Blackmail and the Future

Edited to add: This has escalated once again and is now a legal matter. My personal information was made public. I will not stand for this.

Hey everybody. E. here. I have waited as long as I possibly can to post this, and I feel that I’ve finally ran out of options. Before I begin, I would like to warn everybody reading this about the people they “friend” online. I have made numerous real friends in this virtual environment, but I’ve also met my fair share of fake individuals. I’m not talking about people who choose to use pseudonyms or remain anonymous online, but people that put themselves close to you in an attempt to gain something for nothing; be it books, social connections, or insider information.

Recently I made friends with someone who I believed could be trusted. I gave out certain information that I should have kept secret because they had helped me financially with preparing and ordering one of my books. I ran ino a snag with the Bay’s End hardcover and spent all my profits and then some on proofs trying to make a product that I could be proud of shipping out. Each proof cost me around $27.00 and I order a total of nine of them. All I had left was the money to order the actual books and to ship them to customers. This is my fault because I didn’t know what I was getting into with these signed limited editions. Everything looked good on the computer screen, but when I ordered proof after proof they all looked like crap. In the end, I figured out this was because of DPI (dots per inch) and I had my photoshop file set too low, at 70 instead of 300. All issues have since been fixed and I am now happy with the final product. Now, I have saved chat threads wherein I tried to talk this person out of helping because I would have money later in the month when Amazon and my publisher paid me, but they insisted. I have saved chat threads wherein they say this money was intended as a gift because they “want to see this happen!” and that I did not need to pay them back. This amounted to less than $30, so I finally said yes, since it was so little money and this person seemed to honestly want to help see the project to completion. In truth, they only wanted their copy quicker. I’m only telling you all this because I assume this will be used against me, too. If you want to know why I needed help and why the books have been delayed so long, there you have it.

Fast forward to last month and a misunderstanding wherein I made an ass out of myself. I didn’t realize this person was waiting on something from me, so I directed them toward the person I thought they were waiting on. They proceeded to tell that person I owed them something, something I did indeed owe them and I admit that, and I got upset because I thought they were going behind my back to demand of our mutual friend something that I, myself, owed them. I was in fault here. It was all my fault. I should have responded better. I apologized. I took responsibility for upsetting this person then and I take the responsibility for upsetting them now. I honestly feel bad for becoming upset with them over a misunderstanding, but this person felt that out friendship could not be salvaged. I finally agreed. This person cut ties with me, ending our friendship.

Now the problem is this: After our friendship ended, I still owed them books. One copy of a book they purchased, and a copy of a book that I traded them for another book. This person contacted me and asked that I do not personalize their books because they planned to resell them. Understood. To square up with this person and, I admit, get them out of my life quicker, I sent them my own personal collection. One of the books wasn’t even supposed to come out until two days ago, but they got their copy weeks in advance, all because I wanted to make them happy so they’d go away. These books were numbered, but not signed. I don’t sign books I intend to keep in my personal library. Because this person asked me not to personalize the books, I foolishly didn’t bother opening them before I packed them and sent them off. Now this person is upset that I sent them unsigned books. They first emailed me asking for a refund on the book they purchased. Before I could respond (I was in the hospital with my first migraine), they sent a second email stating they wanted to be compensated for the book they traded me, even though the book I sent them, even unsigned, cost as much as the book they traded me. But of course, since they’re pissed at me, the book is worthless to them. When I still did not answer them (I was still in the hospital and have records to prove this), they demanded the money they gifted me to help push the project forward. A day later, the day I left the hospital, I came home to find all the aforementioned emails, as well as an email threatening me with an attempt to defame me by spreading pictures of the unsigned books if I didn’t comply with their demands. They wanted the money they were owed and more. I have proof of this in their series of ever-escalating emails. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the money they want. I am not rich. My family is comfortable because of the money I make from my writing, but I am not wealthy. Most of my book collection is purchased with credit, which I then pay back slowly, just like some of you reading this. I will have to pay them in installments. I don’t think this will make them happy, so I’m taking precautions.

Anyway, I’m complying with their demands to a point. Of course I am. I have a family to support, and I cannot take the risk of my income being put in jeopardy because someone is greedy. But I do not trust this person anymore, so I am making everyone aware of the situation. I also do not plan to pay them any more than they are owed, so they will more than likely post all my business all over creation. That’s why you’re reading this. I’d rather you hear certain things from me.

This person knows my real name and I suspect they are unstable enough to try and use that information to their advantage. So I am telling you all now… No, my real name is not Edward Lorn. My middle name is Edward and Lorn is a pen name. People do actually call me E. in everyday life. They have since grade school. I am and always will be the person you have come to know. I’m not faking anything but a name. I do have a wife and two children, and my personality is everything it seems to be. If this new information upsets you, I cannot help that. But now you know why I’ve always fought so hard to protect anonymity for reviewers and authors alike. I will not divulge my real name. I’ll let my blackmailer draw that card.

I have not mentioned names because I don’t have to. I have everything I need saved and filed with my lawyer. Because this person threatened my livelihood, which is worth far more than the $70 they are owed, they are guilty of blackmail due to demanding monetary compensation in return for their silence. This is the one and only time I am defending myself online. Any further defense will be in a court of law. I only ask that they do not go through with their blackmailing plans. If they do, I will seek help from the authorities. This person will get what they are owed (possibly over the course of the next two months, because I have book orders to fill) and nothing more.

To those of you waiting on signed limited editions of my books, they will all be going out between the 21st and the 30th of this month, June. If you would like proof of order, email me at edwardlorn@gmail.com and I will send you that information privately. After that, I do not plan to do anymore limited editions of my work. Sorry for any and all delays attributed to this situation and/or my being an idiot.

E.

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