Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round
And around we go...
I have something I want to show you, but I have to give you a little background (which you have no doubt already seen) first.
An up and coming author, J. Wallace (they say she has a website but I've yet to find it), left a "mean and scathing" review at Amazon.com for Jennifer LaBrecque. Jennifer was pointed towards Amazon.com by a fan who e-mailed her telling about a nice review she had left. While there, Jennifer saw J. Wallace's review and responded on her blog (see link above).
The Smart Bitches are on the case.
And Allison Kent has picked up the ball with smiting J. Wallace and giving away three free copies of Highland Fling.
Okay, okay, so a reader left a nasty review. So what? Okay, an aspiring writer left a nasty review. So what? Said aspiring writer dissed the editor and publisher in her "mean and scathing review." So what? Did I mention it's the same house she is trying to shoulder her way into**? Still I say....SO WHAT!
More below the cut...
Which leads me to the comments left by other authors at Jennifer LaBrecque's site:
Debra Webb says:
"I’m with Jaci, if you ain’t got nothing nice to say, keep your trap shut! This business is tough enough without folks showing their superiority complex (aka stupidity). And as Rhonda said, the publishing world is very small. To knock an author is bad enough but to insult her house and editor, well that’s just plain DUMB!"
...and while professing her love of free speech, Kimberly Raye said:
"To the reader who trashed this, get a sense of humor, why don’t you? And remember the old saying “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” otherwise it might come back to bite you in the ass."
If anyone should guard and protect the written word and our right to write whatever we want, shouldn't authors? I was impressed by Mrs. LaBrecque's take on the episode. Based on everything I have read she was able to put a nice spin on this and get some nice additional sales for this book. I might even take a look at it when I go to the store today to buy Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund.
But it is the authors behaving likeidiots rabid fangirls that leaves the bad taste in my mouth. If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all? Who the hell are you? A reader can say whatever she wants about a book that she bought and paid for and hated. So maybe it wasn't the wisest thing to use her real name and bash the publisher at the same time, but it sure as hell is her RIGHT! And I'll stand behind any reader who wants to say that a book sucked big ass hairy donkey balls (thanks Karen!).
And that's the word.
Fiona
** I would like to add that all info about Mrs. Wallace, her writing career and favored publisher is all hearsay until someone actually links me to her site, which everyone is refusing to do.
I have something I want to show you, but I have to give you a little background (which you have no doubt already seen) first.
An up and coming author, J. Wallace (they say she has a website but I've yet to find it), left a "mean and scathing" review at Amazon.com for Jennifer LaBrecque. Jennifer was pointed towards Amazon.com by a fan who e-mailed her telling about a nice review she had left. While there, Jennifer saw J. Wallace's review and responded on her blog (see link above).
The Smart Bitches are on the case.
And Allison Kent has picked up the ball with smiting J. Wallace and giving away three free copies of Highland Fling.
Okay, okay, so a reader left a nasty review. So what? Okay, an aspiring writer left a nasty review. So what? Said aspiring writer dissed the editor and publisher in her "mean and scathing review." So what? Did I mention it's the same house she is trying to shoulder her way into**? Still I say....SO WHAT!
More below the cut...
Which leads me to the comments left by other authors at Jennifer LaBrecque's site:
Debra Webb says:
"I’m with Jaci, if you ain’t got nothing nice to say, keep your trap shut! This business is tough enough without folks showing their superiority complex (aka stupidity). And as Rhonda said, the publishing world is very small. To knock an author is bad enough but to insult her house and editor, well that’s just plain DUMB!"
...and while professing her love of free speech, Kimberly Raye said:
"To the reader who trashed this, get a sense of humor, why don’t you? And remember the old saying “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” otherwise it might come back to bite you in the ass."
If anyone should guard and protect the written word and our right to write whatever we want, shouldn't authors? I was impressed by Mrs. LaBrecque's take on the episode. Based on everything I have read she was able to put a nice spin on this and get some nice additional sales for this book. I might even take a look at it when I go to the store today to buy Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund.
But it is the authors behaving like
And that's the word.
Fiona
** I would like to add that all info about Mrs. Wallace, her writing career and favored publisher is all hearsay until someone actually links me to her site, which everyone is refusing to do.
Posted by Kerri Wall at 9:46 AM
32 touched me
I haven't read the review so I should but if she is trashing a publisher or editor and wants to write... well that is dumb.
Trashing an author and wanting to write... tis dumb too.
Trashing a book... I have no issue with. Is it nice, no. Can you do a bad review on a book without trashing it? Yes.
But work is work, don't call the people of a company you want to work for names and expect them to hire you. That goes for any business. It would be like you coming on blog and ranting (while naming names) about person x and school y and then saying yo hire my ass.
Amen, sister Fiona. I love how the pubbed authors are rallying around the wagon and blacklisting Ms. Wallace. I guess that'll learn her.
This is the entire sentence she wrote that "trashed the editor and publisher":
"Some may rush out and buy it, and any author who can convince her publisher to run with this deserves the income."
Um? Worthy of releasing the drooling, growling, biting canines that are rallied authors? I think not.
And I would like to add that all info about Mrs. Wallace, her writing career and favored publisher is all heresy until someone actually links me to her site, which everyone is refusing to do.
...Fiona...
Also, I'm tempted to read it for nothing else than what Ms. Wallace calls:
"...historical accuracy of a Hagar the Horrible cartoon strip."
hehehe, where's Maili when you need her?
Fi
never mind, I was wrong
you are right... just ignore me... play on
LOL Fiona - I just caught this at the Smart Bitches site. I read the review and I just have to shake my head.
And the incident at the beginning isn't that bad, it's kind of funny.
Amen Fiona! I think we're reaching the "enough already" limit. While I think it might behoove an author to behave diplomatically, I don't think her review was such a big deal. I'm starting to wonder what constitutes an attack on an author. It wasn't exactly,"Ms. LaBrecque and Harlequin suck big, hairy donkey balls." Sometimes in a review, I might suggest that an author cut back on her busy writing schedule, which might help her to focus and improve a particular product. Is that an attack? I dunno. I like to think I focus on the content. What I do know is that I'm very cranky because it's so hot. Have a good day!!:)
Sybil, what were you wrong about? Of course, I won't aruge with the me being right part! ;-)
It is funny Ames. But that's the thing about readers. Some things you just don't get and some things you do. It's Ms. Wallace's perogative to think that scene is grotesque and disguting and her right to warn the rest of us about it. I just got back from BaM by the way and I bought the book. On any other day, I probably wouldn't have found it that great, but today, it worked.
It IS hot. And we are having these puny little rain spurts which just make it HOT and MUGGY. Yuck!
...Fi
I am thinking that maybe it's Jody Wallace (it's not that easy googling it. I had to try three different search terms. Someone REALLY wanted to know who was giving them a bad review).
http://www.jodywallace.com/bio.htm
I don't know Jane, that lady has 8 published articles as "The Grammar Wench." If it is her, she must have been hella pissed off when she wrote that grammatically incorrect review! ROFL!
Fi
LMAO! I'm with you, Fi. I think as readers we can say whatever the hell we want about books and authors, especially when we PAID for them!
But, to be totally honest, I'm over the whole Author's Behaving Badly Online and the Reader Snarks Author scenes. I'm just flat out tired of it.
Yes, they acted like idiots. Yes, it was funny for a minute. But GET OVER IT ALREADY!
Oh, and I forgot to tell you...I've got that damn song stuck in my head now and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!
You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby right round round round...
LMAO! Freakin 80's, man. *sigh*
Thanks Holly! Now I've got it stuck in my head, and all I can see is Adam Sandler dancing in front of my eyes. ewww...
LOL
I'm sick of it all too - who looks for this kind of stuff?
LMAO AMES! I was totally seeing Adam Sandler, too. LOLOL
Now I've got, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me stuck in my head and I'm totally seeing ol' boy from The Wedding Singer..*shudder* LOL
I don't know, I guess people just have a lot of extra time on their hands, eh? LOL
Err...that sounded like I was insulting Fiona, and that's TOTALLY NOT WHAT I MEANT!
Dang, I'mma get myself into trouble here if I don't watch it. Fi, no offense intended! I didn't mean that towards you!
*going to hide now*
LOL Holly. When I saw the post on Smart Bitches that was the song that popped in my head. It's been there for HOURS now! But Sandler wasn't there until now! THANKS A FREAKIN' LOT!
Now I've got, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me stuck in my head and I'm totally seeing ol' boy from The Wedding Singer..*shudder* LOL
ROFLMAO! HAHAHAHAHAHAA Classic.
I'm sick of it all too - who looks for this kind of stuff?
Um...people who work from home? I don't know. There has to be some kind of drama. We would get bored if it was always happy go lucky, I love you, I love you more, no I love you more talk. Blah!
...Fi
HAHAHA, sure you didn't! I knew what you meant *pulling out rope* so I didn't take any offense *wrapping rope around hands* to what you said. *inching towards Holly* I'm "assuming" that you *closer, closer* were referring to the authors.
Fiona
True enough about needing the drama, but can't we create NEW drama instead of just rehashing OLD drama?
*sigh* I'm slightly irritable today because I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning *wiggles eyebrows* to come to work. Just ignore me till later..LOL
*peeks out from under desk* Gulp! I swear, it was them I was talking about. *ducks back under* TRULY!
DEVIL WOMAN, SAVE ME!
LMAO!
Oh, and you're so welcome for the Adam Sandler images. It was my pleasure, really. *snicker*
Oooh, la, la! I'm not even going to ask like some people *coughAmesDylanIzzyGracecough* would.
Okay, so lets start some new drama! Who you wanna gossip about? I heard Ames...
Fiona
there is no new drama hon
tis all been done before...
rinse and repeat the only thing that changes are the players and that often stays the same
I take offense!!
I am busy here at work and I hear people are concocting stories about me...
*Don't you want to know who told me??*
Maybe the same people who go around looking for this kind of stuff....
LMAO! I was totally the one concocting stories about you, Ames. It was all me, all the time. I just couldn't help myself! Sorry.
I forgive you Holly. LOL
Hey! I'm trying to read three different books all at the same time here!
And Ames, I was NOT the one who started the story about you and the toilet paper...swear! *crawling under the desk with Holly*
Fi
Fiona - I'm going to set that wicked hamster thing after you now!!!
bwahahahaha
Heresy? really? not hearsay? ;)
I agree with all that's been said. It's tiring to hear the authors continually moan about people who were mean to them. Not everyone is nice all the time. Lord knows I'm not. And I stand by my belief that if a book has pissed you off so much that you feel moved to leave a negative review of it, then it's a lot for the author to ask that you be nice while trashing their book. Not going to happen. Especially when someone is just an average Jane reader, not someone who writes reviews for a living - or a regular sideline gig.
Heresy; hearsay, damn, I always get those two confused. And I like heresy! It's such a cool word!
Fi
You raise some great points. From the review on Amazon all you can tell is J Wallace from Tennessee. Make no mistake about it, the Blaze ppl have set their sights on Jody Wallace. How they decided she wrote it is anybody's guess. I think she prolly got sold out by an acquaintance. And for all we know she may not have even written it.
Normally I would run and pop some popcorn and get ready to dish but at the rate of flare ups lately - if someone is not pulling flying monkeys out their ass I just can't get amused. I mean, I want an Anne Rice batshit kind of moment - now that was funny but this? Meh.
Oh, I know, can we e-mail this J Wallace person? Cause that might be funny.
CindyS (looking for flying monkeys)
E-mail sent.
Hmmm...flying monkeys you say?
Fiona
I can't believe how riled up these people have gotten under the guise of "poor business sense" give it a break.
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