much, such as Challon or Desmond (“The Invasion of Falgannon Isle”), and create new characters such as Damian or Jago (“Riding the Thunder”) and have them equal the ones that came before. I have a big heart, so I have learnt to love each hero as he comes along. It’s not a “betrayal” to love Damian as much as you do Challon, though often readers do this when they totally love a character.
I just love it when an author tries to tell a reviewer that what they feel is wrong, don’t you?
It’s easy to fall back on “cloning” a hero. But that would be a cop out. When I fashioned Damian I was doing a “mirror play”. Both heroes and heroines were similar in looks, but nothing alike inside. I have always been fascinated by twins, having a lot of them in my family, how two people outwardly similar are so different. You see this theme repeated in my books, because the variations are so much fun to play with.
However, I fear you did missed the point of Damian wanting to fight Dirk. He was not fighting for Tamlyn, he was going to take Challon’s place – to protect Challon. Damian was not defending Tamlyn. That was never his intention. Aithinne assumed – wrongly – that it was. It was not Damian’s place. He would never insult Challon in this manner. However, he was going to offer himself in Challon’s stead because of his concern for Julian. Julian’s mental state was a grave concern still. Had it not been, then Damian would have never dared step forward with the offer. Damian didn’t have the right to fight for Tamlyn. That was Challon’s honour. Damian only tried to be her champion, because he feared what more killing would do to Challon.
I’m guessing that if she missed the point, it was due to the author’s execution, rather than the reader’s comprehension, but hey what do I know?
Damian was never cruel, but rather indulgent with Aithinne. The instant he saw her upon his return to Glenlyon, he knew his mistake. He is a very honourable man. He would never have used her. Anything else was Aithinne’s own insecurities. Yes, small things, but at times feeling less than someone else can be rather crippling. I understand that personally. Damian figures his love will make these go away, but it was something Aithinne would have to come around to on her own.
Why is she explaining her book?
As for telling the king that, he did it to PROTECT HER. It’s made clear at several points, that Challon and he agree NEVER to let the king know how they value the women. If he explained to her, her reactions might not have been strong enough to convince the king. Remember, Aithinne was a HORRIBLE LIAR. He didn’t trust her to react strong enough to convince a very sharp man. It was a small hurt, to make sure the king allowed them to make, so he could protect her.
What an arse.
As for her feeling he didn’t care, those were HER perceptions. Most of the time, they were very wrong.
And she’s still explaining her motivations for her characters?
I am think you skimmed the book, sitting in an auto place, worry about big bad men sniggering, and didn’t bother to see why the characters did things, just took surface reactions. You are keying into Aithinne’s POV, which at many times is not accurate to what was really happening.
Now she’s calling the reader stupid. And losing her ability to articulate by the looks of things.
And where you got he was hung up on Tamlyn by the middle of the, that is SOOOOO wrong. He knew from his return he was mean for Aithinne, she was THE ONE. You are reading your quick assessment into that. He was NOT hung on on Tamlyn at any point after his return and he saw Aithinne. For you to keep saying that, shows how totally you are missing the true emotions of these characters.
What a fucktard.
As for accusing Athinne of asking Dirk into her room – he is MALE. Male do silly thinks when they are upset and jealous. This is so TM – Typically male. Men do silly things at times of high emotions. Damian is human, not perfect.
Oh dear.
Finally, sigh…slapping me for my title is so unfair. I haven’t picked either Kensington title. My blog here has several posts about it. My title was Ravenhawke. It even originally made the listing as that on Amazon and elsewhere. At the last minute it was changed and I was informed what my new title would be.
Slapping her for her title? Is this woman for real?
Perhaps you posted your review for “A Restless Knight” to Barnes and Noble and they didn’t put the review up? That has happened to me a time or two. Still time!!! I would love to hear why you liked it so much.
All my best and again, thanks!
Deborah
P.S. Thank everyone for the lively discussion. Sales have jumped!
How irritating is she?
For those who haven’t read the thread over at Dear Author, apparently when she gets low or negative reviews, she complains to Amazon, and gets them removed. She also rallies her fans to not only post positive reviews, but to harass the poor reviewer who dared say anything bad about her book.
What a fucking arsehole.
And that is why, she is my fucktard of the week.
Capo
April 8
7:22 pm
“Fucktard of the Week” Hm. I may just have to callously, shamelessly steal your idea for CHG. Or something to the effect.. 😉
But back to your post, Karen – can you tell me if this particular review was requested by the author? Just curious how this stuff works and why some authors get so bent out of shape when a neg review comes up. If the review was requested it sounds like sour grapes on the author’s part.
Thanks lovely lady!
Kayleigh Jamison
April 8
7:35 pm
Capo, I believe these were reviews on Amazon.com. An author can request that readers post reviews, but generally these reviews and ratings are given by consumers who bought the book and are now free to give their opinion on it. It’s not like a review site, where I send them a copy of my book for the purpose of getting a review.
When I send out free copies of my books (to contest winners, for instance) I hope they will write a review for Amazon or B&N, but I don’t ask for it.
Remember a few years back when Anne Rice came out with one of her Vampire Chronicles books (may have been Blood Canticle) and readers had some harsh things to say about her grammar and editing? And she posted a response, on Amazon, about how novel writing is a “virtuoso performance” and she doesn’t need an editor at this point in her career and how dare people criticize her because she’s Anne freaking Rice?
Yeah, this reminds me of…that.
kirsten saell
April 8
7:54 pm
She lost me at “It does me credit…”
Ally Blue
April 8
8:08 pm
o_O
Oh dear. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, is she?
Books are like music, in a way (though not a “virtuoso performance” way, good grief). Different people see your plots and characters in different ways; they take different things with them from your work, just as different people find different meanings in a song or a poem. Yes, it can get under your skin when you feel your characters are “misunderstood”. But you can’t talk people out of their opinions, and you really have no right to try. Suck it up and move on.
I hate hearing that about Anne Rice, dammit. Now I can’t ever read The Vampire Lestat again because I’ll get pissed off thinking of what she said >_<
Kayleigh Jamison
April 8
8:54 pm
You and me both, Ally.
And as someone who has been a violinist in a former life and given virtuoso performances, I can tell you this: there’s no such thing as a perfect performance. I’ve never given one, I’ve never heard one.
With books, we can fix those mistakes, but not on our own.
Bernita
April 8
9:01 pm
From what I’ve been reading, this one makes DePastures look mild.
CJ England
April 8
10:20 pm
Disagreeing with a reviewer is one thing. Browbeating said reviewer into changing their review or using Amazon to do it in a way that is suspect, now that does bother me.
And it sounds as if this is an ongoing thing? Hmmm…
M
April 8
11:15 pm
Bernita, didn’t you hear? This week NCP does edit.
Ellen Ashe
April 9
12:22 am
Good lord- there’s an epidemic- grab the manuscripts and run for the hills.
Capo
April 9
12:36 am
Thanks for the info Kayleigh!
Devon
April 9
4:36 am
I had heard of this woman, vaguely, but after catching up on the threads, I am just super curious about how she commands a legion to do her evil bidding. Are they fans, or frightened authors afraid of being blackballed? I thought she was a mid-list historical author. What level of crazy do you have to be not to think this will catch up with you?
Sharp Words » Blog Archive » Authorial (Mis)Conduct
April 9
10:02 am
[…] a helluva long thread over at Dear Author regarding another author/e-publisher behaving badly. Karen has a few crumbs, too. The whole thing makes me sad–the mudslinging, the back and forth. Some […]
E
April 9
7:08 pm
I think most people fear ‘review retaliation.’ She’s a reviewer for a gazillion internet review sites, a member of the RIO reviewers organization, and a top Amazon reviewer. Anyone who speaks out against her fears having their books ripped to shreds EVERYWHERE online by her legion of reviewer cronies. She literally has tentacles in EVERY online romance community there is, with the exception of places like Dear Author, SBTB, AAR–those like that.
heather (errantdreams)
April 12
5:32 pm
If you have to explain your book to someone who has read it, then you’ve already fucked up. If your book doesn’t make itself clear, then you didn’t do your job as an author. Feh.
Summary Post of Reba’s Amazon Fight | Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary
April 19
3:49 am
[…] opinion. DAM subsequently deletes the review, but it is viewable via Google Cache and saved by blogger, Karen […]
Stacey Green
April 22
3:32 pm
If you look on Amazon at many of the 5-star reviews DM has received AND given, they are from/to other authors at Highland Press. It looks like a big ploy to boost each other’s sales and it is so blatant that they should be deeply embarrassed. I will no longer purchase books put out by Highland Press. I am sorry to hurt innocent authors there, but I don’t want a penny of my money going to co-publisher MacGillivray.
Deb "CrazyAsAShitHouseRat" MacGillivray
April 22
8:38 pm
I’ll get ALL of you!!!!
…and your little dog too!
The Clash of Cultures « Internationale Krimis
April 25
5:55 am
[…] Schmerzliteratur) wird bei Amazon von einer Leserin tendenziell ablehnend besprochen, die Autorin belehrt die Rezensenten, wie sie das Buch hätte lesen sollen und wie gewisse Cachedokumente andeuten, […]
Capo
April 25
5:04 pm
My guess, Devon – flying monkeys! I suggest we round up a posse up disguised as her royal guards, capture her broomstick and douse her with a little water. This strategy has proved successful in the past if I’m not mistaken.
Karen Knows Best » Dorchester Publishing Is Dead…And Up For Auction… And Screwing The Late Dawn Thompson
March 11
10:55 am
[…] here’s an interesting comment from a KKB former Fucktard of The Week, Deborah Macgillivray: (Remember her?) “One of the saddest casualties of this mess is the sister of Dawn Thompson. Dawn did over dozen […]