Sorry for the pain my 'fistas are suffering today.

Seska, I've yet to set foot in an Ikea, although I fear the day isn't far off. I need some things and it seems to be the best place to go get it, but I've long suspected it's evil incarnate.

Despite being in a pretty good mood this morning, my stomach is in knots and having a field day with me. I suspect my subconscious is taking its stress out on me, which has always been The Way of Things when weirdness is going on in my life.

Just for a quickie update on the crazy-- my agreeing to make changes to my website is no longer enough. Now she's attempting to dictate how I may use my name in publishing. i.e., I can continue to use the name I use for publishing YA (with a handy definition of what YA is, just in case I don't know), but when it comes to publishing the adult stuff, I'll have to use either all three names or my real first name and surname, but I can't use the name I currently publish YA under.

Take a moment to let that sink in. She's trying to dictate my professional career path for me with respect to something that I could conceivably have no control over, because if a publisher wants to build my adult name based on my YA name, what am I supposed to do? Say, "Yeah, well there's this crazy chick who doesn't want me to use the name."

Riiiiiiiiiiight.

Barb, that sure is a special brand - or should I say, trademark - of crazy.

Barb, that sound verrry problematic to me. What does your lawyer say? I would think you'd want some kind of letter or official document that you could serve her with that basically says she has no legal rights over the professional use of YOUR name. Because she WILL continue to try and limit how you use your own name until she runs into a very large brick wall with it.

Lawyer Guy and I are taking the weekend and putting together a strategy. Basically, he doesn't think she'll try to take this to court because a judge will probably laugh their ass off at it. She's claiming stuff in her letter like she's written over 25 novels & novellas and hit the NYTimes Bestseller list & the USA Today Bestseller list without bothering to clarify that she hit those lists as a member of an anthology with other, better-recognized and higher selling authors than she. The tenor of the letter was vaguely aggressive, condescending, and downright insulting and I'm not at all happy about this so yeah, I'd like to put a stop to this.

I think the thing to go back to, honestly, is the first letter she sent, which specified the website as a source of contention. I've already agreed to address that issue, so they have no right to be making any further demands. Period.

I hope that works, Barb. Of course, she didn't have any rights to make those demands either.

Oy, Barb.

I definitely need a new computer. I've been thinking for a while that I need a new computer, but now, I just tried to set up a new printer. The computer immediately recognized it, so I tried to see if it would print without me running the software, but no go. So I inserted the CD, and my CD drive ate it. It won't run it, but it won't eject it, either. Argh.

Barb, this woman sounds batshit, and also like someone whose parents never taught her that she can't have absolutely everything she wants in life. Wishing you all the best with your strategy with your lawyer. At least it sounds like she isn't going to win this one.

Ikea is indeed evil incarnate, but it also has so many wonderful things all in one place. It is simultaneously a magical wonderland full of beautiful bookcases and the source of all marriage breakups. (The Girl is putting together my Billy bookcase in the next room. I approve of this particular function of Ikea.)

Sorry, Hil.

Barb? I'd sue her ass off, but that might be just me. I think you and your lawyer are right about this issue, and you'll get the freedom you deserve to use your own name on your own books, without further craziness.

Aw, I love IKEA. I would go as far as to say that it is actually awesome incarnate.

Printer is now working. CD drive is not. Good enough for now -- time to prep classes for this week.