Curiouser and curiouser...

There are times I definitely understand Alice. This is one of them.

Exposition: Ebay tells Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc, that it can no longer carry Secret Submission on EC's ebay store. Reason? Near as I can tell, the book should be listed in the Mature Audiences section of the site, not the General Public section. Will set aside discussion on that at the moment and continue...

Rising action (or complication): A few moments ago, I happened to be checking other online booksellers to see how many of the eight books I've written (and published with Ellora's Cave) each of them carry. None carry all eight. Borders (and hence, Amazon, since the search is one and the same) carries five of them; Barnes and Noble carries four.

Out of curiousity, I went to Ebay's homepage and checked the listing for Diana Hunter; books. Imagine my surprise when I found FOUR booksellers selling the same book the publisher of the book had been told NOT to sell! Check the search results yourself! (for the record, I am not Regine Sands and we have never met, and I am not the author of The Ritalin Free Child...although her book looks quite good.)

As Artie Johnson used to say, "Verrrry interesting....but stoopid!"

Climax and denoument to come...

Play safe,
Diana

It's official...I'm going to attend the Romantic Times Conference in May. Just bought my airline tickets and registered for the conference.

I need to say a public thank you to my husband here. Making reservations and trying to decide between this flight or that one and waiting through the load-in times as I change from one to another trying to find the best deal...gives me a gigantic headache. After ten minutes, the numbers start to blur and I just want to take the computer monitor and send it through the window. Especially when I find the flights I want and then get the, "I'm sorry, we cannot process your flight at the moment. Try again on Tuesday when the moon is full and Mars descends to Earth."

Okay, so I'm being a bit sarcastic. The error message isn't nearly so mythic. I'm a bit cranky and out of patience. So Thank You, honey! You found flights that get me where I need to be with a minimum of fuss. So come on, May! I'm ready to party in Daytona Beach!

Been working hard...am trying to write a book in a month. It's not a new concept, although I've never tried it before. Hope I end up with decent material! Won't give any spoilers just yet...it's only the 12th and there are still 2 1/2 weeks to the month...anything could happen!

Off to watch the second half of Return of the King...I love Tolkien and enjoy Peter Jackson's movies. Yes, I own the extended edition. Yes, I've watched every single extra on the DVD...not only for this movie, but for all three. Yes, that makes me a Tolkien geek...and I'm proud of it!

Till later, play safe,
Diana

Update on the Ebay banning...Secret Submission is still banned. Not my other books, however. It appears it was definitely removed because of a complaint. Wish I could figure out the exact policy. How many complaints about material does it take for them to remove it? And is it permanently removed or does the publisher (in this case) have the right to ask them to reconsider?

So many questions...and not many answers. Thank you to all of you who have written me or commented here on this matter. I wish I had more information for you. The best I have is that Ebay considers the book "misfiled"...it should be under their Mature Audiences section of their site. Guess I really don't have a problem with that...but then why aren't ALL the books there? Is that a better placement for them? At the moment, it appears to be a rather selective and subjective application of their code.

I've decided I cannot let it get to me. EC is looking into it from a legal standpoint and I'm going to wait to see what happens on that end. In the meantime, I'm going to continue writing hot, sexy romances (okay, I never stopped ) . And I'm going to continue playing around with forms and structures...and subjects...that may make some people uncomfortable. It's good to be pushed out of one's comfort zone every once in a while and discover that life has many flavors. I just happen to enjoy exploring the sexual flavors of BDSM. Let others take the more common tastes.

But that's what's wonderful about a free society...each person has the opportunity to try whatever taste they wish. I can go down the street and choose between a Mexican, Chinese and Italian restaurant...why can't I choose what kind of sex I want to write about? I'm very lucky I'm protected by a Constitution that, so far, still guarentees me that right to free expression. Are there people who would like to curb that right? You bet!

Oh, dear...I seem to have climbed onto a soapbox that really has little to do with Ebay and their removal of my book. They are a private company and have the right to allow...or disallow...items from their Internet Garage Sale. I understand that and respect it. It is my hope, however, that they will examine their own policies and not let censorship creep in their back door.

As for me, I'm going to continue to write...and watch.

Till later...play safe!
Diana

I"ve been banned!

Ack! Erk! Gahhhh......

LOL So much for death scenes... Never was any good at them anyway.

I've just recieved word that Ebay, that incredible marketplace that sells anything... Ebay, where everyone can be a capitalist...will no longer allow Ellora's Cave to sell my first novel, Secret Submission (still available in print if you order through www.amazon.com or via an email to orders@ellorascave.com).

You heard me right. Secret Submission has been deemed too hot for Ebay. How was that determination made? I haven't a clue. Probably someone saw the cover or read the blurb, saw that it was about BDSM and then freaked. By the way, Jaid Black's The Possession, Lora Leigh's Menage a Magick and Tawny Taylor's Private Games were also banned. All books that have BDSM as a theme.

Theme? Wrong word. BDSM isn't so much a theme as it is a sexual flavor...one I obviously feel should be savored, explored, tasted in many different ways. I remember the first time I had a cup of coffee and told my mother later that it was disgusting. I didn't understand how anyone could drink it. She asked me how I had it and I told her it was "black." She laughed and told me I needed to experiment to find out how I would enjoy it. Two sugars? Cream? There were thousands of ways to prepare the drink most American's can't start the day without.

I never did learn to like coffee...but BDSM as an expression of one's sexuality should be approached the same way. Silk scarves and spread-eagled? A simple blindfold as he explores your body...or perhaps has you explore his while you can't see. Perhaps it's just one telling the other, "don't move and let me taste every inch of you." Simple, yet not vanilla.

And if it's more? If it goes to whips and chains and Doms and subs...heck! all the way to Masters and slaves...what is it but still an expression of sexuality between consenting adults? Just as some need their coffee strong and black, so some need their sexuality with hearty flavors.

Banning books is never right. Voltaire said it best: "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." The free and open exchange of ideas...even when couched in romanterotica...is vital to a democracy, is vital to a society that sees itself as healthy and growing, is vital to an enlightened people that understand the most dangerous weapon an enemy can have is a closed mind.

So, what to do about Ebay? Not sure on that one. Am open to ideas. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to write sexy, romantic stories exploring the various flavors of BDSM because I want to and because I need to speak out against those who would silence me. This author is not going to go silently into the cyber-void.

Without apologies...and waving my red flag of defiance, I am still playing safe...

Diana