The official blog of Writer Beware® shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls. Also providing advice for writers, industry news, and commentary. Writer Beware® is sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.
A.C. Crispin ENTER A HERO: About this time, after the Deerings had been indicted, when law enforcement was paying attention to their scam, I spoke to agent Clay Mason, telling him about Martha Ivery, and asking him which office would handle the Catskills area of New York. Special Agent Mason told me it would beRead More
I think seeing the Deerings go down scared Kelly O’Donnell/Martha Ivery (Martha Ivery is her real name…she had at least 6 aliases at one time or another). Kelly had done some work with them…either “selling” books to Sovereign press, or possibly with the Deering Literary Agency “selling” book’s to Martha’s “PressTIGE” Publishing Company. Anyway, afterRead More
Hi, folks! I’m back after a relaxing, but rainy, week at the beach. Luckily Cape May has lots to do besides swim. The Victorian architecture is gorgeous, and most days we didn’t actually have rain, just clouds and a bit of drizzle here and there. We walked on the beach, took trolleys around the town,Read More
I’ll be on vacation for the next ten days, so the blog will be on hiatus till I return. I’m looking forward to a few days of rest and recreation by the seashore! See you when I get back.
A.C. Crispin “It must have been fate.” Yesterday I mentioned that my research into both the Kelly O’Donnell scam and the Deering scam had brought me into contact with several people: Kim from Write Connection, Jim Fisher, the former FBI agent, and Victoria Strauss, a SFWA member who writes fantasy novels (and GOOD ones, too!).Read More
A.C. Crispin Well, how annoying. I wrote a whole blog yesterday and it went right into thin air and never got posted at all. I am NOT getting the hang of this, I guess. I suppose this one will go POOF! too, and if it does, I quit. Humph. Well, I’ll give it one moreRead More
