from myspace (louise Bohmer)
As some of you who follow the erotic as well as other small press genre industry news know by now, Mardi Gras Publishing has just closed its doors. If you check out the blogs of Katrina Strauss and HS Kinn you'll find detailed information from them on the various reasons for this closure. I've known both Kitty and Heather for some time in the industry and I offer them both, as well as my other dear friends who've been affected by this closure, my support and sympathies in this matter.
Reports from those who can now speak out since the imminent bankruptcy of MGP was made official tell of some rather nightmarish business practices on the part of Teresa Jacobs (writes as Teresa Wayne), including many accounts of some rather blatant plagarizing of authors' submitted materials.
Authors, if you know of Mardi Gras, Teresa Jacobs or under her pen name of Teresa Wayne I strongly caution you against entering into any sort of literary deals or projects with this woman. It appears her business practices are highly unethical and she's infringed on author's rights severely.
Mardi Gras site:
http://mardigraspublishing.com/
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1:13 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment
HS Kinn
We very much appreciate your support, hon!
Posted by HS Kinn on August 28, 2007 - Tuesday at 2:25 PM
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HS Kinn
Kayleigh wanted to weigh in on this, and I hope you don't mind me posting this comment for her...
"Hey Louise. Kayleigh Jamison here, friend and colleague of both Kitty and Heather, and all around bitchess.
I feel the need to throw in my comments since, well, it's what I do.
Teresa is also rumored to have registered a domain name for Satin Rouge Publishing. Satin Rouge was one of the lines of MGP. It is only rumor and conjecture at this point that she is intending to open a new press, but so far rumors and conjecture about Mardi Gras Publishing have all proven true.
Legal ramifications of attempting to start a new business whilst the old one is in bankruptcy aside, this woman should, under no circumstances, be permitted to launch another press after how she has handled MGP. Kitty's, Heather's, and my experiences only skim the surface of this quagmire. My biggest fear now is that she will start a new press, perhaps using someone else as a frontman (which is the rumor currently) and will rope in still more authors.
Having worked in bankruptcy law for four years prior to starting law school, this is something of a hot button issue for me. Being an author and editor, it gets under my skin even further. I have seen many people over the years who know how to manipulate the system. In the past year since I've been a published author, I have seen unethical publishers continue to draw in naive, inexperienced new authors because those of us who know about the bad behavior don't talk about it enough. There's this awful fear of being labeled a "troublemaker" or a liar, or making enemies. I would like to change that. I would much rather make a few enemies for "being a bitch" than watch a new generation of authors fall prey to bad publishers. I don't want that on my conscience.
So I thank you for speaking out, for helping to spread the word. If more of us did so, the bad apples would have fewer opportunities to plant their seeds.
-KJ"
Oh, and this is Heather talking again...
http://whois.domaintools.com/satinrougepress.com is the domain in question.
Posted by HS Kinn on August 28, 2007 - Tuesday at 2:35 PM
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