Wednesday, June 27, 2012

So you think if you write a book and make it to number one on Amazon, and hit all the top ten bestseller lists, your life will get better?  Think again!


The Alpha's Pet from Secret Cravings Publishing came out in May and was an almost instant breakout hit for me.  I was thrilled, of course, and watched it climb higher each day until it reached number one.  I was ecstatic, flying high, exhilarated and pumped!  Until the reviews started coming in... Some of them were quite lovely and complimentary. I got a lot of 4's and 5's and some people were very nice.  Even the 3's were understandable--just not their cup of tea.  Fine.  I can deal with that,

Others, the nasty ones, not so much.  An author is always prepared for reviews that are not stellar, and though it's painful to hear sometimes, it can also be instructive.  A trend in reviews tells you when something you thought might be funny and fantastic, is really probably best left on the drawing board.  I don't mind at all when someone doesn't care for this genre, or doesn't like fantasy, or even doesn't care for the elements of BDSM in the novella.  I get that, and it's fine, really. (Though I would have thought the name Alpha's Pet would have been a clue to the fantasy, wolf, BDSM nature, but whatever)

So I was ready, I was prepared--I thought.  Now I write m/m because I love the genre, and have read a lot of it.  I do try not to read too much of any genre I plan to write, because I don't want to be influenced by anybody else and their ideas. So when I decided to delve into the Wolf pack books, I knew I was going to go through some uncharted territory.  Sci Fi and Fantasy people have very specific and distinct ideas about their wolves and vamps, and don't like anybody messing with them.  No sparkly vampires, than you very  much.

So when I got an idea for my wolves and their penises, I thought I'd come up with something a little new.  Why not have a wolf who has a gland on his penis, like any canine, that makes him "tie-up" with his lover for hours?  I thought it sounded like fun and was maybe a little sexy. I wasn't prepared for one reader to say I copied the idea from Kari Gregg!

Now, she is a fine writer, I'm sure, but I just happened not to have read any of her books before writing mine.  I since bought the book in question to see just how similar the stories were, and found to my great relief that I had not channeled Miss Gregg in my sleep and the books, despite what the misinformed reader said, were just not all that similar.

I just recovered from that nasty little episode when a reader on ARe said  "I hate this book so much I want to punch the author in the face."  Really? Punch me in the face?  Bring it, bitch! LOL...I wish I was a nicer person who would turn the other cheek and say well, consider the source.  The poor thing probably doesn't get out much and doesn't know how to act civilized and so says stupid, outrageous things for attention.  But I'm not.  So--you want to punch me in the face for writing a book you don't care for?  I'll be ready for you!

Don't get me wrong!  I love my fans, and I respect pretty much everybody, and believe they have a right to an opinion.  But that doesn't include the right to threaten me for writing something you don't approve of, or accuse me of plagiarism. My daddy taught me to stand up for myself, so if it comes to defending myself against bigots, then again, bring it on.
I have a good friend who is a blogger and happens to be a gay man.  He said he never received hate mail until the blog got really popular, and then it poured in.  I have to wonder if some of these more outrageous comments are from the fringe crazies who hate gays and everyone who supports them?


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