Author has trademarked common word; threatening other authors over its use

Seriously? I just watched it!

 

Here's another - grab it quick!@BayView

 

14 seconds in and i'm already in rage mode.... Money grubbers. bullying others into submission. She is mentally ill. PLease still be up after work.

 

OMG, an hour and 42 minutes?!? I'm at work, but even if I were at home, I'm not sure I could handle an hour and 42 minutes of that!

 

My thoughts exactly. She's insane. She seriously can't see that the thing she's accusing other authors of is what she's doing. My favorite quote so far "Authors are losing control even of their readers..." she seriously thinks she controls her readers and alludes to "owning " her models, her friends, and yes, even her fans. She's something special.

 

And... at 13 minutes or so she says "I'm just gonna say one more word and then log off" she says like 40 more words, then signs off with "byefaleena" then silence... then cursed at herself while she appears to be trying not to cry (pretty sure she's trying to find a way TO cry) and then talks to herself like a psycho, then continues for another hour and a half lol.

 

So first, there is a Youtube Series I like to watch called Internet Insanity, and the commentator on it likes to say "It's as though a switch was flipped" and I feel this might be the case with Mrs. Hopkins, a switch was flipped.

Second, about 20 mins in now, i'm listening to this like a podcast as I get ready for work and write... of all things. and the armature Psychologist in me has noted a few markers: Narcissism (which is a dead given), Projection, delusional, incoherent thought, rambling none sense, sees herself as a victim while doing the same to others.... Bi-Polar? maybe.

She's clearly got some mental issues, she's also Butt Fugly but that's the asshole in me saying that. .

 

She has problems. If it’s true people are harassing her family, cover models etc then those people also have problems. But yeah, she’s got problems.

 

Yeah, agreed. If that is true that's not cool either and makes said trolls no better than her. But I have a feeling the conversation has been different and she is twisting it.

 

@John-Wayne did you get to the "warm fuzzies and cold pricklies" story book from her childhood yet? How the hell is she not seeing what's smacking her in the face?

 

I got passed it and missed it, so I replayed it. It seems a bit Ironic.

also, I feel like Freena feels there is a finite amount of readers and if they are not reading her books then they are reading other people's books, as though a reader can't read multiple books from multiple authors. Also, as it's been explained how can readers confuse your book from others when your name is on the cover. Pretty sure I've never made that mistake. I can tell Frank Herbert from Stephen King.

 

Yes, anything she says is suspect.

 

Yeah, that's the funny thing about credibility. Once you lose it... anything you say, including something true is left suspect and most won't believe you.

 

I think she does. The most disturbing thing to me is the ownership thing. You don't own people. There are plenty of readers and she's clearly delusional. "I loved Joe Cocker, I always thought his name was so powerful" lol.

Oh, yes. Very much.

 

LOL, Sounds like a male stripper name.

Yeah, the ownership of readers is kind of weird, the scientific part of me minds her thought patterns fascinating in a "My God She is batshit insane" kind of way.

Edit: Okay.... I hadn't gotten to the part where hse mentioned Joe's name yet. but found myself LMFAO when she said it... Cocker is not an inspiring name, it sounds like a something in an erotica novel.

 

Right? She's trying so hard to justify everything and come across as some badass, which she clearly isn't. It is fascinating though, in a "can't help but watch this train wreck" kinda way.

Yeah, maybe that's why she likes the name, lol. I still don't see how you get from "Cool name, bro" to "let me trademark this for myself".

 

Yeah, exactly! LOL.

Also I'm getting a kind of spoiled rich girl vibe from her, where she's fabricating all these stories about her life, like she was an actress, she was a photographer, Etc. And conveniently under pseudonyms.

And bring up her mother and her mother's cancer. Really dude!

I'm also a little pissed off that her dog's name is Sophia, which was the name of my beloved Rottweiler who passed away February 2016.

 

Yeah, back at the beginning when she said "I've been through some shit" my first thought was "Uh-huh - cool story." She's created all of these personalities it seems. And, really, she can't even hold her own personality still for 10 minutes, no way is she an actress.

Yeah, the cancer thing is just dirty.

Aw, you should claim prior use and make her change it. (Seriously though, I'm sorry for the loss of your Rottie girl )

 

Around 1:12 she admits to asking people to combat her 1 star reviews (I forget how she said it and I have to leave so I'm not going back) now around 1:22 she says she hasn't asked anyone to back her up or do anything to help because she wants everyone to protect themselves.

 

Yeah Sophia was an old girl, 13 years old, she had a long life.

Also asked for Miss Hopkins, every time she says Cocker I just break out laughing, I can not take it seriously especially when she says it's a badass name.

I'm now to the part or she's a biker out of Los Angeles. I mean really lady


Her side stories are really awkward and uncomfortable. They just spew mental illness

 

Somebody wants to win an award.
Miss Hopkins do you accecpt your trophy?

 

That is a long life! She was clearly very loved.

LOL, right? Me too!

I know. I grew up with bikers - real ones. Not feeling the vibe lady. (Also, I grew up with them, hung out with them a lot - was not one).

They really do. She's so scattered, and she either has done or has a friend who does - everything.

 

I'm watching that video @Trish linked. (Long time no see, Trish! Good to see you again! )

That women is insane, yesh. The death threats on her or her family members, models, etc isn't acceptable imo, but the backlash she's getting for this madness is warranted.

 

The articles on this have been blowing up all over the THPW pages and feeds. In Texas and here in Michigan there are large amounts of Romance writers. Indie or Traditionally published makes no difference, Romance writers are not happy. Faleena Hopkins has claimed that she simply wanted to protect her readers, frankly, I think that's a load of crap. She's claimed she started the process to keep her fans from buying books that weren't hers that contained the word Cocky in the title. Even people such as me who don't regularly read the genre know that cocky is routinely used both in titles and as a descriptor in the genre. I believe a good bit of this was done for publicity. I'm kicking back as a UF writer and watching an author torch a lot of bridges. This could potentially kill any career this woman may have had.

In no means do I mean this post as an attack on Hopkins, but I looked into her before I posted this. I know several best selling and traditional Romance writers. I know their platforms, and what it's taken to get them to the six figures they are at. In no way do I believe that Hopkins was in that caliber. I think this is a marketing stunt that will ultimately blow up in her face.

Aside from that, the effects of this particular situation will likely cause some changes to both Trademarking and laws governing us in the near future. I believe that because of the attention this is getting. I don't think this will be like other cases where it just drops off into internet obscurity any time soon. The Romance genre and Indie publishing are too big right now for that to happen.

I'm just sitting back and waiting to see where the words fall.

Also @Trish ... Trish!!

 

So I'm @1:18:## , first thing, she's now music artists as well!

And a few red flags, not to be an elitist but she's self-published, which there's nothing wrong with of course. But I'll come into play later

Second, she pumped out a book a month. How do you write any coherent in a month, that's like the first chapter of a rough draft. When I was in that position before being gainfully employed, it still took me months to finish stuff. Hell my back burner WIP has been over two decades with a revision in 2013 and it's still a backburner project.

My current WIP has taken me for months so far and I expect one more month to finish. And evens it I'm ahead of schedule as I gave myself a full year to finish the rough.

So now with both those things in mind self-published and one book a month, it's highly doubtful she's sold 500,000 copies. Also her like ratio and followers don't add up when it comes to Book Sales. Her stuff would have to be generic garbage.

But this may be more of Bayview expertise as someone who's been published professionally.