“I couldn’t even be arsed reading the posts on her blog, it was hard enough trying to read them on here last time. Somebody should tell her that sometimes less is more.

She either wants the attention, or she’s desperately trying to regain some credibility.

She’ll probably be successful with the former, but I’d say that her chances of being viewed as credible, have been shot to shit.

I didn’t really know or care about EPIC before, and quite frankly I still don’t, but one thing’s for sure, I wouldn’t recommend anybody to join, even for the miserly sum of $30. Not with Brenna Lyons at the helm anyway. Her ambassadorial skills, or lack thereof, leaves a lot to be desired.”

This is my first time trying to comment so pardon me if my quote of the above didn’t come out right.

I completely agree with you. I had an unfortunate dealing with Brenna Lyons (before that I never even heard of her) on one of those internet book discussion forums. Let’s just say this woman has some serious insecurities issues. Trying to have a mature calm discussion with her is very difficult. I was shocked to find out that she is 1) a writer 2) a published writer and 3) has a college education. Not only is she the most ineffective communicator, especially given she’s a writer, but her holier than thou and condescending attitude just leaves the reader very little respect for her.

What I find interesting is if you read her blogs, she’s apparently the best of everything in every profession. Not only is she an “award winning published writer”, she is also an accountant, an auditor, a computer genius, a lawyer, a “perfect thief”, and ofcourse way smarter than the rest of us schmucks. She would have been the US Surgeon General too if she had time between her writing career to pursue a degree in medicine. Let’s also not forget that she is extremely business savvy because she’s the “President of EPIC” and was told she would make a perfect auditor by a teacher. As for her law interpretation skills? No worries, she is very adept in quoting the webster dictionary and posting various biased and loosely interpreted version of US laws from the net. Why would anyone want to pay for the advice of someone board certified like an attorney or a CPA when you can have the wisdom of Brenna Lyons bestow on us? Needless to say, I couldn’t get a word in edge wise amongst all that self promotion and everything I did say was twisted around or blatantly ignored by her. Interesting enough, when I start mentioning my background when she questioned my credibility to comment on matters of business and law, she immediately accused me of flaunting my credentials. All this after she flat out call me an airhead and a ditz. Again, charming person that Brenna Lyons.

After my experience with her, not only will I NOT buy her books, I will make sure anyone I know not buy her books. In fact, my dealings with her (and a couple of other aspiring writers) have sour my taste in participating in book discussion clubs.

2. Our contracts with Triskelion were leases. We leased certain rights in our contracts – basically the right to publish our books.

3. The main problem is that the bankruptcy clause in our contracts -which basically says that if the company goes into bankruptcy, we automatically get our rights back – can be overridden by the courts, mainly because author contracts (all author contracts, not just Triskelion’s) are signed under state law, and bankruptcy is a federal thing. That’s why organisations like the RWA and the Author’s Guild are taking an interest – this is a serious issue for authors. But we are not talking copyrights, we’re talking rights to publish.

4. The ex-Triskelion authors do not have a spokesperson, except one person most of us have authorised to speak for us in court. We have banded together in case we need a lawyer, so we can share costs. We speak for ourselves.

5. Here, speaking for myself and nobody else, I’m more interested in what books I have coming up than the ones I’ve left behind. Sure it hurts to have books tied up in this, but if I worried about that too much, I wouldn’t do anything else. I now have books contracted to Samhain, Ellora’s Cave and Loose-ID, and I’m keeping busy.

it’s strange irony that Brenna Lyons will become best known for her first love

… herself?

http://brennalyons.blogspot.com/

“There are a lot of people, even misguided authors, who receive a perverse thrill from ‘cashing in’ on the misfortunes of others.”

This is so true, and not necessarily in the form of legal matters but in editing/consulting and other such potentially spurious “expertise.” Caveat emptor truly, for all such purchases. I think that often writers are on their own until they find an agent/publisher/editor, and we have to be careful about the people we hire or listen to.

To M–I have actually never heard of Brenna Lyons, but now I have, obviously. I’ve clicked on her site and read some material, and perhpas that is the point. All very interesting.

Jessica

It just happens that this morning I was just checking the Brava authors website for info on their Novella contest and LO AND BEHOLD there she was on the message board – with her trademark epic long posts peppered all over the place. In BOLD. Like she’s more important than the others posting. Giving out handy advice to wanna be’s like me – like she’s a Kensginton editor/ author/ heck, the owner! – herself.

Lord save Brava.

(Oh, and feel free to delete this rant, too, LOL. It just feels so good to write this.) :)

long verbiage in the body of her posts that Lyons a) wants to be the authorial mouthpiece about bankruptcy law and b) isn’t quite getting the attention that she desires.

is BRILLIANT Sigmund Freud stuff!! :-)

Brenna is a loud mouth! Her condescending tone and authoritative attitude are just too much to stand. For a while now, any post, book, or paper with her name beside it, I am frankly NOT interested in reading.

Sorry, Jane, but I just had to say that. I hate when people overtake someone else’s blog and go on and on like a Queen of Bullcrap without even adequate information to back up the things exiting their wide mouth!

I was one of the authors who escaped the fall of Trisk with my work intact because I bearded the lioness in her den. (I take no prisoners!) Even if I hadn’t succeeded in getting my work released, I’d no more take online advice about legal matters than I would congratulate Lil’ Bush for doing a bang-up job in Iraq.

Thank you, Dear Author & Jane, for stepping into the breach and possibly saving some authors from a great deal of heartache.

As an additional comment, I haven’t seen Jane’s credentials, but the wording she uses in and on itself is quite revealing. I do strongly believe she does have the background needed to “translate” legalese. But that may be just me … nevermind that I’ve worked for 20 years in the legal field.

To the Triskelion authors that are complaining to Brenna Lyons, how about you put your time to good use and pick up the phone and start calling a few bankruptcy attorneys in your area? Usually the first consultation with a bankruptcy attorney is free, and that first consultation alone should help clear quite a few things.

If you fear being ripped off by an attorney (I have worked 20 years in the legal field so I know full well the bazillion misconceptions there are not to mention the jokes that abound on the matter) contact your State Bar Association and I am sure they will be able to provide you some guidance as to how to find a good bankruptcy attorney in your area.

In other words, be proactive. Going around with complaints is not going to solve anything, plus EPIC (or whatever organization you belong to) is not going to solve this for you or pay the attorney’s bill.

I don’t know how giving my interpretation of the Bankruptcy law is making dearauthor an authority on anything. In fact, I’ve urged anyone who is in the Trisk mess to seek a lawyer. But if these legal discussions bore you, bother you, etc. I suggest using the mouse and click away.

Erm…. I’m pretty sure Jane didn’t say that the Trisk authors got into this mess due to listening to Brenna Lyons.

From my point of view, she was correcting something that Lyons seemed to be touting as legal fact. To date, at least two other qualified individuals have told Lyons, that she was in fact incorrect.

If you are so sure Brenna is wrong and shouldn’t be giving legal advice, then why should you? Where does your authority come from?

Erm… cuz she’s a lawyer?

And in fact, I don’t recall her dispensing any advice, she was correcting some of Ms Lyon’s erroneous statements, and warned about the dangers of dispensing legal advice, when one isn’t qualified to do so.

Why Dear Author feels the need to make itself an authority on IP and bankrupty issues is beyond me. I thought this was a place to find reviews, not legal information.

If you are so sure Brenna is wrong and shouldn’t be giving legal advice, then why should you? Where does your authority come from?

Unless you have a contract stuck in bankruptcy hell, I would say go back to reading and reviewing books. That suits you better.

Jessica