Surrender Dorothy
(If you've had it up to here with the recent war of words between certain authors and certain bloggers, try looking at this instead: Another excellent review of ADIOS TO MY OLD LIFE.)
For those of you still hanging around, the rest of my post was inspired by this conversation.
Rather than hijack that poor woman's blog, I moved my final response here:
~To anyone who has ever bought a book of mine, considered buying a book of mine, or may sometime in the distant future consider buying a book of mine:
What you see is what you get. If you don't like my opinions, if you're appalled by how I present myself in public? I implore you not to waste your money on my work because you'll find many of my characters to be just as abrasive and challenging as their creator. Sometimes they get slapped upside the head for it. Sometimes I do, too. We muddle onward.
~To the various online blogger/reviewers with whom I've recently crossed swords:
This ain't my first rodeo. I spent years working in retail, business, and academia. I learned early that cowering in fear of other people's opinions or harsh words is the fast track to nowhere. If I lose readers because I choose to speak my mind...well, them's the breaks. I won't be bullied because some folks think they have less to lose than I do, nor will dire warnings of career disaster make me sit down and shut up.
Review my books if you've a mind to. Give them lousy grades, good grades, and anything in between. You'll receive a thank you from me for your effort.
Engage me in a debate, comment on my online persona, attack me for not holding my tongue when you think I should, and I'll meet you halfway every time. With luck, we'll part with a better understanding of one another. If not, so be it. I am at peace with either outcome. But don't kid yourself into believing I fear you. Not on my worst day, or your best.
To quote Glinda the Good Witch of the North, who was one badass mofo bitch:
"You have no power here! Now begone, before somebody drops a house on you!"
SelahMarch.com - Romance of Dubious Virtue
13Comments:
Heh. Ok I laughed. Thanks for making me smile today. The Wicked Witch of the East has been chasing me with her flying monkeys across the blogosphere.
But don't kid yourself into believing I fear you. Not on my worst day, or your best.
Amen and Selah.
Thanks for making me smile today. The Wicked Witch of the East has been chasing me with her flying monkeys across the blogosphere.
I live to serve. ;) And don't fret -- we know how the story ends.
Amen and Selah.
Right back at'cha.
Ah, my darling-- how I love your pimpery, your self-righteousness, and your unwavering stands for truth, justice, and a dose of good snark. You're tougher than I am—I just threw my hands up early in the game and sat back to watch.
There were times I felt like Dian Fossey.
"There were times I felt like Dian Fossey." ~ Barb
Bwahahahahahahahahah Wheeze
OMG I needed that. Did you see the flying monkeys too? It's like Disney for the demented.
Selah, you know I like you, and I like your writing. (But if you don't know it, I'm saying it here)
I, however, disagree with your position on this, this ... whatever this is!
I saw a comment by Shiloh Walker wherein she speaks of writers reacting to bloggers, and you know what?
Whether fair or unfair, "right" or not, I believe Ms Walker comment encapsulates a helluva lot of common sense.
Best wishes.
I agree, azteclady, that Shiloh's comments are chock full o' common sense.
Sometimes you have to make a choice between the smart thing, and the right thing. I'll undoubtedly pay a penalty for it. As I said, I'm at peace with that.
And you know you always have my best wishes. :)
Little tribute going into the new MS:
I mean, it was just fundamentally wrong, especially if you were like me and hated waking up in the middle of the night the way Dorothy hated the sight of flying monkeys and had to spend at least another two hours trying to get back to sleep.
What really frustrated me was this idea that romance bloggers were pits of negativity. We bloggers love romance and I believe it shows through the dedicated work we put behind the product that is our hobby.
When I went to RWA, I was infused with such a great joy of the genre. The women were so smart, so charming, so beautiful, from my wonderful roommmates like Kristie, Wendy, and Sybil, to Candy and Sarah, to the wonderful authors, editors, agents, and publicists I met.
(If you have a chance to ever break bread with Heather Osborne, please do, she is the funniest person I have ever met. I could spend hours with her and be entertained).
To come home to the scary blogger picture and have that grow, to see people unhappy that we were there was really disheartening.
I can't tell you how much that I did not blog about because I felt that it would be inappropriate. I didn't take pictures at the Harlequin party where any number of bestselling authors let their hair down and were wonderfully wild. It just didn't seem appropriate to share those unguarded moments. Not that anyone was misbehaving, but it just seemed more circumspect to refrain.
I can't apologize for what I say on my blog because that would be hypocritical. In my reviews and commentary, I am putting out my honest feelings and emotions because that is what I want to read. I am going to defend my position if I feel I am right. I am willing to be swayed if I am wrong. And I am willing to say I've been an ass if I have been.
Let me say this, as an olive branch, Cindy Cruciger, I don't know you, but like Karen, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. Ditto with Ms. Gale.
As for Ms. March, I am going to apologize for my terse comment on Keishon's blog. I assume, but may be totally incorrect, that my comment "I don’t recall directing my comments at you" is one that you believe to be somehow silencing. I simply did not want to engage in a battle since I was tired from RWA, I had loads of real work, and tons of pictures to post and the idea of going back and digging out everyone's posts as it related to the distrust of the RITA process and responding to "Facts not in evidence, counselor" from you seemed overwhelming. My comment was unnaturally terse. I apologize for the tone. If you in some way felt that I was attempting to inhibit your mode of free speech, I do so apologize because that is certainly not my intention as you seem to be implying in your recent post.
I don't want to look at the commenters and think, oh no, should I be reading them with a different filter? Is a challenge just around the corner? Because frankly, I don't have the time or energy to do that. That type of negativity is draining.
The fact is I blog to engage in diverse discussion with romance readers. I want to shout to the tops of the trees about the books I love and I want to commiserate with readers about books that make me angry, unhappy and sad. It's not about the authors in any way. To me, it is all about the readers and our relationships with the books.
Jane~
I appreciate the effort you made in coming here and offering your thoughts in such a lucid, careful manner.
For the record, I have no opinion one way or another on whether bloggers/reviewers should attend RWA events. I'm no longer a member. If I were a member, I think I'd be fine with it. Exclusivity doesn't appeal to me in any situation. Upon that we can agree.
And although you and I will likely continue to disagree on a few issues, it saddens me that things have deteriorated to this point. I have no wish to continue in this vein. It wastes time and energy better devoted to the writing, reading, and discussion of books.
I accept your gracious apology, and offer one of my own for anything I may have said that hurt or angered you.
Be well.
~Selah
Throwing my amen in there too although I stopped reading when I had more important things going on in my real life and bashing is just not my thang, especially when the bashing is done to people who are friends.
Jane-
I'm posting here because you might check back, more than check in on my blog.
~I don't know you, but like Karen, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. Ditto with Ms. Gale.~
I'm not a member of RWA, but if I were, I would never think twice about seeing reviewers there. Matter of fact, I think it's one of the best things ever, and I would love to buy you a drink if I go.
The internet can be a wonderful tool for communication and an imperfect mode of communication. We miss tone of voice and body language. I think had we been speaking face to face some of these conversations would not have happened. If there has been anything I've said that hurt your feelings, I apologize.
Best wishes,
Eva
I'm gone for a week or so and Romancelandia turns into the OK corral?
I'm glad that you two are making a truce. Most on the blogosphere would let it fester forever.
Oh, and pimping a good site-- last.fm. Its an awesome internet radio, music social network, and source of info on bands all over the world. /end pimp
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