Karlynp & The Doggone World

Woo hoo! Just a few more days! Droughtlander almost over.

(Yes, it's a Photoshopped image... but I likey)

I'm proposing the start of a Movement.

What is this movement, you ask?

Well, it seems, at least to me, that book blogging and reviewing are becoming more about defending ourselves against charges of bullying than about actual reviewing and blogging about books.

The Movement is very simple. I'm suggesting to all book bloggers and reviewers that they dedicate a blog to how book bloggers and reviewers are not bullies. We are simply folks with opinions about books who write down those opinions, good or bad. UN World Book Day is on April 23rd, a perfect date for the Movement. 

In blogging or reviewing, we (in the US) are exercising the concept of protected speech (this is not the same as the First Amendment right to free speech). This allows us to express our opinions in pretty much any manner in which we choose to within the law.

The United Nations has declared the Right to Freedom of Expression to be a Universal Human Right. Part of that covenant reads, "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression."

Now, it seems that there are people who don't want book bloggers and reviewers to be able to freely exercise our rights. They want to censor us. They want to marginalize and diminish us with labels such as 'bully,' or 'thug.' Why? Because exercising our right to freely express our thoughts and opinions enrages them. They desperately want to control what book bloggers and reviewers write. Why, again? Because they are afraid of other people's opinions. They want to be Emperors with a glorious new wardrobe followed by sycophants whispering praises in their ears while at the same time shuttering out those who are pointing out their nakedness.

Many of us live in free countries. We hold our freedoms and liberties dear. Just think of the millions upon millions of people who have died, or have been wounded or maimed defending the ideas of freedom and liberty from oppressive tyrants. Now, I'm certainly not saying that those who wish to shout us down are oppressive tyrants. I'm pointing out that the right to the freedom of expression has been a hard fought battle. No other citizen has the right or authority to tell book bloggers and reviewers, or anyone else for that matter, what and how they may express themselves. 

(Editorial pause. The number of people who have died directly or indirectly in the fight against oppressive tyrants throughout our history is more likely in the hundreds of millions, but stating that might seem like hyperbole.)

To me, the most startling thing about our critics is that many of them are authors. Authors have born the brunt of tyrannical displeasure over the millennia for writing things which embarrass or criticize those in positions of power. Throughout history, philosophers and authors have been murdered, exiled, tortured and imprisoned for speaking their minds or writing their opinions.

It simply boggles my mind when an author supports censorship or pushes to ban anonymous speech. These authors are working against exactly what their predecessors and countless other people have fought and died for.

Citizens of our societies have earned their right to stand on the soap box in the public square and speak their mind. No one has the right to tell us we can't do so.

Remember, UN World Book Day, April 23rd. Book reviewers are not bullies.

If you liked this blog, please feel free to re-blog it. Spread the word.

If you have been following the latest drama of Anne Rice, STGRB and their menacing pet troll Kevin Weinberg, you know that Jenny Trout was recently targeted by Kevin for a) expressing her opinion of a book's content,  and b) expressing her wish that it be pulled from circulation.

The story posted on STGRB (where opposing comments are most often not allowed) used selective screen shots provided by Kevin, and which painted Jenny Trout as an 'author attacker'. (Irony, right?) The article was immediately then heralded on Anne Rice's Facebook page for her 1 million+ followers to peruse and persecute, and where many opposing comments were also not welcomed and therefore deleted. (more deleted & deleted)

If you followed along like I did, you too felt a game was at play. A sick game where players behind the curtain were manipulating facts for the purpose of targeting a person Anne Rice has had issues with in the past. Yes, it felt VERY personal and completely dubious. And given Kevin Weinberg's proven history of manipulating tween-age kids into creating fake accounts to troll along side with him, including his recent attack of people on an Amazon thread who were simply opposed to Anne Rice's support of STGRB, one will see he very likely has ulterior motives.

Proof Kevin Weinberg is manipulating troll influencing young tweens

Sadly, as a result of this calculated attack, several people complained to Jenny's publisher. The publisher heard one side of the story and felt they needed to pull Jenny's story from an upcoming anthology of 12 authors. In support of solidarity, the other 11 others also pulled their stories.  So not only was Jenny hurt in the mix, but so were 11 other authors.

Today Jenny released her novella as a stand alone, so if you would like to support her you can find the new book on Amazon or Smashwords.

Raise your hand if you didn't see this one coming!! Anyone?!

This is really good news. Looks like author Rachel Nunes has a new lawyer and plans to take plagiarist Tiffanie Rushton to court. 

Read The Full Post:  http://rachelannnunes.blogspot.ca/2015/02/attorney-shawn-p-bailey-takes-over.html

Imagine if 20 years later the naive Anastatia Rose Steele-Grey, who was terribly misguided by her Inner-Goddess into marrying her pain-inflicting lover Christian Grey, finally comes to her senses. (Gasp!!)

Now image Jenny Trout's version of the story. Yes!

> fan-fic <

(She talks more about it on her > blog post < too)

Yes, this a real thing. Go figure. And only $89.99!!  (Ugh)  Complete with handcuffs and face mask. LOL

Click on the image above if you want to see the full ad.

Author GRR Martin was having a bit of fun today on Twitter using the trending hashtag #FiveWordsToRuinADate. Made me laugh, so I had to share it.

This made me laugh!! 

You can also find it here: John Scalzi and Followers Create Ultimate Twitter Conversation

Don't let hackers win. "Through 20 years of effort, we've successfully trained everyone to use passwords that are hard for humans to remember, but easy for computers to guess."

(Click on image to enlarge)