Plagiarism Allegations Regarding Patricia Waddell’s TRUE DECEPTION

Reports are surfacing regarding alleged plagiarism by Patricia Waddell, author of the sci-fi romances TRUE BLOOD and TRUE DECEPTION.

The book in question is TRUE DECEPTION.  I learned about this from a post at Dear Author:

Jeremy Dun has become a crusader against plagiarism.  Dun is a well known author of thriller fiction.  He was asked to blurb a book and gave a glowing one.  After the book was published, it quickly became clear that the book was heavily plagiarized.  This has led Dun to seek out other instances of plagiarism and it appears to be reaching into some of the highest echelons of publishing.  The latest alleged perpetrator is Patricia Waddell who has reportedly taken passages directly from Robert Ludlum books.

One commenter at Jeremy Dun’s site noted specific passages. There’s also speculation there that the reason TRUE DECEPTION’s allegedly plagiarized passages escaped detection for so long is because it’s a paranormal romance.

An interview with REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW Author A.R. Norris, & Giveaway

One of the themes in A.R. Norris’ REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW is the nature of ethnicity in a futuristic setting. Any time we have a conversation about ethnicity in science fiction romance is a good thing, especially since this subgenre has the potential to offer readers so much in terms of diversity.

With that in mind, I invited A.R. Norris to answer some questions about her recent release. The author has also provided a digital copy of her book, which I'll give away to one lucky passenger (details follow the interview).

To set the stage, here’s the story description:

The crew of Daring Star salvages a load capsule and finds the beaten body of Jetta McCree. Turns out Jetta's discovered her employer has developed a biochemical droplet and is contracted with terrorists to manufacture on a large scale. Captain Noah Bonney fights off corporate security forces, her ex-husband's pirate fleets, and carnivorous beasts to keep the young woman safe and transport her to the safety of the Imperial Home Port.

But the adventure brings to surface demons Noah's been suppressing and secrets from her people's history she's tried to forget. Now, she must face them if she's to reconcile with her daughter and keep the love of her life from leaving. With 450 years under her belt and nothing but eternity ahead of her, she's built a thick shell… one she's not sure she can break.

Now for my interview with A.R. Norris:

QUEENIE'S BRIGADE Giveaway at Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

I'm honored to be a featured author at Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews. I answered some fun questions and while there you can enter for a chance to win a copy of QUEENIE'S BRIGADE, my science fiction romance from Red Sage Publishing.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Is It Too Soon To Define The Promise of Sci-Fi Romance?

In a recent conversation I had with a science fiction romance author, we discussed the issue of branding. The conversation reminded me about an article I read in 2009 by Malle Vallik, Harlequin’s Director of Digital Content & Social Media.

In What the Heck is this Author Brand? Ms. Vallik stated something interesting in the comment section about the evolution of an author’s brand:

A Salute To Anne McCaffrey: April 1, 1926 – November 21, 2011

 
As you probably know, SF/F giant Anne McCaffrey passed away November 21 at the age of 85.

Like many of you, I grew up reading her work, in particular the Pern novels and the Crystal Singer trilogy. I remember being very impressed with her strong, capable heroines. I’ll always carry with me the memory of Lessa from DRAGONFLIGHT. She’s a survivor, a fighter, a warrior, a lover. Characters like Lessa went a long way toward shaping my taste for heroines in both science fiction and romance.