Bianca Sommerland's Blog, page 13

PLAGIARISM in its most HEARTLESS form.

If you haven't heard about what's going on, I'll include some links, but here's the gist of what went down. An "author", Laura Harner, decided to copy entire novels, change them from MF to MM, and then sell them as her own.

Obviously she just copied the general concepts and then wrote her own books, right? Nope. That would indicate some kind of integrity. She wasn't inspired by these authors.

She STOLE from them.

The fact that I know, love, and respect Becky McGraw has no bearing on how disgusted and angry I am. That I've read and enjoyed so many of Opal Carew's books doesn't make me more inclined to shout about this from the highest platforms I can reach. It is my love of books, both as an author, and a reader, that makes this whole situation so damn repulsive.

EVERY single reader that picked up one of her books has been cheated. The authors she stole from--and there may be more, so I urge you to look through the books this person still has on Amazon--have been violated. This isn't a case of one community of romance writers against another. This involves us all.

I'm a little shocked that the story has been so slow in gaining public attention, but finally word is getting out. I choose to believe people wanted all the fact before they started gathering pitchforks and heaving people up on giant stakes. Which is always a good idea. This sets a precedent, and depending on how it's handled, accusations could start flying left and right.

One example that set a precedent before this is 50 Shades of Grey, which started out as Twilight fan fiction. I won't get into a debate about where that falls on the fine line between plagiarism and 'inspiration'. Many will say it was changed enough to be in the clear and Stephanie Meyer didn't pursue it. So basically, like it or not, case closed.

However, in this case, there's no doubt.

In fact, there's an admission from the thief herself:

Responding to the Guardian in a statement, Harner said she realised she had “made mistakes”. “I own them, and I will deal with the consequences. In transforming two M/F romance stories into an M/M genre, it appears that I may have crossed the line and violated my own code of ethics,” she wrote.

“For those who know me best, you know that responsibility for my actions begins and ends with me. I will also add there are some personal and professional issues I’ve had to deal with in the last year that have stretched me in ways that haven’t always been good for me. I write about certain concerns related to military service for a reason; however, I am not offering that as an excuse. I just think whenever someone acts so out of character, it’s helpful to ask why.”

Full Article Here: Prolific Romantic Fiction Writer Exposed As A Plagiarist

My immediate thought on reading that? BULLSHIT. 

Pure bullshit. I've said this before and I will say it again. We all live through our own hell and that is never a reason to use or abuse anyone else. The response shows how calculated and heartless this person can be. She made money off of someone else's hard work. And she wants us to ask 'Why?'

I encourage you to look up Becky McGraw and Opal Carew and show your support by buying their books if you're so inclined. There will be other ways to support them and I'll be sharing that as soon as I have more information.

As for Becky, I have to say she is handling this with so much class, I admire her even more than I already did.

When asked for her comment, this is what she had to say: 



"At least her excuses were more creative than her writing."

http://beckymcgraw.com/



                                                               http://www.opalcarew.com/


Links to original articles by Jenny Trout:

Don’t Do This Ever (an advice column for writers): Plagiarism Warning edition

Another book plagiarized by Laura Harner

New Dartmouth Cobras Hoodies for the coming chill! And a quick update...

I'm gonna keep this brief, but since I've got a lot on my plate. Most importantly, WRITING! <g>

Also, visiting some of you awesome people at the Midwestern Book Lover's Conference. Please come see me if you're in the area! 

First, here's a new design for the Cobra lovers out there. I've had a lot of requests, so I hope you like it! It's getting chilly, so who better than to cuddle up with than our boys? ;)

 
Click here to reserve yours today! 
For books, the FULL Celestial Pets book will be out around the beginning of next month. I'm so grateful that you guys have been patient with me, so I'll have it at a VERY low price for the first few weeks. Good news is, this marks a fresh flow with the muse, so I should be releasing books more frequently. 
As for my post the other day about my daughter's school, I will be writing a full update post for that as soon as I get all the information and sort out my thoughts. But for now, I will say this. It's important that our schools have the resources, and the training, available to deal with situations like this. Whether it's bullying, violence, threats or the well-being of their students, they are in a position to do a lot of good. Or a lot of damage.
Nothing compares to the love and care of an involved parent. And the changes we have the power to make. <3
I hope you're all doing well and thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,Bianca 

This happened at my daughter's school. And it's NOT ok.

This just happened, and I apologize to anyone who doesn't want to know personal things about my life. But I am hurt and horrified and I'm not waiting until this happens again.

My daughter's school has a no-tolerance policy for bullying. Yet, this is the response today. And it's wrong in so many ways. So I wanted to address the one person my daughter should have been able to trust:
 

Mr. Tim from my daughter's school. So far I am struggling to understand what happened, but all I know is you are the one my daughter spoke to after being told she should kill herself.
After being told SHE SHOULD KILL HERSELF.

With everything happening, with all the awareness going on in schools, there are so many ways you could have replied. But all you did was tell her not to worry about rumors and to ignore the kids who verbally attacked her.

I am now waiting for the school's response, but I'd like to ask you something.
Are you aware this child lost her grandmother to suicide last year? Are you aware of the impact of suicide? The school was made aware when this happened. Were you not told?

And even if you weren't, that's no excuse. Even a kid who's living a great life at home should NEVER have to go through this. The response should be immediate. Your students should be taught this is not acceptable.

It's NOT acceptable and I will do everything in my power to make that damn clear. I'm stunned and heartbroken and angry. I thought our schools were better than this.
But they're not, are they? You have proved how blind people can be and that will end now. My daughter, fortunately, has parents who will fight for her. It scares me to think what would happen to a child who doesn't. Who hears those words and the only support they have is someone like you.

Re-release of SOLID EDUCATION-Expanded! Check out this hot excerpt!

Took a little while, but here's our boys, Gage and Derek, with an awesome new epilogue which may very well lead to future books with them and our favorite pup, Matty!

I hope you enjoy the new addition as much as I did! And if you haven't read this yet, you're in for a treat! <g>

Blurb: Gage Tackett comes off as a bad boy—detached and maybe a little dangerous. Definitely not Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson’s type. Which he tells himself, repeatedly, every time the other man attends his class.
Until the day he looks over to see Gage’s seat is empty.
When Gage arrives at Derek’s veterinary clinic with a frostbitten stray dog, the lines of their teacher/student relationship are blurred. Derek realizes his most difficult student has a few things to teach him.
Things he’s more than willing to learn.
“One of my favorites of this collection. It contained well developed characters and a tender storyline. The power struggle and the flirting between these two was HOT. Loved Matty and I was so happy that it ended as it did.” PrismBookAlliance "Celebrating Diversity Through Literature"
Contains first chapter from A Restored Man by Jaime Reese.

Excerpt:

 
Slapping the book in front of him closed, Gage flashed Derek the smile he’d been practicing since he’d popped his first cherry. One that got strange men in bars all over the world to follow him to his hotel room with no blood left pumping to their brains.
“I get it. Thank you, Professor Paulson.” He rested his forearms on the table. “Ask me anything.”
Derek’s lips parted. He cleared his throat as his cheeks went red. “Ah…all right. I printed out a worksheet at the clinic for you. Answer the questions and we’ll see how you do.”
“What do I get for the right answer?” Gage asked, using his most innocent tone, one which was blatantly transparent.
“Behave yourself, Gage.”
“I’m trying, sir.”
“Try harder.” Derek pulled a few sheets of paper from his briefcase and set them in front of Gage. He pointed to the first question. “This should be easy.”
Gage took one of the pens off the table and uncapped it. Held it over the paper and gave Derek a sideways glance. “You never told me what I get.”
Throat working as he swallowed, Derek shifted closer to Gage and placed his hand on Gage’s knee. He looked around the practically deserted library and gave Gage a stiff smile. “Assuming you get a single one right? You will be rewarded.”
“Oh, yeah?” Okay, maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. Gage couldn’t think with Derek’s hand on his leg. Fuck, he could hardly breathe. He read the question over three times before the words even made sense. He jotted down the first coherent answer that came to him.
“Not bad, but please show me you know how to use a comma.” Derek shifted his hand a few inches up Gage’s thigh. “Continue.”
A few more questions answered and Gage was breathing hard, jaw clenched so he could retain enough control to hold his pen steady. Derek’s hand was at the top of his thigh, and his fingertips brushed the base of Gage’s cock through his jeans. His brain had given up, and all he could think of was how much he wanted Derek to touch him. And not just because he’d passed the test. Just because he couldn’t hold back anymore.
“I can’t…fuck, let’s go back to your place, Derek.” Gage knew he was trashing all the progress he’d made. He was making it clear exactly what he needed from Derek. Right now. But he couldn’t help it. His restraint was shot.
Derek stood and made a sharp motion toward the stairs leading to the second floor of the library. “The microform room contains the fiche reader I used when I took chemistry. Few use the old technology, but I believe there are times when going back to the basics can be useful.”
“But I…fuck, man, I’m serious.” He could tell Derek didn’t get it. There was absolutely nothing in this library that could help him now. If Derek wanted to fool the few people who might see them together, they had to get out of here.
But Derek took hold of his wrist and met his eyes, not giving an inch. “Trust me.”
There was no one on the second floor, which wasn’t surprising since there were only a handful of people in the library. The door to the microform room was tucked away between a row of old law books. Inside there were wall-to-wall file cabinets and a large desk in the center of the room with several old-fashioned machines Gage assumed were used to read the ancient technology. He would do anything he could to understand his chemistry assignments, but this was a bit much. What could he possibly learn here that he couldn’t learn in a book or, even better, online?
 Hearing the door close and the lock click, Gage turned, chewing on one side of his tongue as Derek moved closer. The amusement in Derek’s eyes as Gage glanced over at the door and then back to him was unsettling. What the fuck was the man playing at?
“What happened to being discreet?” Gage put his hand on Derek’s chest, stopping him before he did something stupid like kiss him. Derek might be the fucking king of self-control, but Gage wasn’t.
Gently pushing Gage’s hand down to his side, Derek pressed against him until he backed into a file cabinet. He chuckled when Gage avoided his kiss yet again and settled on kissing his throat. “There’s no one here, Gage. No chance that we can be seen. It’s rare that anyone uses the fiche readers.”
“But what if someone saw us come in? What if—?” Gage closed his eyes and dropped his head back as Derek undid his jeans. His hand slid over Gage’s rock-hard dick and he laughed again. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned, but Gage would give him one last chance to reconsider while his brain was still somewhat functioning. He gritted his teeth and met Derek’s eyes. “You could get fired. Lose you tenure—”
“I don’t have tenure, Gage. I’m an adjunct professor, and I told you I’m finishing the year, and then I’m done.” Derek stroked him absently, his gaze never leaving Gage’s face. “We will be careful.”
“This isn’t careful.”
“Do you want me to stop?” A slow smile spread across Derek’s lips as Gage shook his head. “Good. Now close your eyes again. You’ve been a very good student, and I think you deserve more than a pass.”
Gage snorted, then groaned as Derek knelt in front of him. “This some kinky teacher/student fantasy of yours, Professor Paulson?”
“Not quite.” Derek rubbed his scruffy cheek against the length of Gage’s cock. “If it was, you’d be the one on your knees.”
There was no good comeback to that. Not that one was needed as Derek’s hot, wet mouth surrounded him. The slick pressure of Derek’s tongue against the underside of his cock made Gage’s knees buckle. He rested his elbows on the file cabinet for support and surrendered to the mind-numbing pleasure. Derek’s hands on his hips as he swallowed around him gave him the urge to thrust in, but Derek simply tightened his grip. Leaving no doubt as to who was in control.
Buy links:
Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo

I have it EASY? You have no idea.

Don't do that. DO NOT assume anyone has it easy. Even if you're going through the worst time of your life, don't dismiss what anyone else is going through.

I live off my writing. I've done this for years, but still, I look at others and I feel lucky.

I feel lucky even though I am still trying to put my mother's suicide into a box that I can lock up in my head where it's something I can look at and say, yes, that happened.

I have things going on with my children that I won't speak of publicly. That might get me sympathy sales, but...no. This is their life. And mine. Not sharing.

I grew up with a brother who is severely autistic. And I won't post his name or do more than donate to causes that help people like him. He needs my love. My devotion. Not some kind of spotlight. For some, it will help spread the word. I won't speak of the hardship and the abuse we both lived through because we're still living it. That pain will never go away and I can't make that okay for him.

For me, I will live. I will have my good days and bad. Call it PTSD or whatever you want, but I would never wish what I see on anyone.

Why do I share this? Because I see other authors saying if they could be like me, life would be easier.

No. That doesn't happen. Going through hell doesn't make the next step easy. My hell is not someone else's. Others have gone through worse. And that doesn't make what you are going through less.

Your bad day is your hell. And you will live through it. Because you are beautiful and strong. Because you deserve everything you've earned and more.

Do not compare yourself to others. A bad day for you may not include the end of the world, but it can still be scary. Still be pushing you to the limit. 

As authors, people used to assume we suffered in silence,  because that was the beauty of the art. Now, it could be a sales tactic. Social media put it all out there. You can fund your pain. Your struggles.

Or you can have some class and see the people who you're asking money from have struggled as well. And instead of asking for something, give them all you have.

I'd rather give you a piece of me. I'm sharing this so you know I am like you. I hurt. But in the end, I offer my words. My stories with a happy ending. Because I need the same escape.

And the wounds we have bleed the same. But we turn to the words for hope. Because someone, somewhere, may have gotten through what we have. With their soul and their heart just a little bent, but not broken.

When you read my books, looking for love, know that I wrote those words, looking for the exact same thing.

How to PROMOTE your book without looking like a USED CAR SALESMAN: PART ONE

This might not be necessary, but I figured I should mention what some authors are doing that make them come off as used car salesmen, telemarketers, or those companies that send out enough junk mail to create a life-sized, paper mache dragon in the span of a month.

Not that I've made one, but I totally could! ;)

There's a few examples I can use, so I'll try to be fair. I mean, no author is so obsessed with pimping that they begin every conversation with 'Well, in my book.' or 'You should check out my book because...'

I'd totally suggest you make finding these rare, sweet walking billboards a drinking game, but I truly value your liver.

Which sounded a lot creepier than it was meant to! lol

Anyway, picture this. Your phone rings. You ignore it, and then you get one message. Than another and another and another and...WTF? Pressing play, you all of a sudden have messages from different people in a group talking about SHAM PLOW. It's the greatest product in the world, so they're all chatting up a storm. There's message after message and your phone is warning you that your inbox is full.
Now, obviously you can have yourself put on a no call list and never ever be bothered by telemarketers, right?

Maybe, but some will still get through. Thankfully, they can't actually have you connected to mass group chats that you're not aware of until they've already gotten annoying.

But with a social media site like Facebook, it's quite possible.

And some authors have decided to use that ability to not only 'cold call' every single online friend they have with book promo, they consistently drag those same friends to events or groups with 'invites'.

I could get into how these 'invites' are worse than junk mail, but I don't wanna give a big ol' lecture about what not to do. Maybe it works for you and kudos. I never have and never will buy a book off a mass invite. Usually, I remove myself, and if I've seen the same name on the invite one too many times--this goes for groups, events, and GAMES; seriously, I'm so happy I figured out how to block those!--I'll just unfriend the person.

 But I'm not your audience, right? Who cares what I think?

Never EVER assume other authors aren't your audience. Just ask one how it feels when an enthusiastic greeting at an event turns into a 'Oh, so you're an author too?' followed by a rude dismissal.

Yes, that happens. Way too fucking often. Stop it, twatwaffles. You'll find other ways to make us hate you.

Since this post ended up a bit longer than expected, I'm going to be doing it in two posts. In the next post, I'll let you know what works for me when it comes to 'promo'.

I don't want to be the only one talking though, so I asked around for some book lovers to chime in on what gets them to check out your books.

Here's some readers who tell it like it is:

Dawn Edwards- I can be quite a cover whore. If it has an amazing cover it makes me one click.

Lyra French- I'm a blurb queen. If the blurb is poorly written, I'm out of there. And I do like an interesting cover. I read a book once (can't remember the title) and all it had on the cover was a smoking gun and a champagne glads with pearls in it. Totally read the blurb and bought the book.

Kimberly Morgan (editor @ Grammar Ninja)- Gotta have a good blurb! And if the blurb has spelling/grammar mistakes, it makes me wary about the book. Those things pull me right out of the story!

Mandy Marshall- To be honest there are three main ways I pick new authors to read. 1. Price, if it's cheap and sounds even somewhat interesting I will read it. 2. Book Convention, I read a book by every author who attends and have found lots of new favorites this way! 3. A friend recommendation will get me to look at a book.

Advice from some amazing, successful authors:


Heather Long (Author of The Wolves of Willow Bend)-The best things I've found to have readers check out your books is a compelling question to answer in your blurb and a story that evokes a lot of emotion. Frankly, write a good book, readers want to read it then they really want to read the next one. My thoughts on a blurb are very straightforward--I try to write them in a way that makes me WANT to write the book so I know the answer. And in turn, so the reader wants to know what happens too. It’s the same reason people want to see Captain America Civil War--we know it will be Tony versus Cap, but we want to know what happens. And how it happens.

Melanie Marchande (Author of His Secretary: Undone)- It's all about mindset. Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology.../dp/0345472322/ Positive energy. Believe you can. Whatever your goals are, there's nothing stopping you. It sounds cliched, and it's not the ONLY thing you need, of course - everybody will tell you that you have to work hard, pay attention to the market, etc etc, and they're certainly not wrong - but at the core of it all, if you don't really believe you can accomplish your most far-fetched goals, you DEFINITELY won't.

Read reviews, but take them with a grain of salt. Understand where your voice is needed and where it isn't. Understand that readers are entitled to their own space to express their opinions that you don't need to invade. Understand, also, that almost every review (yes, even the stupid ones) has SOMETHING useful you can take away and use and learn from.

Above all, LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. If you don't, you will never get anywhere.

Susan Hayes (Author of 3013: The Series)- 1) This might be your dream job, but it’s still first and foremost a JOB. Set goals and deadlines and keep to them as much as you can. Learn as much as you can about the business side of the craft so that you can make informed decisions about your books, your contracts, and your promotional platform.

2) Social media is for being social. This means that if you want people to buy your book via that venue, you’re going to be selling yourself, not your story. You don’t have to rule every element of social media, but you will need to be present and you should make sure that every image, photo, post, and tweet conveys a positive message. Be professional. Be pleasant. Your goal is to be the sales associate everyone knows by name and seeks out the moment they hit the store, not the used car salesman everyone avoids making eye contact with.

3) Try to resist the urge to compare your career path to someone else’s. Your journey is unique to you. Someone will always be doing better. Someone will always be doing worse. Luck plays a role in this gig, so don’t let it frustrate you when you’re struggling, and on the flip side, don’t let a little good fortune make you think you’re bulletproof.

4) Reviews. Read them. Glean what lessons you can and then walk away. Don’t let the glowing ones go to your head, and don’t let the brutal ones destroy you. Under no circumstances ever respond or acknowledge a review, good or bad. Stay out of the dragon’s lair, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

The WORDS are there and you're NOT going anywhere. Take a DEEP breath.

There have been plenty of times I’ve needed to hear that. Plenty of times where those simple instructions seemed the hardest thing in the world. What’s a deep breath gonna do? When things are a mess, when it all goes to hell, why tell me to do what I gotta do anyway?


Well, because sometimes it’s the only thing you CAN do. It won’t make anything easier, but when you’re rushing around trying to fix everything, you end up breathing hard and fast and not in a good way. While you scramble around struggling to make the world make sense, you’re usually gasping for air.
Today’s post is a response to seeing a lot of people stressing out. For good reasons, but at time the negativity can really drag you under. Believe me, I know.
Rather than depress myself talking about HOW I know, I figured I’d address one of the issues I’ve seen coming up a lot lately, and that’s authors feeling the need to write enough to stay relevant.
Seeing this breaks my heart because, the way I see it, after you’ve put a book out there, after you’ve shared the artistry of your words and your stories, there’s no way you can become irrelevant. You’ve accomplished a certain immortality that few ever manage. Your words will live on forever.


Maybe that sounds like poetic nonsense, but for me, there’s something soothing about it. I could freak about pushing back deadlines and not writing enough. Gods know I get my share of hatemail over both. As I posted recently, I’ve had my moments where I could honestly say getting a job asking ‘Would you like fries with that?’ would be preferable to knowing I’m disappointing so many people because there’s no machine to make what I do go faster.
But that’s what makes art so precious. We hear again and again that our books aren’t our babies. That they’re a product and we have to learn to let them go and not take offense when critics tear them apart. Which is good advice, if only for our sanity.
For our creativity? For the words that never seem good enough? For the fragile muse who can be shut down by the most cruel critic?
And the cruelest critic, as we all know, is the artist themselves. If a hundred readers write angry letters about how long a book is taking, you can guarantee the author’s told themselves the same thing a thousand times. And wasn’t as polite as the most ignorant troll.
So what I suggest is this. Take a step back if you need to. Yes, this is still a job, and for those like me who live off our work, we can’t retreat too far. But we can get enough distance to make it just us and the words, if only a little while. To fall back in love with reading and writing and the passion that got us this far.

Enough distance to take a deep breath. And keep going.

There Are No Gay Players In The NHL Series-The Strain on Gay Collegiate/Pro Hockey Players by V.L. Locey

Is there anything more crushing to the human spirit then to have to deny who you truly are? Imagine being an artist living in a culture where your peers frowned upon painting. Or, perhaps you love to write but society hated and scorned authors. Maybe you love floral arranging but your family detests flowers. Or, just maybe, you collect dolls but your church is vocally against doll collecting.
I suppose some of you will scoff at the comparisons above by saying that collecting porcelain dolls is very different from having sex with someone of the same gender. True, it is, but the hatred against those who are different is the same. Being ridiculed and ostracized because of whom you love is part of a debilitating cult of masculinity that so many athletes in this country are forced to deal with. It`s hard for adult gay and lesbian athletes. Try to picture the strain of being a young adult and having to face this kind of abuse.
It is a well-known fact that gay teens are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and twice as likely to suffer from depression. Now, add in the burden of being part of a team playing a sport you love but being terrified of someone finding out that you're gay. There have been countless reports of hate crimes committed against LGBT youth by people their own age. Gay teens grow into gay men. It is time to stop letting homophobia rule the locker room. There is so much more that needs done. We can't stop pushing for acceptance now that marriage equality is the law of the land.

We need to start raising young boys with a new set of rules. We, the parents and coaches of the future NHL players, need to teach boys that being open-minded, tolerant, and loving is what really makes a man. Teaching love and acceptance starts young. Maybe someday, if we do a good job now, future players won't have to worry about coming out and the aftermath of shame and scorn that announcement will bring. Maybe, just maybe, future hockey players will be able to show up and just play.
Wouldn`t that be awesome?
Skate hard and love deeply,
V.L. Locey
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452 Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/ Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/ tsú - https://www.tsu.co/vllocey


*~* Long Change
Collegiate superstar goalie Boone Crockett seems to have the world at his feet. He’s rich, handsome, attends an elite college and is a hot prospect for the pros. Pity all that is a front for a deeply closeted and troubled young man. All Boone’s life plans are shattered when flamboyant ex-figure skater Preston Gordon, an orange-haired twink, shows up to audition for the team’s mascot position wearing sequins, scarves and toe picks. His moves on the ice send Boone into his own pirouette of frustrated and reluctant desire. As senior year progresses Boone slides deeper and deeper into a dangerous depression, Preston’s sensual strength the only thing he has to hold on to. If Boone can’t keep from plunging through the thin ice he’s skating on, it could take a twink to make the big save.

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/njcr3fu B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1122158589?ean=9781419993107 Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/long-change-1
*~* Two Man Advantage
Victor Kalinski, all-star forward for the Boston Barracudas, is one of the biggest jerks in professional hockey. Before long his aggressive attitude gets him shipped off to play in the minor leagues. Furious, he takes to the ice with equal amounts of skill and scathing sarcasm, which doesn’t win him any friends—except for good-natured alternate captain Daniel Arou. He won’t take any of Vic’s crap, and he won’t take no for an answer. But Vic’s troublemaking is pulling his career one way while Dan’s talent is pushing his in the other. However much they scorch the sheets, they might soon be separated by more than Vic’s fear of being hurt. Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pgm5zk4 B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-man-advantage-vl-locey/1121702094?ean=9781419993664 Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/two-man-advantage-2

There are NO gay players in the NHL-PART Two (Saku Koivu's reply in English and French)

Not the most flattering picture, but I'll never forget how excited I was to meet this amazing man. He signed a hat for me which I have locked away in a safe until I can get a special hat display. Might sound nuts, but I learned after my daughter lost half the team's signatures on a hat she accidentally mixed in with the laundry.

I may never get another chance to meet him, so I'm taking no risks!


So back to the interview! Again, here's the link if you'd like to watch it (Question at 39:00) : http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/?id=822515&catid=66

**Credit to Jade Baiser for the French translation:


"In November, Mr. Molson stated in an interview with the Gazette that the Canadiens would welcome an openly gay player on their roster. As a former Hab, do you think the atmosphere in the locker room would make acceptance that easy?"

En Novembre, M. Molson a déclaré dans une interview à la Gazette que les Canadiens accueilleraient un joueur ouvertement gay sur leur liste. En tant qu'ancien joueur, pensez-vous que l'atmosphère dans le vestiaire rendrait cette acceptation si facile?

Saku Koivu:

"I know it’s been in the news also, in Finland and everywhere in the last few months and I strongly, strongly believe that yes. I don’t think it would be a problem. I know if that would happen it would bring up a lot of questions. But for players in a team I don’t see that being a problem at all."

Je sais que cela a fait la une en Finlande et un peu partout également au cours des derniers mois et je crois fermement que oui. Je ne pense pas que ce serait un problème. Je sais que si cela arrivait, cela apporterait beaucoup de questions. Mais pour les joueurs d'une équipe, je ne pense pas du tout que ce serait un problème.

Very straight forward. And exactly what a young boy or girl who loves the sport needs to hear. Female hockey players have come out, but our guys still aren't ready. Maybe this won't do much, but you never know. His words may be exactly what they need.

My next post will have a collection of links to some of the best posts I've found on the topic, as well as some information on gay players in other hockey leagues.

There are NO gay players in the NHL

There are NO gay players in the NHL-PART ONE

I don't believe that. I don't think anyone does. According to some studies, 10% of the population is homosexual. There are aprox 690 active players in the NHL and 1500 contracted players.

You do the math.

Why is it that every other professional sport has had at least one player come out within the last few years, but hockey players remain silent? There could be many reasons, but my own experience leads me to believe the organization still has a long way to go. 

The media may be part of what's tripping them up.

To be honest, I didn't want to get into all this because I see the strides happening in professional sports and I tend to look at the positive. Players in different sports are coming out. The media is making it possible for them to reach the fans and show acceptance. The YOU CAN PLAY project is supported by some of the players I love.

Changes are happening. While doing research, I came across this special by TSN which is a must see:

TSN Original-Re/Orientation

So we're done, right? Gay marriage is accepted in the US. It's been legal in Canada for the past 10 years. Sports are catching up to equality everywhere.

Blinders aren't a fashion accessory anyone should EVER conform to. We still have a long way to go.

 
This image was put out there for 'International Day Against Homophobia'. Awesome, right? A visual to show how tolerant we are of people of different orientations. Quebec's beloved sport being shown in an image of support.
I hadn't seen this image until I did some research. And very few people have. According to this article, one of Quebec's biggest media outlets took it down that very day in their building: http://www.dailyxtra.com/anti-homophobia-poster-hot-quebecs-videotron-49379
Now, this could be completely out of context. Maybe the Quebec media is doing more than I know. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I have my own experiences making me wonder...
This past December, I took the opportunity as a First Line member of the Montreal Canadiens fan club to visit the Bell Center and see one of my all time, favorite players, Saku Koivu. Even before he won his battle against cancer and made strides in improving treatment in Montreal, I admired this man. I was thrilled just to get a chance to be in the same room as him. 
But, as an author who writes about hockey and is aware of the issues involving gay players, there was a very important question I needed to ask him. I knew if any player could make the statement that a gay player would be welcome, it would be him.
Here's the interview. I'll post a transcript of my question below since I know I made a mess of this. I won't quit my day job as an author and become a reporter! ;)
My question comes at 39:00
http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/?id=822515&catid=66http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/?id=822515&catid=66
"In November, Mr. Molson stated in an interview with the Gazette that the Canadiens would welcome an openly gay player on their roster. As a former Hab, do you think the atmosphere in the locker room would make acceptance that easy?"

As soon as I can, I will have a transcript of his reply, but it was perfect. What every young player who may be gay needs to hear. 'You are welcome'.
Only...well, I hope the player is English. Because my question was the ONLY one not translated. And when interviews with Koivu are mentioned at all in the media, his very important message to gay players is ignored.
Now, to be real, I made a mess of that. I was nervous and maybe I didn't speak clearly, but even after the question was repeated, and Koivu answered, there was the same opportunity as with every other question for a translation.
So why didn't it happen?
I can't say for sure, but I do know one thing. I am a sports romance author. My books have reached over a million readers. Some of them have told me they never read gay romance until they picked up my books.
So I have a voice that can reach many. And I will use that hoping that there's one player out there that will hear me and know he is not alone. The charities and the media have taken a HUGE step to pave the way for that brave player who will finally come out, but there are still many obstacles. This blog series will confront many of those obstacles. I will have a transcript of the interview in English AND French as soon as possible. Other sports fiction authors will speak their mind.
Maybe my question was uncomfortable for the interviewer (who I believe is from RDS). I don't want to assume anything, but what I'd like to know is WHY? This was an opportunity to show how a legend in our organization felt about a very important issue.
My name didn't have to be used. I would have been fine with just his answer being out there for one young player to feel the support that's needed. Koivu is a man any talented player can admire. Let HIS words speak to them!
That didn't happen. So I will use my voice and get his words to the people that need to hear them. And hopefully, next time the opportunity comes, the media will grab it and make a difference.