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OMFG--are you serious?

OMFG–are you serious?

Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks
Tags:,

I really need to stop following #notchilled.

For one, the implosion of EC is never ending, and after a full year and a half of this bullshit, I’m tired of the repetition. It’s same shit, different day, again and again and again–and as a reader who really has no dog in this fight? Not really worth the effort.

On top of this, some of the things said there¹ by EC’s authors/former authors make me want to screech.

Take this one, for example:RobinLRothamonbusinessethics (more…)

1 Comment »
Anyone else...

Anyone else…

Thursday, April 2, 2015
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks
Tags:, ,

digging the irony of Ann Somerville using a post at Karen Scott’s blog to justify an absolute, un-nuanced defense of Jane Litte of Dear Author?

Ann Somerville quoting Karen Scott

For context: Jane Litte revealed on March 24th that she is also Jen Frederick, a NA author. You can follow some of the resulting asploding heads over here, and then here, and finally here.

At one point, AS posted a comment that could have gotten Jane Litte and company in trouble. Reading between the lines, they offered to edit the offending bits, but she preferred to have the whole thing deleted. Then AS decided to re-post it, with additional commentary, in her own blog. The commentary required linkage for the purposes of proof, hence the irony.

For those of you who don’t want to go there–or in case the blog disappears again–here’re the screenshots, with my own commentary. And, because I’m ornery like that, I’m not giving you the same links AS uses–I believe her narrative is just a wee bit biased, so I’m choosing different links to provide an alternative take on the background information.

(more…)

2 Comments »
It was all quiet, then Anne Rice opened her mouth

It was all quiet, then Anne Rice opened her mouth

Sunday, March 8, 2015
Posted in: Anne Rice, Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks
Tags:, , , , ,

Many of our readers are aware of Anne Rice’s increasingly strange behaviour, claiming that she doesn’t need an editor, that readers who write negative reviews hate her, sending her fanboys and girls to attack a blogger because she dared use pages of her book Pandora (after writing a fairly negative review of it) for a craft project, and over all being a huge drama queen with a large platform and little common sense.

Ms Rice, not content with the fact that her opinion is sought less and less often, is not shy about sharing it as loudly as she can.

Today I was made aware that while posting that she ‘knows nothing and has no opinion,’ in truth Anne Rice is chiding anyone speaking in support of DA or JL, and claiming that EC will have its day in court. Funny, I thought it was the people accused who had their day in court to prove their innocence. Further, I thought that in defamation cases, is the people doing the accusing who have to prove there is defamation.

Still, not surprised to see Anne Rice talking out of her ass again. It’s become her schtick, yes?

5 Comments »
Just in time for NaNoWriMo

Just in time for NaNoWriMo

Monday, November 3, 2014
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks
Tags:, , , ,

Which for those of us who don’t write stands for National Novel Writing Month, a writing thing(?) for writers which is held every November, HuffPo released a post full of (bad) advice for writers.

Number 4 would have been a lot funnier had it not been for Kathleen Hale’s stalking shenanigans:
(more…)

2 Comments »
Too good to pass up (as blog fodder)

Too good to pass up (as blog fodder)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Posted in: arseholes abound, Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks, rant, Review sites behaving badly?, reviews, self-publishing

 

I was busy with other things yesterday when this review went up at Dear Author, but as I was coming over to post something else, Karen had already been there, done that, and come back to post about it.

Anyway, will you look at this precious, precious gem from Sandy: (more…)

5 Comments »

Koko Brown, Really? Really????

Monday, January 23, 2012
Posted in: AA romance, Adventures with Blog people, Authors behaving like twits, Not another author bitching about reviews, Racism in romance

Seriously, instead of thinking about what a shit job you did writing this book, you decide to slag off the reviewer?

It makes me laugh uproariously that you start off your post thusly:

“As all of you know, I love reviews. The good, the bad and the ugly. I have no problem posting them on my website or blogging about them.”

I’m pretty sure that what you meant was that you love glowing reviews, seeing as you just got a bad one, and you’re so pissed that you’re waving your knickers in the air for all and sundry to gawk at.

As for this part: (more…)

19 Comments »
Open letter to Maggie Stiefvater

Open letter to Maggie Stiefvater

Friday, January 20, 2012
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks, Review sites behaving badly?
Tags:

Ms Stiefvater, you may have not consciously intended to, but you most definitely belittled book bloggers with your comments–just as you have in the past belittled romance readers (many of whom read you despite your attitude towards what they read¹).

“A review is an unbiased, careful look at a book — basically it is a little academic paper. It involves an itty-bitty thesis on your opinion of the book, surrounded by tiny supporting sentences describing the strengths and weaknesses of said book.”

Says you–and I disagree with you in the most absolute, unequivocal manner possible. (more…)

5 Comments »
Are you fucking kidding me?

Are you fucking kidding me?

Thursday, January 12, 2012
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks, rant

Pardon the cursing, but really.

Over at Dear Author, Jane has up a very apt post on the reader/author paradigm (honestly, should be required reading). The discussion that follows is, as usual, also very, very interesting–which doesn’t mean that everyone agrees with Jane on all points, by the way.

And so it goes until we read a looooooooooooooooooooonnnnng screed comment left by EMoon(1)(2). We get all the usual–but readers don’t understand how much about publishing a book is out of the author’s hands. But readers don’t know how horrible the author’s life was while s/he was writing the book. But readers just don’t get how difficult it is to write a book.

The kicker, though is at the very beginning: (more…)

8 Comments »

How Not To Respond To A Review, Part 3998… The Jacqueline Howett Version…

Monday, March 28, 2011
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits
Tags:

Sigh. Here we go again…

“You obviously didn’t read the second clean copy I requested you download that was also reformatted, so this is a very unfair review. My Amazon readers/reviewers give it 5 stars and 4 stars and they say they really enjoyed The Greek Seaman and thought it was well written. Maybe its just my style and being English is what you don’t get. Sorry it wasn’t your cup of tea, but I think I will stick to my five star and four star reviews thanks.”

And this:

“My writing is just fine!

You did not download the fresh copy…. you did not. No way!

As to annoymous

Al was given the option of a free copy from smashwords the following day to download in any format he preffered.

Look AL, I’m not in the mood for playing snake with you, what I read above has no flaws. My writing is fine. You were told to download a new copy for format problems the very next day while they were free at Smashwords, so you could choose any format you wanted to read it in and if their were any spelling mistakes they were corrected. Simply remove this review as it is in error with you not downloading the fresh copy i insisted. Why review my book after being told to do this, and more annoying why have you never ever responded to any of my e-mails?

And please follow up now from e-mail.
This is not only discusting and unprofessional on your part, but you really don’t fool me AL.

Who are you any way? Really who are you?
What do we know about you?

You never downloaded another copy you liar!
You never ever returned to me an e-mail

Besides if you want to throw crap at authors you should first ask their permission if they want it stuck up on the internet via e-mail. That debate is high among authors.

Your the target not me!
Now get this review off here!”

And this:

“The book is out there doing well without your comments. My first book is great! and I intend to promote now without your ball. Face it AL, you did a booboo, and you can’t correct it!

I know its you AL talking, stop hiding and stand up and be a man!

I want this review removed or its just considered abuse.

Hmm never did get involved in your forum for reasons, now I know why.”

For the rest of the story, mosey on over to this review blog.

I could only read Ms Howett’s inane rants for so long, the spelling mistakes and typos were killing me…

Enjoy.

13 Comments »
In defense of the clueless

In defense of the clueless

Friday, February 11, 2011
Posted in: Adventures with Blog people, Author should not read without a bottle of Jack Daniels, Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks

Over at the Book Binge, the nice ladies there posted this about the whole Silvia Massara thing. My summary*:

If you don’t want an honest review, don’t send us your work. If you are going to send us your work, check out the ‘about’ page, wherein we state that we won’t write only gushing accolades to every book we get sent. If you are an idiot about a less than gushing review in this here site, you’ll get mocked. Get over it.

As one can easily imagine, there’re quite a few comments going on–mostly marveling at the stupidity of an author trashing readers. Yes, readers. Her target market. The consumers of her product. The people who make her what she is–in a world with no readers, would there even be authors?

But alas, no such thread would be complete without at least one person–aside from the predictable c*ckpuppet–claiming that of course, the poor author has every right to ‘review the reviewers’ blog.’

Bob Mayer writes:

So let’s see. An author got upset about a bad review and blogged about it. A reviewer got upset about the blog and blogged about it and called the author an ass and an idiot, while saying they don’t say things like that in reviews. But just did in a review of the blog.

I’m wondering what I’m missing here. I’ve read both blogs and the author didn’t call the reviewer names and seemed relatively level-headed about it. This blog post seems spiteful and superior. I know few authors would dare say that, because, after all, they want good reviews, but as an author who has been around a while, I’m a bit weary of self-appointed experts slamming authors in public and everyone kowtowing to them. Calling an author a “big fat ass” and having a picture saying “I tried to see things your way. You’re still an idiot” isn’t professional. So I think the author probably has a reasonable point to avoid reviewers that would say such things about authors. Because it appears when the shoe is on the other foot and the reviewer gets reviewed, they react even more heatedly than the author. Your blog post confirmed exactly what the author said about you if you look at it quite rationally.

Let’s take this in stages, shall we? (more…)

11 Comments »

“Two such blogs that have set themselves up as reviewers of books are “The Book Binge” and “Chick Lit Plus”

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Posted in: Author should not read without a bottle of Jack Daniels, Authors behaving like twits, there's a fucktard born every minute

Does anybody know who Sylvia Massara is? Anybody?

All I know is, she sure is an awfully stupid brave author.

She’s set up a blog, called Authors Helping Authors. Yep, it does indeed sound like one of those support groups where people stand up and tell a roomful of strangers about their woes, doesn’t it?

Anyway, this is the aim of the blog, according to our lovely Sylvie Poohs:

As an author, I know how difficult it is to promote one’s work. These days, unless one is a “celeb author”, much of the promotional work is left up to the author themselves. With this in view, I created this blog “Authors helping authors”

Imagine the power of authors helping other authors promote their work, and in turn, these authors help you, and so on and so forth. By standing together we can make this happen. In this blog, I will be featuring articles, snippets about other authors and tips from authors and/or publicists who help promote authors.

Oh how admirable, I hear you say, what a lovely selfless gesture I hear you all cry, why didn’t I think of doing such a thing, the envious ones amongst you secretly think to yourselves. Well….. here’s the thing, there are plenty of blogs out there that help authors. Indeed, many of these blogs are written by authors for other authors. Weird huh? (more…)

17 Comments »

Frustration: same stale shit, different damn date

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Posted in: Adventures with Blog people, arseholes abound, Authors behaving like twits, Authors on the net, Azteclady Speaks, Review sites behaving badly?, reviews

I admit it, patience is not my long suit.

I get frustrated when I see the same old bullshit brought up and touted as truth, the whole truth and the absolute truth. Honestly, how many time must these things be debunked for it sink in?

“A review that points out anything negative about a book is a bad review.”

No. A bad review is a review that doesn’t say anything about the book. Examples of bad reviews:

“This is the best book EVER!”

“Highly recommended!”

“You have to buy this book!”

“Don’t buy this shit.”

“It’s obvious the author can’t write, don’t buy his/her work.”

None of these tell the reader anything about the book, regardless of whether they praise or berate it. As reviews, they are useless. Useless review = bad review.

“A good review must contain constructive criticism. “

Not only no, but hell, no. Reviews are for readers, not for authors. If authors want constructive criticism, they should get beta readers and/or critique partners.

“Free speech protects authors as much as it protects reviewers.”

First, free speech is a protected right in the US–check your country’s law for other takes on it.

Second, what the hell does that have to do with a reviewer’s reaction and/or opinion on a book?

Third, while authors have every right to their feelings and reactions, common sense (that most rare of all senses) tells me that it behooves them to be careful with their professional image.

“There is no need to be ‘mean’ when reviewing.” “Why go out of the way to hurt the author’s feelings?” “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.”

A good review needs to be well articulated and factual; the rest is style–the reviewer’s style. The rest of the above admonishments are bullshit intended to silence opinions that differ from those of the people uttering them.

* *** * *** * *** * *** *

(Most of KKB’s readers know what brought this up; the few who don’t can check here and here)

* *** * *** * *** * *** *

In other news…

I’ve been reading like crazy. Seriously, who needs sleep when there are books to be read?

Now I need to sit down at the computer for more than three minutes in a row and write reviews for at least a few of the two dozen books I’ve read in the past ten days…

7 Comments »

Author Responds Badly To A Review, And Crosses A Line…

Thursday, February 25, 2010
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, reviews

Oh look, another author who can’t take criticism.

*Yawn*

The difference is, this author decided to take a potshot at the reviewer’s weight.

Lord.

Here’s the author’s rant in its entirety, crossing a line that no man should ever cross: (more…)

12 Comments »

Erotic Romance vs Traditional Romance Part 299…

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits

no she didnt

Four years on, I wonder how many traditional romance authors still feel this way?

“I’m posting anonymously. I write traditional romances for a traditional press. My only deal with erotica is simple and market driven.

I do not want to sit by an erotica author or an erotic romance author at booksignings or attend events that publicize her books because WE DO NOT ATTRACT THE SAME READERSHIP *AND* (and after reading this thread I figure I can count on some people ignoring this second part and this is the most important part of my note so if you reply to this post please address the following aspect of my post)

MY READERS ARE LESS LIKELY TO ATTEND THE EVENT OR, IF AT A BOOSIGNING, LESS LIKELY TO APPROACH ME BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF AN EROTICA/EROTIC ROMANCE AUTHOR THAN AN EROTICA/EROTIC ROMANCE AUTHOR’S READERS WOULD BE PUT OFF BY MY PRESENCE AT THE TABLE. Who loses? Me.”

Just try to tell me that isn’t so

That was a comment by an author on that old Elizabeth Bevarly hates erotic romance post that she wrote back in the summer of 2005. You guys remember it right?

If not feel free to click on the link, it makes for very interesting reading, hehe.

31 Comments »

What we (hopefully) learned this week (and a few rambling thoughts)

Friday, October 23, 2009
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Authors on the net, Azteclady Speaks, E-book piracy

From this conversation, I hope that we have all learned to think before posting, commenting or tweeting.

It has been said, ad nauseam, that all people should think before putting their thoughts up there in the internets for everyone, their pet parrot and their alien relatives to see. After all, it’s there forever, in one way or another (from Google cache to screen caps).

It has been noted that we eeeeeeeeeeeeeebol readers keep lists of authors behaving badly, and that we are not shy to share those lists with other readers whenever flaps like this latest break out.

It has been repeated all over the cyber-universe that, however unfair it may be, authors ought to behave in a different (wiser, more professional) manner than readers do–after all, authors are selling stuff to readers, and it behooves them to keep that in mind at all times.

Please note that I abhor piracy with a vengeance–as a reader, anything that will discourage authors from writing hurts me, and since it’s all about me…

(more…)

11 Comments »

There Are Just Some Things Authors Shouldn’t Say To Readers In Public…

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Posted in: Author should not read without a bottle of Jack Daniels, Authors behaving like twits, e-book authors posting under the influence, e-pubbed authors behaving like fucktards?

asshole

Calling a reader white trash is one of them.

Surely that’s something anybody with half a brain cell would know?

Origianlly, I wasn’t going to do a blog post on this, because I didn’t want to cause Trista Ann Michaels (Hey Trista, I linked to your page on Loose Id and everything, isn’t that great?) grief, but then I took my head out of my arse, and remembered that this isn’t a blog known for its restraint.

Might as well live by the Mean Girl code, yes?

Anyway, where was I? Yeah that’s right, here’s a really good example of what not to write on a reader blog: (more…)

36 Comments »

And The Comment Of The Week Goes To…

Monday, January 19, 2009
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits

Ivanhine, over at Ann Somerville’s blog.

Ivanhine starts:

I am pretty much an outsider and an occasional reader of DA. I don’t belong to, nor am I represented by any publishers involved in any of the discussions to which you took part. In fact, the only somewhat direct contact I have is that my epublisher got a positive review from you at Uniquely Pleasurable a short time back for another author’s work (not mine.) I don’t know your work very well, except for what is put out on the net, but there is a long history of comments, blog posts, and self-disclosures here from which any casual observer can draw a conclusion. And here is what I see, for what it is worth, and you can take it or leave it.

If you want to read any more, you have to wonder over there, because I simply don’t have time to post excerpts right now.

I have to tell you though, this was my favourite bit from the rather long, but wonderfully articulate comment:

Didn’t you understand that you can’t shit in the same place you eat?

Methinks the answer to that is a resounding, no.

Edited to add:
Apparently AS deleted the relevant post, so the links will be broken. Shame, because Ivanhine’s comments were rather splendid.

16 Comments »

A whole new level of WTF-ery

Sunday, December 28, 2008
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Authors on the net, Azteclady Speaks, What the Hell?

Jane at Dear Author posted about some sort of harebrained idea by some novelists to expand the reach of copyright law to the sale of used print books.

NINC on the sale of used books:

Used book sales, particularly sales of used books through the Internet, have a significant negative effect on the income of publishers and, therefore, authors, as there is no remuneration to them for any sales of used books.

…

Ninc recommends that commercial used-book sellers be required to pay to publishers a “Secondary Sale” fee upon the reselling of any book within two years of its original publication date. A percentage of these fees would then transfer to authors in accordance with contractual agreements between authors and publishers, thereby reinforcing the Founders’ intent, as stated in Article I of the Constitution, to protect authors’ exclusive right to benefit from their work.

Oh really?

Many of the comments over there expressed my bewilderment over such a preposterous idea, but then there was this gem by Misi:

Well, one day there will only be e-books and all you’ll get is a license to read, not ownership, just a lot of software is now. You can’t even resell the disc (legally) under those terms. Well, you can sell the discs, but only if you delete the content.

The current copyright law is outdated. Again, used bookstores aren’t the problem. It’s the online places that have changed the situation. The law should be changed to.

I’m almost speechless here.

I mean, my mind is just a jumble of extrapolations. I guess we could say that at some point only the person who actually paid for the book should be able to read it, and that any other person reading the same physical book should pay royalties to the author for the privilege.

I ask again, what the fuck?

19 Comments »

AztecLady And Karen Speak: Much Ado About Fuck-All…

Monday, October 20, 2008
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, Azteclady Speaks, Not Another Fucking Negative Reviews post

I pay dearly for my weaknesses, particularly my curiosity.

During a recent post discussing LLB quitting blogging, Throwmearope mentioned how it’s become sorta the “in” thing to do. Quit then come back. Quit then come back. Quit… well, you know, like Cher or Michael Jordan: lather, rinse, repeat.

And that brought to mind author Tess Gerritsen and her earlier epic flounce.  Some of you may remember that she felt overwhelmed by the meanness. Then again, some of us readers felt rather unimpressed by the whole “if you are not a writer you have no call to write a review because you just don’t understand writing” that she espouses in her blog (yeah, I’m paraphrasing—sue me).

So, since curiosity is my besetting sin, I wandered over to TG’s blog to see how that “not blogging” thing was going. Imagine how utterly unsurprised I am to see that she’s back to it.

Ah but the goodness doesn’t end there, no siree! Following a recent link, I found this little pearl of wisdom over at Murderati: Can a bad review kill your career?

And Ms Gerritsen categorically replies, “Yes.” (more…)

30 Comments »

Can You Smell The Desperation From Here?

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Posted in: Authors behaving like twits, There is no such thing as bad publicity right?, there's a fucktard born every minute

I usually don’t do the whole “You’re just jealous bitch!” thing, and use it as an excuse for fuckheaded behaviour, but I have to say there can be no other explanation for Chancery Stone’s never-ending rants on her blog (sorry, not linking), about Nora Roberts.

Well, there is the attention-seeking-let’s-promote-my-books-at-all-cost thing, but judging from her past fucked up behaviour, that kinda goes without saying doesn’t it?

You do remember Ms Stone, don’t you? You know, the slightly strange man-hater, who thinks that incest is romantic, and that child abuse is sexy?

Yeah, that’s the one.

Anyway, poor Chancery Stone seems to be suffering from the worst case of professional jealousy I’ve ever witnessed.

It seems that she’s got a massive hard-on for our very own Nora Roberts. No, really.

Personally, I believe that her tactic is to stir up enough shit, (the jealousy is very real too though) so that La Nora fangirls will go over to her blog to give her what for, discover her literary masterpiece, that she’s desperately trying to flog to all and sundry, and buy said book to see what the fuss is about.

Unfortunately for her, she actually needs some kind of readership to get anything going.

Anyway, because I’m always there for the desperate and the needy, I decided to post a few examples of the stuff she’s written. Here’s a fairly tame excerpt to start you off with: (more…)

46 Comments »
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