Fine, whatever.

[Christine N.]

I'm done. I don't have time to play games with you, Vic.

You send me another letter and I PROMISE you I will find the sharkiest lawyer I can and he will eat you for lunch. The people of this board WILL see that I can afford it. And you can bet your bottom dollar I will send a copy of every last thing you send me to the press, along with links to a thousand other places who echo what amounts to MY OPINION.

For the moment, I'm gone. Don't send me another packet full of photocopies from this board, full of other people's postings where they ALSO say PA is a scam, and don't threaten me for proclaiming what really amounts to my opinion, or you WILL see what kind of mess you've made.

There are a thousand others where I leave a place. I have yet to figure out why you've targeted me at all! Maybe my lawyer will see how you like a harassement suit. Because I don't have any money, I'm not worth anything, and I'm not a 'big name' you can discredit. So please explain it to me! What the hell did I ever do to you that a THOUSAND other people have not?

You need better ways to spend your time, Vic. Leave me alone. I've got better things to do than deal with you and your piddlings.

[Queen of Swords]

Originally Posted by Christine N.

For the moment, I'm gone.

You're gone? Does this mean you won't post in this forum any longer?

[Gabriel]

Don't know you very well Christine (Or at all really) but this makes my blood boil.

Hope this weasal gets off your back.

[Christine N.]

Not until I hear back from a certain someone in the legal department, if he's willing to give me advice. I hate to say this, but I was reduced to tears. I don't have the time or resources to deal with this crap.

It's ridiculous, and I don't know what the hell I did to make their shit list, not with all the people on this forum.


Sorry, guys. I have my own life to think about, and a family. My husband is going to freak. If that's what Vic wants, fine. I'll still discourage people from submitting to PA - it's NOT in the best interests of any writer who wants a career. But, for now, this is it for me. I have books to write. If that makes me selfish, I'm sorry.

You win, Vic.

I know that you guys will keep up the fight. I just...can't. If this is how they wanted me gone, whatever. I don't know of another business anywhere that would stoop to this. It's disgusting.

[rtilryarms]

OK. I know I have been avoiding the PA thread but, can someone point me to the discussion of this Vic character?

If there is some intimidating going on, I want in.

[TwentyFour]

I hope you find peace Christine. Good Luck.

[James D. Macdonald]

Originally Posted by rtilryarms

...can someone point me to the discussion of this Vic character?

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/...ad.php?t=54575

[Birol]

[Christine N.]

I still don't get why me? You can't get blood from a stone, and I do NOT have the 'damages' they're now planning on asking for if they did manage to win.

Real suit-like pages this time. He plans to file if I don't settle. I won't call them, I'm not that dumb. I would have a legal-type person do it.

If this is all you wanted, PA, you got it. OK? I give up.

[TwentyFour]

I thought PA only went to arbitration?

[James D. Macdonald]

The fact that Vic hasn't dared to send me a letter is an admission that everything I've said is true and accurate.

[Christine N.]

I'm not one of their authors. This is a personal vendetta apparently, against things I've said about them. Things that a hundred other people have said before me.

Like I said - why me?

BTW, Vic, I never claimed to be an expert on PA, just a person who has studied publishing, and how it's really supposed to work.

[Christine N.]

It's only for now. I know that's what they're doing, and if my circumstances were different, I'd call them on it. My husband won't understand.

I've deleted the PAMB from my links. I don't want to know what goes on there anymore.

If I hear from a legal eagle that I'm ok, I'll be back. Until then, my lovelies...

Hey, maybe I'll get more of my WIP written!

[Maddog]

Victor Edward Cretella, III News
Victor Cretella has just settled a gender discrimination case against a major news network brought by a producer of internet news and is preparing another discrimination case for a co-anchor for another media company. This follows his successful settlements in hotly contested cases that all ended this year with favorable resolutions in each of the foloowing areas: publishing contracts; publishing practices; construction disputes (commercial and home construction); contracts between businesses; financial disputes; personal torts; employment disputes; and land use disputes.


.

This really pisses me off. Don't worry, Christine. They won't win!

[zizban]

And this gem. Must be a word from his planet.

foloowing

And Christine, we are all behind you.

[spike]

Christine,

I don't blame you for backing off. Believe me, the rest of us will continue. I wish I could offer you more help, but I'm not a lawyer and very poor.

I think if we all continue, it will support your case. Have you spoken to a lawyer? Can't you file for harrassment?

Best to you!

Julia

[JimmyD1318]

Do what you have to do Christine. This really makes me mad. Why her? Why not Uncle Jim or someone else here? This is still confusing me to no end. But Christine, if you need money help for a lawyer please post it up on the board here so we will know where to send it. Stay strong...

[xhouseboy]

This is like something out of 'My Cousin Vinny'.

Victor Cretella at one point in the proceedings imputed a "Satanic" connotation to a common, everyday word used to describe unpaid royalties, going so far as to cart out a battered, taped, ancient edition of the Oxford dictionary to "prove his point." He read some archaic definition of the word "shorted," which he said had a Satanic/demonic connotation which had "scared" the PA employee who rudely informed Complainant that he was wrong and that no accountant would be permitted access to his records. (Pozkin is not surprised that the word "Satanic" would have been introduced into the proceedings at some point, not after all the time we’ve spent comparing the "PA community" to a cult.) At that point, the room went silent, the hearing officer simply stared at Cretella before directing him to move on, and the Complainant tried hard not to laugh out loud. Interestingly, Meiners denied any knowledge of accounting records having been made unavailable.

Stick that on his promo material.

[Sonarbabe]

To me this appears to be his way of gaining money. Suing people. What a freakin' loser. Ya know, I had a new novelist who "published" through PA ask me for advice and I planned on asking on Christine for advice on how to break it to him that they're nothing but a scam since I'm such a softy, but now I hear about this? This truly burns my biscuits, because Christine has been a great friend to me on the forum and off. Hang tough, babe!

[PeeDee]

Hi, Vic.

You wanna screw with someone, you can come find me. My teeth are sharpened, and I'm ready to play. I'll see what I can do about finding you a chin. And a backbone.

Come on, twit. I mean Vic. Sorry. (except not really).

[Sean D. Schaffer]

Originally Posted by Christine N.

I'm not one of their authors. This is a personal vendetta apparently, against things I've said about them. Things that a hundred other people have said before me.

Like I said - why me?

BTW, Vic, I never claimed to be an expert on PA, just a person who has studied publishing, and how it's really supposed to work.

Why you? Because you're not a PA author and they're not required to only take you to arbitration.

Also, I think the fact you're one of the more outspoken people on these boards probably has something to do with it.

And like you said, you can't get blood from a stone. They've probably figured since you don't have the resources to fight them, you'll be an easy target. Bullies are like that. They pick on people they think have no chance of beating them or defending themselves.


However, I would say, Christine, that your family and life are of much higher importance than one publishing house, be it a scam or whatever else. You have to take care of your family first.

In any case, I wish you well, and I hope you get the answers you're looking for... and then I hope you kick their collective @sses in court. If I know you, you'll find a way to trudge through this.

I wish you all the best, Christine, and I'll miss you.

[WildScribe]

I don't have much spare cash right now, but I will contribute what I can when it comes to it. These bullies will not win here.

[TemlynWriting]

They're basically bullies that never grew up. They were probably bullies all through school, got what they wanted from bullying, and so they're keeping with what they know. Too bad they can't grow up and act like mature adults. They must think they're really something, but the truth is, they're not. So sad for them.

What goes around, comes around.

[PeeDee]

Originally Posted by TemlynWriting

They're basically bullies that never grew up. They were probably bullies all through school, got what they wanted from bullying, and so they're keeping with what they know. Too bad they can't grow up and act like mature adults. They must think they're really something, but the truth is, they're not. So sad for them.

What goes around, comes around.

OR, they got bullied and now they're gleefully shoving other kids' noses into the water fountain and laughing about it.

[KCH]

Christine--There's a prestigious law firm in the applicable geographic area whose attorneys actively do pro bono work for authors and artists. PM me if you'd like info.

This bug needs to be squashed now. You shouldn't have to spend one second stressing over this. Even knowing that they haven't got a leg to stand on, it's still gut wrenching for you.