A public apology

Ron Fortier has been kind enough to review Love & Bullets and it's a review that can be read at his own site. Ron sent me an e-mail this morning when he posted the review and he warned me that it wasn't very positive. I read it and sure enough, it wasn't. However, Ron said it was a fair review and I agree with him, as he also had some very positive things to say about my writing style. I thanked him for the review and posted a link to it on Facebook (and by extension, Twitter).

Then, I went about my day. Currently, I'm in Fukuoka for two weeks to study Japanese. So I've been locked inside a classroom all day. After class, I went to a little Indian restaurant near the apartment where I'm staying and checked my e-mail. And I received a message from one of my editors at Pulpwork Press informing me he heard from Ron that someone was spamming the Love & Bullets review. And he asked if it was me. I explained to him it wasn't and then I immediately sent Ron an e-mail apologizing for this person's actions.

I don't know who has been spamming Ron's site and frankly, I don't care. But if it's one of my fans or even worse one of my friends, I am extremely pissed off at this kind of immaturity. Ron wasn't looking to do a smear job on me. He wasn't attacking me. The only interaction Ron and I have ever had has been this review. I sent him a copy of it because he's a pretty big name in the small world of pulp fiction and he frequently writes reviews of independent books. And I sent it to him without any expectations. I told him I would appreciate a review but if he doesn't want to, then that's fine as well.

Ron took time out of his schedule to review a book from an author he's never heard of. And in return, he gets someone spamming his journal. This is unacceptable. If this is someone doing it on my behalf, then I implore you all -- don't do me any favors. Help of this nature is neither needed nor wanted. This kind of help is damaging to me, both personally and professionally. I doubt Ron would ever review another of my books in the future and I wouldn't blame him. Why review something if aggravation is your only reward? And what if this is the kind of reputation I'd have following me around? I'd have a much harder time getting people to review my work. Hell, what if my editor didn't believe me when I assured him I had nothing to do with this? I'd lose my position at Pulpwork Press.

If I only wanted my ego stroked, I would have just shown this book to my mother and no one else. That's not what I want. I like being part of Pulpwork Press. I like that I've been able to make contact with people like Ron and get their feedback on my work, whether positive or negative.

You want to help me? Recommend the book to your friends or family. Write reviews and post them on Amazon or FictionWise. When you're finished, donate your copy to your local library. These are things that are helpful to me. But behaving like an Internet troll is the opposite of helpful.

Ron, I'm sorry you had to deal with this and I hope you accept my apologies.