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Some EC news...

Go over here to read the post, if you are interested.

Do you know the difference between...
(update at the end)

Torquere Press LLC and Ellora’s Cave? (now, stupidly enough, “EC for Books”–because nothing says “publishing empire” like a generic, forgettable name, hemorrhaging authors, and piss poor service)

No?

Well, the former are not only amateurs in the ‘let’s not pay royalties and give trite, tired, unbelievable excuses for that’ field. They are also criminally stupid–as in, ‘let’s write a fraudulent check for those royalties, see if that’ll shut the unpaid authors up!”

Say what you will about Jaid give-readers-the-finger-I-despise-romance-professional-victim Black, she’s too cunning for that.

She’ll just never write checks for those royalties and other bills.

Update: Julia Talbot, former owner of Torquere, has her say on this mess (as of today, only dog knows what’s next)

OMFG--are you serious?

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…)

Ellora's Cave -- once more, with feeling

For the past year and a half, a number of authors with books published by Ellora’s Cave have publicly asked their readers to refrain from purchasing those titles.

The latest is Em Petrova, who writes on her blog that she’s been waiting for royalty checks since December 2015 (that’s five months, for the calendar-challenged among us), and that that last check was for royalties for March 2015 (that’s a full nine months behind).

(more…)

PSA: Ellora's Cave website

PSA: Ellora’s Cave website

Monday, May 9, 2016
Posted in: Azteclady Speaks
Tags:

(Edit after the cut)

Customers, beware!

Apparently the security/trusted website certificate for Ellora’s Cave main website has expired.¹ What this means for customers is that, if you provide your credit card information to the website, in order to purchase books there, you have no guarantee that said information is secure.

I don’t know, nor care, what companty is the IPS for that site, but just as an example, right now GoDaddy has an offer for one-year certificates for $62.99, so it’s not as if it’s a terribly onerous expense.

Mind you, one would think that anyone who runs an online business, understands that, even if the cost was significantly higher, this is not a luxury, but an essential component thereof.

~ * ~

¹ I’m not linking, for obvious reasons. Then again, I wouldn’t link even if the SSL was there :shrug: (more…)

Compare and contrast 2.0

Oh my good lord, can Jaid Black be any more delusional?

JBdelusionalagain

(more…)

Amateurs!

Amateurs!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Posted in: Azteclady Speaks
Tags:,

Some of our readers may know that Torquere Press LLC is having…issues *cough*

However, when I saw this tweet:

my first reaction was, “Amateurs! Ellora’s Cave owes several authors royalties from the beginning of 2015

 

Yet another update - EC v DA

Brief comments, some numbers, and a couple of links in the comments, here.

Also,  I recommend checking out this post at Zenobia Renquist’s blog. I hope she continues to update with more links–I’ve seen at least two more requests in that vein by EC authors.

EC v DA: it's over--for Dear Author and Jane Litte/Jen Frederick

Ellora’s Cave settled with Dear Author and Jane Litte, on the defamation suit the former brought against the latter.

The suit, you may remember, came about because Ellora’s Cave’s principals didn’t much like the fact that The Curious Case of Ellora’s Cave put together, cohesively and succinctly, the many bits of evidence, statements, and rumors, that have been hinting at deeply troubling going-ons at the company for the last decade or so.

I have thoughts on this, and go on and on about them here.

Good luck to all the many authors who are still owed royalties, and to those who only want to finally be free of their contracts with Ellora’s Cave.

EC v DA: I now direct your attention to...

Things have been quiet on this issue for months. Basically, litigation in the US moves at the speed of frozen molasses, and a lot of the minor stuff that does happen does not get filed, so this was not unexpected.

What was rather a surprise is to have Ann Jacobs, one of EC authors who’s stated that there are hinky goings on with the publisher, to file a motion to intervene in the EC v DA lawsuit, and a counterclaim to EC’s defamation suit. Please note that EC’s contract is part of this longer document. All sorts of interesting shit in there.

Courtney Milan is hosting both filings, and has posted a brief, yet pointed, update on the case, here.

Deirdre Saoirse Moen’s take is here.

Now I have a helluva lot of rather interesting stuff to read before I post anything more.

Finally, an update in the EC v DA vexatious defamation suit.

(Even though I’m not on twitter, I monitor #notchilled pretty regularly, because it’s the only way I have to get updates on the case, not having a PACER account or the like.)

Today, Courtney Milan posted a quick update/analysis of the latest happenings in the case.

Using a few more characters: judge John R Adams denied TiNut’s motion to quash the subpoena, in a rather snarky manner too.

I can’t copy and paste directly from the document, but the judge basically¹ says, “you claim that your identity should not be made available to the defendants, because you know nothing about the case; however, both in your letters and in your tweets, you have proved without a doubt that you know all parties involved, and all sorts of facts of the matter at hand, intimately. Your not-quite-a-motion to quash is hereby denied.”

The moral of the story: don’t brag about all you know and can prove, and above all, don’t offer to testify in favor of one of the parties, lest you discover the legal system is not that easy to manipulate.

*

¹ I think, for an extrapolation, it’s pretty close.

Out today: Clearer in the Night, by Rebecca Croteau

Coming out today from Penner Publishing, this is the first installment in a New Adult romantic fiction series, Meredith Falls.

 

Clearer in the NIght 
 

Clearer in the Night, by Rebecca Croteau
(more…)

It was all quiet, then Anne Rice opened her mouth

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?

EC v DA shenanigans and filings

Deirdre Saoirse Moen has a number of recent posts on the amazingly tasteless behaviour of Ellora’s Cave principals and staff.

Check out Double Entry Divas and The Sunken Queen for more.

The Defense filed its objection to TiNut’s motion to quash the subpoena, and Courtney Milan explains both that and what the gag order meant for the parties, here.

(more…)

Calling people formerly associated with Ellora's Cave...

If you were at some point in the past associated in any way with Ellora’s Cave and happened to download a copy the video I describe below, please contact Ms Deirdre Saoirse Moen as soon as you possibly can.

The video:

(more…)

Signs of life... (EC v DA)

…but not here.

Go there.

*

(Sorry about that, but there’s only one of me to create content for two blogs and a forum–plus work–which means something’s gotta give at times)

Hey, TiNut, screenshoot this! (EC v DA related shenanigans)

You know one of the best things about being a reader who has no writerly ambitions?

Knowing that I will never have to deal with dicks such as TiNut as my publisher.

For your amusement, and in case someone does decide to subpoena the ‘anonymous’ TiNut account, its latest threats:

(more…)

Charming? (aka, old business is current business) (EC v DA)

I was reading #notchilled when the always entertaining TiNut spewed erm…tweeted, this particular witticism:

TiNut - EC and company are charming as witnesses and clients
Oh yeah, I see how charming it is to have Tina Engler/Jaid Black giving the finger to everyone on her facebook page.

 (embiggen at your own risk)

FIRST result, people, top left!
Very professional, indeed. Befitting the owner of a *cough* massive *cough* company.

(Please do excuse me while I laugh myself silly over here in the corner for a moment)

Okay, I’m back.

So charming as clients and on the stand that the judge in the Brashear case spanked them every which way till Sunday, tears and all.

A taste, because I just can’t resist:

(more…)

A bit of news (EC v DA)

New document added to the docket. You can see it here.

I parse it out over here.

Thanks again to Deirdre Saoirse Moen and to Courtney Milan.

Color me flabbergasted!

Apparently, after firing most of the experienced editing staff a few months ago, Ellora’s Cave has been *cough* busy *cough* hiring a handful of editors.

One of them happens to be Jill Noelle.

I do not know if this is the same Jill Noelle Noble from Noble Publishing, but I confess that my first reaction is speechlessness, and amazement, and bafflement, because I have a feeling that, yes, yes, indeed, this is the same woman.

Talk about publishers behaving badly, yes?

Jill Noelle - the same as Noble
Hat tip to #notchilled again.