The wonderful Writers Beware blog reports that Lightsword Publishing is a scam run by imbeciles (no news to anyone who is a regular reader of this blog) and that the owners have been successfully sued for fraud by one of their swindled authors:
Linda Daly, Bonny Kirby, and Light Sword Publishing were sued by one of
their authors for breach of contract, fraud in the inducement, and
intentional infliction of emotional distress. (Writer Beware has seen
the complaint, as well as numerous other documents involved in the
lawsuit).
Although the defendants filed a counterclaim,
alleging that it was really the plaintiff who provided
misrepresentations and breached contract, the plaintiff was ultimately
successful. On April 15, 2008, a default judgment in the amount of
$15,342.64 was entered against Bonny Kirby, and on July 8, 2008, a
default judgment in the amount of $16,558.63 was entered against Linda
Daly and Light Sword Publishing.
Linda Daly bills herself on her website as an “author, screenwriter, and now publisher.” Uh-huh. Let’s look at that, shall we? As an author, all of her titles have been self-published. As far as being a screenwriter goes, she must be unproduced, because she’s not a member of the WGA nor can I find any screenwriting credits for her on IMDB (or anywhere else). As for calling herself a publisher, well, I think the lawsuit and the cover of her latest book say it all. Her stunning editorial skills are on full display in the description of her book on her site (all the errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar are her own):
From Detroit to the Isles of Scotland; a deadly sea of lies is exposed as a super-spy solves another treat to world security, or is it deadly greed by a man shamed into giving up his heritage. This riveting tales has been adapted into a ‘Feature’ film and is currently being considered for production.
Yhe Sea of Lies sounds riveting(yawn). Pardon me!
Wow! I don’t know much about graphics programs (but have used them in the past), and I can design a better cover than that.
And I sure as Hell can write better than that!
It’s amazing how people think they qualify as a professional by doing amateur work themselves. It’s like lying on your resume. I suppose it *is* lying on your resume, actually, to call yourself an author, screenwriter and publisher when it’s all done by yourself without skills.
I’m glad the author won her lawsuit, and I hope she chooses a better route in getting published next time.
Jaysas.
Many earnest devotees of self-publishing are talking about a “new paradigm” made possible by POD technology, in which authors self-publish while established publishers decline. The reverse is probably more accurate. Readers are getting wise to junk books like Sea of Lies, and are trusting established houses more than ever as guarantors of quality. Those who buy self-published books get stung–and learn a lesson from it.
You know, Lee, when I saw that book cover on your post I figured it had to be a mockup of some sort, because the title is just too appropriate. It’s truly surreal to discover that Ms. Daly’s forthcoming book is ACTUALLY called “Sea of Lies.”
She might want to re-think that…
A “treat to world security”? Yay! Oreo cookies and milk for all!
Don’t you hate it when your logo bleeds onto your nice clean oil derrick? Oh well, another treat to world security solved . . .
I went over to the woman’s site. She’s obviously dyslexic, and not smart enough to get someone to make basic corrections for grammar and spelling. Anyone with a web connection can see that she’s only marginally literate. If you send her any money after seeing her site, the joke’s on you.
To add to all of this, Ms Daly regularly tells her authors that ‘Sea of Lies’ has been pirated and is selling ‘very well’ in Europe, and she’s ‘not making a dime from it’. Of course, Googling the title every way from Sunday produces no results, but she makes the allegation anyway.
She also frequently suggests that LSP authors’ works could be pirated at any moment and sold elsewhere–Even at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and Ingram–as though some idiotic book thief, with the skill of the crooks in ‘Home Alone’, is just waiting to steal books (some VERY poorly written) with no exposure, no advertising, no distribution, etc., ad infinitum . . . and then, of course, she has added to that scenario–also suggesting that there are nefarious employees lurking in the shadows at book wholesale houses and online fulfillment centers, there to accept these pirated-book shipments.
Thinking logically about this posit, the conclusion might be drawn that her suggestion is a setup for future underpayment of royalties, ‘Those books didn’t come from ME. They must have been PIRATED.’
Argh . . . where’s me eye patch when I need it?
That was painful to read.
A comedic “treat” indeed.
Lee, I just want to say thanks for your hard work regarding unscrupulous and incompetent publishers. I know you’ve been taking some hits from Light Sword Publishing authors on another blog, as have former LSP authors who, it seems to me, are only trying to dissiminate information about this sinking ship.
Have you read the excerpt from “Sea of Lies” on her site? It’s unbelievable:
//Dumbfounded by her actions, Jules started to protest. “What has gotten into you, Jordan? Why all this cloak and dagger?”
Reaching for her carry-on, laptop computer, and her purse, she said, “I’ll explain when we’re in the car. Grab my suitcase, and hurry the hell up. We don’t have much time.”
As they reached the car, she said in response to the look of concerned confusion on Jules’s face, “Please Jules, just get in the car and drive to the airport as fast as you can.” Giving no further explanation, Jordan took her seat in the car as Jules placed her few belongings in the back seat. She reached inside her purse and pulled out the card Detective Shaffer had given her, along with her cell phone, and dialed the number.
Waiting for someone to answer and feeling suddenly overwhelmed with fear, she anxiously said, “Hurry up….”//
Holding back the vomit rising up in my throat, I said “Damn, Linda Daly is terrible writer.”
And this woman thinks she’s an editor and a publisher? The horror. The horror.
Oh,Marcus, for a real ‘treat’, you should try REBEL DOVE. It’s some of the worst published writing I’ve ever read.
Yes sir, it’s pretty awful.
//Halfway up the stairs she stopped and held her breath as Joshua left his room, locking the door behind him and placing the key in his right trouser pocket. Her heart took on a life of its own, jumping frantically as she watched him fold sheets of paper and tuck them into the sash of his uniform.//
Her heart took on a life of it’s own? It jumped? Ah, the stunning prose stylings of Linda Daly. “Rebel Dove” is bad, but not as awful as “Sea of Lies.”
But she has a rave review from a registered nurse, so what do I know?
“Justice” is all I can say. When Lightsword Publishing first started, Linda hired my friend and I but during the first few months there were things that didn’t make sense.
There are many things we warned both Writer’s Beware and Predators and Editors but yet the warning got overlooked.
Lightsword Publishing was never a traditional press nor did the books go through Ingrams. Baker and Taylor were the database that they worked out of.
Also as for Linda’s so called screenplay writing, she had asked me to start trying to sell her Rebel Dove only to discover that the screenplay was not written by her at all.
If someone would have taken our warnings to heart then none of this would have happen.
Also as for Bonnie Kirby–she is also Harriet Klauser a review for Affaire De Couer.
Thanks for listening.
And the plot ‘sickens’. In spite of the fact that Daly has been sued, her company has been sued, and her former vice president have been sued–all by a former Light Sword Publishing author, and SUCCESSFULLY, I might add, Daly has opened a new company: LSP Digital. Books from that company are being published by Amazon’s arm, Booksurge. In the meantime, Daly’s bank accounts have been attached and her authors are finally starting to wise up and go elsewhere. That doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try and hang in there. She has even suggested she might become a literary agent.
For some real hilarity, I strongly urge you to visit the LSP Digital home pages and read the ‘About Us’ bios, where one member of the staff is said to have ‘ideals deeply planted in her psychic’. Holy God, I wonder how they accomplished that?
Well don’t worry she also invited her first coworkers to take about the sword of Saint Michael with her.
It is ashame that the authors who are still there do not believe that she could do such a thing. But I’m sure that she convinced those authors that she is the only way.
Good Luck to them.
This was on the Light Sword cult forum
******************
This morning I received a call from Char, who was clearly upset. It
appears that before any of you had a chance to send her well wishes,
someone notified LG of her leaving. And in typical form, LG being LG
just had to make it clear that there is a traitor amongst us. When
are you going to get it that LG is not your friend!
Such unsavory actions are extremely upsetting to Char who left LSP,
not because she was unhappy here but because her publisher asked her
too, just as I asked all of you too. And leaving us is hard for Char.
Whom ever it is amongst us that feels the need to continue to act out
in such an unsavory, unprofessional manner, showing little to no
loyalty might want to consider this, you have single handedly managed
to upset a wonderful woman who deserves better as she is pursuing
other avenues for her career. Leaving her family is hard enough, she
does not need to be reminded that there is someone in our midst that
should not be trusted.
All I can say is this should have never happened. Not only am I
ashamed that you’ve hurt Char, someone that I love dearly and am
proud to call my friend, but I am throughly discusted and fed up with
such childish displays of unprofessionalism. Char, myself and those
loyal to LSP deserve better.
Linda Daly
********************
Is LG you Lee Goldberg???
Nevermind Lee, I just discovered it’s LG Vernon that she’s mad at. The Light Sword group is a treasure trove of stupidity and paranoia.
This email from Linda Daly personifies the Light Sword mess. Note all the miss-spellings and grammar errors in her rant.
Dear fello authors and staff members,
From the onset of opening the doors to Light Sword Publishing, I
realized that part of my job as publisher was going to be that of a
nurturing role to my authors, guiding them on how to present
themselves as seasoned, and savvy professionals. With that being
said, despite my efforts in doing just that and requesting everyone
to notify a member of the staff before writing to the media, an
author took it upon themselves to write a scathing letter to the
media on the pretext of being a dissatisfied customer – while still
advising them they were in fact an author. UNBELIEVABLE!
It goes without saying that this blunderers and erroneous email in
its entirety was forwarded to me at once. After receiving another
rash of emails from the author that were poorly written filled with
spelling and grammatical errors to the media they had just insulted
and then one to me bordering down right rudeness and disrespect, I
unfortunately came to fully appreciate why mainstream publishers will
not have anything to do with first time authors.
Despite my nurturing, it pains me greatly that we still have authors
amongst us that are loose cannons and clearly do not understand the
ramifications of their actions, nor are they willing to accept the
fact that everything they do is a direct reflection upon themselves,
their fellow authors, their publisher and everyone associated with
LSP.
Such actions are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
To much time, energy and money has been spent to waste on some
individuals who do not want to listen to their publisher and clearly
do not care about what is best for their careers or their fellows
authors by acting out in such a non-professional manner.
Again, I insist that before any one feels the need to contact anyone
connected to the media, no matter the circumstances, you MUST run it
by a staff member first.
Respectfully,
Linda Daly
CEO/President
Light Sword Publishing
Sounds to me like she is paying the victim.
Oh, there are some real gems on the LSP boards. Here’s another that illustrates the paranoid, let’s-all-stick-together-cause-they’re-all-out-to-get-us attitude in LSP-Land:
Important Notice
Recently it has been brought to my attention that LSP private business
is being discussed outside the inner circles of our groub. This must
stop aimmediately. It is your responsibility to hold this information
in the strictest of confidence. Your future as a writer and the
future of your fellow authors at LSP depends on it.
What is said, even innocently in passing, has been misconstrued or
misundersttod and ultimately used against LSP in the past. Therefore
it is imperative that I repeat myself –Do not discuss LSP with any
one outside the LSP authors and employess family. NO ONE. That means
no emails, they csn that can be forwarded in error, no IM’s, for the
same reason, and no comments in chat rooms. It is your responsibilty
to keep our affairs in confidentiality.
Best regards,
Linda Daly
CEO/President
LSP
With all those misspelled words and errors, I am starting to understand why she created Lightsword Publishing. No other publisher would touch her.
I wonder how she sleeps at night.
Now, I ask you, how could ANYONE, after reading the messages from Daly, herself, ever doubt that she’s the experienced, time-honored professional she professes to be?
Now you know what kind of idiots would stick by Linda Daly:
Hi Everyone,
Today my town held the first outdoor mall I sold five books one those
books the mayor brought.
And two others are going to call me to buy books. The director of the
library stopped my our table and told me she wanted to buy to books.
People where asking for it. I’m absolutely thrilled that my book will
be on the library shelves.
June
http://www.JunePhyllisBaker.com
*********************
Judging by this post, and the excerpt of her novel at her site, the woman can’t compose a sentence.
Now wonder she’s so excited about selling five books! She’s lucky she sold one copy. But any real author with a real publishing company would consider the signing a bust.
Another winner from Linda:
*********************************
Well ladies and gent’s we got this lovely woman’s attention. WAHOO!
She called me today and after I expalined that HOME is where the
STORY begins, and I told her about a few of your personal stories,
she asked to review all of our books, and a PSA on each of the
magnificent LSP Digital releases.
Please bare in mind that she was particular interested in “And The
Whippoorwill Sang” and “Life According to Dad”, since she works
primarily with NonFiction. Precisely why I’m sending her “Awake in
Angelscape – The Scenic Route to the Sacred Self” information as
well.
She was very interested in our story – Home is were the Story begins,
and loved that at this house it’s more then what the author writes
but it also is about how this incredible family of authors often
times over came great odds and obsticles to follow their dreams and
become the writer that they are today.
She explained that she has a tapping scheduled into Novemeber.
PLEASE under no circumstance should any of you contact her directly
since she has been in touch with me and it may well turn her off.
This could be exactly the break we’ve all been asking for.
I sure do Believe. Join me in bringing this into our space because
when one of us makes it, we all will succeed. Laurie will you please
call me in the morning? I’d like to include your article to sell all
of us. After all, it’s our uniqueness that will open doors.
Love, Light and Chocolate,
Linda
***********************
The Dr. Wright that she is so excited about is another phony who runs a cable access show. Lee Goldberg, you will LOVE LOVE LOVE what her big claim to fame is:
“In May of 2006 Dr. Wright was also chosen as a round one finalist in the Book Millionaire contest.”
I am not making this up!! See for yourself.
http://wrightplacetv.com/about-dr-wright/
I don’t care about any of the authors who are still in business with Linda Daly, a woman who clearly knows nothing about writing, publishing, marketing or professional conduct (and who has been found guilty of defrauding authors). They must be brain dead.
In fact, the more I read about her, and from her, the less sympathy I have for anyone who got into business with Light Sword in the first place. She’s obviously inept as a writer and clearly doesn’t have the experience, skill, or judgment to be a publisher. How could anyone who visited her site, or read an excerpt from one of her books, or read one of her emails, have thought that she was legitimate?
The warning signs were everywhere. Her incompetence wasn’t masked by a slick or professional presentation. It wasn’t masked at all. You’d have to have no common sense whatsoever to get involved with her to start with and a total fool to still be in business with her now.
I’m not surprised that Daly is excited about the possibility of attracting the interest Dr. Wright, a public access cable host nobody who touts that she was a “finalist” in a scam contest that was canceled before it was finished. It’s typical of Daly’s ineptitude. The fact her “stable” is excited and impressed about it testifies to their astonishing stupidity.
Lee
**************
Well ladies and gent’s we got this lovely woman’s attention. WAHOO!
**************
Gent’s what, I wonder?
Well I know June Phyllis Baker and the decent thing Linda did is publish her book. Perhaps it was past penance that allowed her to do one good deed.
June faced may challenages and overcame alot.
However, it does go to show you that what goes around comes around.
This whole thing reminds me of something so terrible one can only look at it through splayed fingers. The authors who remain at LSP Digital, formerly Light Sword Publishing, will never accept that Linda Daly is anything less than a paragon of virtue, much-maligned by a jealous literary community.
I don’t think it occurs to any of them that watchdogs are actually concerned FOR them, not out to GET them, and none of them can extrapolate this sad situation to include those not yet contracted to the Light Swords of the world. They don’t care that Daly’s ability can be stuffed into a thimble; they don’t care that their own works need more polishing than the Rock of Gibralter and, for the most part, should NEVER have been published; they don’t understand that they are made foolish by their continued loyalty to this Jim Jones of a publisher.
Sadly, Linda Daly is so egocentric that she will continue this sham of a scenario until it finally sucks a valve. It’s just a shame it’s taking so damn long.
I fear it is not egocentrism that continues to motivate Ms. Daly…What is a shame is that she was not on Wall Street with her Light Sword to teach them how to “market their wares” better. Possibly we would not be in this financial downward slump had we had her advice. I think it’s just another Yankee plot! What do ya’ll think? Will the Yankees never stop soiling our doves down here?
Oh, for another treat, go here and listen to Linda Daly as she speaks to the Motown Writers’ Conference back in 2007.
http://authorsaccess.com/archives/date/2007/12
If not hubris, then what, southern? Financial gain? Considering the tiny number of books these authors are selling, she’s not making much–even if she’s fleecing them as was alledged in the lawsuit discussed earlier.
NquiringMindless, since she and her ‘stable’ have been compared to a cult and judging by their chatter it is cultish behavior. So, who were Jim Jones, Manson and others? They were delusional about their power and their direct connection to God. They were also people who were somewhat skilled at selling their beliefs to others. (I’m not comparing her deeds to theirs, just an analogy)
Hence, the speaking to the Angel Michael who gives Ms. Daly actual advice. Must be nice to have that kind of power. That is what I think feeds Ms. Daly. Delusional thinking even when reality does not support that thought AND a supporting cast of needy authors who lap up the ‘love’ like starving puppies. It’s a feeding frenzy perpetrated by someone who really thinks that her books ARE great books and will be best sellers. Falls under the category of peeing on your leg and calling it rain; it is what it is because I SAY so.
So, you’re suggesting she’s continuing this farce because she just might be a nut-job. I LIKE that. And you’re probably right.
I posted this at Dear Authors.
It is a shame that all of this had to come about. A warning went to both Writer’s Beware and Predators and Editors. Anne Crispin rebuked me and claimed I was a bitter ex-employee.
Yet, here it is two years later and the truth comes out. Think back to when Lightsword first went public, why did they go through so many Vice Presidents? One of them helped educate Linda (who claims to have an 8th grade education) on the bones of the publishing world which she chose to ignore and another was the daughter of the senior editor (who only wanted to do graphics), and then Bonnie Kirby arrived. Did anyone hear of Lightsword Publishing before Bonnie Kirby, Advertising Director of Affaire de Coeur, came in the picture?
Linda Daly claimed she was ‘paying it forward’, but deep down she only looked after herself. Many authors went under their own publishing company to launch their books. Linda Daly supposedly had an agent. So why didn’t a traditional press pick her up?
There was one book submitted and pulled because the author didn’t believe Linda had anything to offer him. This book would have been the best of Lightsword, and possibly given a good name for the small publisher. Linda Daly became greedy and wanted an extended contract with the author and all media rights.
It is my opinion that Linda chose to represent authors that made her own writing look good. The only way to prove this is if you would read each of the fourteen books published by LSP and shared my opinion or review of each. I also remember how excited Linda Daly was when Affaire de Coeur agreed to review her “Dove” series. Then the next thing I knew, Bonnie Kirby was coming aboard.
A practice which Linda Daly put into place before Bonnie Kirby arrived on the scene was to have each author pre sale 100 books. This was the working capital to have them actually published. To my knowledge, Mari Sloan was the first to achieve this to its fullest, but it backfired because Ms. Sloan had them order through Amazon instead of LSP.
We can all second guess what happen at Lightsword. The truth is Lightsword’s CEO became more unethical with each submission received. One lie built upon another until it was out of control. Lee Goldberg’s claims aren’t off the mark. He isn’t bitter; Mr. Goldberg is simply using his voice for others who have paid their dues to become a part of the writing world. Unlike Bonnie Kirby and Linda Daly who made the claim they were helping writers. He is by getting the facts out to many readers and writers.
If Lightsword continues to want to help others maybe they should join Green Peace. Or better yet, follow Linda Daly’s “Saint Michael” to church and take part in confessing how many people they truly screwed, and take the penitence and show their authors some remorse.
Well, I suppose it’s time for me to make some comments. Yes, I’m the ‘LG’ with whom Daly is so angry, simply because I had the gall to expect her to live up to the promises she made to me in order to convince me to sign a contract with her, not to mention adhereing to our contractual agreement, itself. Go ahead–everybody weigh-in–the ass-kicking line forms here. Rest assured, if I had the stomach for self-flaggellation (no, Lee–not THAT kind) I’d have the cat-o-nine-tails out and whirring.
To add to all that’s come before, I am now in receipt of my first royalty statement from Light Sword Publishing. With it, I have discovered that, aside from her total lack of grammatical skill, Linda Daly is also apparently deficient in basic mathematics.
I can accept that there might be an error in a royalty statement, but the number and kind of irregularities in this statement point to only one thing. Here are a few of the inconsistencies I’ve found:
Daly’s mathematics are incorrect–considerably short of what my royalty payment should be, even using her own percentages and sales figures, which are far short of actual sales figures.
Daly has failed to list all of the outlets to which she distributed my novel. She has also failed to list sales figures at those outlets, all of which are now sold out.
Daly has failed to show the correct numbers of books she shipped to the outlets she did bother to list.
Daly has alleged that books are being returned by Amazon, when, in fact, NO books, to date, have or are scheduled to be returned by that company or any other outlet. And, (here’s a huge surprise) Daly has listed shipments to Amazon that number fewer than the quantity of books I bought from them, myself. Go figure!?! She also currently lists fewer books in stock at Amazon than their inventory shows.
In addition to these and other issues, Daly included a letter with the statement, informing me that since our contractual agreement has been terminated, our business association is at an end, the clear insinuation being that she would not be paying future royalties on books still for sale with outlets, and those that have already been sold in this new statement period. I answered, of course, letting her know that she is and will always be responsible for royalty payments on books printed and sold by her company. I haven’t heard from her since. Unfortunately, it is likely I will have to use the legal system to get her attention.
I will, of course, give her the opportunity to correct and/or explain the inconsistencies I have found.
I have spoken to both former and current LSP authors who have told me they are sure inconsistencies exist in their statments, too, but that the documents are so confusing, they cannot tell if there are problems or not. Judging by my own statement, coupled with the evidence in the suit brought against Daly . . . well, what can I say?
Incidentally, at the termination of our contractual agreement several weeks ago, I sent Linda Daly and her husband, William Daly, registered, addressee-only, signature-required letters outlining my expectations regarding any and all future sales of my intellectual property. I copied to William Daly only because he was the witness to Linda Daly’s signature on my contract and, because he is her husband, I felt he had the right to know what goes on in her little corner of the world. The letters were sent to the Light Sword Publishing post office box in Michigan.
Both letters were returned to me by the post office, stamped with ‘final attempt’, and ‘return to sender’. Both Linda and William Daly failed to sign for and accept registered mail from a business associate. That’s just another example of how Linda Daly conducts business. ‘Profeshunalizzum’ is her middle name (is that with one ‘z’, or two??).
I am posting all of this in hopes the continued information about Daly and LSP Digital will dissuade anyone from EVER having anything to do with the woman or the company. Daly says she is going out of business and she is not taking on new clients. But she often says one thing and does another. The fact is, she is still conducting business, all the while bemoaning her dire financial straits.
Whether there is a method to her madness or she is just a turnip is anybody’s guess. I do know that one must exhibit at least rudimentary intelligence to be a successful fraud. I don’t see her as being particularly successful. Nevertheless, my biggest concern is that Daly will find more dupes to provide her operating capital, and she will thus continue defrauding authors in one guise or another.
There has been much discussion as to whether Daly is truly a fraud or simply inept. I think the fact that she continues in business, in spite of clear proof that she has harmed those she professes to ‘help’, speaks to that. No good-hearted, honest, altruistic person would continue to operate when the proof of their ineptitude has been made so plain. As the court has established, Linda Daly and Light Sword Publishing have defrauded authors. They still are.
My sincere thanks to you, Lee, for continuing to post on this matter.
Needless to say, this judgemental buffoonery is (please, God) the whopper of my life, not to mention my career. If I could quantify how this happened, I would; but I cannot.
Drag out the battery cables, Goldberg. Lord knows, I deserve it.
” Daly has listed shipments to Amazon that number fewer than the quantity of books I bought from them, myself.”
Why would you buy your own book from Amazon?
Lee
“Drag out the battery cables, Goldberg. Lord knows, I deserve it.”
I disagree. You were acting on information from fellow writers–friends you trusted. This has happened to bigtime investors.
I know you to be an honorable and competent person. You pulled the plug on this Daly person as soon as you realized, and you continue to warn other writers.
It was impossible for us who saw this as a scam to get through to the writers with information because it invoked anger from the LSP writers, some who became very aggressive. Daly managed to infiltrate a long-time, respected writing group, which lent her a credibility she didn’t deserve and fractured a good workinggroup.
Dae
“Why would you buy your own book from Amazon?
Very simple, Lee. Because Daly provides a grand total of three copies to those contracted to her. Additionally, her wholesale price for LSP titles is higher than the discounted price listed at Amazon, and one must also pay shipping. Because I did several book signings at museums and at private venues: historical organizations, civic groups, etc., I bought a number of my own book to have copies available at those events. Locations with a retail outlet of their own took the books, either on consignment for the event and then cut me a check for the sales and returned unsold copies, or bought my books from me, outright, and put the unsold copies in their inventory. Otherwise, bookstores (Barnes and Noble, Borders, and local stores) where I had signings ordered the book through Ingram.
I could have ordered books straight from LSP, but, as I said, Daly charges more for them than I could get them elsewhere. She also doesn’t provide books on spec for sales.
Because I knew, very early on, that I had thrown my work in the wood chipper, I wasn’t about to unneccessarily compound that by lining the woman’s pockets. The good thing about this is that my receipts help substantiate the inconsistencies I previously outlined.
I note with interest that early in your own career you were contracted to a publishing house that went bankrupt. Sucks, huh?
Best~~LGV
First of all regarding BAD math, this is part of an e-mail I had sent trying to explain “Dalymath” to a friend, when we were working at collecting the rest of Beaufort Falls Royalties, only the third book she published. My friend had asked about taking Ms. Daly to small claims court.
_____________________________________
(written 8-02-2007)
“It would, but the money itself isn’t huge. On the LSP count, plus the 20 books in the one big sale that they “forgot”, there would be 137 books. Knowing how many books you guys bought, the books that were bought by my family at home, Alan’s family here, and the books bought by people who work for Plummers, that seems a low count. Remember there were also 20 books sold at the LA Festival of books, and we bought a couple to give out for reviews. The extra ones we can easily prove are the ones sold to the Sisters in Crime bookseller. We suspect the true count may be around 150 or more, but we’d need to do an actual “head count” to prove it.
But lets just go with the ones LSP acknowledges and those that are easy to prove that they missed, the Crime Time books.
All of these were sold at different prices. If you look at the royalty statement, the Amazon books are listed at having been sold for $799.22. The other books that LSP admits to totaled $376.81. I added that, and they can add. The 20 books they have NOT included on the royalty statement were sold to CrimeTime for $240.00. I verified this with the CrimeTime bookseller on the phone yesterday.
$376.81 + $799.22 + $240.00 = $1416.03
x .08 should be $113.28
now, as you can see…. ( I’m getting a lot of mileage out of this check}———–
{{I had a picture of the check that she sent me for $11.35, but your website didn’t take it.}}
I’ve already been paid $11.35, so let’s subtract that.
$113.28 – $11.35 = $101.93 still owed.
________________________________________
I actually GOT the rest of my money because I copied Preditors and Editors and on all corrospondence with her, and at that time she had not given up on her reputation.
On WHY buy your own books from Amazon? Even if you refuse to sell your book out of the trunk of your car, Linda Daly had not made my book returnable and my first Barnes & Noble booksigning became a “Meet the Author”. She kept promising that it was “that awful Ingrams” fault. I had events coming up that I was going to sign for and I needed books. Her “author’s discount” price was above the pre-order discount given by Amazon, and if you bought two or more, Amazon would pay shipping. Daly charged you. You bet I ordered them from Amazon.
She would never have published my book at all, I believe, if she hadn’t had a bunch of Amazon pre-orders and I hadn’t told her that I considered it fraud to default on them. Some of the books that I bought were just in case people didn’t get books after I was out of the mess I’d gotten into. Ugly as the book was, I cared that orders get filled, one way or another. What’s funny is we did manage to get all of the orders that I know of except for two, filled, and then when we re-released the improved version ourselves, we rounded up a lot of those books and exchanged them for free. It’s costly to have a conscience and to be ethical.
Oh, the two people who bought from her website, sent her checks for pre-orders and never got their book from her? A year later, when I found out, I gave them each an autographed book and an apology. I was happy to put the whole learning experience behind me.
Daedal wrote: “I disagree. You were acting on information from fellow writers–friends you trusted. This has happened to bigtime investors.”
Wait a minute. Anyone…ANYONE…who looked at Daly’s site would have seen in a nanosecond that she, and her company, were unprofessional. It’s not like she presented a slick and sophisticated image. SHE CAN’T WRITE A SIMPLE SENTENCE. The covers depicted on her site were wretched. Her books can’t be found in stores. Even the most cursory of Google searches would have revealed Daly had no experience whatsoever as a publisher, no success whatsoever as a novelist, and no skills at all as a writer.
On top of that, who were these “writers” who gave her credibility? Were any of them well-known, respected, and published by real publishers (aka NOT some fly-by-night, POD house?). What made them worth of trust?
I am not suggesting that LG should beat himself up any further…but I am still boggled how anybody could have been fooled by Light Sword or Daly to start with.
LGV wrote: “I note with interest that early in your own career you were contracted to a publishing house that went bankrupt. Sucks, huh?”
You’re comparing apples and oranges. The difference is that Pinnacle Books was a reputable and established publisher. I was paid a sizeable advance for my work, and the three books of mine that they published were widely distributed, available at bookstores, supermarkets, drugstores, airports, and just about anyplace that books were sold nationwide.
Where I got screwed was that the company, which had been in business for decades, went under right when my royalties were due. But that’s another story.
There really is no comparison between Pinnacle Books — a real publisher with many well-known writers and bestselling titles on their list — and Light Sword, a complete sham in every way.
It seems to me that buying books from Amazon was throwing good money after bad…and making an already bad decision even worse.
I would never buy my own books from Amazon. And buying them from Amazon (which also charges you shipping) only to resell them seems particularly pointless.
LGV wrote: “Because I knew, very early on, that I had thrown my work in the wood chipper, I wasn’t about to unneccessarily compound that by lining the woman’s pockets.”
With all due respect, you were still “lining the woman’s pockets” by buying the books from Amazon…the books were purchased from Light Sword and the money from those sales flowed back to them, not you. By buying copies of your own book from Amazon you were compounding the mistake of going into business with Light Sword in the first place…because now you were giving them money out of your pocket, too.
No offense intended, but it’s that kind of rationalizing/thinking that got you into business with a person, and a company, so clearly and unmistakeably illegitimate in the first place.
Lee
You’re quibbling over royalties on a very small number of sales…it’s hardly worth the time and effort for a couple of hundred dollars (or, in your case, $103). I’d just walk away and put Light Sword mess behind you.
Lee
As far as LSP is concerned, I did. AFTER I did what was right.
Mari
And what, you may ask, did I do that was so right? After all, I signed a contract with a complete loser , a brand-new, start-up publisher, and I committed the book I had rewritten ten times over the course of seven years to her inept management. Since the book was published very quickly, it was in pre-order stage before I realized the magnitude of my mistake, but I wasn’t helpless.
1. I made sure that major errors were corrected before it was sent out. It had some. When it made it into the hands of the people who ordered it, they were fixed.
2. It DID make into the hands of the people who ordered it.
3. I DID get paid what I was owed.
4. I managed to be annoying enough to get released from the contract so that I was free to make the book what it should have been from the first.
5. I did re-release it quickly, in a vastly improved form.
6. I contacted people and replaced, FOR FREE, every one of the inadequate first edition books I could find.
I suppose I’m just one of those hard-headed, stubborn Southerners that you hear about, but I’m NOT delusional. When I finished what I had set out to do, I did walk away. Sorta. From Light Sword Publishing, at least.
Mari
By buying copies of your own book from Amazon you were compounding the mistake of going into business with Light Sword in the first place…because now you were giving them money out of your pocket, too.
Morning, Lee~~~By the time it came down to me buying my own book from Amazon (deeply discounted/free shipping) as oppossed to buying straight from Linda Daly (miniscule discount, shipping verging on usery) I felt I had no choice. Advertising here had been terrific: newspapers, radio, inclusion in conference and festival advertising, speaking engagements; I had set up over a dozen booksignings at venues all over the region. I felt then, and still feel, that what I did was the best I could do, under the circumstances.
Yes, any purchase of the novel sent profit to Daly, but that’s just as it had to be. Making purchases as I did, I sent the smallest amount possible.
Also, let me make clear that I, in no way based my decision to sign with Daly on the chorus of ecstasy emanating from those already contracted. This was my doing. I will tell you that Daly was very good at this~~contacting and schmoozing with people personally, insinuating herself into critique groups and online workshops(where, as I think back, she never presented any of her own work, just touted her company). I had no intention of signing with her. Then one night, after I had received a rejection on a four week exclusive, she ‘hit’ me again in instant message online. And I bit. My bad.
Trust me when I tell you that you cannot possibly think less of me than I do of myself at this point in time. My entering into this business agreement has shaken my self-confidence, deeply affecting my self-perception.
Interestingly, several of the people Daly has duped, like myself, are very well-educated, well-traveled, professional people. Hell, Lee, I’ve been a professional writer for 20 years (yes, deriving income from my work for which I pay taxes, having depreciation and office expenses, etc.). As I said before, I wish I could quantify precisely how this woman managed this. I can tell you that since I signed my contract, about a year ago, her company and her methods have unraveled, thanks in large part to her own ineptitude, but also thanks to the fact that those of us who are shaking the stink of this off our boots have been willing to come forward and talk about our experiences in spite of being lambasted by those to whom we’ve come for exposure.
Rest assured, this woman will go away, and life does go on. And I am on the road to recovering my sense of self.
As far as Pinnacle goes and the loss of your own work: yep, the houses are worlds apart. But it still sucks~~which was my only point.
Oh, and one other thing~~I just checked to be sure. I’m not a ‘he’. Best~~~LG (Linda)
Wait a minute. Anyone…ANYONE…who looked at Daly’s site would have seen in a nanosecond that she, and her company, were unprofessional.
You’re correct, too, Lee, about the web pages, although much of them were not online at the time I signed with this company. As they came up online, I became more and more distressed at what I was seeing. I was very frank with Daly about the quality of the writing on what pages were displayed online. I told her that regardless of her (supposed) good intentions, her pages made her look unprofessional. She told me that she was so busy that she had turned the website over to another employee who was good with computers, but really wasn’t a writer. She professed to be so tied up with other things that she did not have the time to take care of the web.
I even went so far as to do several edits of the web pages and send them to her, as did another author( who is still contracted with the company). She professed her eternal, undying gratitude. But whoever appplied those edits picked and chose what was corrected, leaving the entire morass still unreadable. Judging by the syntax errors, I’m sure that person was Daly, herself.
In our initial conversations, Daly never referenced the Archangel Michael, angels, devils, the stars, or the occult. The contract and accompanying materials she sent to me were free of errors and very clearly written (I’m sure copped from somewhere). In other words, at the time that I signed, and certainly at the time those who signed up previous to me, Daly had yet to develop the internet ‘presence’ she has now.
That’s certainly not an excuse for entering into a contract with this outfit, but it is moderately mitigating.
You remember that scene from ‘The Wizard of Oz’, where Frank Morgan, this time dressed as a palace guard, screams “No one gets in to see the Wizard. No way! No how!” ~~~and then he dashes madly back inside to incompetently fumble with the machine that projects the image of the Wizard?
Well, Linda Daly reminds me of that scene.
For a few months, she was able to con people. Her ability to do that came crashing down almost a year ago, right after I signed my contract. Ever since then, she has been rushing from the door to the machine in a frenetic attempt to keep her ‘kingdom’ intact. And even though everyone now knows the truth, she’s still pretending to be the Wizard.
Her undoing was accomplished by her own hand, really. Her web pages went up and were/are execrable; her constant wrangling with and the firing of her coworkers became fully known–and those ex-employees started talking. She alleged that her partner and vice president of LSP, Bonny Kirby, embezzled funds meant for the LSP coffers and the two parted company. She complained loud and long that Kirby and another employee were going to sue her. In the meantime, former authors did file suit. She began whining to anyone who would listen to her about her financial difficulties–and that’s when, for me, the Archangel Michael showed up on the scene. Her telephone conversations at that point were filled with references to him and to the ‘angels’ in her life–all of whom told her things. Yes–the Archangel Michael talks to Linda Daly.
I attended a couple of her ‘Marketing Your Wares’ chats and was so appalled by what I witnessed that I lied and said I was busy on those nights, and could not attend. I never went back.
As her financial situation spiralled down, she came up with a plan for all of ‘her’ authors. They were to write letters to Oprah Winfrey, and Oprah would become so enamored of a woman ‘making authors’ dreams come true’ that voila, all Daly’s money troubles would be over.
I very much wanted out of this contract, and, as has been reported elsewhere, Linda Daly had made a statement that she would release anyone who asked. But I simply did not believe her. In the months since I’d signed with her, I watched lawsuits unfold involving authors fighting to get out(at huge expense. I was fearful that asking to be released would tip my hand, she would refuse, and I’d find myself in court. So I zealously protected my work from mishandling, and I started asking questions. Lot’s of questions.
She was finally fed up with being confronted on every issue, and she severed my contract. As I said on another blog, I did the Snoopy Scamper Dance in the driveway. I am so happy to have escaped when I did.
Now Daly says she has sent all of her authors’ books to a friend of hers at Tor/Forge seeking a new house for the them, because LSP Digital is going out of business, and should only be considered a bridge from Light Sword Publishing to a new house, somehwere, sometime. I tell you, what every author should wish for at this juncture is a pleading cover letter from Linda Daly.
Oh, hell, Lee~~~forget the battery cables. The gibbet~~~now there’s punishment.
I just got back from a trip to the mountains (moose, elk, deer–it was hell, I tell you–Hell) to read an email letting me know that Daly has released, for pre-sale, two more titles: her own Sea of Lies, and another mystery by one of her existing authors. Both ‘ad slicks’ are now posted on the Light Sword web pages for all the world to see.
This tells me two things:
1. Daly is still in business, in spite of the lawsuits and in spite of the incompetence.
2. The ad copy is as poorly written and as filled with construction errors and just-plain-terrible writing as Daly’s other postings of the past.
I looked again at Daly’s pages, and in spite of the fact that she and they have been thoroughly drubbed online, she has made no effort to correct the mistakes that have previously and repeatedly been pointed out to her. She either does not care what the literary world thinks of her, or she lacks the ability to do the work. Or both.
Further, I have also learned that, in spite(again) that she has said she’s essentially out of business and has posted on her main page that LSP Digital is not accepting submissions at this time, she has solicited an author friend of mine for the manuscript that person is currently shopping. The solicitation took place online.
So it would seem, in this surreal shit festival, that LSP Digital and Linda Daly are keeping their heads above water–or whatever that stuff is in which they float.
“She either does not care what the literary world thinks of her”
The literary world not only doesn’t think of her, they don’t know that she exists.
Lee
Well, yeah, actually they do. Not all of them, not even many of them. But there are enough of them like yourself, interested in the quality of the industry, overall, to bother making an effort to see to it that goombas like these are exposed for what they are.
Giving people like Linda Daly a pass to believe she’s under the radar is like giving Bonny Kirby and Affaire a pass for unethical review practices.
Many writers have a style and voice, my question is does the same voice match her stories.
Could there be a ghost writer somewhere?
Here is some new information about Linda Daly, Bonny Kirby, and Light Sword Publishing. This all comes via an officer of the court in Michigan and is a matter of public record in Michigan and in Texas.
Last week, when civil bailiffs went to seize the property belonging to Light Sword Publishing and Linda Daly, located at the home of William and Linda Daly in Westland, Michigan, Linda Daly scampered on down to the courthouse where she filed a hand-written motion to stay the seizure of properties, claiming that all property belongs solely to her husband Bill, and that she has not been able to do any work, nor has she had any income for the past five years due to health problems. The motion for stay of seizure is dated October 24, 2008. The motion does not list an attorney for Daly or for Light Sword Publishing. By affixing her signature to this statement, Daly has presented to the court the absurd notion that this information is true and correct. By doing so, Daly has put off the right and proper disposition of Light Sword Publishing assets until after November 25, 2008, when a court hearing has been scheduled where the trier of fact will determine the veracity of this statement.
Daly’s affirmation is contrary to the fact that she is the sole proprietor of Light Sword Publishing. Over the last 2 years she has caused to be published over 20 individual titles, all represented by her company. She has hired staff, produced digital pdfs for print, negotiated with print companies, and received inventory. She has distributed these titles to book outlets. She has developed marketing materials, sent out mass-mailings, operated a chat session on Saturday nights, solicited authors for more manuscripts, and done all of the other things incumbent to her position as CEO and owner of Light Sword Publishing. Ms Daly acting as Light Sword Publishing produced royalty statements for the authors contracted to her company and has paid out royalties on the books that have been sold. Numerous of her company’s titles are currently for sale on Amazon.com as well as other online outlets. They are also available for sale on the Light Sword Publishing web pages. One former client of hers has sold, according to Daly, herself, thousands of books.
Having read many of the court documents surrounding these matters, I have every confidence that the court will order that this seizure go forward. My only question now is whether or not Light Sword Publishing Company’s assets won’t just sprout wings and fly away–to a relative’s home or a storage unit, for example–before the court can take possession.
Additionally, I am in receipt of court records from the state of Texas regarding one Bonny Lorraine Kirby–the self-same Kirby who is the former Vice President of Light Sword Publishing and the Advertising Director at Affaire de Coueur. According to the National Criminal database, Ms Kirby is currently serving ten years’ probation for half a dozen theft offenses, all occurring in Texas. They range from misdemeanor bad checks to 3rd degree felony theft. Kirby’s probation is due to end in 2012. Kirby has now left the state of Texas and is purportedly living in Arkansas.
Make no mistake about it, this is the same Bonny Kirby who arranged for reviews and articles about Light Sword titles to be prominently placed (as in ‘on the cover’) in Affaire De Coueur Magazine during the time that she was VP at LSP. She is the same Bonny Kirby who reportedly wrote a NSF check to the Michigan attorney who was hired to defend Light Sword Publishing and its principles in the lawsuit so richly discussed in these pages. The check was uttered on a Light Sword Publishing account, and, like Light Sword, was dishonored.
Authorities in Texas are going forward in their attempts to recover assets from Ms Kirby.
Are the criminals winning or what? I am sickened by the overt lies and the fact that delaying tactics are being used to further remove assets. Why did anyone who has an IQ above the “norm” fall for the LSP drivel? Because most of the time, non-criminals are not thinking like criminal minds.
I know for a fact that there has been income to LSP because I bought “4% of this blessed by God, up and coming publishing house”. I paid $1,000 for this privilege. Linda Daly has personally written me, as the CEO of LSP, a letter stating that I would receive no return on my “investment”. In that same envelope, I received another communication warning me NOT to “tell anyone or dire consequences would befall me” or something to that effect. A voodoo doll perhaps,with pins sticking in it? The sword of Arch Angel Michael?
Another amazing thing to me is that Bonny Kirby continued to proclaim on many open forums that she was NO criminal. To be honest, I had no idea about the truth and scope about her past. I knew that she was the “bad cop” to Linda’s “good cop”, but am still amazed at the brazen lies written on a public forum. I have email letters from her that were sent to intimidate, in order to get me back in “my place in the fold”.
Thankfully, I don’t get intimidated easily and was able to get “Clause 34’d” or unilaterally dismissed as a “difficult” author in their “stable” which was my plan and was the legal advice that I had received.
I was fortunate and did not have to expend the great amount of money that has been spent by the very brave lady who took them on and has won. She is the real “Rebel Dove”.
But, the criminals continue to avoid their court judgements as we now know that one has done for years. I’m sick of it all, but I am most sickened by the callousness that allowed one bad publishing company to take away the dreams of so many who were only trying to create. I am sickened that it has stopped the creation of books that might never be, since the criminals are winning.
Thank you Lee for this opportunity and for your exposure of this company, despite the many personal attacks that you received in return for the truth. Maybe a legal fund should be established to help authors. I wish I had donated my $1,000 to that cause and to the REAL Rebel Dove.
Oh, one other thing that I neglected to post. I will be glad to send any written information from either Daly or Kriby in the name of LSP to the courts.
Light Goes out at Light Sword
Victoria Strauss at Writers Beware is reporting the long-expected news that sham publisher Light Sword, which was found guilty of defrauding authors and was run by the talentless Linda Daly and the convicted felon Bonny Kirby, has filed for bankruptcy….