I just read in Yahoo that Cassie Edwards and Signet have parted ways due to alleged plagiarism.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080418/ap_ ... nce_writer

Oh WoW !

How on earth did anyone miss it?

It wasn't alleged. It was blatant, repeated, out an out stealing. Go to SBTB and they have, on the right hand side of the page, a PDF file of the entire thing. It's too huge to have a simple link.

Dorchester and Kensington are still reviewing, and losing readers in droves.

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com

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Is that people who are still reviewing CE's books are losing their own readership? Publishers....?

I kept up with the original brouhaha but am confused.

I know people have varying opinions about how this should have been handled but I have noticed that CE's books are flooding our UBS and folks aren't buying them.

Peace, Julie

I'm kind of shocked that the bigger bookstores are putting her books face out. I wonder how they could have NOT heard about the whole plagerism thing - how could they call attention to her books that way? CARRY the books,yes, I won't deny them that. But to display them so prominantly like that?? C'mon,Border's - you've got to care about the WHOLE book business, not just the "booksellers-making-money" part. I always turn the CE books back around,so only the spine is showing, and I'll turn another author's books face out.

I think there's a combo thing happening.

Dorchester, and maybe Kensington-- both had re-releases of her older stuff scheduled when the story broke. Both, imho, got the re-releases out and ignored it hoping to see how thnigs went.

So yeah, now everywhere you look there's an Edwards cover glaring at you. My take, and many seem to agree, is that they are trying to get every last penny out of her.

A lot of her fans seem to be divided... into "she didn't know any better and you're mean" and "I umm... never really liked her that much" camps.

I'm waiting... but not much longer before I stop buying all their titles.

Maybe they think it is like when someone dies and everything of theirs goes up in value OR it is someone that has just heard the name in the news but not paid attention to the story of why the name is in the news.

James Frey has a new novel coming out after his Million Little Pieces...can't believe that either. Many felt like Oprah was too hard on him. Others bought his book because it was controversial and they wanted to know what that was all about.

Just proves there is a market for everyone and everything. Even "secret baby haters."

Peace, Julie

Somehow I missed this whole story. I checked out the comparisons on SBTB...unbelievable And for her to suggest that she thought it was ok to do this, or that she didn't have to credit her sources? There's no excuse for that kind of ignorance. I don't think I've read an Edwards novel since maybe high school. She was never a favorite of mine, but it's always shocking when such a prolific and successful author turns out to be plagiarizing. Shades of Janet Dailey. Very sad.

I was shocked also. Now I know why I never cared for her books..they read like encylcopedias to me. Considering many Ellora's Cave books lists trademark holders of real products used intheir books, I really can't understand how she didn't know she had to credit sources. I;ve seen books with full bibliographies with authors, publishers, dates of publications and more.

How on earth did anyone miss it? I love her work she is amazing!!!!

I went into one of the local Wal Marts this weekend and was shocked to see not one or two of her books still on the shelf but at least five. I was angry. I'm all for making a buck, but personally I think anything by this woman needs to be removed from the shelves.

I don't think any legal claims were brought against her, but even if they did, I don't think that they would pull her books from the shelf. Afterall, I still see Janet Dailey's books for sale...

I remember at the time of the plagiarism incident with Janet Dailey, her publisher (HarperCollins, I think), pulled the book in question, as well as anything else of hers, off bookstore shelves. She had a tough time finding a publisher afterwards, and then she was back to being published in paperback, after years of hardcovers. I noticed lots of Cassie Edwards titles at Borders recently. Perhaps no one has taken any legal action yet, but you'd think the publishers would pull the books to try to limit any potential damage.

Just my two cents worth - but I will never understand why so many people on the internet got up in arms about it. It was a personal matter between Cassie Edwards and the parties involved.
No one else, imo, was owed an explanation on what happened, or how it was resolved.
I saw this huge mob grow, mostly through internet chatting with a few instigators really spurring things on for... whatever reason.
I think many folks wanted her hanged from the highest limb. I just don't get it.
If we'd all mind our own business, be the best person WE can be, the world would be a better place.
I always fall back to that old saying of "Let he without sin cast the first stone."
I know I'm not infallable. I know I've made mega mistakes in my lifetime. Anything, especially a mistake (whether deliberate or not) can be put on the internet for the delectation of others, to feed that mob mentality of, "Hang her, hang her!"
I just want no part of it.
I'd rather sit back in my chair, keeping my mistakes to myself, and wish her well with her life.
But that's me.

Lori

/clap

Well said, Lori.

The sad thing is --- can you imagine the time that someone had on their hands to go back and find all these passages?

Pleaseeeeeeeeeee, I agree with Lori.

Loir --- Bravo well said.

Nicely said, Lori.

I have to agree there did seem to be a strangely vengeful element to this, especially since the instances of plagiarsim (that I saw cited, anyway) could be taken as homages, where recognizing a turn of phrase, etc. is part of the fun, or were from non-fiction reference materials - it's not the Nora Roberts/Janet Dailey scenario at all. Edwards should have cited her sources, yeah, but it's not like I went to Borders meaning to buy "The Migratory Habits of the Northern Plains Swallow" and bought a Cassie Edwards instead, lol.

I've never read Cassie Edwards, but I do feel a little sorry for her.

I certainly would not want her books off of the shelves. Let the buyers decide what they want to read or not. I don't think that it is right to censor what someone else wants to read just because some are offended. If somebody takes offense at this issue the answer is simple. Don't read her books.

Probably there was an uproar because some people & writers think systematic plagerism is a serious matter and not to be brushed off or given a light wrist slap.

Any books that contain plagerism should not be still on the shelf.

In Cassie Edwards case this wasn't an oops one time deal, this was systemic stealing of others work.

This was not a trivial matter, and I lost respect for those authors who downplayed the seriousness of her offense. Again I agree with not "hanging her" but she needs to be held accountable for her actions.

Any way kudos for Nora Roberts and the donations to the wild black footed ferrets.

The thing is, she might have been given more than a slap on the wrist. Who knows? I don't. You don't.
No one NEEDS to know except those directly involved.
None of us really has any idea what "penalty" was paid, and that's how it should be.
Far too much stuff, especially with the crazy media we have these days, becomes public when in, imo, it should be private.

Lori