The journey has been long and fraught with endless tears or embarrassment. I never believed a story would cause such an uproar. As an author, writing has always been something very enjoyable. This need to connect the story to the page--give life to my characters. Writers spend days, weeks, months, and even years writing only to have their books shredded because of someone's opinion. I once read that reviews are for the reader, while true, authors are now reduced to adding a disclaimer in their books or book descriptions as a warning to potential readers--to warn readers of the book content before purchase. It's disheartening that the art of writing and publishing is reduced to author shaming and bullying. Reviews are not only a way to inform other readers, but, apparently, a place for backbiting and online attacks.
The beauty of genres is that it gives readers options. There are readers who want cheating romances. Or romantic suspense. Or paranormal. The categories are endless. Like in Aftermath, I touched briefly on a drugged hero angle. I didn't want Jon to stray and be deemed a cheater, but I wanted to place him in a situation he couldn't control because he's always in control. As the leader of his undercover unit, he's geared for making the tough calls--even letting the woman he loves go so that some deranged killer will lose interest in her and leave her alone. He loved her so much that his need to protect her outweighed his own desires--his own heart.
More specifically, Jon has been called vicious names (like A**hole). He's been demonized as a "cheater." He's been labeled a man that can't "keep it in his pants." My heroine, apparently, doesn't have a backbone. She's weak and annoying. Readers want to slap her. To be clear, Jon was drugged (which is technically rape) and he was trying to protect the woman he loves. Haley suffered brokenness after losing Jon and their unborn child. What woman wouldn't be shattered inside? She lost the man she loved and her child. How heartbreaking. This story was ultimately about pain and how two people find their second chance.
The idea for Aftermath came from a short story I'd read online. It sparked an idea that led to my story. Here's an excerpt from the original wedding story [1]:
To thank everyone for coming and bring gifts and everything, he said he wanted to give everyone a gift from him. So taped to the bottom of everyone’s chair was a manila envelope. He said that was his gift to everyone, and told them to open it.
Inside the manila envelope was an 8×10 picture of his best man having sex with the bride. (He must have gotten suspicious of the two of them and hired a private detective to trail them.) After he stood there and watched people’s reactions for a couple of minutes, he turned to the best man and said, “F*ck you.” He turned to the bride and said, “F*ck you,” and then said, “I’m outta here”. He got the marriage annulled the next day.
Aftermath was release in 2014 and it’s been targeted under the darkest cloud. I’ve tried everything to keep the embers of this story going. I even deleted the drugged hero aspect and republished the book under a new title, Second Chances. I’ve offered free download promotions. I’ve sent free books to readers via email simply because they’ve asked. But in the end, this story has become the fodder for many cruel jokes, demoralizing remarks, and malicious banter.
As the author, I’m saying enough. It was a romance story written with good intentions, but it’s turned into something negative. To lighten the burden, I’ve unpublished Aftermath and it will not be offered on any platform or via any request. Honestly, it’s sad that I felt compelled to republish a book to fit someone else’s idea of a romance. It’s even sadder that in order to find some semblance of peace, I must shelve a novella that has meant so much to me.
Good-bye Haley and Jon. You'll always have a special place in my heart.
Source Link:
1. Original Story: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-brides-or-grooms-revenge/