In reply to an earlier post on Aug 24, 2007 3:58 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:
[Deleted by the author on Aug 24, 2007 4:44 AM PDT]

Same page of review:

In reply to an earlier post on Aug 24, 2007 5:00 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

Reba

How can you do this to yourself? I don’t know if you have a family but instead of spending time trying to win a battle, try not to lose the war. I know you have a husband and animals, you mention them in your bio.

This is the voice of experience speaking. Spend as much time with those you love as you possibly can. You don’t know how long you have with them. And you don’t know what they mean to you until they are gone.

I’ll never see my daughter go to the prom, graduate from college, get married or have children. My husband will never hold me in his arms again and tell me everything will be all right. Nothing will be ever be all right again.

We were on our way to pick up my son when a drunk driver crossed the center line on the interstate and hit us. For the rest of my life I will remember them covered in blood dying in front of me. I prayed to die with them. Instead my son and I left to take care of each other and he got the short end of the stick. Both my legs were broken in multiple places, half my ribs were broke, and I had internal injuries.

Is this worth one minute of your time with your husband? Your family? Can being “right” replace them?

From the Amazon Discussion in the Romance Section “Deletion of Reviews to Raise Star Ratings”

First Post by Caitrina Hunter:

In reply to an earlier post on Aug 23, 2007 7:12 PM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

Ladies, would you like cheese with you whine?

Second Post by Caitrina Hunter: (Same Forum)

In reply to an earlier post on Aug 24, 2007 2:09 AM PDT
Last edited by the author on Aug 24, 2007 5:04 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

How can you do this to yourself? I don’t know if you have a family Reba but instead of spending time trying to win a battle, try not to lose the war. I know you have a husband and animals, you mention them in your bio.

This is the voice of experience speaking. Spend as much time with those you love as you possibly can. You don’t know how long you have with them. And you don’t know what they mean to you until they are gone.

I’ll never see my daughter go to the prom, graduate from college, get married or have children. My husband will never hold me in his arms again and tell me everything will be all right. Nothing will be ever be all right again.

We were on our way to pick up my son when a drunk driver crossed the center line on the interstate and hit us. For the rest of my life I will remember them covered in blood dying in front of me. I prayed to die with them. Instead my son and I left to take care of each other and he got the short end of the stick. Both my legs were broken in multiple places, half my ribs were broke, and I had internal injuries.

Is this worth one minute of your time with your husband? Your family? Can being “right” replace them?

Find what is important in your life and nuture it, not this.

Third Post by Caitrina Hunter: (Same Forum)

In reply to an earlier post on Aug 24, 2007 5:44 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

So no one thinks Avines lost her mind, I posted and didn’t like it. So immature and whiney me edited it to what I should have said.

I’ll take my leave you all now. Since I obviously have nothing to contribute other than being immature and whiney.

In reply to an earlier post on April 19, 2008 12:19 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

Very cheeky, arent’ we? Your venom for this writer is showing in your flagrant abusive conduct. Amazon banned Reba Belle for a reason but you know oh so much more than Amazon, the owner of the site. I offer an observation. Of course if the emails you post are accurate then you are stealing copyrighted material that belongs to someone else. If they aren’t accurate then you’re a liar. Thief or liar. Which is it? DW

Same page:

In reply to an earlier post on April 19, 2008 6:32 PM PDT
Last edited by the author on April 19, 2008 6:59 PM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:

The copyright owner of an email is not the recipient. The copyright lies with the creator or sender. I doubt the alleged sender gave permission.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered “fair,” such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair: the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; the nature of the copyrighted work; amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

I see no fair use in the emails, assuming they are from the alleged author–fair use does not include subjecting the alleged author to humiliation, embarassment, and harassment. Your definition of fair use has a very chilling affect on free speech. Of course in your and DW’s worlds maybe there is no freedom of speech, only speech which you approve. You rationalize every infringement of another’s right as presenting the truth and your truth trumps right. Got it.

So DW, and Reba Belle by extension, is either a thief or a liar and I stand by my statement.

In reply to an earlier post on April 20, 2008 9:01 PM PDT
Last edited by the author 17 hours ago
Caitrina Hunter says:

Sugar,

I don’t know Ms. MacGillivray and I don’t know you, but if I had to be stranded on an island with one of you, I’d choose her. At least I’d know where I stood with her.

I don’t want your pity so keep it to yourself, I’ve had enough of phony pity and concern to last two lifetimes. I found my own way back to the land of living after I lost my husband and my daughter to a drunk driver. The doctors refused to tell me they died while I was in ICU but I knew. I learned about people pretending to care to make themselves feel better. I learned to be skeptical.

We’re on two different paths. You and your friends are going to teach big bad Amazon and the big bad writer and right the wrong. I see try to see the entire picture and analyze what happened and why.

I don’t see Ms. Belle as a victim like you do. This incident happened nine months ago. Not yesterday, not last week, last year. Nine months ago. She reported it to Amazon. Not satisfied with their response, Ms. Belle posted her displeasure in defiance of Amazon rules. Amazon banned her for breaking the rules, being a vigilante, if you will.

The only reason Ms. Belle is bringing this up is someone went hunting for dirt on Ms. MacGillivray and trotted her out for their own sick reasons.

When one doesn’t question motives and wears their heart on their sleeve then they become the victim and that is truly sad.

I don’t play pile on games. I refuse to be a victim. I’m not a vigilante. And I won’t be led around by the nose.

In reply to an earlier post on April 21, 2008 8:28 AM PDT
Caitrina Hunter says:
Since I’ve developed such a following here, you can watch for me to post a review on Gone with the Wind, the book. It has amazing similarities to today’s world. Sadly there are no Rhett Butlers and way too many Miss Pittypats and Prissys.

BTW Steve, do you speak with a British accent?

Steve, I think she asked if you are British because she thinks you are Peter Harris who is posting here as well and he is British and there’s abit of history there.

99.9% sure Caitrina is DAM

And it is against Amazon’s policies for author’s to post reviews for their own books.

I tried to be rational and systematic in addressing her, but having no leg to stand on, she simply asked me if I was British?

Here in East Texas that is what we call an assbackwards compliment, meaning insult.

If you read the entire post she brushed you off and made reference to Gone with the Wind. In the movie Leslie Howard, a British actor, played the vacillating, weak kneed, lily-livered, infantile Ashley Wilks.

:) I know most readers aren’t going to do that. But I hate to think that people who might be new to blogland might wonder if most authors ..eh, well, we’ll just let people fill in the blank.

I don’t want another’s actions reflecting back on me, for both professional and personal reasons-and yep, I’m honest enough admit some selfish self-interest there. :)

But it also can’t be much fun for the new blog reader to stumble into a mess like this, ya know? Blogland often seems like the twilight zone to me and I’ve been hanging around a while now. What’s it like to the newbies? :-O

To the Blogger who mentioned that they have never read Nora Roberts, I reply, You are missing out on a LOT of Fabulous stories. At least check something out of the library. Everything is good, so take your pick!:>)

I have read and enjoyed the authors who post here. Thank you…..Susiq2

I am trying to work up my courage to return to Amazon romance forums, and continue to keep this problem current. I really wish that Amazon would take a stand on something! Working within a vacuum is difficult.

I’ve left negative reviews before, but I always try to be fair (even if I can be snarky about the things that annoy me). There are certain things that push my buttons, and someone that doesn’t mind those might like the book — and I’ll mention as such. There’s actually only been one book I’ve given a negative review that I don’t understand how someone could like, because of the way the hero treated the heroine. It was close to downright abusive, and it was plain at the end that he did not trust her to remain faithful (even though she had given him no reason for this distrust). Without trust, what relationship is there? But I digress.

I don’t write negative reviews of books that I can’t get into, because I have issues with slow beginnings. I know for a fact that I’m missing out on some books that have been very highly praised… but I still can’t get past the hundred or more pages of nothing happening. It’s why I still haven’t managed to read Tolkien. LOL.

In fact I have never left a bad review and I never will, because the way I see it, just because I put a book down 50 pages into the story doesn't mean someone else won't eat it up. I don't have the patience to read a book I can't get into, and maybe I'm missing out on a lot of good books that pick up after a while…

I write both good and bad reviews and some in-between. =) But, a book I find bad another may find very good so it’s all subjective. I know books I loved, others couldn’t stand them. I dunno, each book strikes each reader a bit differently and each reader takes something different from what they read.

We all view the world a little differently, our experiences, emotions, thoughts, etc all coloring how we view it. It’s only natural for it to affect our reading tastes.

Then, of course, there are the books that everyone can agree are really bad. I’ve only come across a few books that I couldn’t finish reading and put it down in disgust.

To those reading this site and think those here are making a big deal out of nothing or that the issue is “old” and we should move on, I offer these words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “An injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.”

We just can't and shouldn't sit and do nothing when an injustice occurs and/or because it is happening to someone else. That invites that same injustice to occur to us and I would certainly want people to support me should I be faced with such a situation.

Good post. I totally agree.

We just can’t and shouldn’t sit and do nothing when an injustice occurs and/or because it is happening to someone else. That invites that same injustice to occur to us and I would certainly want people to support me should I be faced with such a situation.

I think we've all been pretty good about not resorting to nasty name-calling and such, but we've been pretty passionate and those who are dissenters have said we are being “mob-like” or “hysterical” and “spiteful”. That it was a romance forum, and we shouldn't be hogging all the space.argh. I think those of us supporting Reba were annoyed and upset that we were looked upon as trivial or trying to “get back” at this author. I can't sit back and allow injustice like this to occur. To sit back and do nothing is wrong.

I haven’t seen anyone behaving badly here either. They’re simply stating their opinions. And it’s ironic to see the expression of so many varied and well considered opinions likened a “mob-like” mentality, by people whose behavior defines the expression.
And just out of curiosity – because I can’t find it – where did DA call Tess Gerritsen a flying monkey? I looked at her blog again this morning and I was a little flabbergasted – although that comment appears to have been edited out now.

She also says:

I do regret and apologize for the tongue-in-cheek post about hyper-sensitive authors that started this off. I wish I could retract it, although I don't feel it's right to take it down now because, as they say on Galaxy Quest, it's an “historical document.” It will explain exactly what happened here. Bad humor? Certainly. Worthy of hounding and animosity? I guess a lot of people think so.

I didn’t see any hounding and animosity to it. Did she get tons of hate mail for her DAM comments? She said what she said on her blog – not in the process of stalking an Amazon reviewer. Others said what they had to say about her comments – mostly on their blogs & some on this one in open discussion. I personally found her comments arrogant and condescending, so I won’t buy her books. End of story.
I don’t see any reason to make herself out to be a martyr over it. She’s free to express herself, and we the illiterate and unwashed masses are free to not buy her books.
That’s a pretty non-confrontational scenario there, so I certainly hope nobody is “hounding” her in the sense that reba was hounded, and I have nothing but condemnation for it if they are.
She should be no less accountable for the things she says than anyone else, but nobody should be stalking her for expressing her opinions.
And at least she apologized. That’s usually an animosity killer for me, so I can’t say that I have any for her. However, I don’t think her rather snobby attitude regarding what I can only describe as “unqualified” book reviewing is something that’s likely to have changed, just because she got a little egg on her face. I still think it’s elitist crap, so I still won’t buy her books. That’s my perogative, and there’s nothing mindless to it. She’s a fairly well known writer, and IMO, that means you have to be a little more careful than Joe Blow when publically stating your opinions. I think if you’re going to be vocal, at least be inherently right:P
And as for Victoria Laurie – what an idiot.

Shiloh –

I'd ask that you don't let the ones with negative attitudes color how you see all writers. Because it's not indicative of writers as a whole.

Not gonna happen. There are too many out there, like Nora Roberts for example, to throw the same blanket over all of you. Aside from which, I love reading too much to do that anyway. As much as it kills my soul to admit it, I’ve never read her books – ok, start throwing the rotten tomatoes now…:P
But I have to say, she personifies everything I admire in a writer & a public personality. She has a wonderful, open & engaging personality, and a lot of class. I can’t claim to be a fan in the strictest sense – for obvious reasons – but I am definitely an admirer.

Shiloh – of course we don’t consider all authors the same as DAM. Only the ones that act like her, such as Victoria Laurie, I guess. No conviction without a fair trial and lots of evidence, I guess, ha ha.

;)

But said author can't let reviews/comments from fans/critics get to them in a way that it affects their own work, or else it would be every joe's work who seemed to think the story should go this way and that.

The author can’t let it affect them. It’s a job-it’s a job that for most writers is a labor of love, but it’s still a job. If you do your best, you know you’ve done your best, that’s all you can do.

It would be like a chef cooking his unique dish for a particular customer. That customer hates it-not necessarily because it was burnt/bland/undercooked or any fault of the chef’s-the dish just didn’t work for that customer.

If it’s working for others, that is the best you can hope for.

While also that same author can't go around alienating the very people who feed that author's sales by calling them asshats and the like.

Ditto. I’ve stopped reading some authors I used to love because of the way I’ve seen them act, either online or in person. Time’s short and I prefer to spend my time on a book where I can get lost. If the author is a moron, it’s too often going to interfere with my pleasure of the book.

I don't envy authors one little bit for all the ungodly pressure ya'll must suffer just on those bits alone, lord knows with deadlines and marketing and the such. Though the bottom line is, in ANY line of work, no matter how high up you get on the food line, it's best not to bite the hand that more or less feeds you.

There’s pressure in every line of work. Writers are no different in that aspect. If you do anything that puts you in the public eye, how you act is going reflect back on you and it can hurt you or it can help you. I prefer not to shoot myself in the foot.

And I’m gone…work, must work.

In fact I have never left a bad review and I never will, because the way I see it, just because I put a book down 50 pages into the story doesn’t mean someone else won’t eat it up. I don’t have the patience to read a book I can’t get into, and maybe I’m missing out on a lot of good books that pick up after a while…

I do however leave good reviews if I liked a book, and glowing reviews if I really really enjoyed a book, in fact if I really loved a book my husband can’t shut me up for a while because of my enjoyment while reading or after having finished it

But that’s just me, everyone’s different

Shiloh Walker:

Yes readers buy books and enable authors to make their living doing what they love, and I respect most all of you because it’s a very fine line ya’ll have to walk…

Author “A” gets published for a reason, their idea/writing is a marketable one, and Author “A”‘s books continue to sell because of their talent and sales

But said author can’t let reviews/comments from fans/critics get to them in a way that it affects their own work, or else it would be every joe’s work who seemed to think the story should go this way and that.

While also that same author can’t go around alienating the very people who feed that author’s sales by calling them asshats and the like.

I don’t envy authors one little bit for all the ungodly pressure ya’ll must suffer just on those bits alone, lord knows with deadlines and marketing and the such. Though the bottom line is, in ANY line of work, no matter how high up you get on the food line, it’s best not to bite the hand that more or less feeds you.

So no, I don’t think I can let the bad apple authors ruin my pleasure in reading, especially when there are ones out there like you that do care, and do want to get out there and let people know not all authors dive off the deep end. By the way, most of all the authors on this thread have gained a new reader, at least to see what your books are like, because hell, if I can respect/emjoy your opinions here I might enjoy your books as well! Though I’m not buying through amazon *snickers*

And as for the authors that stay out of it, that’s cool too because honestly it takes a lot out of people to get tangled up in an issue like this, and it’s understandable not to want to sacrifice that part of yourself.