I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter/Passover break! This week has been an interesting one for WTFERY and developments.

An interesting report from the US has found that ibooks store is not the success that Apple aims it to be, this is partly due to the fact that people who have ipads aren’t using it to primarily read ebooks and that only 40 percent of ipad users have read a book. Another 45 percent has stated they would prefer reading an ebook on their macs or PCs.

Agents are now stipulating that price escalators for ebook royalties should be implemented more widely, due to the rise of ebooks, especially when they have overtaken Mass Market print books earlier this year. 

Self Published author Stephanie Mcafee has joined the ranks of Amanda Hocking into mainstream traditional publishing as she scored a 3 book deal with NAL. Her book A Diary of a Mad Fat Girl made the New York Times. I got a feeling that more self published authors will probably make similar deals whilst a few traditional published authors will crossover with self pubbed works. 

However, the main story that really caught my eye and frankly one full of WTFERY is the plight of the author Judy Mays who was ‘outed’ by a parent at the school, where she works at as a teacher. The parent of the child, found out that Judy Mays was a penname and wrote erotic romances – below is an excerpt quoted from the WNEP site which lays out the whole sorry and vindictive mess that this poor author is faced with.

Now my first reaction was basically WTF with my jaw dropping with total disbelief. The fact that the parent outed and let the whole world know what was a separate and private identity which Judy May’s students/school was unaware of which is pretty ironic that this actually became an issue which shows how much of a witch-hunt this parent has made this to be. There is a huge distinction between fiction and reality, and implying that the author lives an immoral life which could harm her students is insulting and slanderous. Seriously in this day and age people have to get worked up with self righteous and vindictive behavior to target a woman who at all accounts is a good teacher and author? I also think the news piece is salacious and sensationalized and is weak journalism because the fact that the author writes sexy romances is the issue. If this was about a teacher who wrote horror or serial killer fiction ala Dexter, this wouldn’t be as interesting (to note Stephen King use to be a teacher) – would these parents have the same issue? I doubt it.

WNEP have followed up with another piece that shows the supporters for Ms May – However if you want to contact the station about your views on this The Smart Bitches have posted links to contact WNEP – if you feel strongly like I do about this about their report, you can contact the News Director email is news@wnep.com, and the General Manager is generalmanager@wnep.com.

The local reporter who originally posted the article – Kena.Vernon@wnep.com

And their facebook page 

Got some goodies for book covers/blurbs this week. I am really really looking forward to this debut which is out later this year.

The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams – I adore female characters who know their way with a sword and this looks great!

Julie Kagawa has posted the cover for upcoming Iron Fey novella.

A Midsummer’s Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon’s right hand, bane of many a faery queen’s existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl’s death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.
Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone’s come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck’s help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

New series by Kelly Meding which looks cool! Trance is the first book of the Metawars series.

Kelly Meding’s war-ravaged Los Angeles is ground zero for the ultimate Meta human showdown in this sexy, action-packed new series.

Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.
Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman . . . only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons.

Tracy O’Hara’s Sin’s Dark Caress

And finally – no cover yet but the blurb for C.L Wilson’s upcoming standalone fantasy romance, The Winter King has a blurb. I AM definitely looking forward to this! This is currently slated for November and when the cover is released, I will post it in a future update!

When the heir of Summerlea stole Wynter Atrialan’s bride and murdered his brother, the Winter King swore vengeance on the neighboring southern kingdom. Now, after three years of merciless war, Summerlea is crushed, and the conquering Wynter aims a final blow at his enemy’s heart by demanding one of the Summer King’s beloved daughters in marriage.

But the Summer King has a fourth daughter…one of whom he is not so fond. And she is is no sweet, helpless princess-in-a-tower. She is a fiercely passionate creature, with a nature as volatile as the dangerous forces of her weathergift, the power of storms.