Have you ever had this happen to you?

My debut novel, Out of Her Dreams, was released June 12, 2009 from Ellora's Cave. It was very well received by readers, and was loved by reviewers. I got fan mail that truly lifted me into the clouds, and I rode the wave of euphoria for weeks.

My second book from Ellora's Cave, titled Hallie's Cats, was released July 31, 2009. To total silence. No fan letters. No rave reviews. You could hear a pin drop. Sales were brisk...and that made me terribly nervous. My book was selling well...but where were the fan mails telling me how everyone loved it? Where was the review that one review site promised? My heart felt like a fist was clenched around it, as I sat and waited tensely for any type of reaction at all!

And about ten days after it was released, I got an e-mail from the reader who had raved about OOHD. It read like this:

"I don't like care for romance novels with 1 woman and 2 men. I still love your "Out of Her Dreams" and thank you for the autographed card..

I will continue to buy the old fashioned man-woman romance. I will continue to wish and hope for another romance novel from you that is straight..not gay, not lesbian, not multiple sex partners. You are a great writer."

I drew a deep breath and thought, "Okay...everyone expected another OOHD because they adored it. This menage shape shifter was likely a shock to them. I can handle the rejection".

I got absolutely NO more fan mail about Cats, and the first review was also a bit of a letdown, even though the 3.5 stars from JERR (JERR gave OOHD a 5 star rating, and the reviewer raved about it) is a respectable rating meaning it was a great read. But then the reviewer said, "Hallie’s Cats is definitely light on character development, relationship building, and plot but is plenty hot in the carnal department. With two men, there is anal sex and ménage as well as cat sex (both Hallie and Gar are cats at the time). If you enjoy quick reads with a focus on the sex, you’ll probably like this. If you’re looking for more of a plot and romance, you may find Hallie’s Cats somewhat lacking."

That statement basically eradicated the 3.5. :P

This was a very depressing opinion of my first shifter attempt, and I thought that in spite of the short length of the story, I had put plenty of character development and relationship building in. But, as you can see, two people didn't like my shifter very much. But friends reminded me that one reviewer's opinion and one fan's dislike of menage didn't mean much.

Then more reviews began to trickle in, with very different opinions, and I was heartened by the next reviewer's opinion: "For all paranormal erotica fans, Fran Lee has penned a delightfully sexy, fast paced, sexually charged read that will leave you fully satisfied. Hallie is a fun character, who I envy! Gar and Cal are two sexy cat shifters whose sexuality is delightful! Great plot, with a hint of action and danger and a whole lot of sexual erotic fun! Don't miss out on this great read! Can't wait to see what Ms. Lee comes up with next!"

And this one:

"Ms. Lee has created a sinfully delectable tale that will sweep the reader away with its pulse pounding delights, intriguing mix of characters and touches of laugh-out-loud humor that is sure to please. The bewitching plot -- a captivating shifter romance that is sinfully addictive, and readers are going to be sad when they reach the very last page. For a quickie romance, the author has done a superb job of vividly detailing the characters as well as the compelling action leaving little for the imagination of the reader.

The daringly wicked characters, Gar, Cal, and Hallie seem to leap directly off the pages and into the readers' hearts. Each one of these appealing characters is outlandish, enchanting, and unpredictable. The raw, randy, and very frequent love -- play whether it's between Hallie and one of her men or involves the three of them is varied and smoking hot. Yet, it's still filled with touches of tenderness and touching hearts also. The mating ritual between Hallie and Gar will have the reader chuckling one minute and holding their breath the next in anticipation of what's to come. The added element of suspenseful creatures and the fight between good and evil just increases the wildness of the story.

Author Fran Lee delivers a winner with Hallie's Cats! I look forward to more from this wonderful author."

So things began to look up, and I felt vindicated. Until someone went into the Ellora's Cave website and put a rating of "Could be better" on Hallie's Cats. Up until that moment, it had been a five star rating. It was dropped instantly to a three star rating. I knew who had given it that poor rating, but accepted that as the opinion of the disappointed fan.

But then I had another menage release in September...just last Friday...and I actually warned the fan that she should not buy the Exotika because it was a menage. Did she listen? Did she read the blurb that mentioned TWO lovers? Apparently not, because along came another "Could be better" on EC's rating scale. Dumped from the sterling five stars back down to a mediocre three again! * sigh *

Do readers understand that when they trash a writer's books because they (the reader) don't personally like the genre the writer has written about, that it really sideswipes that writer? If they don't like menage, why buy the book? Of course, she says she loves everything I write, but obviously she doesn't! She even wrote this:

Oh I buy everything you write - even the kinky Cats story!  I knew this was a 1W-2M story, so was not shocked - you are a great story teller...but love hearing that you have another "Out of Her Dreams' story coming.  

Now, to say that, and yet trash the menage books seems to me to be counterproductive. And downright mean.

I warned her not to buy the second menage. I told her I had a m/f coming from another publisher in the genre she loves. But she still felt it necessary to go in and dump my ratings in the toilet. I find that less than considerate of the fact that other readers might LOVE menage.

There will NEVER be "another Out of Her Dreams Story". That story was one of a kind. Once in a lifetime. And yes, it was damn good. But It wouldn't remain unique and delicious if I wrote the exact same plot and stuff into half a dozen more novels. Would it?

You know who you are, dear. Think about it. And consider your actions when you voice your opinion in a way that denigrates the author's work while you claim to be thrilled with her writing style. It hurts.