So I'm being plagiarized

And very, very badly too.

It's my Grimm series and the chick didn't even attempt to change the series any.

 

Unless you call changing the names changing it.

 

Greta?  She's now GRETTA.

Rip?  He's RYP.

Will?  It's WYLL.

Ren became RENN.

Sigh.

 

The blurbs…

 
Her blurb

This is the 1st book of this Series. Gretta is from the fairy tales we all heard as a child but her life was not the way it was told in the books. She is given a choice and with that choice she must fight demons for eternity unless she changes her mind. She is given an assignment that only she can do but she runs into Ryp who she has a past with. Will the love they both have for each other distract them from their work or will it strengthen it. Read more to find out.

 

 

 

My blurb:

Greta didn't get her happy ending her first time around. And now that she's a Grimm—special kind of guardian angel and official ass-kicker in the paranormal world—romance is hard to find. Besides, there's only ever been one man who made her heart race, and the fact that he did scared her right out of his arms. Now Rip is back. And just in time too, because Greta needs his help.

On a mission he knows is going to test all of his strengths and skills, the last person Rip expected to see is the one woman who broke his heart. Working together seems to be their only hope. But, when faced with a danger neither of them anticipated, the question is, how will they face the danger to their hearts—assuming they survive, of course.

Her blurb

Cindy and Renn are sent to a sex club to take out the head Succubus or Incubus that are changing people into their drones. Mike is sent by Wyll to take over Renn's place. Mike and Cindy have a very interesting past together. Will they both be able to patch things up and become what was destined for them over 1000 years ago or will they just stay tormented by their past. Read to see if they will ever get their happily ever after ending.

FYI-this 'Cindy' character is Cinderella.  She's Cinderella.
My blurb

Elle spent years trying to get over her so-called Prince Charming, and she's finally getting the hang of it. A Grimm—a guardian angel with unique gifts—she spends her nights trolling for demons and kicking ass, and lately, her days have been spent with her on-and-off-again lover, Ren, a fellow Grimm. But fate has other plans in store for Elle, plans that include Michael, the prince from her youth who broke her heart.

"What do you choose…live for her? Or would you rather die?" That was the choice Michael was given all those years ago. Although he knew she'd never forgive him, when Michael was given the chance to become a Grimm, he took it. Still, he isn't so sure Elle needs him in her life. With a lover at her side and a mission before her, Elle looks like she's doing just fine without him.

But the not-so-charming prince isn't going to back off that easily…not if there's a chance she might need him again. He'd do anything to save her. Kill for her, live for her, die for her…

 

So. Well. Um.  I dunno what to say.  I'm on vacation and I spent half of a very beautiful drive messing with this crap, emailing Nicole (as much as I could with an iPhone) and searching (again, as much as I could.)

I'm irritated.  Yes.  I'm baffled.  Yes.  This, plain and simply, confuses me.

This isn't writing.

My 12 yr old knows this isn't writing.  Granted, she also writes, maybe that's why.  Okay, my 9 yr old gets it. Yes, I asked.  And yes, maybe it's an unfair thing to throw up there since I drill it into their heads they are not to take somebody else's work as their own.

But writing is a creative endeavor.   You take an idea, you put your own twist into it, your own energy, you make it your own.  That's writing.

This?  I dunno.

It's…well.  It's nothing.  For her, at least.  She did no work.  She can't claim credit for this-she doesn't truly understand what it's like to create a book and know she did it.  When people read it and love it and tell her?  It's not her idea they love.  It's mine.  So what is she getting?  A weird sort of attention, I guess.  And how sad is that?

For those who don't quite get the idea of plagiarism, the definition:

From the Encarta World English Dictionary

1.
stealing somebody's work or idea: the process of copying another person's idea or written work and claiming it as original

2.
something plagiarized: a piece of written work or an idea that somebody has copied and claimed as his or her own

 

So, taking somebody's idea and claiming it.

If you get confused and think…but you didn't write the Grimm Fairy Tales, Shiloh. First, many of the Grimm stories can be traced back a very long time.  Also, my books are based on ideas from the Grimm.  But there's no confusing my stories with the Grimm.  I very clearly bastardized things and I've also given credit to the Brothers.

This lady claimed she had written this 'grimm' series, that she had created this butt-kicking guardian angel, Gretta, Ryp, Wyll, etc, etc.  She didn't.  I did.

If a person wants to write and can't see the difference, there is a problem.  She posted somewhere she was using other books as a guide.  A writer doesn't use books as guides.  A writer's guide is her imagination.  If a writer doesn't have that?  She's not a writer.  (Or he.)

Anyway.  I emailed bookrix.  I've emailed booksie.  I've contacted the legal departments at my pubs and yes, I'm putting this up on my blog because this isn't the sort of thing I ignore.  I'll also be dealing with the headaches of putting up google alerts for things like this in the future.

I worked pretty damn hard on my books.  You want to be a writer?  Then write your own stories.  Leave my stuff alone.

 

Update… BTW, I did hear from the woman.  She's said she'll stop and I'm hoping that's the case.  I'm also hoping she'll realize the difference between creating and stealing.