Will the Real Danielle Steel Please Stand Up??? (Remember that One???)

Hi Everybody,

Well, I've just had an exotic 'modern' techno experience. I discovered yesterday that there are people out there in Internet-land pretending to be me. Wow!! How's that for strange?? Apparently with money schemes and all sorts of exotic fare, all pretending to be me. Why would anyone want to do that??

It suddenly reminded me of years ago, way at the beginning of my career, when my face was not yet well known, and my career was just taking off, my publisher got a call that there was a woman on the loose in Southern California, notably having an affair with some radio personality and claiming to be me. We informed him that she was a fraud, since I wasn't having an affair with him, and the poor guy was really disappointed. She'd been giving him copies of my early poems, and telling him she'd written them for him. I don't know how it worked out for them, but I was just happy to clear my name. If she was having all the fun, and getting all the flowers and chocolates, no point in my getting credit for it!!! Shortly after that, there was some woman hitch hiking around the state of Virginia, doing interesting sexual things to the people giving her rides, and also claiming to be me. I never knew about any others, and I suppose as my fame grew and people knew my face along with my name, it didn't leave as much room for people to pretend to be me. I've come across a few people over the years, standing right next to me in stores in 2 cases, who were claiming to the people they were with that I was their best friend, although I was standing right next to them and they didn't recognize me. That's always a weird feeling, like being suddenly invisible in a bad science fiction movie.

And now, the Internet has opened up new vistas. Apparently it's a common thing to have people on the Internet pretending to be someone else. I have to admit, it gives me a creepy feeling. They can claim whatever they want, say whatever they want, portray me in any way they want, and if they have all the fun, why should I have all the headaches that go with being Danielle Steel?? (And there are a few).

Anyway, as my publisher announced on the Internet yesterday, the only official Danielle Steel sites are my publisher's web site at daniellesteel.com, my own/this one, and I believe there is a fan page on Facebook. Anything else, just isn't for real…..so if someone asks you for a hot date, describes their/my sex life, wants a rundown on yours, tries to bilk you out of money or invites you on a Caribbean vacation as me, I'm sorry to say, it just isn't me….beware of fakes, in all areas of life…..and the real Danielle Steel is just little ole me, writing to you here every week….maybe we should develop a secret hand shake???? Take care…..thanks for tuning in.

Love, Danielle