Comments on: Wherein Jane Sends Email to Victoria Laurie’s Editor

By: Marta

Marta — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:41:33 +0000

And just as I think this issue has been laid to rest…I just got one of those Webmaster e-mails about Laurie’s newest book. She of course does not mention all the problems she’s had in the last few years of course, but knowing what I know now, I elected to have myself removed from her mailing list. I just wonder if she will even see that as a reason for some kind of revenge…

And now she has written a story for children called “The Delphi Oracle.” Now knowing what her personality is truely like, I’d hate for any child to read one of her books…I’d sooner have them read Stephen King’s work…at least he doesn’t have one of those “author-is-a-psycho” reputations, and really does seem to appreciate his fans…

By: The High Price of Revenge Characters « Tour’s Books Blog

The High Price of Revenge Characters « Tour’s Books Blog — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:50:06 +0000

[...] books by saying she’d create a character in revenge? To refresh your memory just click on Dear Author and you’ll find all the interconnected [...]

By: Sunny

Sunny — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:11:17 +0000

I left a good review for the author’s book and was reading some of the other comments when I stumbled onto the information about the author’s ego being out of control.

After a quick google I found this information. I must say I’m appalled. I cannot believe an author would act that way toward a reviewer. I’m sure a negative review is not pleasant – but don’t “bite the hand that feeds you”. If that was not bad enough – sending an email “cease and desist”?????

I just wrote to Amazon requesting a refund for the purchase. I’m sure it won’t make a huge dent in the author’s pocket – but it my way of “voting with my feet”. I certainly will not purchase any more of her work until there is a public apology.

By: hapax

hapax — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:53:16 +0000

Posting anonymously for reasons that should become obvious:

Holy Mother of God. I am a professional book reviewer who just received one of VL’s ARCs for review. I idly Googled her name to see what else she had written.

I had no idea what kind of mess I could have stepped into, until I read this and the related threads.

Zoinks! Now I’m terrified.

By: Ann Somerville’s Journal » Blog Archive » Consistency failure

Ann Somerville’s Journal » Blog Archive » Consistency failure — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:42:20 +0000

[...] we’re all being a bit mean to Ms Laurie the Psychic with a Broken Crystal Ball. She thinks we should just roll our eyes at her behaviour and that it’s not worth making a fuss about. Every single respondent to her comment said they disagreed with her, as did I. I said [...]

By: Jerry

Jerry — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:54:03 +0000

Pike, spike, schmike, who cares? Like so many writers today the woman just lacks any grace. The world doesn’t revolve around their reaction to a negative comment, and their world shouldn’t come to a mad, screeching halt because they feel a psychological need to retaliate instead of just shaking it off and carrying on like adults.

By: Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:31:32 +0000

So did Dear Author ever hear anything from the Editor? Is this author still threatening anyone who blogs about her?

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:32:12 +0000

My experience with VL was like Marta’s, until a disagreement arose. I had written to her over the years to say I was a fan of her books & I even had a reading once. I was the one whom she took to task because I didn’t like a book she recommended. She turned it around as though I had criticized her and not the book, and it took a few back & forth blog posts to get her to realize that. It’s sad to watch VL’s meltdown, but I agree with Jane and others who are standing up and speaking out. What VL did is wrong, and it is our responsibility to speak out against this kind of behavior.

By: Marta

Marta — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:33:17 +0000

BTW, CherriDee, I just want to apologize to you for being one of Ms. Laurie’s “rah, rah” group on that particular blog of hers. I wouldn’t have ever had a chuckle over it had she just left it at that, a rant, a fit, etc. (I mentioned previously, that as long as she was using a fake name, etc., it seemed like a good idea.) Now I wish to add, even if she did make up a character out of your screen name, it would have only been amusing if no one you knew recognized it was based on you.

The way she spoke about you and your critiques, she made it sound as if you had personally attacked her, as a person, the way she actually did you. I wish now i’d seen for myself, but I read her blog late at night, so didn’t have that much time to go scrolling around the internet, and as she had always acted kindly to me before (first answered an e-mail years ago when she was new), I trusted her to be an actual, nice person. I am thinking her ego grew too fast for her decency.

I think I might have a little insight into the way she thinks–and frankly, this is kind of frightening–on her rant against my last comment to her, she indicated that basically a person could do anything they wanted–even acts of evil–during their life time because they would face NO Judgement beyond this world. She didn’t word it quite that way, but if she really believes that, then what is to prompt her to better her behavior if she thinks she won’t be punished for her actions? In fact, while alive, a person doesn’t have to feel regret or remorse towards the people they have injured.

By: M

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:22:38 +0000

Just wanted to clarify a bit how the publishing industry works, for those who want the publisher to immediately drop problem authors. The author and the publishing house signed a contract. Unless the author has violated her contract (which, unfortunately, does not cover bad behavior like this, but does cover plagarism, due dates, etc), the publisher is LEGALLY OBLIGATED to publish the books under contract. If this is her first book, she could have several more in the contract, which means they will come out. In fact, if the book is scheduled within the next year, they have covers/cover copy finished and industry catalogues already printed up. Some publishers even work a year and a half to two years in advance.

Am I saying her behavior is acceptable? Absolutely not. But editors have enough to do without also having to be babysitters. Do we bang our heads against our desk when we hear about things like this? You betcha. Can we do anything other than perhaps put them on the black list when contract renewal time comes up? Nope.

And a professional editor would never endorse an idea like this to her other authors. Never.