Lydia Michaels's Blog, page 11
June 13, 2014
FREE ALERT!!!
Sacred Waters {McCullough Mountain 1}is FREE on AMAZON!Follow link to get your copy!http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Waters-McCullough-Mountain-1-ebook/dp/B00DU10GW8/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402691874&sr=1-1&keywords=sacred+waters
*FREE***FREE***FREE***FREE***FREE*
Dear Readers,
As a special thank you for the love and support, I'm giving Sacred Waters away! Please tell your friends and fellow readers about the amazing McCulloughs and introduce them to the clan FOR FREE with book 1 of the series! (Special Ends Monday, June 16, 2014)
As always, I adore you for loving my characters as much as I do and forgiving them when they make you want to hurt your Kindles (they frustrate me sometimes too). You're awesome and I look forward to writing many more love stories that take you on unforgettable adventures!
Happy Reading!~Lydia
*FREE***FREE***FREE***FREE***FREE*
Dear Readers,
As a special thank you for the love and support, I'm giving Sacred Waters away! Please tell your friends and fellow readers about the amazing McCulloughs and introduce them to the clan FOR FREE with book 1 of the series! (Special Ends Monday, June 16, 2014)
As always, I adore you for loving my characters as much as I do and forgiving them when they make you want to hurt your Kindles (they frustrate me sometimes too). You're awesome and I look forward to writing many more love stories that take you on unforgettable adventures!
Happy Reading!~Lydia
May 5, 2014
FORSAKING TRUTH {Luke!!!} RELEASES TODAY!
He's FINALLY here, McCullough Lovers!!!
LUKE McCullough in Forsaking Truth McCullough Mountain 5
Buy at Secret Cravings Publishing!
(Forsaking Truth will be available everywhere else on 5/13/14)
LUKE McCullough in Forsaking Truth McCullough Mountain 5
Buy at Secret Cravings Publishing!
(Forsaking Truth will be available everywhere else on 5/13/14)
April 30, 2014
A Personal Statement from Lydia Michaels Regarding the False Accusations Floating Around...
Public Announcement
Lydia Michaels, author of contemporary romance, wrote the following statement, incorporating exact copies of all correspondence referenced.
To all of my lovely readers and the wonderful reviewers out there,
Recently, I have been the victim of undue slander by a well-known blog. I am not speaking of unfavorable reviews. On the contrary, this blog gave my work raving reviews. What I am addressing is the course of events following said reviews and a misunderstanding regarding my correct email.
For the record, my website address is www.LydiaMichaels.org and the only emails associated with my work are Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org(used preferable for reader correspondence) and Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org (used preferably for promotional purposes). I do not, nor have I ever, had any association with www.LydiaMichaels.com or any emails associated with this site (e.g.: ****Please understand that writing is my livelihood. I am of the belief that reviewers as well as readers that take the time out of their busy schedules to write reviews, are of an unmatchable value. They do a service to readers and authors that I, along with millions of other authors appreciate beyond measure. Even negative reviews are a tool to writers, an opinion I have held since the beginning of my career as an author. Yes, we authors cry real tears when our work is torn apart, but I have always advised other authors to do as I do, breathe, get over the hurt, and take the lesson for what it is worth. I learn from my reviewers. When readers comment regarding my “lengthy descriptions” or “dragging internal dialogue” (two recent issues I’ve been working on based on feedback from real reviews) I listen. I have profusely thanked certain bloggers for contacting me to go over critiques they had to share. I have never, nor would I ever, attack or treat a reader/reviewer rudely. It simply is not part of my disposition and I believe those readers/authors/reviewers out there that have taken the time to get to know me would full heartedly agree.
Now, throughout this upsetting ordeal involving said review site, myself, and the unknown operator of Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (Not me, remember, I am only associated with Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org), a lot of innocent people have been hurt. First of the victims, and greatest of my concerns, is the reviewer, thinking that after praising my work, I could send her a rude email. The fact that she might assume such a thing has been extremely upsetting to me on more than one level. Second to be hurt by this course of events, myself, frustrated that a mistake could lead said reviewer to assume I would treat her rudely, which I did not, and then the fall out done to my reputation as an author.
The word “proof” has been thrown around a little too loose and fast in this entire situation in my opinion. Please note I am not upset with the reviewer. If anything, I am so sorry (even though I am not responsible) for the fact that she did something nice and was unnecessarily hurt. However, those associated with said review site have crossed a line and accused me of wrongly hurting this reviewer, exposing my name, and painting me in a negative light. Where was their proof?
Damage has been done. Readers have rallied and added me to their “do not buy” list, because they are offended by these unfounded accusations, which I have disputed, with opposing evidence, since the moment I understood the situation resulted from the reviewer emailing the wrong Lydia Michaels. In addition to my argument, the review site administrators received numerous messages from outside sources, some testifying that it is not in my character to treat a reader/reviewer rudely, others providing the site administrators with the public information proving I am not the owner of the “.com” site/email. Unfortunately, they exploited the situation with uninformed assumptions and created an authors worst nightmare.
I’ve thought long and hard about this situation. I am, for lack of better words, sad that it has come to this point. When I saw the raving reviews posted by the reviewer were removed, I was heartbroken, because it told me how deeply she was hurt and how much she still believed I was responsible for her pain. Let me be clear, this is not about obtaining a review. This is about clearing my name that has been wrongly dragged through the mud. Like I said above, there are two victims here, the reviewer and myself. The administrator of the review site overstepped and did something ungrounded and unwarranted in my opinion, thereby influencing others to think unkindly of me when I have been nothing but kind. The operator of the “.com” site/email was an unknowing player in the situation, but played a part none the less. For there is nothing worse a reviewer can be told than, “Please do not contact me again. I have no interest in your opinions.” That is exactly what the owner of the “.com” email responded when the reviewer accidentally emailed them instead of me. There is no denying how hurtful that must have been to read after she showered me with such praise and we shared such friendly correspondence prior to that email sent by an outside player in this mess whom I have absolutely no association with.
Writing is my livelihood. These accusations have negatively influenced the source that puts food on my table. The women that administer this review site also have to make a living, which is why I have decided not to disclose their names or the name of their site. From here on, their site shall be referred to as “Review Site” in order to maintain their privacy. The reviewer that reviewed my work will be referred to as “Reviewer1” and the other operator of Review Site shall be referred to as “Admin2”. For the sake of privacy their email/site addresses will also be blocked, but I will disclose all other emails since this is, in fact, a case of mistaken email identity.
I would also like to bring it to everyone’s attention that this dispute has been resolved between the “Review1” and myself and she has withdrawn all accusations. We are in agreement that I did not act unprofessionally or rudely at any time during this stressful situation.
For those of you that need further proof, beyond that of my genuine character which you witness bits of every day online, here you have it:
I originally contacted “Review Site” using a form on their site, asking if I could submit an ARC for my new release. The following is a screenshot of their spreadsheet used to catalogue review request, which the information appears to be added manually by a human being like any other spreadsheet.
(This screenshot was provided by “Review Site” to settle this dispute. Personal information not pertaining to this dispute has been censored to protect the privacy of uninvolved parties.)
[Note that the above email entered is correct [.org], which is the book I originally contacted Review Site about, book 3 in the series I was submitting for review]
[Note that this email was entered incorrectly [.com]. This ARC was only offered to Reviewer1 after she emailed me at Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org, which you will see below. This entry is for book 4 of the series, which Reviewer1 requested from me after reading my submission of book 1,2, and 3]
The first contact I had in response to the above-mentioned form was sent to me at Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org on February 7, 2014 from “Reviewer1”. Here is the correspondence from that day:
On Feb 07, 2014, “Reviewer1” “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com> wrote:
Hi there!Thank you so much for contacting us to review Chaste {McCullough Mountain 3}!This book looks amazing and “Admin2” and I would love to review it. I do have a question though. I see that it's #3 in a series. Is it a standalone book or should we read the first two as well?Thank you!“Reviewer1” “Review Site”
On Friday, February 7, 2014 12:43 PM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org"
publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 01:43:05 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hello “Reviewer1” and “Admin2”,
Thanks for getting back to us! Chaste is indeed the third book in the series McCullough Mountain. The McCulloughs are a wild Irish family living in a redneck town. They speak freely and curse entirely too much, but are incredibly comical. Chaste features Kelly, the rake of the family. Book one (Sacred Waters) features Colin, the oldest son off to become a priest and book two (Skin) features Finn, the ordinary son who falls in love with an extraordinary (overweight) woman from Philadelphia. If you are interested in reading the series from start to finish, we'd be happy to send you an ARC for each. Please let us know if you're interested and which formats work best for you.
Thank you!
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Feb 7, 2014 01:51:15 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
Okay - I must read the whole series! It sounds wonderful!
“Admin2” and I would need mobi formats sent to:
“Admin2” - “Admin2”@Admin2email.com
“Reviewer1” - “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com (or just respond to this email).
Thank you SO very much. I cannot wait to read them all!
(And I will review each one of course!)
“Reviewer1”
Feb 7, 2014 01:58 PM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org"publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subjec: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 01:58:48 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hi “Reviewer1”,
Here are mobi's for each. The order of the series is Sacred Waters, Skin, Chaste.
Enjoy!
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Feb 7, 2014 02:03 PM, “Author Lydia Michaels”Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
subjec: ARCs per “Reviewer1”'s request for “Admin2” from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 02:03:28 PM to: <“Admin2”@Admin2email.com>
Hi “Admin2”,
I'm sending 3 ARCs per “Reviewer1”'s request for McCullough Mountain. The order is as follows: Sacred Waters, Skin, Chaste. Thank you and enjoy!
~Lydia Michaels
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Called to Order
Calling for a Miracle
Destiny Calls
White Chocolate
All for You
To Catch a Wolfe
Chasing Feathers
Breaking Perfect
Sacred Waters
Apr 27, 2014 12:01:30 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
Hi there!!
I just read Sacred Water and am almost done with Skin - OH MY WORD they are such amazing books!!! I can't thank you and Lydia enough for allowing me to read an review them!!!
I will review each individually and will send you the links as soon as my posts are live!
I have the first 3 - are there more to the series that are already released? I'd love to finish them and make one giant post on the blog featuring all of them!
“Reviewer1”
“Review Site”
http://www.facebook.com/”Review Site”reviews
April 27, 2014 11:13 AM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org" publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 27, 2014 12:13:40 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hi “Reviewer1”!
Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the McCulloughs! Yes, there are 4 total, at the moment, and the 5th comes out in May. I should have an ARC for the 5th book in the next ten days. I'm sending you FAKING IT now, book 4. When you finish that, check back with me to see about the ARC for book 5 FORSAKING TRUTH, and if I have it I'll be happy to send it. (FORSAKING TRUTH, Luke's story, is my favorite!)
Happy reading!
~Lydia
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Apr 27, 2014 12:58:30 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 27, 2014 04:05:27 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com> Me again!!!
I'd like to share my first two reviews with you - well I'd love to really share my review for Skin as I cannot tell you how much that book meant to me.
I'm working on a blog post for all 4 of them now but here are the review links from Amazon.
Sacred Waters – (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
Skin – (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
Again, thank you SO much - there aren't words to tell you how much Skin meant to me
“Reviewer1”
“Review Site”
http://www.facebook.com/”Review Site”reviews
Apr 27, 2014, 04:05 PM, “Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org”Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
Wow, “Reviewer1”... That just brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for such a lovely review. Truly. I absolutely adore when SKIN touches home with a reader. I know it hit home with me, more than I ever expected. Currently, SKIN has made it to the final round of the RONE awards, which is a HUGE honor and I hope it wins for the simple fact that I want to get that message to as many Mallory's as possible. I'm a Mallory too :)
Have you seen the trailer for SKIN? It's full of real life Mallory's. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkQykfjYUqM
After writing SKIN so many readers expressed their Mallory-ness to me I started a private group called Loving YOU Every Day. It's full of Mallory's of all sizes who struggle with learning to love themselves in the skin their in. If you'd like to join us (we all follow different routines and regiments, but the support and inspiration is incredible) send me a PM on Facebook and I'll add you.
I want to thank you again for loving my stories and characters. If anything, I'd call McCullough Mountain the realest series I've ever written. FAKING IT and FORSAKING TRUTH are also quite realistic and touch pretty deep. I hope you enjoy them just as much.
Take care,
Lydia
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Meanwhile, “Reviewer1” contacted me on Facebook via private message. Here is a copy of our correspondence:
Sunday 6:19pmHi Lydia - it's “Reviewer1” from “Review Site”. I hope it's okay that I sent you a friend request. I'd love to join the group that you mentioned! Thank you so much “Reviewer1”
I also wanted to inquire about purchasing a signed copy of Skin from you. Is that something you do? This is one I HAVE to have on my bookshelfMonday 11:32amHere is my blog post for all 4 books!! You're an AMAZING writer Lydia!! (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
It was at this point that I was at the bus stop, waiting for my daughter, using my phone to check Facebook…
Then I saw the post with a picture of the response from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (NOT ME!) that upset “Reviewer1”.
(Screenshot provided by “Review Site”. Personal information has been blocked.)
Here is a close up of the image “Reviewer1” posted above where you can clearly see it was from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (Not me).
I was sick the second I saw the screenshot of this email (That I did not send!) and thought perhaps I was hacked. As I couldn’t rush home to my computer in that second, I zoomed in on the email, not believing my eyes. Then I noticed the email was not from me, but the owner of Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com. I immediately commented on the Facebook post explaining this to “Reviewer1”, but I was upset and perhaps did not explain it properly. As you can see from the above emails, “Reviewer1” and I never corresponded through any “.com” email. We only corresponded through MY emails (.org) and Facebook. I simply don’t have a “.com”, nor do I have any ties to the owner of www.LydiaMichaels.com. The “.com” was already taken when I became an author and thus I was limited to purchasing www.LydiaMichaels.org, which I own and manage via Vista Print. The only emails associated with my website are Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org and Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org(which I use for promotional purposes only).
To prove my point further, the owner information for www.LydiaMichaels.com is public and available for you to check:Domain Name Registration at Joker.com with comprehensive Domain Control Panel and Reseller API
The information linked to LydiaMichaels.com, which you can verify at any time, I will not disclose publicly, as I do not wish to violate the owner’s personal information. However, if you need the proof, feel free to search it. It’s there for the public to see. The owner of that site/email resides in the UK and you can find everything down to the phone number if you need the proof.
(This information was provided to “Review Site” by an outside party without my knowing, because they were personally offended by Review Site's accusations on my behalf. I did not know they sent this information until after the fact, but I am grateful for their research and concern on my behalf.)
As soon as I returned home and situated my daughter, I contacted “Reviewer1”. I did this immediately because her feelings, wrongly hurt by no doing of my own, weighed on me and were a top priority. I contacted her again via Facebook:
Monday 4:15pmThank you so much for so many sweet reviews, “Reviewer1”! Wow. And I wrote back to your post regarding the not so nice email you received. Sorry that happened. It wasn't from me. LydiaMichaels dot COM is actually owned by a baby in the UK, well, her family. In 2006 she was an infant, so I guess she's not a child now. I am at LydiaMichaels dot ORG. My email is all dot org as well. I feel terrible that you got that message and thought it was from me, especially after how generous you've been with your kind opinions about my work. Trust me, lol, I care very much about my readers' opinions and would never send something like that. I hope you didn't get too upset thinking that was from me. Have a better day. ~Lydia
“Reviewer1”I was and still am very confused. While you and I were communicating through the other email address, I went back and looked and the Faking It review request came from the .com address...it is still on our spreadsheetIt makes no sense that you'd send that, I know, so I just had/have no idea what to think
Lydia MichaelsThat's so odd. I'm confused too. I assure you my email and website is all through "org" I just emailed the Lydia that owns the .com and asked her to please (in the future) simply say she is not the author so emailers that mistakenly contact her are aware. I don't know if this person will care, but I explained how upsetting it is for my reviewers to be told I don't care about their opinions. I just feel terrible about this confusion. I'm going to call my email/web provider now and see if there is any way my email correspondence could show as .com
On April 29, 2014 I sent the following email to Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com because I was still very upset that this happened to an innocent person who goes out of their way to share opinions and help authors like myself. I was extremely bothered by the tone of the response she received from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com and worried other readers might mistakenly contact this person as well.
Apr 28, 2014, 04:21 PM, “Author Lydia Michaels”Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Email mishap... from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 28, 2014 04:21:49 PM to: <lydia@lydiamichaels.com>
Dear Lydia,
My name is also Lydia Michaels and I am an author. Today, a reader notified me about an email she thought I sent, but she mistakenly emailed it to your address. I'm sorry for this confusion. This reader is actually a reviewer that had nothing but lovely things to say about my work and it was quite upsetting for her to get an email stating I did not care about her opinions. This is of course no one's fault, but I was wondering if in the future you might just reply to any email mistakenly addressed to you that you are not Lydia Michaels the author. My email is Lydia@LydiaMichaels.ORG. I know this is a lot to ask, but I assume you may actually get quite a bit of mistaken mail meant for me.
I hope you understand. I'm sorry for all the confusion and any trouble this has caused you.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
I wanted to let “Reviewer1” know that I took the initiative to clear up this misunderstanding, but she had removed our friendship from Facebook. I was even more upset to see that she removed herself from the group I invited her to join, where she would have seen evidence of the person I am and assumedly realized I would never write or speak rudely to one of my readers. I love my readers and it hurts me to think one could assume I’d treat them rudely, especially in such an undeserved way.
When my husband came home I was very upset. I decided to reach out to “Reviewer1” one last time and show her that I contacted this other email holder.
subject: Fwd: Email mishap... from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 29, 2014 08:17:11 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Dear “Reviewer1”,
I wanted to let you know that I contacted the other Lydia Michaels (the one that owns the dot com address) and explained the situation to her. I also spoke to my email/web site provider to see if there is any way our addresses could have been crossed and they assure me that is impossible. I don't know what correspondence you have from the dot com Lydia because it doesn't include me. The only correspondence I have with you is throughpublicist@LydiaMichaels.org
I tried to contact you via Facebook to give you this information, but I couldn't reach you. I understand that you're upset. All I can do is give you my word that the Lydia that contacted you through the dot com address was not me. I'm only through dot org. If you go to www.LydiaMichaels.com you will see the site is in no way associated with me. I find it devastating that this other Lydia was rude to you and possibly others that mistakenly contacted her.
I won't contact you again, but I just wanted one last time to express how sorry I am that this happened. You did something so nice and I truly appreciated every word you wrote regarding my work. Your review of SKIN made me cry. Below you will find a forward of the email I sent the dot com Lydia. She did not respond to me.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
------------Forwarded message------------
From: Date: Apr 28, 2014 04:21:49 PM
Subject: Email mishap...
To:
Dear Lydia,
My name is also Lydia Michaels and I am an author. Today, a reader notified me about an email she thought I sent, but she mistakenly emailed it to your address. I'm sorry for this confusion. This reader is actually a reviewer that had nothing but lovely things to say about my work and it was quite upsetting for her to get an email stating I did not care about her opinions. This is of course no one's fault, but I was wondering if in the future you might just reply to any email mistakenly addressed to you that you are not Lydia Michaels the author. My email is Lydia@LydiaMichaels.ORG. I know this is a lot to ask, but I assume you may actually get quite a bit of mistaken mail meant for me.
I hope you understand. I'm sorry for all the confusion and any trouble this has caused you.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
However… it was in this time that “Admin2” took it upon herself to accuse me publicly.
Their public post, which later divulged my name gained over 50 comments, most of which had readers outraged and rallying not to support me as an author. The post was written as follows:
“REVIEW SITE”/ “Admin2” April 28 “FYI, the way an author acts matters. If you're rude or condescending I will not be promoting you or your books on my page or blog. I will ask that “Reviewer1” not do it either.
Sometimes I feel like people think this, promoting, reviewing, sharing, etc is something we HAVE to do. It's not. We do it because we love it. We love books and authors and reading. But we aren't…for lack of a better term authors' "bitches". We deserve respect for all the things we do. And if we don't get it, we certainly won't give it.”
Later, this post followed from “Reviewer1”:
“REVIEW SITE”/”Reviewer1” April 28 In regards to the rude author thing...
I'd like to thank everyone for their support and loving comments. While I'm not over what happened, I'm still very confused by it all, I've chosen to stop thinking about it.
So - to all the fans and authors who have commented - love you all
~ “Reviewer1”
p.s. I'm still not comfy disclosing the name of the author - I just have a bad feeling about it (I'm unsure why). “Admin2” is the opposite and feels that you all should know - so she has named the author in a previous post.
And then this was posted by “Admin2”
“REVIEW SITE”/”Admin2” 6 hours ago This is the last time we will be addressing this issue.
In regard to the rude author issue: This whole thing has been EXTREMELY difficult and upsetting for “Reviewer1”. But we're trying to get past it. Some people, though, are making that impossible. I understand the fans of this author wanting to come to their defense, I really do. But I would hope that you all know that we wouldn't accuse someone of something, especially an author, if we didn't have good reason to do so. And it's gotten ridiculous and a bit tedious for me to keep having to explain the facts to people and ultimately have them backtrack or avoid the issue.
Here are the facts. After posting (5 star) reviews for their books, “REVIEWER1” received a rude e-mail from this particular author.”[THIS IS FALSE, Reviewer1 received a rude email from the owner of the .com email address] “Said author and their fans claim it couldn't be them because the author has a different e-mail address. We might have accepted this and let the issue drop if we hadn't received review requests for this author's books from BOTH the author's "real" e-mail address and the e-mail address Reviewer1 received the rude e-mail from.”[Also NOT TRUE. I originally submitted a review request via a form on the review site, not email at all. They copied my information into a spreadsheet and obviously made an extremely detrimental typo.]
“When the facts are presented nobody seems able to come up with a excuse or reason for this. Now, we are fully ready to accept that we were wrong and issue a public apology IF someone can explain to us how or why this happened. But so far, nobody has been able to do that. So, unless or until that happens, we are done with this. After everything she's already been through with this, I hate seeing my admin and friend getting upset on a daily basis because people won't let it go. And I won't put up with it anymore. We will be ignoring any further messages about it and I will not hesitate to ban people if I think it's necessary.”
So here are the facts requested…
One, I never sent an email from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com. How could I? I don’t own that email.
Two, the original request for review was submitted via a form, NOT an email at all as “Review Site” has claimed. When I asked them to produce this email, they sent me a copy of a man made spreadsheet, which they entered the data—incorrectly added. A simple mistake which I and Reviewer1 have paid a price for.
Three, helpful outsiders provided the Review Site with the name and credentials of the owner of www.LydiaMichaels.com [Not Lydia Michaels the author], which should have been proof enough, yet the accusations did not cease and desist as they should have.
And finally, Reviewer1 has since corresponded with me, when I mentioned that the slander they are creating and false accusations they are making have continued long enough, and if the situation is not resolved I will be forced to contact my lawyer. We got to the bottom of the misunderstanding and she has publically apologized, but I believe the situation is too complicated for those passing by to understand at a glance.
Reviewer1 did, however, message me privately on Facebook once the issue was put to bed, and for that I am thankful.
about an hour ago“Reviewer1”“This has ****ing killed me. (Excuse my language) I have literally shed tears over the whole thing. I NEVER EVER EVER wanted you to be named. If you look at the page and see, I said that multiple times. I can't control “Admin2” though. And for that, I'm sorry. This is my personal apology. I have one written for the page but I wanted to talk to you as a person and not as an author”
My (Lydia Michaels, the author) final thoughts…
In the end, I have also shed many tears over this. It is quite clear that “Reviewer1” and myself are the only ones making apologies, yet we are the two victims in the matter. So, while I am a big enough person not to slander the “Review Site” I will say this.
Yes, reviewers are essential to authors, and the respectable authors out there know this and treat them with the well-earned esteem they deserve. However, in defense of authors everywhere, reviewers should perhaps be reminded that we, too, are people. Yes, you review for your “love of books” and owe us nothing. But never forget, we write for our love of the readers.
Sincerely, Lydia Michaels (THE AUTHOR)
PS:
My heart goes out to “Reviewer1”. I believe she is a kind and genuine person who has suffered along with me through this confusion. Even after all is said and done, I hope we maintain a friendship, as I love all of my readers from the bottom of my heart.
Lydia Michaels, author of contemporary romance, wrote the following statement, incorporating exact copies of all correspondence referenced.
To all of my lovely readers and the wonderful reviewers out there,
Recently, I have been the victim of undue slander by a well-known blog. I am not speaking of unfavorable reviews. On the contrary, this blog gave my work raving reviews. What I am addressing is the course of events following said reviews and a misunderstanding regarding my correct email.
For the record, my website address is www.LydiaMichaels.org and the only emails associated with my work are Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org(used preferable for reader correspondence) and Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org (used preferably for promotional purposes). I do not, nor have I ever, had any association with www.LydiaMichaels.com or any emails associated with this site (e.g.: ****Please understand that writing is my livelihood. I am of the belief that reviewers as well as readers that take the time out of their busy schedules to write reviews, are of an unmatchable value. They do a service to readers and authors that I, along with millions of other authors appreciate beyond measure. Even negative reviews are a tool to writers, an opinion I have held since the beginning of my career as an author. Yes, we authors cry real tears when our work is torn apart, but I have always advised other authors to do as I do, breathe, get over the hurt, and take the lesson for what it is worth. I learn from my reviewers. When readers comment regarding my “lengthy descriptions” or “dragging internal dialogue” (two recent issues I’ve been working on based on feedback from real reviews) I listen. I have profusely thanked certain bloggers for contacting me to go over critiques they had to share. I have never, nor would I ever, attack or treat a reader/reviewer rudely. It simply is not part of my disposition and I believe those readers/authors/reviewers out there that have taken the time to get to know me would full heartedly agree.
Now, throughout this upsetting ordeal involving said review site, myself, and the unknown operator of Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (Not me, remember, I am only associated with Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org), a lot of innocent people have been hurt. First of the victims, and greatest of my concerns, is the reviewer, thinking that after praising my work, I could send her a rude email. The fact that she might assume such a thing has been extremely upsetting to me on more than one level. Second to be hurt by this course of events, myself, frustrated that a mistake could lead said reviewer to assume I would treat her rudely, which I did not, and then the fall out done to my reputation as an author.
The word “proof” has been thrown around a little too loose and fast in this entire situation in my opinion. Please note I am not upset with the reviewer. If anything, I am so sorry (even though I am not responsible) for the fact that she did something nice and was unnecessarily hurt. However, those associated with said review site have crossed a line and accused me of wrongly hurting this reviewer, exposing my name, and painting me in a negative light. Where was their proof?
Damage has been done. Readers have rallied and added me to their “do not buy” list, because they are offended by these unfounded accusations, which I have disputed, with opposing evidence, since the moment I understood the situation resulted from the reviewer emailing the wrong Lydia Michaels. In addition to my argument, the review site administrators received numerous messages from outside sources, some testifying that it is not in my character to treat a reader/reviewer rudely, others providing the site administrators with the public information proving I am not the owner of the “.com” site/email. Unfortunately, they exploited the situation with uninformed assumptions and created an authors worst nightmare.
I’ve thought long and hard about this situation. I am, for lack of better words, sad that it has come to this point. When I saw the raving reviews posted by the reviewer were removed, I was heartbroken, because it told me how deeply she was hurt and how much she still believed I was responsible for her pain. Let me be clear, this is not about obtaining a review. This is about clearing my name that has been wrongly dragged through the mud. Like I said above, there are two victims here, the reviewer and myself. The administrator of the review site overstepped and did something ungrounded and unwarranted in my opinion, thereby influencing others to think unkindly of me when I have been nothing but kind. The operator of the “.com” site/email was an unknowing player in the situation, but played a part none the less. For there is nothing worse a reviewer can be told than, “Please do not contact me again. I have no interest in your opinions.” That is exactly what the owner of the “.com” email responded when the reviewer accidentally emailed them instead of me. There is no denying how hurtful that must have been to read after she showered me with such praise and we shared such friendly correspondence prior to that email sent by an outside player in this mess whom I have absolutely no association with.
Writing is my livelihood. These accusations have negatively influenced the source that puts food on my table. The women that administer this review site also have to make a living, which is why I have decided not to disclose their names or the name of their site. From here on, their site shall be referred to as “Review Site” in order to maintain their privacy. The reviewer that reviewed my work will be referred to as “Reviewer1” and the other operator of Review Site shall be referred to as “Admin2”. For the sake of privacy their email/site addresses will also be blocked, but I will disclose all other emails since this is, in fact, a case of mistaken email identity.
I would also like to bring it to everyone’s attention that this dispute has been resolved between the “Review1” and myself and she has withdrawn all accusations. We are in agreement that I did not act unprofessionally or rudely at any time during this stressful situation.
For those of you that need further proof, beyond that of my genuine character which you witness bits of every day online, here you have it:
I originally contacted “Review Site” using a form on their site, asking if I could submit an ARC for my new release. The following is a screenshot of their spreadsheet used to catalogue review request, which the information appears to be added manually by a human being like any other spreadsheet.
(This screenshot was provided by “Review Site” to settle this dispute. Personal information not pertaining to this dispute has been censored to protect the privacy of uninvolved parties.)
[Note that the above email entered is correct [.org], which is the book I originally contacted Review Site about, book 3 in the series I was submitting for review]
[Note that this email was entered incorrectly [.com]. This ARC was only offered to Reviewer1 after she emailed me at Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org, which you will see below. This entry is for book 4 of the series, which Reviewer1 requested from me after reading my submission of book 1,2, and 3]
The first contact I had in response to the above-mentioned form was sent to me at Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org on February 7, 2014 from “Reviewer1”. Here is the correspondence from that day:
On Feb 07, 2014, “Reviewer1” “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com> wrote:
Hi there!Thank you so much for contacting us to review Chaste {McCullough Mountain 3}!This book looks amazing and “Admin2” and I would love to review it. I do have a question though. I see that it's #3 in a series. Is it a standalone book or should we read the first two as well?Thank you!“Reviewer1” “Review Site”
On Friday, February 7, 2014 12:43 PM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org"
publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 01:43:05 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hello “Reviewer1” and “Admin2”,
Thanks for getting back to us! Chaste is indeed the third book in the series McCullough Mountain. The McCulloughs are a wild Irish family living in a redneck town. They speak freely and curse entirely too much, but are incredibly comical. Chaste features Kelly, the rake of the family. Book one (Sacred Waters) features Colin, the oldest son off to become a priest and book two (Skin) features Finn, the ordinary son who falls in love with an extraordinary (overweight) woman from Philadelphia. If you are interested in reading the series from start to finish, we'd be happy to send you an ARC for each. Please let us know if you're interested and which formats work best for you.
Thank you!
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Feb 7, 2014 01:51:15 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
Okay - I must read the whole series! It sounds wonderful!
“Admin2” and I would need mobi formats sent to:
“Admin2” - “Admin2”@Admin2email.com
“Reviewer1” - “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com (or just respond to this email).
Thank you SO very much. I cannot wait to read them all!
(And I will review each one of course!)
“Reviewer1”
Feb 7, 2014 01:58 PM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org"publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subjec: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 01:58:48 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hi “Reviewer1”,
Here are mobi's for each. The order of the series is Sacred Waters, Skin, Chaste.
Enjoy!
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Feb 7, 2014 02:03 PM, “Author Lydia Michaels”Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
subjec: ARCs per “Reviewer1”'s request for “Admin2” from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Feb 7, 2014 02:03:28 PM to: <“Admin2”@Admin2email.com>
Hi “Admin2”,
I'm sending 3 ARCs per “Reviewer1”'s request for McCullough Mountain. The order is as follows: Sacred Waters, Skin, Chaste. Thank you and enjoy!
~Lydia Michaels
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Called to Order
Calling for a Miracle
Destiny Calls
White Chocolate
All for You
To Catch a Wolfe
Chasing Feathers
Breaking Perfect
Sacred Waters
Apr 27, 2014 12:01:30 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
Hi there!!
I just read Sacred Water and am almost done with Skin - OH MY WORD they are such amazing books!!! I can't thank you and Lydia enough for allowing me to read an review them!!!
I will review each individually and will send you the links as soon as my posts are live!
I have the first 3 - are there more to the series that are already released? I'd love to finish them and make one giant post on the blog featuring all of them!
“Reviewer1”
“Review Site”
http://www.facebook.com/”Review Site”reviews
April 27, 2014 11:13 AM, "Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org" publicist@lydiamichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 27, 2014 12:13:40 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Hi “Reviewer1”!
Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the McCulloughs! Yes, there are 4 total, at the moment, and the 5th comes out in May. I should have an ARC for the 5th book in the next ten days. I'm sending you FAKING IT now, book 4. When you finish that, check back with me to see about the ARC for book 5 FORSAKING TRUTH, and if I have it I'll be happy to send it. (FORSAKING TRUTH, Luke's story, is my favorite!)
Happy reading!
~Lydia
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Apr 27, 2014 12:58:30 PM, “Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com wrote:
subject: Re: “Review Site” Review Request from: Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org <publicist@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 27, 2014 04:05:27 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com> Me again!!!
I'd like to share my first two reviews with you - well I'd love to really share my review for Skin as I cannot tell you how much that book meant to me.
I'm working on a blog post for all 4 of them now but here are the review links from Amazon.
Sacred Waters – (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
Skin – (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
Again, thank you SO much - there aren't words to tell you how much Skin meant to me
“Reviewer1”
“Review Site”
http://www.facebook.com/”Review Site”reviews
Apr 27, 2014, 04:05 PM, “Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org”Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
Wow, “Reviewer1”... That just brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for such a lovely review. Truly. I absolutely adore when SKIN touches home with a reader. I know it hit home with me, more than I ever expected. Currently, SKIN has made it to the final round of the RONE awards, which is a HUGE honor and I hope it wins for the simple fact that I want to get that message to as many Mallory's as possible. I'm a Mallory too :)
Have you seen the trailer for SKIN? It's full of real life Mallory's. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkQykfjYUqM
After writing SKIN so many readers expressed their Mallory-ness to me I started a private group called Loving YOU Every Day. It's full of Mallory's of all sizes who struggle with learning to love themselves in the skin their in. If you'd like to join us (we all follow different routines and regiments, but the support and inspiration is incredible) send me a PM on Facebook and I'll add you.
I want to thank you again for loving my stories and characters. If anything, I'd call McCullough Mountain the realest series I've ever written. FAKING IT and FORSAKING TRUTH are also quite realistic and touch pretty deep. I hope you enjoy them just as much.
Take care,
Lydia
Publicity Department
Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org
Meanwhile, “Reviewer1” contacted me on Facebook via private message. Here is a copy of our correspondence:
Sunday 6:19pmHi Lydia - it's “Reviewer1” from “Review Site”. I hope it's okay that I sent you a friend request. I'd love to join the group that you mentioned! Thank you so much “Reviewer1”
I also wanted to inquire about purchasing a signed copy of Skin from you. Is that something you do? This is one I HAVE to have on my bookshelfMonday 11:32amHere is my blog post for all 4 books!! You're an AMAZING writer Lydia!! (LINK REMOVED FOR PRIVACY)
It was at this point that I was at the bus stop, waiting for my daughter, using my phone to check Facebook…
Then I saw the post with a picture of the response from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (NOT ME!) that upset “Reviewer1”.
(Screenshot provided by “Review Site”. Personal information has been blocked.)
Here is a close up of the image “Reviewer1” posted above where you can clearly see it was from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com (Not me).
I was sick the second I saw the screenshot of this email (That I did not send!) and thought perhaps I was hacked. As I couldn’t rush home to my computer in that second, I zoomed in on the email, not believing my eyes. Then I noticed the email was not from me, but the owner of Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com. I immediately commented on the Facebook post explaining this to “Reviewer1”, but I was upset and perhaps did not explain it properly. As you can see from the above emails, “Reviewer1” and I never corresponded through any “.com” email. We only corresponded through MY emails (.org) and Facebook. I simply don’t have a “.com”, nor do I have any ties to the owner of www.LydiaMichaels.com. The “.com” was already taken when I became an author and thus I was limited to purchasing www.LydiaMichaels.org, which I own and manage via Vista Print. The only emails associated with my website are Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org and Publicist@LydiaMichaels.org(which I use for promotional purposes only).
To prove my point further, the owner information for www.LydiaMichaels.com is public and available for you to check:Domain Name Registration at Joker.com with comprehensive Domain Control Panel and Reseller API
The information linked to LydiaMichaels.com, which you can verify at any time, I will not disclose publicly, as I do not wish to violate the owner’s personal information. However, if you need the proof, feel free to search it. It’s there for the public to see. The owner of that site/email resides in the UK and you can find everything down to the phone number if you need the proof.
(This information was provided to “Review Site” by an outside party without my knowing, because they were personally offended by Review Site's accusations on my behalf. I did not know they sent this information until after the fact, but I am grateful for their research and concern on my behalf.)
As soon as I returned home and situated my daughter, I contacted “Reviewer1”. I did this immediately because her feelings, wrongly hurt by no doing of my own, weighed on me and were a top priority. I contacted her again via Facebook:
Monday 4:15pmThank you so much for so many sweet reviews, “Reviewer1”! Wow. And I wrote back to your post regarding the not so nice email you received. Sorry that happened. It wasn't from me. LydiaMichaels dot COM is actually owned by a baby in the UK, well, her family. In 2006 she was an infant, so I guess she's not a child now. I am at LydiaMichaels dot ORG. My email is all dot org as well. I feel terrible that you got that message and thought it was from me, especially after how generous you've been with your kind opinions about my work. Trust me, lol, I care very much about my readers' opinions and would never send something like that. I hope you didn't get too upset thinking that was from me. Have a better day. ~Lydia
“Reviewer1”I was and still am very confused. While you and I were communicating through the other email address, I went back and looked and the Faking It review request came from the .com address...it is still on our spreadsheetIt makes no sense that you'd send that, I know, so I just had/have no idea what to think
Lydia MichaelsThat's so odd. I'm confused too. I assure you my email and website is all through "org" I just emailed the Lydia that owns the .com and asked her to please (in the future) simply say she is not the author so emailers that mistakenly contact her are aware. I don't know if this person will care, but I explained how upsetting it is for my reviewers to be told I don't care about their opinions. I just feel terrible about this confusion. I'm going to call my email/web provider now and see if there is any way my email correspondence could show as .com
On April 29, 2014 I sent the following email to Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com because I was still very upset that this happened to an innocent person who goes out of their way to share opinions and help authors like myself. I was extremely bothered by the tone of the response she received from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com and worried other readers might mistakenly contact this person as well.
Apr 28, 2014, 04:21 PM, “Author Lydia Michaels”Lydia@LydiaMichaels.org> wrote:
subject: Email mishap... from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 28, 2014 04:21:49 PM to: <lydia@lydiamichaels.com>
Dear Lydia,
My name is also Lydia Michaels and I am an author. Today, a reader notified me about an email she thought I sent, but she mistakenly emailed it to your address. I'm sorry for this confusion. This reader is actually a reviewer that had nothing but lovely things to say about my work and it was quite upsetting for her to get an email stating I did not care about her opinions. This is of course no one's fault, but I was wondering if in the future you might just reply to any email mistakenly addressed to you that you are not Lydia Michaels the author. My email is Lydia@LydiaMichaels.ORG. I know this is a lot to ask, but I assume you may actually get quite a bit of mistaken mail meant for me.
I hope you understand. I'm sorry for all the confusion and any trouble this has caused you.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
I wanted to let “Reviewer1” know that I took the initiative to clear up this misunderstanding, but she had removed our friendship from Facebook. I was even more upset to see that she removed herself from the group I invited her to join, where she would have seen evidence of the person I am and assumedly realized I would never write or speak rudely to one of my readers. I love my readers and it hurts me to think one could assume I’d treat them rudely, especially in such an undeserved way.
When my husband came home I was very upset. I decided to reach out to “Reviewer1” one last time and show her that I contacted this other email holder.
subject: Fwd: Email mishap... from: Author Lydia Michaels <lydia@lydiamichaels.org>
sent: Apr 29, 2014 08:17:11 PM to: <“Reviewer1”@Reviewer1email.com>
Dear “Reviewer1”,
I wanted to let you know that I contacted the other Lydia Michaels (the one that owns the dot com address) and explained the situation to her. I also spoke to my email/web site provider to see if there is any way our addresses could have been crossed and they assure me that is impossible. I don't know what correspondence you have from the dot com Lydia because it doesn't include me. The only correspondence I have with you is throughpublicist@LydiaMichaels.org
I tried to contact you via Facebook to give you this information, but I couldn't reach you. I understand that you're upset. All I can do is give you my word that the Lydia that contacted you through the dot com address was not me. I'm only through dot org. If you go to www.LydiaMichaels.com you will see the site is in no way associated with me. I find it devastating that this other Lydia was rude to you and possibly others that mistakenly contacted her.
I won't contact you again, but I just wanted one last time to express how sorry I am that this happened. You did something so nice and I truly appreciated every word you wrote regarding my work. Your review of SKIN made me cry. Below you will find a forward of the email I sent the dot com Lydia. She did not respond to me.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
------------Forwarded message------------
From: Date: Apr 28, 2014 04:21:49 PM
Subject: Email mishap...
To:
Dear Lydia,
My name is also Lydia Michaels and I am an author. Today, a reader notified me about an email she thought I sent, but she mistakenly emailed it to your address. I'm sorry for this confusion. This reader is actually a reviewer that had nothing but lovely things to say about my work and it was quite upsetting for her to get an email stating I did not care about her opinions. This is of course no one's fault, but I was wondering if in the future you might just reply to any email mistakenly addressed to you that you are not Lydia Michaels the author. My email is Lydia@LydiaMichaels.ORG. I know this is a lot to ask, but I assume you may actually get quite a bit of mistaken mail meant for me.
I hope you understand. I'm sorry for all the confusion and any trouble this has caused you.
Sincerely,
Lydia Michaels
Romance Author
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Please confirm receipt of any attachments. Thank you!
However… it was in this time that “Admin2” took it upon herself to accuse me publicly.
Their public post, which later divulged my name gained over 50 comments, most of which had readers outraged and rallying not to support me as an author. The post was written as follows:
“REVIEW SITE”/ “Admin2” April 28 “FYI, the way an author acts matters. If you're rude or condescending I will not be promoting you or your books on my page or blog. I will ask that “Reviewer1” not do it either.
Sometimes I feel like people think this, promoting, reviewing, sharing, etc is something we HAVE to do. It's not. We do it because we love it. We love books and authors and reading. But we aren't…for lack of a better term authors' "bitches". We deserve respect for all the things we do. And if we don't get it, we certainly won't give it.”
Later, this post followed from “Reviewer1”:
“REVIEW SITE”/”Reviewer1” April 28 In regards to the rude author thing...
I'd like to thank everyone for their support and loving comments. While I'm not over what happened, I'm still very confused by it all, I've chosen to stop thinking about it.
So - to all the fans and authors who have commented - love you all
~ “Reviewer1”
p.s. I'm still not comfy disclosing the name of the author - I just have a bad feeling about it (I'm unsure why). “Admin2” is the opposite and feels that you all should know - so she has named the author in a previous post.
And then this was posted by “Admin2”
“REVIEW SITE”/”Admin2” 6 hours ago This is the last time we will be addressing this issue.
In regard to the rude author issue: This whole thing has been EXTREMELY difficult and upsetting for “Reviewer1”. But we're trying to get past it. Some people, though, are making that impossible. I understand the fans of this author wanting to come to their defense, I really do. But I would hope that you all know that we wouldn't accuse someone of something, especially an author, if we didn't have good reason to do so. And it's gotten ridiculous and a bit tedious for me to keep having to explain the facts to people and ultimately have them backtrack or avoid the issue.
Here are the facts. After posting (5 star) reviews for their books, “REVIEWER1” received a rude e-mail from this particular author.”[THIS IS FALSE, Reviewer1 received a rude email from the owner of the .com email address] “Said author and their fans claim it couldn't be them because the author has a different e-mail address. We might have accepted this and let the issue drop if we hadn't received review requests for this author's books from BOTH the author's "real" e-mail address and the e-mail address Reviewer1 received the rude e-mail from.”[Also NOT TRUE. I originally submitted a review request via a form on the review site, not email at all. They copied my information into a spreadsheet and obviously made an extremely detrimental typo.]
“When the facts are presented nobody seems able to come up with a excuse or reason for this. Now, we are fully ready to accept that we were wrong and issue a public apology IF someone can explain to us how or why this happened. But so far, nobody has been able to do that. So, unless or until that happens, we are done with this. After everything she's already been through with this, I hate seeing my admin and friend getting upset on a daily basis because people won't let it go. And I won't put up with it anymore. We will be ignoring any further messages about it and I will not hesitate to ban people if I think it's necessary.”
So here are the facts requested…
One, I never sent an email from Lydia@LydiaMichaels.com. How could I? I don’t own that email.
Two, the original request for review was submitted via a form, NOT an email at all as “Review Site” has claimed. When I asked them to produce this email, they sent me a copy of a man made spreadsheet, which they entered the data—incorrectly added. A simple mistake which I and Reviewer1 have paid a price for.
Three, helpful outsiders provided the Review Site with the name and credentials of the owner of www.LydiaMichaels.com [Not Lydia Michaels the author], which should have been proof enough, yet the accusations did not cease and desist as they should have.
And finally, Reviewer1 has since corresponded with me, when I mentioned that the slander they are creating and false accusations they are making have continued long enough, and if the situation is not resolved I will be forced to contact my lawyer. We got to the bottom of the misunderstanding and she has publically apologized, but I believe the situation is too complicated for those passing by to understand at a glance.
Reviewer1 did, however, message me privately on Facebook once the issue was put to bed, and for that I am thankful.
about an hour ago“Reviewer1”“This has ****ing killed me. (Excuse my language) I have literally shed tears over the whole thing. I NEVER EVER EVER wanted you to be named. If you look at the page and see, I said that multiple times. I can't control “Admin2” though. And for that, I'm sorry. This is my personal apology. I have one written for the page but I wanted to talk to you as a person and not as an author”
My (Lydia Michaels, the author) final thoughts…
In the end, I have also shed many tears over this. It is quite clear that “Reviewer1” and myself are the only ones making apologies, yet we are the two victims in the matter. So, while I am a big enough person not to slander the “Review Site” I will say this.
Yes, reviewers are essential to authors, and the respectable authors out there know this and treat them with the well-earned esteem they deserve. However, in defense of authors everywhere, reviewers should perhaps be reminded that we, too, are people. Yes, you review for your “love of books” and owe us nothing. But never forget, we write for our love of the readers.
Sincerely, Lydia Michaels (THE AUTHOR)
PS:
My heart goes out to “Reviewer1”. I believe she is a kind and genuine person who has suffered along with me through this confusion. Even after all is said and done, I hope we maintain a friendship, as I love all of my readers from the bottom of my heart.
April 25, 2014
Moving On by Jennifer Simpkins
Please Welcome Jennifer Simpkins!
Jennifer is here today to tell us about her new novella, Moving On!
Blurb: Love hasn’t come easy to Hadley Jameson. With her daughter away at college, she’s decided to take time for herself and figure out what comes next. A cabin at Wildflower Creek seems like the perfect place to spend some time alone and gather her thoughts. But when she finds a strange man with sad eyes and a sexy grin in her cabin, her vacation plans change.
Being a firefighter, Ethan Crocker has seen some awful scenes play out, but none of his training could prepare him for when he’s called on to save someone close to home. When tragedy strikes, his life spirals out of control. After months of living in a fog, he’s determined to get his life back on track and be happy again. As luck would have it he finds a beautiful naked woman standing on the patio of his cabin rental, giving him the perfect distraction.
Excerpt:
This wasn’t the first time Ethan Crocker had seen a beautiful women. Take that back, a beautiful semi-naked women. He just didn’t expect to find one standing on the patio of the cabin he was renting with her bikini bottoms off and working on her top. Her petite arms stretched around her back and untied the last stitch of clothing.It was one thing to see a woman briefly changing clothes, with all intention of putting something else on. This stranger outside seemed to enjoy being naked. After her top joined her bikini bottoms on one of the chairs, she tossed her head back, face towards the sky, with her arms spread out like a bird.A sharp ache throbbed in his chest. He’d known another lively, free spirited woman. And it felt as if, every time he thought about the loss in his life, the small dull ache hit him all over again.Was the woman he was staring at now, some kind of hippie? If so, that explained the whole being nude outside part. But besides her being stripped down and acting a little off with the “spreading her wings like a bird” thing, she didn’t look like a hippie to him. He didn’t quite know what he was dealing with yet.It was wrong to stand in the background and watch a woman when she thought she was alone. He felt as if he was intruding on a private moment. But for obvious reasons, like he hadn’t been with a woman longer than he cared to admit, and what he was staring at now was borderline erotic, he literally couldn’t look in any other direction. Because she was standing with her side to him, he could only make out her profile. That was enough for him to figure out her body was gorgeous. All that dark hair, that at the moment was in need of a brush, toned legs and arms, flat stomach, small, but perky breasts that would fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Hell, even her small, perfectly shaped ears were turning him on.Shit. Legs suddenly feeling heavy, feet planted to the linoleum floor, Ethan couldn’t turn and retreat before the beautiful goddess glanced towards the sliding glass door. She had to have seen him. The doors were big and wide, hiding nothing. He also wasn’t trying very hard to be discreet.He watched as she hurriedly searched the patio before grabbing a large towel jumbled up on a table. She wrapped it around her body. It was then that her gaze landed on him again, but this time something resembling fire blazed there.Shit, shit, shit.“Who the hell are you?” the mystery goddess demanded after she slid the glass doors open. She stomped her way right up to him. “What are you doing in my cabin? And why were you gawking at me?”Her fierceness made him actually fall back a step. It was the first time he’d moved his feet since he’d caught sight of her outside. “Yours? I’m sorry, darling, but this is mine.” The next two weeks had been booked in his name months ago. Number nine. He’d made sure he got this specific cabin when he had made the reservation. “And I find it hard to believe you don’t already know the answer to that last question.”Her brown eyes with a hint of gold grew wide. “This place was booked for me a few days ago. I’ve been here since Monday night.”His attempt at flirting either went unnoticed, or she was just choosing to ignore him. That was okay. Her being pissed and wanting to get rid of him was for the best. He wasn’t at Wildflower Creek to get tangled up in a woman. He was there for…what? To find peace? Acceptance? To get his family off his back? Maybe he was just running. Not knowing why he was there only proved he neededto be there to figure it out.“It looks like we’re in a bit of a situation, now doesn’t it?” He held out his hand to her. “I’m Ethan, by the way.”With one hand gripping the towel wrapped around her body, she extended a hand out, but not to greet him. She snatched a spray can of sunblock off of the kitchen counter and held it up at face level with the nozzle aimed at him. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth about this cabin being booked for you too.” The finger she had placed on the trigger flinched. “But what I do know is that you’re a pervert. I suggest you get out before—”Ethan gave a smirk. “If I was a bad guy do you think a can of sunblock is going to save you?”“Do you really want to stick around to find out?” she shot back.
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April 21, 2014
Nikki interviews Maureen McCullough
The kitchen was warm and friendly, a multitude of pots and pans bubbling and boiling on the stove top. Ms. Maureen practically vibrated with energy, moving around her space with practiced efficiency. I barely opened my mouth to say ‘Hello’ before she waved me over to a chair, placing a hot cup of coffee in my hand and a plate of soda bread in front of me.She bustled around, murmuring an apology of needing just a few minutes more, made some adjustments to the various dishes, set the oven timer, washed her hands, and joined me at the table, her own steaming mug before her – all while I watched in amazement.
She was a dynamo, a force of nature. After a few seconds of silence, I felt a gentle pat on the back of my hand. “Are you ready, lass?” Ms. Maureen was leaning over the table, a mischievous light in her eyes.
I shook my head, recalled to my purpose for Ms. Lydia. Grinning, I placed the tape recorder on the table between us, opened my notebook and hit ‘Record.’
Nikki: I am here today in the lovely home of the Matriarch of the McCullough Clan, Mrs. Maureen McCullough. And I can promise you, the indomitable woman has just now stopped moving long enough to grant me this interview.
Good afternoon Ms. McCullough and thank you so very much for meeting me to answer some questions! I, and the many fans of your incredible and sometimes rowdy family, want to learn more about you – the back bone behind this spirited group. Shall we begin?
Maureen: Well, nothin’ gets done until it’s begun. Let’s have at it, dearie.
Nikki (trying to hide a smirk and failing): Did you ever figure out what was causing all the pregnancies?
Maureen: *Blinks…* Are you daft? It was my husband’s cock. I’ll admit, it was like an epidemic here for a wee bit, but he’s a virile man, my Frank. *pauses and thinks for a moment* He’s still after me knickers, but I’m done having babies now. I can barely keep track of my grandbabies.
Nikki (after a small coughing fit from choking on her coffee after that last answer): How did you survive with so many boys?! I mean - you were TOTALLY outnumbered!!!!
Maureen: *Laughs* Indeed I was! I still am! In my house growing up there were only the three girls, my dad and me mum. When I first had Kate I thought I’d be just like me mum—all girls. Then Colin came and the boys just kept coming. I suppose we were due for some boys. I never expected five of them, but I don’t think I’d give any back. They’re cheeky bastards, but I love them all dearly, my boys.
Nikki (nodding and taking notes): Tell me about your happiest memory.....
Maureen: Oh, my happiest memory? Well, I should probably say the birth of my children, but who would I choose, with seven of them? I’d have to say the day Frank stole me away to run off and get married. I was only a wee lass at the time and he was much older. There’s a story for you, love. Maybe one day that nice lass, Ms. Michaels, will write it. *Nods* Aye, that was one of my happiest memories. Until we returned home and me dad shot Frank…
Nikki (blinking rapidly and underling repeatedly – MS. MAUREEN’S STORY NEXT!!!):.....and your saddest memory?
Maureen: Oh… *Gazes down and runs fingers softly over the table* I know that day. I was sitting right here in this kitchen, chattering away like I have a tendency to do. It was me, Rosemarie, Colleen, and me mum, baking up a storm for when the boys returned. It was always a nice day when all the O’Leahey women could get together. I had said something and my sisters started cackling, but me mum was just sitting there, sort of a confused and nervous expression on her face. The room turned quiet as I approached her. I said, “Mum? Are you all right?” She looked up at me, the way a lost child might look to a police officer and she said, “I’ll be needin’ to get home now. My girls will be home from school now and Shamus will be waitin’ on me.” Shamus was my father and he’d been passed for several years now. And of course my sisters and I hadn’t been school girls in ages. We all sort of just stood there, waitin’ for her to snap out of it. She’d shown little signs of slippin’ here and there, but never once did she not recognize us, her girls. Since that day me mum hasn’t been the same. I miss her somethin’ fierce, even when she’s sittin’ right beside me.
Nikki (reaches out and takes Ms. Maureen’s hand, squeezing gently, before continuing with her questions): Did you ever have a moment when you just wanted to throw your hands in the air and say "Eff this shit! I'm out!" What got you through it?
Maureen: Oh, I’ve had plenty of moments like that with this brood! I’d say what sticks out most in my mind was the day the doctor told me I was carrying twins. Twins! I looked at him and said, “Is this some kind of joke? We only ordered one.” Kate was a difficult pregnancy and my Colin was a big boy. How the bloody hell was I supposed to have two more like that at the same time? I punched Frank right in the mouth when he couldn’t stop prancin’ around like a proud peacock. Knocked that smile clean off his face. That helped me get through it.
Nikki (doubled over in laughter): Speaking of Frank….does he still make your heart go "lub-dub"? What does he do that just melts you?
Maureen: *Blushes* He’s a beast. Always grabbin’ at me knickers and pullin’ at my apron. Insatiable, that one. If he ain’t lookin’ for food he’s usually lookin’ to satisfy his other appetites. Oh, but I don’t mind. My looks faded long ago, but he’s never stopped makin’ me feel like the most beautiful lassie in all of Center County. All he has to do is glance at me and he can make me melt.
Nikki (nodding and smiling, thinking to herself – ‘That’s a nice problem to have’): Advice for the single men? And single ladies? Hell - you've been married forever. Marital advice would probably be a good thing too.
Maureen: *Laughs* Advice? Well, let’s start with the men. Stop being idjits and take off those tight pants! These young lads look like fools wearing tighter pants than the lassies. No one wants to see that. And to the women… don’t run around flaring your knickers for all the lads to see…only show the good ones. As far as marital advice, I think it’s simple. Be kind and be able to laugh at yourself. I think what makes my and Frank’s love so genuine is the laughter. We never stop laughing with each other.
Nikki(scratches in her notebook – ‘no more tight pants!’): What were the kids like as babies? I mean - good babies? Fussy babies? Plotting to take over the world babies?
Maureen: Well, Kate was a good girl, always by my side feedin’ her dollies as I fed her. Colin was much like he is now, reserved and observant. The twins… That damn Luke had more energy than all of us put together. He was like raising a bull, constantly running into my things and breaking them. I used to yell constantly, “This is why we can’t have nice things!” Finnegan was his father’s shadow. He loved going to the lumber yard with Frank to see all the trucks and tools. Now, Braydon…he was my little cherub angel. Those blond curls were my undoing. I knew he’d likely be my last so I spoiled him rotten. But he wasn’t my last. Kelly…pfft… I ran out of wooden spoons tannin’ his wily arse. That boy was trouble since day one. And such a cheeky little bastard. I used to beat his bum and then he’d have me laughin’ somethin’ fierce, the little shit. Then God blessed me with Sheilagh. I think I earned her, what with all those boys wreckin’ my house for so many years. *Shakes head* She wasn’t like Katherine, though. No, she was just as rough as the rest of them, always competing with her older brothers and playing pranks to get their attention. I used to call her Angel, but as she got older the boys changed her nickname to Shei-Devil, and rightly so.
Nikki(chuckling): She sounds like a kindred spirit. I think she and I could be BFF’s. Umm..kids favorite home cooked meal?
Maureen: Well, let’s see, Luke likes my chicken casserole, Colin likes my pie. Kelly has an affinity for cobbler lately. Braydon loves poundies and Finn…well, Finn will eat anything. That Mallory doesn’t use butter at home, so he’s usually an animal when I make food for him. The girls, they aren’t very picky. They just love when I cook because it gives them a break.
Nikki (makes a note to wrangle an invite to dinner with the McCulloughs – often!): If you could, money and time being of no importance, tell me about your ideal getaway.
Maureen: Oh, dear, I’m not sure where I would go. I suppose I’d like to see Ireland again. I think it would be lovely to stay in an old castle and go gallivantin’ with Frank, my sisters and their husbands, and all my children and their partners. Yes, that would be an extraordinary memory to have. I’ll have to mention it to them.
Nikki: And my last question - I promise. Who's the better cook? You or Italian Mary?????
Maureen: *Places mug slowly on table with click and smiles pleasantly* Now, Nikki dear, I’ve been told about you and your wild ways. I know you’re quite fearless, but I must warn you… I’d win in a fight. Now, I don’t think I understood your last question. Maybe rephrase it. *Grins widely*
At just that moment, the timer in the kitchen went off. I swallowed thickly and sprang into action, clicking off the tape-recorder and shoving my notebook into my backpack. I grabbed Ms. Maureen’s hand and pumped once, tripping over my own feet to make a hasty escape.
“Thank you so much Ms. Maureen! Lovely interview. Fabulous family! But, gee, look at the time!” I glance at my non-existent watch, her eyes never once leaving my face. Quickly I edged toward the front door and yanked it open, dashing out to my truck.
“We must do this again when we have some more time! Thank you!” I yelled out from the open window, throwing it into gear and tearing off down the driveway, unmindful of any damage I may have done to the transmission. Dust eddied in mini-tornadoes behind me, the McCullough house fading away in the rear view mirror, the tiny figure of Ms. Maureen standing on the porch growing smaller until she too, disappeared.
I thumped my head against the seat and chuckled, “Saved by the bell!” Sliding my sunglasses down over my eyes, I cranked up Drop Kick Murphy’s and headed for the interstate.
About Lydia's Literary Lady Nikki...
Affectionately dubbed "Trouble" by Lydia and her friends, she met and fell in love with Ms. Michaels and her work in 2013. And has crushed hard for Lydia and her characters ever since. When she's not drooling over a particular character from Lydia's books (or fighting Ivone for him), she can be found tromping through the swamps near her home or suiting up and taking the ice as a goalie for her beloved hockey team. Her favorite authors include Lydia (derrr!), Burroughs (Tarzan aka Lord Greystoke was her first Book BoyFriend), Mercedes Lackey, Piers Anthony, Diana Gabaldon and Shel Silverstein.For more fun with Maureen and the rest of the wild McCulloughs, check out Lydia Michaels' McCullough Mountain series!
April 16, 2014
FORSAKING TRUTH {McCullough Mountain 5} Releases May 5, 2014
It's time to get Luke's side of the story! (MM) His greatest conflict in life is that another man loves him unconditionally. He’ll forsake everything before he’ll come to face who he truly is.
When Luke McCullough’s athletic potential is diminished by a field injury, his pride pays the price. Returned to Center County a broken man, the long road to recovery seems dreary and overshadowed by opportunities lost, until he meets Tristan Hughes.
Tristan came to Center County to escape his past and start anew, but nothing prepared him for Luke. Intrigued, Tristan cautiously gets to know this powerful man, only to fall head over heels for the vulnerable soul hiding behind all that intensity and drive.
Luke has never been interested in men, so when he can’t get Tristan out of his head he doubles his efforts to fight the inevitable. Stolen glances lead to heated encounters, followed by punishing regret, but Luke’s inability to face the truth of who he really is may cost him the only happiness he’s ever known.
When Luke McCullough’s athletic potential is diminished by a field injury, his pride pays the price. Returned to Center County a broken man, the long road to recovery seems dreary and overshadowed by opportunities lost, until he meets Tristan Hughes.
Tristan came to Center County to escape his past and start anew, but nothing prepared him for Luke. Intrigued, Tristan cautiously gets to know this powerful man, only to fall head over heels for the vulnerable soul hiding behind all that intensity and drive.
Luke has never been interested in men, so when he can’t get Tristan out of his head he doubles his efforts to fight the inevitable. Stolen glances lead to heated encounters, followed by punishing regret, but Luke’s inability to face the truth of who he really is may cost him the only happiness he’s ever known.
March 17, 2014
Please VOTE!
Dear Readers,
Lydia Michaels has been nominated in TWO categories for this year's RONE Awards for
BEST BOOK OF 2013!!!
Please take a minute to vote! It's fast and easy!
The Categories are:
Contemporary General
SKIN by Lydia Michaels
&
New Adult
SIMPLE MAN by Lydia Michaels
Click here to vote!http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-two
Thank you!!!
Lydia Michaels has been nominated in TWO categories for this year's RONE Awards for
BEST BOOK OF 2013!!!
Please take a minute to vote! It's fast and easy!
The Categories are:
Contemporary General
SKIN by Lydia Michaels&
New Adult
SIMPLE MAN by Lydia MichaelsClick here to vote!http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-two
Thank you!!!
March 13, 2014
Maureen McCullough's Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe
Lydia:Welcome back! Today we conclude our kitchen segment, where Maureen McCullough has shown us how to make all the fix in’s for a traditional St. Paddy’s Day feast. Today we’re making an American favorite, Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Now, Maureen, you told me something I didn’t know about this dish when we were making the Irish Soda Bread.
Maureen:That’s right, dearie. Corned Beef and Cabbage isn’t a traditional Irish dish. In Ireland, they used to use pork and potatoes. But when the Irish came to America pork was very expensive and potatoes weren’t as plentiful. Beef was used as a supplement, cooked much like the pork, and the Jewish Deli’s in New York influenced the use of cabbage. So while we enjoy this on St. Paddy’s Day, it’s actually an American adaptation to an Irish meal.
Lydia:Such a neat bit of history. Tell us what goes into your Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Maureen:There isn’t much, but when we make this for O’Malley’s, the Irish pub my Kelly owns, it takes all the women in the family to keep up with the customer’s hunger. On St. Paddy’s day we’re cookin’ all day! But for today, we’ll be makin’ a good family size. You’ll need:
4 pounds corned beef brisket1 cup brown sugar 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer. We’ll use Guinness because we always have it on hand for the boys. Plenty of chopped cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onion. Broth You can add anything else you like. There's really no messing this dish up.
I’ve already rinsed the beef and patted it dry. Our oven’s preheated to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). We’ll set the brisket in a roasting pan and rub it with the brown sugar. We want to make sure to coat the entire brisket, even the bottom. Then we pour the Guinness around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.
Now we wedge all of our veggies around the brisket and add the broth so they cook nice and soft.
Then we simply cover the roasting pan, and stick it in the oven. It bakes for 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of your meat. Give it five minutes to rest then slice and serve.
Lydia:I didn’t expect it to be so simple.
Maureen:Oh, yes, not tricky at all. Almost impossible to mess up. You can also add other seasonings to make the recipe your own.
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Lydia:Well, Maureen, I’ve truly enjoyed cooking with you! I’m sure lots of readers will be adding a touch of McCullough tradition to their St. Patrick’s Day this year. I know I will!Maureen:Wonderful! And you come by O’Malley’s on the seventeenth to celebrate with us. There'll be Irish dancers, my wee Talulah bein' one of them, wonderful music, and all my boys will be in their kilts! You can meet Braydon. He’s single you know.
Lydia:Oh, well, I’m married to my own Irishman, but I’ll be sure to stop by. Maybe I can get him into a kilt!
Maureen:Brilliant! My Kate’s going to be back here soon to tell the readers about kilts.
Lydia: Thanks for letting us join you in this lovely kitchen at the big house, Maureen. I’ve truly enjoyed myself.
Maureen:Any time, love. I’ll be seein’ you soon!
Want to spend more time with Maureen and the sexy McCulloughs? Click here to check out Lydia Michaels’ McCullough Mountain series!
March 11, 2014
Maureen McCullough's Irish Shepherd Pie Recipe
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Lydia: Welcome back, everyone! We’re back on McCullough Mountain in Maureen’s kitchen where she’s been teaching us the makings of a traditional Irish feast. What are we making today, Maureen?Maureen: Well, love, today we’re goin’ to be givin’ you a wee challenge. We’re makin’ an Irish Shepherds Pie.
Lydia: I see a lot of ingredients on the table. Should I be intimidated?
Maureen: Of course not, dearie! Anyone can make this.
Lydia: Why don’t you tell everyone what they’ll need for this dish.
Maureen: There’s a lot, but many already have these ingredients on hand. A Shepherds pie is all about the seasoning. You will need:
1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, diced 2 pounds lean ground lamb 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Salt and ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon ketchup 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/2 cups water, or as needed 1 (12 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and halved 1 tablespoon butter 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper 1/4 cup cream cheese 1/4 pound shredded Irish cheese. I like to use Dubliner. 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons milk Lydia: You’re right. I think I have all that in my kitchen at home except for the lamb and cheese. So where do we begin?
Maureen: First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Next, boil the potatoes so they’re ready when we need them.
Dump your olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter’s melted, stir in onion and ground lamb. You stir this while I ready the rest. You’ll want the meat brown and broken into small crumbles. It should be ready in about 10 minutes.
I’m going to be addin’ most of our dry ingredients to the mix to give it some flavor while you stir. First I like to add the flour, then the salt and black pepper, rosemary, paprika, and cinnamon. That’s smellin’ mighty fine now, love. Next I’ll add the ketchup and garlic.
You can see it’s gettin’ a touch dry, so this is when we add the water. Go ahead and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Now we reduce the heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer. We’ll slowly stir as it cooks and thickens up about 5 minutes.
Now that the meat’s done, we’ll remove it from the heat and stir in our peas and carrots. Then we spread the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
We’ll drain our potatoes, now that they’re nice and soft, and mash in the butter, cayenne pepper, cream cheese, and Irish cheese. To get them nice and smooth we’ll add in our whisked egg yolk and the milk. And don’t be afraid to add a little salt and pepper for taste.
Now, pour the potatoes over the lamb mixture in the baking dish and spread it out evenly to cover.
Then, pop it in the oven until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges. It usually bakes for 25 to 30 minutes.
Lydia: Wow, that was pretty easy. I’d definitely suggest having all your ingredients prepped. I can’t wait to taste it!
Maureen: I’ll serve you up first. My men can sniff out a good Shepherds pie and I’m bettin’ they’ll be here before it’s out of the oven. You’ll stay for supper. Help me set the table. There’s a lot of us, love.
Lydia: My pleasure. And next time we visit Maureen’s going to teach us how she makes the Americanized Irish dish, Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Want to spend more time with Maureen and the sexy McCulloughs? Click here to check out Lydia Michaels’ McCullough Mountain series!
March 10, 2014
Maureen McCullough's Colcannon Recipe
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Lydia:We’re back in Maureen’s kitchen on McCullough Mountain. How are you today, Maureen?Maureen:Oh, just lovely, dear!
Lydia:And what are we making today?
Maureen:Today we are going to make Colcannon, a hardy side dish of potatoes and cabbage that goes great with any Irish feast. *Leans close and whispers* That stench you’re smellin’ is the boiled cabbage. Most Irish meals tend to stink up the house. You’ll be thinkin’ you’ve been crop dusted, then the men come and gobble it up and show you there are worse smells. But my boys love Colcannon. I’ve cooked it so much the odor hardly bothers me anymore.
Lydia:Right. Okay then. Why don’t you tell us about the ingredients?
Maureen: Of course. I’ve already boiled and drained the cabbage and potatoes. They’re set aside and being kept warm. What you’ll be needin’ is:
1 pound cabbage1 pound potatoes 2 leeks 1 cup milk salt and pepper to taste 1 pinch ground mace 1/2 cup butter
Once you’re ready with your soft veggies, chop up the cabbage into bite sized pieces. Chop the leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they’re soft as well. Season and mash your potatoes well then stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Then you just mix it up and call in the men.
Lydia:This looks delicious. And what a fun twist on traditional mashed potatoes. Thank you, Maureen! I think we’re really getting some great dishes for our St. Patrick’s day feast!
Maureen:And there’s lots more where that came from. Next time I’ll be showin’ you how to make an Irish Shepherds Pie!
Want to spend more time with Maureen and the sexy McCulloughs? Click here to check out Lydia Michaels’ McCullough Mountain series!
