STGRB: Hypocrites?

Something isn't right in the land of "Holier Than Thou". By that I mean, STGRB. Their recent post talking about the tragic suicide of Charlotte Dawson, Australia's "Next Top Model Judge" has left me a bit confused.

I'm not going to doubt their sincerity, well, I'm trying not to anyway. I mean, they really write words of conviction in their post about how much they are against "bullying" of any kind. It looks all good and well on the surface, however, as I stated earlier, I am a bit confused. There is even sincerity in the comments.

So far, it looks like STGRB and their supporters stand against "bullying". Good for them! But alas, this confusion still runs deep inside of me. I just can't seem to shake it. What is it that I can't shake? Well, that's a good question, allow me to answer in the form of a screenshot.

Does that help you any?

You see, in their post "Rare Photograph of Mystery Men", STGRB is not addressing an issue. They are not covering a story of anything I did. They are not presenting any proof of any wrong doing on my part, yet, they made this post to "attack" me. To mock me. To try and humiliate me. Publicly! 

How is this not "bullying"?

If you want to talk about something I did to hurt someone else with "evil intentions", then by all means, write your post, tell the story, and present your evidence. I'm all for that. (Which is why I am writing this post, telling a story, and presenting evidence.)

But to make fun of me (and Rick Carufel) without addressing something that I (or he) did is contradictory to that of their post about Charlotte Dawson. 

What if I decided to kill myself over this post that is clearly meant to humiliate me, and Mr. Carufel? Would that make STGRB bullies? What if Rick killed himself over it? Would that make STGRB bullies? And what makes their post about myself and Rick, done so with bad intentions, so different than what was done to Miss Dawson? More than that, how about the comments that were left behind on their post? Well, let's take a look, shall we? 

See how these so called "people against bullying" respond? They resort to calling me and Rick, dumb and dumber. Oh no, that's not "bullying" is it? But wait, there are more comments left to cover. A lot more. Like these.

It seems STGRB doesn't like bullying so much that they allow it to take place on THEIR website. But hey, while we're here, allow me to address some of them. I'll start with Alex. 

Alex "had a strange feeling" about me all along, and is wondering how my "Sexual Role Play" story on Goodreads had anything to do with "that one blogger". Well, Alex, if you had been paying attention, you would already know. That "one blogger" claimed that there was no sexual role playing going on over at Goodreads despite the evidence that I show. Also, Alex, that "one blogger" also attacked STGRB on a regular basis, as well as attacking me. You see, that "one blogger" was making it personal with me (and STGRB) not the other way around. Of course, at the time, Athena told me she wasn't going to give that "one blogger" the satisfaction, but had no problem with me addressing that blogger. In a lot of my posts about that "one blogger", I also defended STGRB. But you know, don't give me any credit for that. In fact, I have defended STGRB on many, many occasions against that "one blogger". I guess that makes me the bad guy, doesn't it? 

And as for all this attention I was "trying to get for myself", well, yeah, dumbass, I was. I was trying to bring attention to the bullying going on against me, and to help STGRB get the word out about the bullying going on over at Goodreads. (I wasn't trying to bring anymore attention to myself than what STGRB was doing for itself too, and still does.) Plus, have you forgotten, that STGRB covered the attack on me without "MY CONSENT" first? (Kind of like what I did with Lucy Flood) The only difference is, I was strong enough to stand up against the bullying. Now, Alex, let me ask you, while I was standing up against the bullying, and trying to bring attention to it, like STGRB was doing, where were you? What were YOU doing? What have you done on your part to fight the bullies? Feel free to let us all know.  I'm sure we would all like to know. 

As for the follow up comment by the world renowned "Anon", that "they" noticed it too, and speaks of all the times I left links to my blog, inviting everyone to take a look, well, STGRB didn't seem to have a problem with it now did they? It's like I said, I took on the fight when the fight was brought to me. And STGRB invited me to do so when they covered my attack without prior permission from me. I didn't ask STGRB to cover my attack, they took their own initiative. That pretty much gives me the right to leave links on STGRB to help bring attention to the bullying problem. Also, STGRB would sometimes post my links in their posts, and mention some of my posts in their posts because they knew I was standing up to the bullies and this also helped their cause as well. So, you say I was using them? Well, they used me first for their agenda by writing about my attack without my prior consent. Imagine that! They were exposing me for THEIR gain! And to increase THEIR blog traffic!

But now, all of a sudden, STGRB and their followers are taking pleasure in "bullying" me and Rick. Go figure. And of course, I am trying to "hitch my wagon" to Anne Rice. I guess that must explain why STGRB has made what, four posts about her? All of which mention how "in-cahoots" Athena is in with her? Yeah, and I'm the one "hitching my wagon"?

Then "Another Anon" (brave people here) says that I had a meltdown? Whatever. That's the exact same terminology that the bullies use. Meltdown. 

Now let's look at some more comments on this "anti-bullying" site, shall we? 

It starts off with yet another "Anon" mentioning about how I started to "harass" those girls that I never shut up about. You know the ones, the ones who were bullying, and harassing me. (Then my posts are attacked by this Anon. How bully like.) Well, if you notice, my "posts" of "harassment" are nothing more than defense posts of what these "nice" girls were writing about me. It does strike me odd that at the time, not only did STGRB appear to not have a problem with it, but linked to "The Glass" quite often in the process. Now from out of the blue, the so called "anti-bullying" crowd of STGRB seems to finally have a problem with it. Go figure again. 

Then of course, "Another Anon" ups the ante of his (or her) bullying by referring to myself and Rick Carufel as "dumber and dumbest". I guess it's a good thing that he nor I have killed ourselves over this otherwise, "Another Anon" would definitely be a bully. 

Then "Observer" seems to think I am trying to smear Athena's good reputation. Well, I can't smear for someone what they smear for themselves. All I did was post the truth. I guess because of that I am "smearing" her reputation. Hey, if the truth hurts .....

Then there is my "ego"? Funny, as I mentioned earlier, I am not doing anything different than what Athena is doing, yet, when she does it, (writes about the bullies) she is a hero, and when I do it, I am an "egomaniac". Hypocrisy? I think so. 

Then another "Anon" is mad at themselves for "not speaking up sooner" about me. Check it out. 

I am accused of stalking two girls for the last year and a half. Now, I wonder, who are these two girls I have been stalking? Is any evidence supplied to support this? No! 

I never wrote about a girl who "had the nerve" to tell her blog readers about me. I only wrote about those who bullied me, and attacked me, and who assisted those bullies into doing so. What I find so amusing about this is, before Athena turned on me, everyone supported my stance against the bullies. Even my stance against my personal bullies. And let's face it, every author who was attacked were done so by THEIR personal bullies. Of course, when I would stand up for them I was a great guy, but now, since Athena and STGRB decided to mock and humiliate me, by me standing up to the bullies, I was being the bully? The bad guy? ......... Really? 

And of course, now I am "dangerous"? Dangerous how? By trying to help those who were bullied? By defending myself against the bullies? It just doesn't make any sense. If I wouldn't know better, I would think I was reading comments from "that other blog". Reading these comments, I wonder, has STGRB allowed the bullies to make Anon comments against me? That's what it looks like to me. 

I have no idea what "Mind Blown" is talking about. It might be "The Athena Emails" post. Of course, in that post, I show how Johnny lied. (And how Athena tried to blackmail me.) But correct me if I'm wrong here, but, wouldn't one have to have a mind first before it can be blown? 

Just saying. 

Then "Mind Blown" has more to say. 

Yes, I made a mistake, I fully admitted that, but where have I ever "blamed" anyone else? I can't find it. I can't find anyplace where I blame anyone else for my mistake. I bet you can't find it either. You can't find it because it's not true. I never blamed, nor tried to blame, my mistake on anybody else. Never! But why would STGRB allow this lie to be posted on their blog? I thought STGRB was an "anti-bullying" site? So, why allow this bullying of me to take place? Especially when it's a lie, and can't be proven? I don't get it. I really don't. This is the exact kind of behavior STGRB has always condemned and yet, they allow this on their site? 

** Scratches head **

And keeping in mind that all of this is on a post that doesn't address anything that I have done. It's a post meant to clearly mock, harass, and humiliate me and Rick Carufel. Two authors who have been attacked by the bullies and now, we are being attacked by them on STGRB? The "anti-bullying" website? 

Then "Just Me" gets into the fray. 

"Just Me" mentions my "melt-down" again. (LOL) Then accuses my "convictions" of changing. Really, "Just Me"? How so exactly? I was all about the cause, and still am, that has never changed. The cause was taking a stand against the bullies. How does my questioning if there was some kind of an agreement between STGRB and GR a change of my convictions? If there was some kind of agreement, wouldn't you want to know about it? And if I had evidence of such a thing, wouldn't it be a testimony of my convictions to present it? And FYI "Just Me", but I never said with certainty that there was an agreement, I merely questioned if there was one. You know, suspected it. By saying that I actually said there WAS such agreement is a LIE! 

As for my behavior, what would that be? What did I do exactly that was malicious? Or with ill-intent? You mean, make a post to try and humiliate Lucy Flood? That never happened. Or make a post to try and humiliate STGRB? Athena? Well, again, that never happened. So I ask the question yet again, what behavior of mine are you speaking of? 

STGRB is an "anti-bullying" website?

Now we get to the meat and potato's with this next screenshot of a comment by "Kimi". 

Oh yes, the dreaded "model" pic. Here we go again. Did I already explain that? I'm pretty sure I have in the past. Many times! And FYI "Kimi", The young female I "attracted" with it knew it wasn't me because .... ahem .... I told her it wasn't me. I told her about the joke that went awry. So, you know, she knew about that. She knew what I really looked like. I didn't hide that from her. Just saying. But you don't care because you're a bully making a bully comment on an "anti-bullying" website, aren't you? Of course you are. 

And then "anti-bully" "Kimi" says I claim to be bullied more than anyone, and that I make it like a competition. Well, first of all, it is true. Name me one other author who was bullied AND had two hate blogs created in THEIR honor. Go ahead, name me one other author. Hint: There is none. So yes, it is a fact. What? I can't state a fact and not be accused of trying to make it a competition? Well, if it were a competition, I'd win hands down! (Another FACT!)

Then "Kimi" says that the bullies moved on and forgot about me. Really "Kimi"? When? Because all I remember is for six months after being attacked on Goodreads is every bully blogger writing about me over and over and over. (Another fact, by the way.) So much so, when "that other blogger" started her blog to attack me and STGRB, I decided to create "The Glass" to defend those attacks by the so called "bullies who moved on and forgot about me". 

And yes, it did take over my life. Fighting against the bullies is a full-time job. I know it keeps Athena busy. And how exactly did it seem I relished the attention? So, now we're blaming the victim for being raped here? And when the victim stands up for themselves, suddenly, they want the attention? Seriously, how can an "anti-bullying" site like STGRB allow this kind of bullying to take place on their website? 

And I am sensationalizing authors being attacked? But wait a tick, isn't that what STGRB does? I'm pretty sure it is. I suppose by "Kimi's" own words, that STGRB also sensationalizes author attacks. And yes, I was trying to keep it going because I was trying to help STGRB in bringing attention to the problem of bullying! Now, how does that make me the bad guy again? How does bringing attention to bullying (like STGRB is doing) me turning into the very thing I am fighting against? I don't get it. I don't think anyone does.

And how is that comment by "Kimi" not bullying me? On an "anti-bullying" website?

Then "Kimi" questions the point of my blog post, "The Athena Emails". Well, the point was to demonstrate Johnny's lies, "Kimi", not to humiliate Athena. He said Athena never tried to blackmail me, and the post clearly shows that she did. He also said that I threatened Athena and Lucy, and was very mean towards Lucy, but you don't see it in the emails. And the post did exactly that, proved that Johnny lied. I'm sorry if you haven't the intellect to have seen that. Next time, I'll try to dummy it down for you, okay? 

And furthermore, "Kimi", I still give STGRB props for their efforts. Funny how you don't mention that in your comment. Funny how none of you so called "anti-bully" people mention that. All of you who commented on a post that was intended to "hurt" me are attacking me, like .... like .... bullies?

And FYI again, "Kimi", all of these anti-bullying blogs that are popping up all over the internet, just remember, I (and Rick Carufel) "popped" up first before all of them, but you know, when I stood up to the bullies, all of you bullies commenting on this bully post by the "anti-bullying" website are condemning me for doing it. Hypocrisy! 

Then "Anon" appears again. 

Now it would appear that I have a "temper". And that Athena warned me about it, like a true friend would. First of all, I never condemned Athena for making a mention of it. In fact, I never mentioned her mentioning it at all. Secondly, how is it I am losing my temper when I never lost it on Lucy? And when I told Athena that I was done with it, (you can read about it in the emails) she sent two more emails to me trying to egg me on. How is that me "losing" my temper? It seems to me that when I specifically told her I was done with it, a "true" friend would have honored my wishes and let it go. But she didn't, did she? 

And for the record, "Anon", why would I care about what Athena thinks regarding my temper? She doesn't know me. Likewise, I don't know her. Who is she to "warn" anybody about their "temper"? I didn't lose my temper, I was frustrated at the situation. There's a big difference. But you wouldn't know that because you're too busy bullying me, aren't you?

And how did I do more damage to myself? And my reputation? By making a mistake, and publicly admitting it? By publicly apologizing for it? Please, come on here and tell me exactly which one of those are the answers. If anything, by admitting my mistake and apologizing for it publicly, I enhanced my reputation. By presenting the truth, I enhanced my reputation. But again, if you weren't so busy bullying me with your comment, you would know this. It takes a lot of humility to publicly admit ones mistake and apologize for it. But being a bully, you wouldn't know this. 

Then another "Anon" has their say. 

Yes, I did call out bloggers who stole my books. Keep in mind though, that these bloggers who stole my books are bullies. The same bullies that STGRB writes about. Now you're defending them? 

Then "Anon" goes onto to say that I did it publicly instead of trying to resolve the problem privately. But alas, if this "Anon" was keeping up with everything, he or she would know that I did try to resolve it privately. For several months in fact, but to no avail. In fact, when I posted about these bully bloggers stealing my books, about ten months had passed, and .... the only reason why I posted about these bullies stealing my books was because one of the bullies, the girl in question in which I supposedly lied about with regarding the dreaded "model pic", stalked me on my friends blog when I was an admin on it by having a "secret" friendship with my friend, telling her not to make mention of it to me, then tricking my friend to make her an admin on our shared blog at the time. But just as it is with everyone who left comments on STGRB, an alleged "anti-bullying" site, this "Anon" would know this if he or she wasn't preoccupied with bullying me through his or her comment. 

Then "Anon" claims that when I was booted by Goodreads, I wrote crazy posts about this girl (Jude Henderson) and another blogger, (Amanda Welling) when in fact I never wrote about Amanda Welling until I started "The Glass" six months later. And the only reason I wrote about Jude was because she was the mastermind behind the attack on me on Goodreads. She was the one who stalked me on my shared blog. Of course I am going to write about the bullies and especially the bullies who were bullying me. Duh! 

And as for Amanda Welling, she is a documented bully by even STGRB. Amanda and her husband stalked me for months through emails and on her "hippie" blog long before I ever made public mention of her. This is a documented fact, and covered well here on "The Glass". As for the abortion aspects, can you prove she didn't have an abortion? Do you know everything about her and mine relationship? No, I didn't think you did. And as for writing about Amanda Welling having an affair, can you prove she didn't? No, again, I didn't think you could. 

But I still have to ask, why would STGRB (Athena) allow these bullies to come onto her website and leave these bully comment attacks on there if she is professing her website to be "anti-bullying"? I really do not get it. What does that say about her "true colors"? 

Then two more "brave" anons say this.

Yes, I did say I was taking down "The Glass", but then I got calls by people in my family and by some friends who had an issue with that decision. They were the ones who brought it to my attention that not only should I leave it up for record, but they participated in helping me gather information and did some research for me and they felt like they should also have a say in whether or not "The Glass" comes down. I agreed with them. So I left it to a vote by all those who had a say in it. They voted for it to stay up. So sue me. (Or them.)

As for my "mommy", well, excuse the hell out of me for showing my mother some respect. (Apparently, you don't have it for yours.) Be that as it may, my mother, once upon a time, really liked Jude Henderson (not her real name) and after what Jude did to me, well, my mother doesn't care much for her anymore as could be expected. 

Anyhow, my "mommy" didn't change my mind. But again, if you people weren't so busy bullying me on an "anti-bullying" website, you would have seen where I mentioned that it came down to a vote of all involved that "changed" my mind, and not my "mommy". 

I merely made mention of the fact that the vote didn't really matter to me, that for as long as my mother felt I should leave it up, then I would leave it up. Jude is friends with the bullies, and that's a fact. Many of which STGRB writes about. And that's a fact. Jude bullied me, and she got her friends to bully me, and that's a proven fact. I covered it and showed the proof of it right here on this blog. And that's a fact!

But again, excuse me for showing my mother her due respect. Maybe it would be nice if you gave your mother that same kind of respect. Then again, it surprises me none that bullies don't show their mothers respect. Maybe that's why they are bullies? Because they haven't the kind of close relationship with their mothers like I have with mine? Maybe if their mothers were a little more involved with their lives, they wouldn't be on the computer, or on STGRB, bullying people? Something to think about I guess.

This is how Athena operates her site? By allowing the bullies to attack me on her "anti-bullying" website through the comments? And to lie in the process? .... Okay, if you say so. And now you know why I have so much confusion inside of me. The very website, STGRB, who claims to be an "anti-bullying" website, protecting and defending authors of bully attacks, has allowed bully attacks against me (and Rick Carufel), two authors who were bullied by the bullies being bullied on STGRB, 

Commence confusion. 

Oh, and before I go, here is Athena coming in to "save the day".

Um, yeah, a little too late there, Athena. We all understand. Hypocrite.

R.I.P. indeed, Miss Dawson. It appears that I can not.

And if STGRB / Athena really cared, she wouldn't allow bullying on her website. Against me, Mr. Carufel, or anyone else. Or do we have to wait for someone to kill themselves over the bullying comments she allows before Athena and STGRB can officially be called a bully site?

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and this is The Looking Glass.


Update: 


I find this rather amusing.

When it comes to fighting abuse, Athena, how about you start with yourself? This is just me being a good friend, you know? Pointing out one of your flaws, and hoping you can take some constructive advice. Apparently, as according to your "commenters", it is clearly an acceptable practice.

Update 2:

In their recent post regrading "Charlotte's Law" - STGRB extends their "sympathy" to anyone who suffers from depression. 

Really, STGRB? You "extend" your sympathies? Tell me, does this include extending your sympathies to me? 

You see, Athena Parker is well aware of the fact that I suffer from Bi-polar. And that I too, at times, suffer with depression. On top of this - she is well aware of the fact that I have attempted suicide before in my past. Yet, ...... YET! she still put up a post to mock me (and Rick Carufel) and bully me and allowed bully comments aimed at me to show up on her website. 

You can't claim one thing while practicing another, Athena. You say you're against bullying, and you sympathize with people who suffer from depression, but then you also turn around and bully me, someone who suffers from depression. And an author who was a victim of the bullies also. 

What gives here?  O_o

When it comes to words versus actions, my grandfather always said to trust someone's actions more as clear reflection to their character. So when STGRB / Athena Parker claims to "sympathize" with people who suffer from depression, but turns around and attacks an author who suffers from depression, and she knows this, then you have to trust her actions to be more of a reflection of her character as opposed to her written words.

 And then there is this by Johnny. 

If what I have presented on this post isn't hatred coming from the hearts of STGRB, then the word hatred must have had it's definition changed. 

Are The Amazon Bullies Eternal?

I think I just had an epiphany. A recent comment made by "Deltaforce 12" on STGRB has hit me like a ton bricks dropped from a passing aircraft overhead.

The comment deals with why these Amazon trolls are doing what they're doing on the Amazon Forum Boards and Goodreads. I have to confess, while I may have heard this said before, never did it strike me in the manner of which "Deltaforce 12" has explained it. The way "Delta" puts it, is that basically, the trolls and bullies are eternal. Their activities will NEVER stop. No matter what we say, or what we do, or how many people get involved in the fight against these bullies, the war will never end. And why will it never end? Well, read the comment yourself and let's see if you can see what I saw.

Did you see it?

According to this comment by "Deltaforce 12", the reason this bullying, and attacking of authors is going on is because Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, is allowing it to go on with his permission. In fact, according to "Deltaforce", Jeff Bezos is the true ring-leader. 

If what "Deltaforce" says is true, and I have no reason to doubt it as it makes perfect sense, then what does this mean about the efforts of so many who are trying to end this kind of behavior or practice? I mean, if it's really all in the hands of Jeff Bezos, then this means he would be the only one who could stop it. Period!

And while Anne Rice has gotten involved to help spread the word, my question is, what if the word is already spread?

It seems to me that the word is already out there. I believe many more people are aware of what is going on by now than what we might think. If this is the case, then why won't this bullying just stop already? 

I'm already at the point where I believe a majority of book readers are already aware, to some degree, about the bullies. Those outside the book reading community may or may not be aware as much. Maybe because they probably don't care. They're not readers. They're not writers. It's like, do I care about the bullying going on in the online gaming community? I mean, I have a friend in real life who is a die hard gamer, and he is all the time telling me about the bullying going on in that community, but I just grin and shake my head. In truth, I'm not in that community so to be brutally honest, I don't care. 

But we are talking about the book community here. 

Then "Johnny" from STGRB leaves a pretty good response for "Deltaforce".

He brings up a good point here. It's not just indie authors getting trashed by the bullies. Well known, well established authors are getting targeted too. So this is kind of like a monkey wrench in the machine. 

Still, I can't discount "Delta's" explanation. Seeing how I think we have reached about as many people as we can, and the fact that now Anne Rice is involved, maybe there is no more people to reach. Maybe this is as far as we are going to go with it. And as we stand at the end of the road, we see a sign that reads, "Bullies are eternal". 

Maybe the best we can do is the place where we are right now. An email I recently received from Anne Rice also assisted me in getting to this epiphany. Or at the very least, supported the epiphany that "Delta's" comments led me to. 

The epiphany is this: Internet bullying is never going to stop. At least, maybe not in my lifetime. Our lifetime. Maybe not until the world finds a way to eliminate the dreaded "anon". Perhaps only when we reach the point where technology allows us / forces us to sign in under our true identities, will cyber bullying ever stop. Even then, I believe there are plenty of people out there who wouldn't mind using their real identities to bully someone. Probably because, if we listen to the bullies themselves when they say, what they are doing isn't bullying, then reason suggests that ultimately, it never will truly stop. There will always be those who will go to their death beds claiming that what they are doing is not bullying. The reason for this is; they actually have convinced themselves that they have every right to attack authors on a personal basis. That posting fake ratings / carpet bombing, or writing fake reviews of books they never read or attacking authors is actually legitimate. That lying is some kind of constitutional right they were born with. And until these people face the truth about the shame of lying, they will never have / feel any such shame in their actions. None! And that to me is a mental / emotional issue that if goes untreated, can never be cured. 

So no matter what we do now, no matter how many more people we spread the word to, no matter how many Anne Rice's of the world join in to try and help, the bottom line remains the same, that Jeff Bezos is the only one who can probably truly stop this kind of bad behavior on Amazon. 

This leads me to think that perhaps only after Jeff Bezos passes away, and somebody else takes over Amazon and changes it, that these bullies will continue with their horrid activities. There will always be a new young and up and coming bully to take the place of a previous old timer bully. It's just the circle of life. 

"Deltaforce" concludes with this comment. 

The dreaded "bottom" line. 

If Jeff Bezos is benefiting financially from allowing this bad behavior to take place on the Amazon Forum Boards, then it never will stop. And if Jeff's successor continues to benefit financially from it, they won't lift a finger to stop it either. The only chance outside of Bezos and or his successor is if the government steps in and passes laws that eventually puts an end to this adolescent behavior by the bullies.

This is disturbing. 

So this is where we are. This is the end of the road. And this is me standing before the sign that reads, "Bullies are eternal". I stand there dumbfounded and scratching my head. I take a look around at the nothingness surrounding me. I breathe in a heavy sigh of frustration. 

"Son of a bitch!"

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and this is The Looking Glass.

Anne Rice Denounces Goodreads

Ms. Rice continues her crusade to spread the word about the many trolls and bullies that have infested the Amazon Forum Boards and Goodreads.com. In the process, she also makes it clear that she is well aware of what is still going on over on Goodreads and has publicly denounced it, saying, "After all I've heard I would not go near it." - as shown in the following screenshot from her Facebook page.

She also condemns Amazon Forum Boards and the bully / troll groups that exist there, and at one time, also existed on Goodreads, and perhaps still do only maybe hidden from view. Groups such as "BBA" (Badly Behaving Authors) and "Cows Full Of Ink" - as shown in this next screenshot, still on her Facebook page. (I suggest you go to her Facebook page and read all of the comments yourself.)

It is so refreshing to see her speaking out against these angry and vile people who continue to argue that it is all about authors complaining of bad reviews when in fact this is not the case. These bullies / trolls continue to fail to see that this is about fake ratings of books they never read and fake reviews, and reviews that personally attack authors for the sake of trying to destroy authors reputations and careers. One merely needs to go to my books on Goodreads to see many examples of these fake ratings and reviews / attacks that still exist there.

Unfortunately, she has yet to see the hypocrisy of STGRB at this point in their attacks against Rick Carufel, myself, and others.

I hold out faith that she will eventually realize that STGRB and Goodreads now have a love fest going on where once a month GR will ban a bully, and STGRB will report on it and, at the same time, praise Goodreads when once upon a short time, the two were mortal enemies.

I mentioned in an earlier post that every month since Goodreads "new" policy, and STGRB's sudden support of it (where in the past, they were always skeptical of GR and their "new" policies) that another bully was banned, and STGRB would give praise, and predicted this would continue for a while. And it has! This month is no different. This month, Derrick was banned from Goodreads and STGRB not only reported it, but praises GR for it, yet, Anne Rice still has the good understanding that Goodreads remains a toxic environment, and refuses to endorse it.

Derrick was the one who kick started the attack on Lauren Howard. While I too am pleased that another bully got the boot, was there ever a reason given for it? Do we know what Derrick has continued to do to now all of a sudden get kicked off Goodreads? Or was / is my theory valid in that STGRB and Goodreads made a deal, and this is just part of that deal, to ban a bully every so often merely in an attempt to "rally the troops"? And then for STGRB to find a reason to denounce Rick Carufel and myself in the process?

While we may never know the full truth, the circumstantial evidence continues to mount. All signs continue to point in the direction of a possible deal between STGRB and Goodreads.

Meanwhile, I continue to applaud Ms. Rice for her stance against the internet trolls / bullies. I only hope that more authors of her caliber will join in with spreading the word and bringing more attention to a very serious problem. I also hope that someday these trolls / bullies will understand that this is not about bad reviews, but fake ratings and reviews that attack authors on a personal basis. Keep your reviews aimed only at the book. Don't give fake ratings and reviews to books you never read. I hope these trolls / bullies will realize that they are not fooling anyone, we know when they are lying about reading a book. We also know when a book review is being used to attack authors.

I'm Carroll Bryant .... and this is The Looking Glass.