I just noticed this post and the comments while searching for another post, and I felt I had to leave a comment, to let you know at least some of your readers do support you.

I respected you before this, but I respect you even further for several reasons. First, because you are one of the very few people in this country clearheaded enough to see that the political process has left us without a single worthwhile candidate to vote for. Second, because even when you dislike a candidate, you are fair enough to shun the false charges against them and stick to real substance. Third, because you have the guts to stand by your convictions. I’m not surprised by any of those things, but I am impressed to see them in action.

Whenever any political figure takes steps to “confront” dissent, I become extremely nervous. I’d rather the idiots than the censors, tired as I am of the idiots who attack public figures for all the wrong reasons. The best defense against false rumours is free speech. Despite my opinion that Obama’s election as President will be a disaster for this country (as would McCain’s election), I pointed out on a mailing list I take part in the utter stupidity of claiming Obama was not born in the US when evidence showed otherwise. Intelligent people who are left free to speak are enough to quell falsehoods – when the politicians want to engage their own hirelings to do so, I suspect they have other things than falsehood in mind – such as simple disagreement.

I would also add that I read, and enjoy reading, authors even if I don’t agree with their opinions. If an author has written a book I enjoyed, I wouldn’t throw it out no matter what I later learned about their beliefs. To my mind, that is childish if done privately, and, as you pointed out, an attempt to intimidate and influence others if announced to anyone else. And, if I found the content of the book worthwhile before, it has not changed just because I know more about the author’s beliefs. Such an act, to me, suggests the person who will throw out or otherwise destroy a book they previously valued is attempting to protect an untenable belief – they seem to fear continual contact with the author’s sanity might cure them of the madness they seek to preserve. That, at least, is my take on it.

I’m sorry you had to endure so many harsh comments from those caught up in the mob madness that marks politics every four years in the US, but I wanted you to know not everyone is fooled by it, and not everyone is prepared to turn against you because you have courage and convictions.

That is one of the most clear-eyed comments I have read on the subjects of taxes on corporations. It is utter nonsense, IMO, to punish people for being successful. Those same people build companies, hire, provide health benefits and offer 401k and pension plans. I work for such a company and the last thing I want is an increase in its tax burden. How would that benefit me, an employee, in any way? It would likely result in cost-cutting measures in an attempt to stablize profits, hiring freezes and layoffs, not because the company is EVIL but as a way to minimize loss and continue to serve the company stockholders, of which I, as an employee, am one. As for the comment on this board about other countries paying higher taxes and doing well…right. Many of those countries would LOVE to have our economy right now, troubled as it may be. I remember the pre-Thatcher days in England when heavy taxation drove many creative people, including writers, away from its shores because they were fed up with most of their hard-earned money taken away to give to indigents and parasites. Taxation taken to excess benefits no-one. And increasing the corporate gains tax in a time of economic struggle and increasing competition from foreign lands is fiduciary suicide!

With everything going on in the world it’s a great comfort to know that there are people like you ‘out there’ who have the courage to think for themselves and stand up for their beliefs. Thank you!
And never mind people boasting about throwing your books in the trash, I will start buying as many of your books as possible!

I wholeheartedly agree with you that everyone has a right to their opinions. And, as I’ve said, if we thought others read my blog, we wouldn’t have shared the personal stuff there. And the backlash does go both ways. My friend is a good person who is very loyal to authors she respects and doesn’t give up that loyalty easily. And wouldn’t want to do it in such a public format. The post here was left to defend herself from the name calling and the public posting of her private message. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the last thing I will post on this issue as it is taking away from the topic at hand.

Being an author myself, I’m sensitive to reader backlash given for any author’s controversial opinions.

I might think conservative rightwingers are idiots myself, but by gawd, I’ll defend their right to voice their dumbass opinions without fearing backlash no matter if they’re an author or any other sort of entertainer or artist.

This is Holly’s playground, not mine or anybody else’s. I think that sort of thing is better taken to private e-mail.

She never made any kind of threat, merely stated her feelings and opinions. She never claimed them to be anything other than her opinion. That in no way makes her a racist. That is the last thing she would ever be accused of if you knew her. This has gone from her losing faith in one author to suddenly being biased against women’s fiction by black author. I don’t see the connection.

I do agree that segregating Black authors is wrong. I fought against it all my years of working at Borders. I am lucky now to work in a store that proudly shelves Mary B Morison, Bebe Moore Campbell, Omar Tyree, and Eric Jerome Dickey right along side Jane Austen, John Steinbeck, Barbara Kingsolver, and others in the literature section, not hidden away in a separate section or in some genre. They are given their proper respect and credit as literary, regardless of color. And yes, I have read women’s fiction by black authors. The color (or sex) of an author doesn’t affect my consideration for reading a book. The quality of the story is the only reason I choose to read or not read a book. And I can without a doubt say that is the same for my friend.

I do know that just because my store is smart doesn’t mean the rest of them will ever be. Or that overcoming racism will be that simple. We both support Obama’s efforts to make a difference. Which is why my friend wanted to keep her upset with Holly a private matter, not wanting it to take over this discussion. But it apparently wasn’t meant to be.

That tax-raising complaint is just a ploy to help the rich hold on to their profits and not pay taxes. Taxes are higher in places such as Europe and companies still thrive there. The reason for the outsourcing is simply because they’re greedy as hell and our gov’t cares nothing about the working American people, so allows it.

Those threats from “Ghost” are what happens when authors express opinions on controversial topics such as race, religion, politics, etc.

I would suppose it’s hard to lose a fan, but it’s the breaks of being yourself. Everybody differs and while arguing is fair game–to punish somebody for not holding the same opinion is kinda rank, IMO.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that threat–usually from women who’d never, ever crack a women’s fiction tome written by a black person anyway.

So I always figure I ain’t lost much. My views pretty much align with my readers. Although they might never dare speak the taboo words aloud. Blacks aren’t allowed to complain about racism without severe backlash (usually the race card whine)–believe me, Obama’s statements on race have to be CAREFULLY thought out. The fact he can address the subject at all without the usual backlash makes him a sort of genius. You have no idea.

Just think, Barack Obama night be elected Prez, but if he were a regular citizen, he still wouldn’t be allowed to write commercial genre fiction (particularly women’s fiction, but it’s true across the board)–and not be segregated into the Black Only book section in the publisher catalogues, often the bookshelves, and have his books only marketed to other blacks.

There are still racial boundaries blacks have yet to cross. With so many biased against blacks in this country, his term of office would be hellacious in some ways–every word he and his family uttered, every move they made, scrutinized and attacked. Racists are always looking for racism, so they ease some of their own guilt (projection) or conversely, prove fundamental differences (rationalization).

lunasgathering says:

Job downsizing is not caused by raising taxes, nor is the rise in product prices. Jobs are going away because major businesses are outsourcing those jobs to foreign countries to save them money.

When we raise taxes, it costs more for companies to operate here. You are absolutely right—businesses are outsourcing to save money. So how does raising taxes, which increases the amount companies must pay in order to operate here, keep businesses here?

As for Ghost’s decision to inform me that she had trashed my books, if it was truly a matter of conscience, she wouldn’t have bothered to tell me about it. Telling me was a way of punishing me for saying something she didn’t agree with, and for applying pressure to me not to say it any more.

Mentioning that she had passed on the information to others, and that her books were not the only ones that would be going into the trash was more of the same.

I left her anonymous, rather than posting her name, which was attached to the e-mail I received. I did not point to her as a specific person, but in an anonymous fashion. In that regard, I respected her privacy, while making public her attempt to influence what I said.