My conversation with Fake Kristin Hannah (contact.authorkristinhannah@gmail.com) took a very surprising turn towards the end… so stick with it.
FAKE KRISTIN: Hello Lee, I hope you’re having a good day. I hope you’re having a good day. I wanted to write to you personally and without any expectations attached. I’m Kristin Hannah, and your work recently found its way into a few conversations among friends of mine, writers and long-time readers who are thoughtful about what they choose to spend time with. Your book came up not because of numbers or visibility, but because something in the writing stayed with them. Every so often, we gather informally to read books by fellow authors whose work feels sincere and still in the process of finding its wider audience. It’s a small, unstructured circle, no promotion, no reviews required, and no follow-ups expected. Just careful reading, conversation, and appreciation for the craft itself. If you ever feel inclined, you’re welcome to share a link to whichever book you’d most like to read. And if now isn’t the right time, that’s perfectly fine as well. This note is simply meant as encouragement, nothing more. Thank you for continuing to do the quiet, difficult work of writing. It matters more than most people realise. Warm regards, Kristin Hannah
ME: “Dinosaur’s Embrace” is a book I’m eager to read:
https://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Embrace-Forbidden-Romance/dp/B0CFCPWL9K
FAKE KRISTIN: Thank you for sharing the link, I appreciate you pointing me toward The “Dinosaur’s Embrace.” I’ve taken time to read through the description carefully, and I want to say first that the premise is certainly bold and imaginative. It’s clear you leaned into risk and originality, which isn’t easy to do as a writer. The emotional throughline, connection, longing, and the idea of love existing outside accepted boundaries, comes through strongly, and that kind of creative courage always deserves respect.
That said, it did leave me wondering about something, and I hope you don’t mind the candor. You’ve clearly put effort into the concept and presentation, yet it seems the book may not be reaching the full audience it could, based on visibility, sales, and reader engagement so far. From your perspective as the author, what do you feel has been the biggest challenge, discoverability, positioning, reader expectations, or something else entirely? I’d also genuinely love to hear what inspired you to write this story in the first place. What sparked the idea, and what were you hoping readers would feel or reflect on when they finished it?
I ask purely out of curiosity and respect for the process. Every book has its own journey, and understanding the motivations and obstacles behind it is often just as interesting as the finished work itself. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you have the time.
ME: What inspired me is that I’ve always wanted to see a woman have sex with a dinosaur… so I decided to monetize my fantasy. I imagine I am not alone. Have you ever had similar fantasies?
FAKE KRISTIN: I wanted to briefly follow up on one point I raised earlier, in case it was overlooked. From a publishing standpoint, I’m curious about your own assessment of the book’s reception so far. You’ve clearly invested creativity and intention into the concept, yet it appears the book hasn’t reached the level of visibility or reader engagement it potentially could. From your perspective, what do you feel has been the primary challenge, discoverability, positioning within its niche, managing reader expectations, or something else entirely? Understanding how authors interpret their own market response is always insightful, and I’m genuinely interested in how you’re viewing that aspect of the journey.
ME: I think what would really help the novel reach a wider audience is if you gave me a blurb and shared it across your social media channels. I need to mainstream the concept of human/dinosaur sex so it doesn’t come across as aberrant or objectionable, but as a reasonable romantic avenue in popular literature. Your endorsement would be a big help. Or, if you like, you could co-author the sequel with me. The working title is “The Night I Met Tyrannosaurus-Sex.” What do you think?
FAKE KRISTIN: I want to be clear and straightforward. I won’t be providing a blurb, endorsement, social media promotion, or collaboration of any kind. I also won’t be participating in or lending my name to work that centers on explicit sexual content or efforts to reposition it as mainstream literary romance.
When I initially reached out, it was in the spirit of discussing writing craft, readership, and the broader publishing journey in a professional, author-to-author context. Your recent messages move beyond that scope, and I’m not comfortable continuing the conversation in that direction. That said, I should also be honest that I’m not particularly knowledgeable about book marketing myself. A few years ago, I struggled with that side of publishing as well. The difference for me came when I connected with a professional marketer who has since handled that aspect very effectively, significantly improving sales and reader engagement over time. If you’re interested in exploring marketing support independently, I’m happy to share her contact details so you can decide whether it’s a good fit for you. If not, that’s completely fine as well. I wish you the best in finding the audience that aligns with your work, but this is where I’ll be stepping back.
ME: Why does every famous author who reaches out to me out of nowhere, pretending to be interested in my book and “writing journey,” end up trying to recommend some marketing person in Nigeria or the Philippines and then “stepping back”? I don’t think you are really interested in me, my book, or promoting the dinosaur-sex genre. Are you really Kristin…or a fake?
The morning after that exchange, I got a solicitation from “Elara James” (elerajames.pr@gmail.com) a “book specialist.” You’ll notice that “she” keeps changing how she spells her own name as the conversation goes on.
ELARA – Hi Lee, I recently came across “The Dinosaur’s Embrace: A Forbidden Romance” and wanted to reach out personally. It’s a bold and unconventional concept, and stories that lean into taboo, speculative romance often attract highly dedicated niche readerships when positioned thoughtfully. Books like yours tend to resonate most when they are clearly aligned with the right audience expectations and discoverability channels. In niche romance categories especially, visibility, positioning, and reader targeting play a significant role in ensuring the book reaches readers who actively seek imaginative and boundary-pushing stories. I work with romance and speculative fiction authors to improve discoverability through tailored, reader-focused marketing, including:
- Targeted placement within niche romance and speculative reader communities
- Amazon listing optimisation to ensure accurate positioning, keywords, and category alignment
- Visibility strategies designed to attract the rightreaders and manage expectations effectively
Everything I do is tailored to the individual book and its audience, with no generic packages or one-size-fits-all solutions. If you’re open to it, I’d be happy to take a brief look at “The Dinosaur’s Embrace” and share a few practical suggestions that could help it connect more effectively with its intended readership. Would you like me to outline a short, customised visibility plan for the book? Warm regards, Elara James
ME: Why are you sending me this pitch for “The Dinosaur’s Embrace: A Forbidden Romance.” The author is Diane Desire. It’s clearly a pseudonym, but what makes you think it’s me?
ELARA: Thank you for your note, and I appreciate you flagging this. I want to apologise for the mix-up. During my research, I came across your name in connection with genre discussions online and made an incorrect assumption when reaching out. That was my mistake, and I completely understand your reaction. There was no intent to suggest any involvement on your part with the book or the pseudonym, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’ve corrected my records to ensure you won’t receive any further outreach related to this title. Thank you for taking the time to respond, and my apologies again for the confusion. Regards, Elera James
ME: No problem, I understand. You’re part of the Fake Kristin Hannah scheme…or, more likely, the same person. I implied in that ridiculous conversation that I wrote the book — and “she” offered to refer me to her fake marketing services person. And out of the blue, you emailed me about it. Really dumb. And I’ve got to say, using influencer Humeela’s photo as your own, just shows what dummies you are. How does anybody fall for this scam?
ELARA: Hi Lee, I’m going to clarify this once and then step away. I am not connected to any impersonation accounts, fake author schemes, or the individuals you’re referencing. I don’t know who you were corresponding with previously, and I was not involved in that exchange. My outreach to you was a separate, mistaken contact, which I already acknowledged and apologised for. I understand why this raised red flags given your recent experience, and I don’t blame you for reacting strongly. That said, the assumptions you’re making about my identity and work are incorrect. There’s no benefit in continuing this exchange, so I’ll leave it here. I wish you the best, and you won’t hear from me again. Regards, Elara James
ME: No, I’m absolutely right. I’ll be posting this whole exchange with Fake Kristin and Fake Elara/Elera on social media — as I have with every other fake author and swindler I’ve talked to — so fewer people will fall for your scam.
ELARA: Lee, I’m not going to engage in insults or speculation. I’ve already stated clearly that I am not connected to any impersonation accounts, fake authors, or scams, and that my initial email to you was a mistaken piece of outreach. That remains the full extent of my involvement here. You’re free to post whatever you choose. I’ve corrected my records, and there will be no further contact from me. This will be my final response Elara James
ME: It’s amazing to me how you refuse to give up, even when you’re caught red-handed, as we say in America. You may not be familiar with that phrase in Nigeria. The mistake you made was associating me with a ridiculously obscure Dinosaur sex novel. The ONLY way you could have done that was if you were part of the exchange with Fake Kristen Hannah (or are the same dimwit scammer). Major screw up. But since you are using the name of a well-known singer (but you can’t seem to decide on the correct spelling), and using the profile pic of a well-known influencer as your own, it’s not surprising.
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