Some Faerie Magic?

First of all I’m really pleased to announce that the whole AMP debacle may be over — for me at least. I’m pleased to announce that as I was leaving for a midweek break last Monday a piece of post fell onto my doormat that I was very happy to receive. There lay a white envelope with a Colorado postmark. With disbelieving eyes and remarkably steady fingers I opened it and there was my release letter from Aspen Mountain Press. All the works previously published by them now revert to me. I had a yayyy moment that I posted on Facebook, but even while I was understandably celebrating, the joy of the moment was undoubtedly bittersweet. There really is nothing to celebrate in a once good little publisher that held the promise of going on to be excellent and varied, failing. The reasons are numerous and I don’t wish to tread over the same old ground. All I can say for now is that while the stress of the last few weeks may be over for me, there are many authors still at AMP awaiting similar news and I’ve agreed to stand by them until the end, as they had said they would do for me.

And in another way, it isn’t over. I have decisions to make and new homes to find for those said works, which in some cases may not be easy. Even if they are snapped up, it means re-editing and some thought on my part. In an industry that can prove to be devastating in all sorts of ways, that’s the least of my worries — a week ago today the arrival of that letter was nothing more than a dream. I’m hoping the owner of AMP fulfils many more wishes before the end of the year.

Maybe a little seasonal magic was involved granting me an early Christmas present. Who knows when the fae are around? Another nice surprise was coming home to the cover for my next work at Changeling Press. Due out on November 25th. Many thanks to Renee for my cover:

A Brief Update (AMP)

As of today I and many other Aspen Mountain Press authors have yet to receive their release notices. I believe approximately seven have ‘trickled’ through. At this rate, winter will have undoubtedly descended on hell before all the writers are officially released from AMP. Many if not most of the works are effectively out of contract or have contracts void, or soon to be void, owing to breaches, but the sad fact remains that this will affect the number of publishers willing to consider work previously published by AMP. Many of the writers may be ‘stuck’ aside from the option of self-publishing — a detail of which the owner, Sandra Hicks, must be aware. Even working two hours a day, as Ms Hicks previously stated was the only time she was physically, mentally and apparently emotionally capable of working, she should have been able to issue all the necessary letters by now.

Of course, it could be simply that Ms Hicks is too busy. She’s terribly under pressure it would seem making pumpkin pies, going to concerts, and decorating her son’s bedroom. One has to enquire how she finds the funds for such decorating when she still owes so many in unpaid royalties and salaries, how, for someone so ill, she is able to go out and about and face the world with a brave smile. When she’s not actually physically ‘doing’ these things, naturally she’s preoccupied posting about them on her Facebook page along with numerous bible quotes. Now whilst I will defend anyone’s right to their beliefs, posts such as “Get us all on the same page – The Jesus page” strike many as somewhat hypocritical, and this one, “But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing. James 1:4 (AMP)” seems to be a subtle dig at the authors for showing impatience and a lack of understanding. A strange take on things one would think when many had already endured months of unanswered correspondence, and have only asked for what is rightfully theirs.

Not long ago I stated to Sandra that I would not accuse her of things for which I did not have the evidence, meaning primarily the inappropriate use of royalties, but the longer Ms Hicks continues to act unprofessionally, the more inclined I am to listen to the voices of those who state they ‘do’ have said proof and are willing to provide it. Although Ms Hicks has gone quiet and is once again ignoring all attempts to communicate with her, the situation still exists — a situation that has once again pushed Celina Summers to break her silence: http://kaantira.blogspot.com/2011/11/breaking-my-word-about-aspen-mountain.html

As of now, I have no faith in anything Ms Hicks has to say or any of her intentions. I do not believe she intends to issue all of the release letters she promised, not that I ever did. I believe the AMP website will rear its ugly and offensive banner again before the middle of December. I would, of course, like very much for Ms Hicks to prove me wrong. I would also like her to tell the other members of her new Facebook ‘bible-loving’ group what has led her to the need to open a new, brighter, and ‘separate’ page from those she had previously. I would like to know if those sharing her love of said ‘good book’ are aware that there are a couple of references sorely missing from her page — that of (as others say they can prove) Thou Shalt Not Steal, and Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness.

 

The Texture of Winter in Bestsellers sale!

Here are the top ten bestselling titles in The Untreed Reads Store for the month of October, 2011. All titles can be found in our store by clicking their link below, but they are also available at ebook retailers around the world.

Through November 15th, these bestsellers are discounted 15% in The Untreed Reads Store (with the exception of titles by Infusion Nurses Society or others that are part of our monthly promotions):

1. Vandals on Venus (Space: 1889 & Beyond #2) by K.G. McAbee

2. Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice by Infusion Nurses Society

3. Journey to the Heart of Luna (Space: 1889 & Beyond #1) by Andy Frankham-Allen

4. Policies and Procedures for Infusion Nursing by Infusion Nurses Society

5. Bread of Deceit by Jim Vanore

6. Daydreams and Diaries by Taylor and Tim Black

7. The Texture of Winter by Sharon Bidwell

8. Apartment Building E by Malachi King

9. Obsessed by Rick R. Reed

10. A Suspicious Affair by Barbara Metzger

How did THAT happen?

Ever wondered how I came to write m/m romance? Well, I’m guest blogger at Untreed Reads: UR BLOG.

Drop by and discover the answer to “How Did THAT Happen?” It was somewhat to do with the lovely Angela Knight, for which I have thanked her for and paid homage.

Little did I know a single idea was going to get me hooked… *puts on innocent, surprised expression*

Sorry. I think comments are disabled as they’ve had problems.

The Texture of Winter available now!

I awoke to a very nice email. My short story, The Texture of Winter, was released today at the Untreed Reads store.

Winter has textures. Soft and sharp. Rough and smooth. For one woman, winter has always embodied a feminine persona. Now, seeking an embrace as ultimately forgiving as that of a mother’s love, she wanders a bleak path leading to an end that is at once brutal as it is loving.

A work of experimental fiction from our short story line The Lab.

At excerpt is available at the publisher’s as well as elsewhere here. Clicking the cover will take you to the publisher.

This will be available from many outlets, but of course if you purchase direct from the publisher you ensure the best possible return for both the publisher and the author. Many thanks.

Let Me Be Clear

As news of the circumstances at AMP spreads, there have arisen some conflicting opinions. A ‘very’ few voices have made noises to the effect that the writers at AMP should have more understanding and sympathy to the health of Ms Hicks, owner of said publisher. I wouldn’t be surprised if there have been some mumbles whether authors should speak out at all.

I want to be clear. The authors at AMP *have* been understanding for many weeks…months, leading into over a year in some cases. Some of the writers were personal friends of Ms Hicks, and the downfall of AMP or its owner is the last thing they wanted to see happen.

Ms Hicks’ emotional and physical health has suffered and may have had some significance in the current situation — that is not and never has been in question. And I, for one, certainly won’t divulge the details of her personal ailments. However, as I and many others have tried to point out to Ms Hicks, a contract goes both ways. A business has contractual obligations, and if ‘for any reason’ — including health — that business cannot meet those contractual obligations then the contracts are void.

Authors cannot be expected to wait beyond the terms of their contracts for their work to be edited, published, paid for, or released. For many this state of affairs has severely affected their incomes and their own health. There are books held in contracts for which there is no cover art and no editors. There are authors awaiting royalties who have no idea when, or if, they will be paid, and there may even be questions as to the accuracy of those payments — I won’t say more on this because I don’t have the paperwork to neither prove nor disprove: that is for the appropriate authorities to determine, and it certainly seems as if legal action is now beginning. I can say for months there have been few if any statements of sale issued with payments…or there have simply been no payments or paperwork of any kind.

There are authors awaiting release letters and the removal of book covers for expired works — in some instances the product page has disappeared from the AMP website, but not the details and covers, and until this happens and release letters are issued those works are effectively left in limbo. This applies to one of my own titles. According to Ms Hicks those with the product page ‘missing’ can expect release letters, but until the covers are down new publishers will continue to be wary.

Others have already reported that Ms Hicks stated she has ‘upped’ her working day to two hours. She has since said she finds it difficult even to face her email, but Ms Hicks cannot expect her writers to wait for some indeterminate duration for her to get well and ‘catch up’. She has no staff — their leaving and reasons for doing so may have triggered this, but a bad situation was already building. Again, those reasons have been stated elsewhere for public viewing, and I will not comment on them.

To my knowledge none of her writers wish to remain in their contracts, and in many cases those contracts have expired, yet Ms Hicks makes little effort if any to release them. Her statements change sometimes daily so that no one can tell what might be deception or confusion. The writers are confused by the publisher’s reactions — surely Ms Hicks understands that she has no writers, that none of them will sub new works to her and the only works she has are those she currently holds illegally or under duress. What is the point of continuing?

The authors have tried to make statements of the truth as they see it, as it pertains individually to them, and to some degree to others in that if one person has a book out of contract it may be an oversight — when many of the 40+ authors mired in this mess can report similar (in some cases books MONTHS out of contract), then it cannot be viewed as mere error. In those instances, yes, our claims back up each other, and cannot be questioned.

To address the subject of whether writers should speak out at all, I have to refer to what one of my writer acquaintances and colleagues said so eloquently on my Facebook page the other week — “speaking out is the only honourable thing to do.” Writers need to protect each other and in so doing they help to protect the industry. If one wonders why that can be — how revealing the bad practices of one publisher protects others — it’s simple: it sends a clear, direct message that such practices cannot and will not be tolerated. That publishers and writers are in this together and that none of us can afford to allow the industry to be tarnished.

I am truly sorry to see AMP come to this, for Ms Hicks, the company, and the writers, but it really is time to close the door for everyone’s sake. All the writers have ever wanted to do is to be able to walk away without bitterness, and to be able to wish Ms Hicks all the best.

NOTE: As of now the AMP website is down with this message:
The Aspen Mountain Press web site is temporarily suspending operations.
Over the past five years we’ve demanded high standards in all areas of the company from authors to editors to administrators.  Due to the current health of the owner these standards have not been met.
We’d like to thank you for your support and patronage over this past half decade and apologize for any inconveniences this decision causes.

I don’t personally like the ‘temporarily’ but we shall have to wait and see what happens.

Breaking Silence

A more in-depth report on what has been going on at Aspen Mountain Press.