Should Online Reviews Stay Anoymous?

by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers

Reviews are always a hot topic for authors and readers, but this new legal development could fundamentally change online reviews.

A business owner has sued for the right to see the names of anonymous online reviewers. The owner believes a rash of suddenly negative reviews came from competitors, because he can’t match their complaints and timing to his service records. The reviews hurt his business, and he sued them for defamation, demanding that Yelp turn over their identities. Yelp has refused, claiming first amendment protection. The Virginia state supreme court will decide the case this month.

I’m rooting for the business owner. A good friend lost half her business after one bad posting on Ripoff Report, in which the reviewer used a phony name and made false claims—after she gave him his money back.  As an author, I’m never going to sue any reviewers, but wouldn’t it be nice if they couldn’t hide behind fake internet names?

I expect readers to disagree, and I understand why anonymity seems important. Because I know so many writers personally, I don’t feel comfortable reviewing most books. But I also never use a made-up persona either. For anything. I stand by my words.

Consumer reviews have become very powerful in influencing buying decisions, subverting the power that marketers once had. Overall, I believe this is a good thing for all of us.

Yet, both authors and readers have abused the ability to post anonymous reviews. Some authors have used it to promote their own work and to trash their competitors. Readers have used it to complain about a book’s price with one-star reviews, and some just spew negativity and hatred wherever they go.

For me, the issue is opinion versus false claims. When someone reads a book and honestly hates it, they have a right to say so. But so many reviews, particularly of products and services, go beyond opinion and make false claims. Don’t those authors or small businesses have a right to counter those claims? Doesn’t the reviewer have an obligation to support those claims—if challenged?

I’m hoping the court decides that Yelp needs to turn over the reviewers’ identity. If it does, a precedent will be set, and more and more businesses will demand that negative/false reviewers produce documentation. That should lead to more and more transparency in online reviews—as the trolls realize they could be identified and held accountable.

What do you think? Does the first amendment guarantee our right to anonymous free speech or just free speech?

Right Image, Wrong Message?

by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers

Books covers! Sometimes you get lucky and find the perfect image after a quick search. Most of the time, the author and cover designers struggle to even articulate what type of single image will best convey a complex story.

I loved the first cover proof Thomas & Mercer sent for Deadly Bonds. It’s simple, powerful, and emotional. The child’s hand in the adult hand also tells readers something about the bonds in the title. I wanted to just say Yes, this is perfect.

But then I worried that the image would give some people the wrong idea. For some readers, any image involving a child on the cover of a crime fiction story implies pedophilia. I wanted to be wrong about that assumption, but I mentioned my concern to my publisher. They passed the cover around to a few employees to get their reactions and decided that they shared my concern.

So we’re back to the drawing board. Yesterday, they sent this cover. I like it, but I think it’s too sweet. And again, will people get the wrong idea? How do you covey that a small child plays a role in the story without having people assume that the child is victimized?

I have no regrets about the story. It may be one of my strongest Jackson books yet. But the cover is challenging, and I’m tempted to set up a photo shoot to see if my graphic artist can produce an image that implies a nonsexual bond between a caregiver and a child. Is that even possible?

So what do you think of these covers? Where does your mind go?

Jackson Goes International

by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers

The most exciting thing in publishing now is the ability to easily reach readers around the world. My royalty statements from Thomas & Mercer include payments from the UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. The statement also has label-lines for China, Japan, Brazil, India, and Mexico. These are all places where Amazon has launched online Kindle stores, and I know it’s only a matter of time before I start seeing sales in those markets too. The numbers are small, but I love that people in Brazil may soon be reading my Detective Jackson series.

Even more exciting, the series will launch in the German language next month. The first book, The Sex Club, has been retitled Gefahrliche Tugend, which translates to Dangerous Virtue, and will be released March 4. I have a friend who reads in German and will let me know what she thinks of the translation.

My German editor is very excited about the series and thinks it will be a bestseller. I already belong to the International Association of Crime Writers (just because I like the way it sounds), but how fun it will be to someday add “international bestseller” to my bio.

I’m happy to report that Amazon Crossing decided to keep all the original covers—with slight modifications to comply with local marketing regulations. Which tells me that we did a good job with the covers and that they have a universal appeal.

On a similar note, I recently heard from a reader who asked when my series would be available in Spanish. That seems like an even bigger market, and I plan to suggest to my publisher that they consider more translations. For now though, Secrets to Die For (Jackson #2) is currently being translated into German and will likely release in that language this summer.

As long as I’m spending the blog blatantly talking about my books, I might as well share that my publisher recently sent me a plaque and encased copy of Secrets to Die For—for passing 100,000 copies sold. They had it on sale for $.99 in both the US and UK for a long time!

In other news, the second agent Dallas book will be out May 13, and the ninth Detective Jackson story, Deadly Bonds, will release August 26. If all goes according to plan, the third Dallas book will release around Christmas. But what are the chances of all going according to plan?

Readers: Do you ever read books in another language?
Writers: Have you released books in the German market? Or considered a Spanish version?

New Character Name Winners!

Thanks for participating! As always, people made creative suggestions. Most readers also submitted several names, so I have plenty to use for minor characters as well. So chances are, you’ll see all these names pop up in the next Agent Dallas story. As info, I received lots of submissions via email—in response to my blog going out that way—so many of the names and winners here don’t show up in the comments of the original post. Here’s how it went for choosing the winners.

For the actor/victim, I was torn between Richard King (submitted by Dani at Blog Book Tours) and James Avery, submitted by John Kurtze. Both names have the sophisticated tone I was looking for. In the end, I chose James Avery, so congratulations, John.

There were plenty of great names offered for the male CEO too, such as William Grissom, Malone William, and Michael Pence. See the  pattern? Most of you were on the same page with an upscale, old-world kind of name. But this CEO is a little more new age, with a technology background, so my favorite offering was the first name Max, submitted by Marvene Carroll. And I think I’ll use Grissom as his last name. So Stephanie Grissom, who submitted her own full name, wins an ebook too.

As for the young Hispanic detective: I liked the suggestion Raul Acosta. But I’m leery of using three-syllable names for main/POV characters because I worry they’re too much work for readers. I also liked Jose Cortez, submitted by Susan Mobley, but I think too many people will mispronounce or stumble over his first name. So I combined the two suggestions and named the detective Raul Cortez. So both participants get an ebook. (I reserve the right to change my mind about this if the possessive version (Cortez’s) starts become problematic.)

The toughest choice was the female CEO. I loved the names Veronica, Madeline, and Adrianna. But this character is a little more aggressive than those names imply. Because several people submitted Theresa, with Risa as a shortened version in one case, I thought I would use it. Then I remembered that I have another prominent character with a similar sounding name that I didn’t want to give up. Bummer. But I still like the name Risa, submitted by Risa Rispoli, do I’ll use her whole name as a minor character, probably a reporter. At the last minute, someone submitted Cherryl, and it grabbed me. The name is strong and easy to pronounce. So I combined it with the placeholder name I was already using, Decker, and the female CEO will be called Cherryl Decker. Congratulations to Cherryl Thomson, who submitted her own name and also to Risa, who wins an ebook as well.

But the grand-prize winner was an unexpected name for a minor character I mentioned in passing. Betty Weaver submitted the name Grumpy for the detective’s pet, a pot-bellied pig. I loved it, so Betty wins a print book of her choice. Thanks, Betty, for making the effort!

Everyone else with winning submissions gets a free ebook of their choice. Or if you’ve already read everything I’ve written, I can gift an ebook to someone else for you, or I can send you an early copy of my next book (Agent Dallas #2). Thanks again for participating! You make this part of the planning fun for me.

More Character Names, Please!

Book one of the Agent Dallas series, The Trigger, has finally launched, and I’m working on book two. I have a title idea, but I’m waiting to share it until I have the cover ready. In the meantime, I’d like your help with names again. And I’m giving away ebooks of The Trigger (or ebook of your choice) to all the winners of the names I choose, and a print book of your choice to whoever submits my favorite name of the bunch.

In this new story, Agent Dallas infiltrates a medical technology company suspected of corporate sabotage and terrorism. She doesn’t know who is responsible for the attacks, but the company is headed by a male CEO and a female COO, both in their forties. The male executive has a business/technology background and the female has a business/biology background. They’re both ambitious and demand absolute loyalty from their employees.

I also need the name of male victim. He’s a new type for me: a fifty-something famous actor—a bachelor with a big heart (think George Clooney) who seems to have died of an overdose, but whose body show signs of bondage.

The detective who investigates his death is an early-thirties male who lives in San Diego and has a mixed Latino/Anglo heritage. He’s tough and eager to prove himself, but also has a soft spot for Hollywood stars, ballroom dancing, and an aging pot-bellied pig.

That should keep you busy—and possibly confused!

Don’t worry that most of these characters are men. There are plenty of women in the story, but two of the main protagonists—Agent Dallas and Agent River—are already established from previous books.

As always, I will use as many of the submitted, non-winning names as I can for minor characters such as witnesses, suspects, and family members. Feel free to submit your own!

Post your name submissions in the comments or email me. Thanks for your participation!

The Trigger: And the Winners Are…

The Winner copyThe hardest thing about contests is that I want everyone to win! This one was especially fun though, because I’ve never given away a trip to a conference before, and readers were excited about the grand prize. If you don’t know the story about why, you can read it here, midpoint in the blog.

Before I announce the winners, a few details. Entries: 137 people entered the contest. Fewer than I expected, but it was New Year’s Day, and a lot of people simply weren’t online. (Or they were watching football!) Many more readers bought the book that day (yay!), but didn’t bother to send the receipt.

The process: I copied and pasted names/email addresses into a Word document as the emails came in. Then I printed those pages, cut the entries into strips, and folded them. I dug out my giant salad bowl—usually reserved for family gatherings—put all the entries into it, and stirred them up.

The first name I drew was for the grand prize trip to Left Coast Crime. The lucky winner: Theresa de Valence!

My initial thought was to be quite happy. I met Theresa online six years ago. She was one of my first readers and supported me when I was a self-published author with only one book on the market. And she stayed loyal, reading everything I wrote over the years. My next thought was to worry that it might look bad for her to win because I knew her. Then I had to laugh. Because I know—from Facebook, Twitter, conferences, or emails—half of the people who entered the contest.

The entriesThat’s what I love most about this career. It has brought so many great people into my life!
Thank you all for making this gig the world’s greatest job.

I also drew 10 more winners for gift certificates. I’ll contact each of you personally, but here are the recipients:

  • John Lovell
  • Amy Kincade
  • Rose Mercer
  • Shirley Wetzel
  • Kim Ellis
  • River Fairchild
  • Halley Marton
  • Barbara Petty
  • Tim Feely
  • Sara Stradley

Thanks again for all your support! And for sending such delightful emails that share your enthusiasm for my books. Check back to my blog soon. I’m hosting a naming contest for my next Dallas book, and you have a good chance get your own name into the story.

Best Wishes for a Great 2014

New Year startNew Year’s is my favorite holiday! I love a fresh start and a chance to establish new habits and set new goals. At this point in my life, I’ve kicked most of my bad habits (except Diet Dr. Pepper), so this year’s resolutions are more about what I want to start doing rather than what I need to stop.

My personal list is pretty short and simple: I plan to dance more, maybe even take lessons. I hope to take hand drum lessons too. I’ve had the drum for a couple of years and I want to learn how to really play it. And I want to get out and see more of my gorgeous state this summer, do some hiking.

As for writing and publishing, I’m feeling pretty ambitious for the year. I plan to write and publish two more Agent Dallas books, one of which I’m working on now. The first one releases on New Year’s day and I have a great giveaway planned. I also plan to write Detective Jackson #10 before the year’s over. So here’s the production schedule:

  • January 1: The Trigger (Agent Dallas #1) released
  • January-March: Write Agent Dallas #2
  • May: Publish Agent Dallas #2
  • May-July: Write Jackson #10
  • July 1: Deadly Bonds (Jackson #9) releases
  • September-October: Write Agent Dallas #3
  • December: Publish Agent Dallas #3
  • March 1: Detective Jackson #10 releases

 

At the end of this year, I’ll have 16 books written—10 Jackson stories, 3 Dallas stories, and 3 standalone thrillers. And the only one that won’t be published until 2015 is Jackson #10. It’s an ambitious schedule but doable. My personal life seems to have settled down a little, and Thomas & Mercer is handling the production and marketing of the Jackson series. What will be challenging is doing all the production and marketing for the Agent Dallas series, which I’m independently publishing. But after this first one, it should get easier.

I will also be moving sometime in the spring, and I’ll also be working on Left Coast Crime 2015 as the co-chair…so I’ll be plenty busy.

I really hope readers like the new series. Agent Dallas has been a lot of fun for me. As much as I love Jackson, it’s nice change of pace to write about someone who is less structured and less encumbered. In other words, Dallas is a little wild, and I’m enjoying her life vicariously. ☺

Happy reading! Happy New Year! Thanks for all your support

Paying It Forward with a Giveaway

happy new yearAfter decades of writing fiction, I’m finally a multi-published, full-time author. My first resolution this New Year is to express gratitude for that good fortune every day. So I’m launching my new book with a huge giveaway. (More details below.) But first I’m want to say thank you and express my appreciation.

I’m grateful for the friends and fans who beta reader and proofread my work, giving me great feedback. I know how much time it takes and how little extra time we all have. Thank you!

I’m grateful for all my readers, especially those who came on board early and supported me when I was new, self-published author with only one paperback called The Sex Club.

I’m grateful for my graphic artist (Gwen Roads) my copyeditor (Jodie Renner), my content editor (Kevin Smith), and the industry’s best formatter ([email protected]). If you’re getting ready to self-publish, contact her!

In that light, I’m going to pay forward a trip to Left Coast Crime 2015. Last March at LCC, a friend approached me about chairing Left Coast Crime in Oregon in 2015, and I agreed. It’s going to be a fantastic conference, but it’s also only a two-hour drive to Portland for me. So I don’t have to buy a plane ticket next year. And as co-chair, I don’t pay registration or hotel costs either. (Trust me, I’ll earn every dime of those perks!)

The Trigger_medSo I decided to take all those expenses that I won’t incur and sponsor the trip for one of my readers. I’m holding a contest, and everyone who buys a copy of The Triggeron launch day, January 1—and emails the receipt to ( [email protected]) will be entered to win at trip to Left Coast Crime 2015. The drawing will be random, but it would be fun if a long-time loyal reader I haven’t met yet and who hasn’t been to LCC wins this thing.

In addition, as a thank-you to readers, I’m giving away 10 Amazon gift certificates for $50 each! So you have a good chance of winning something, well, compared to the lottery, anyway.

More important: The Trigger ebook is on special right now for $.99, another thank-you to loyal readers who’ve been paying a little more for my Jackson books since T&M started publishing them. The print book of The Trigger is also set up with Kindle Match, so if you buy the print book now, you’ll get the ebook free. You can buy an ebook on launch day for $.99 and gift it to someone.

And what is The Trigger? It’s the first novel in a new series featuring Agent Dallas. I introduced her in Crimes of Memory, and readers say she stole the show. She certainly stole my heart. I had so much fun writing her role as an undercover specialist that I knew she needed her own series.

You can check out the book and contest here. (Early readers have given the story 5 stars.)

Again, thank you to everyone who’s read my work and posted reviews. And if you like The Trigger, post one more for me. I’m going indie with this series, so I need all the help I can get.

Happy New Year!

Preventing Homelessness

People get into the spirit of giving this time of year, and I love to see it. For my charitable foundation Housing Help, it has been a special blessing.

Recently, a local philanthropist & consultant contacted me and asked if I wanted to discuss my foundation and take advantage of his experience. I was thrilled! All of my previous efforts to network with local groups had been meet with silence. And, other than calling St. Vincent de Paul, I had no idea how to find and screen families in need.

My new mentor put me in touch with Shelter Care, and few days later, Housing Help assisted a single father of two school-age kids, living in Springfield, who needed help with December rent so he wouldn’t lose his new apartment. It was a great feeling to finally accomplish what I’d set out to do years ago when I visualized this foundation.

I posted online about it, and several friends, both online and local, made contributions to the foundation. Thank you! I matched those donations, and we were able to help a second household. Two Eugene single mothers, with a combined three children, had received an eviction notice from their landlord—for no cause. They’d scraped together what they could but had still come up short of the $1300+ needed for first month’s rent plus a security deposit on a new place—which they felt lucky to find and quality for.

Housing Help provided the other half of the move-in costs, and the two families—which had nowhere to go—will have a new home, rather than live in their cars.

This is such a critical service!

I thank everyone who’s donated to this foundation, and I hope you’ll make it a habit. My original goal was to help one family a month. But I want to do more. So I’m aiming for two a month all next year. The list of families in this situation is endless, and not just in Lane County. Millions of people are one paycheck, or one unexpected expense, away from homelessness.

To motivate others to get involved, I’m offering an incentive: Anyone who donates $5 a month all next year, for a total of $60, will get a free book from me with every new release next year. And I plan to publish four! Two are already written and scheduled.

Find out more about the foundation at its website, where you can donate through PayPay (or credit card). A mailing address is listed as well. Or contact me with any questions.

Thank you! And Happy Holidays!

Why I Don’t Watch Breaking Bad

For years, I’ve been seeing the tweets and Facebook posts and media reviews about how great Breaking Bad is. Some call it the best writing on TV or the best TV show ever. Occasionally the posts are a little freaky, like this one: “So finally watched last night’s #BreakingBad, and I’m going to spend the rest of the day curled in a little ball while twitching.”

I’ve never seen the show and I never will. The protagonist makes methamphetamine in his garage, and I assume he sells it as well. Regardless of how well the show is written or acted, this is not my kind of protagonist.

My niece is a meth addict. She’s 31, homeless, toothless, and skinny as a rail. She has abandoned her child, whom I now have part-time parental responsibility for. A nine-year-old with worries no kid should ever have.

Meth addiction ruined my niece’s life, and I don’t know if she’ll ever recover. I don’t know how long she’ll even live. Meth kills brain cells and makes people permanently less intelligent. It changes people’s personalities, making them short-tempered, angry and often violent.

Seeing my niece—who spent a good chunk of her childhood in my home—the way she is breaks my heart. I have no idea how to help her. I’m reminded of all this today as I prepare for Thanksgiving and accept that she probably won’t be at the table again this year.

For me, people who make and sell meth are not protagonists. They are not entertaining, even when they’re portrayed as the bad guys. I don’t watch movies or read books about drug cartels either.

For the record, I don’t believe that drug dealers are technically criminals either. I don’t believe in sending people to prison for getting high or for helping other willing adults get high. But still, meth cooks are evil, greedy, selfish bastards. Glorifying them is a sad excuse for entertainment.

I’m not judging anyone who watches or enjoys the show. And I’m sure I’ll get a certain amount of flak for posting this. But I felt compelled to finally say it. I’m glad the show is over, and I no longer have to see all the posts about how great it is.

Meth sucks.