You may notice some of your favorite websites going dark today. Wikipedia and Reddit are two of the biggest names, but others, like Google, will be hosting information. You may wonder why SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act is bad. And you may also wonder why the only industries listed as being affected are movies and radio.

First, no one is saying that piracy is good. Piracy costs content providers a lot of money on an annual basis. Piracy hurts not just the “big” guys like bands and authors who are household names. It also hurts the little people who work for these companies because a loss of revenue means potential loss of jobs. However, no one knows how much revenue is lost, and it is wrong to equate one illegal download with one sale. I know, let me pause while the chorus of SOPA supporters gasp and sputter. But the truth is, we honestly do not know how many people would actually buy the work if they could. Some probably would. (We know, for example, that readers/listeners/viewers in foreign countries may pirate because the work isn’t available for legal electronic sale in those countries. They’d buy it if they could.) Now, even if the percentage is a small number, even like ten, five, or even one percent, the loss of revenue is big.

Secondly, most of us agree that something needs to be done. The problem is that technology has evolved faster than the law and the means to deal with piracy.

Third, we live in a global society. As much as we would love to have all countries follow the same copyright laws, we are all individual people and individual countries with our own belief about rules and law and justice. It is true that the majority of pirate sites are hosted outside the US because other countries (like Russia, the Grand Cayman Islands, and others) don’t enforce international copyright law. But a one-size fits all approach is like using a 2×2 piece of gauze. It might be too much for a pin prick and not enough for a gaping wound.

And fourth, every industry is different. You know what bugs me the most about mentions of online piracy and SOPA in main media outlets? No one ever mentions books! It’s all movies and music, RIAA, MPAA, blah, blah blah…. I don’t say that to be dismissive. Music and movies deserve the same copyright protection as books do. However, what movies and music do have are umbrella organizations which do not splinter different genres, different parts of the creative process, and different groups into separate entities, all of whom contain less numbers than a larger group might, and who must fight twice as hard to get their voices heard. Agents have the AAR. Publishers have the Small Publishers Access Network (or other publishing groups). Authors have groups based on their genre, or Novelists, Inc. (NINC) or the Writer’s Guild. But, all of these various groups have their own barriers to entry. (RWA, for example, is one of the genre-based organizations that let anyone join. The others have sales or contractual bars which must be met.)

But I’m also digressing on the bottom line here, which is the reason why we sport the banner on our homepage and why websites are going dark today…

SOPA is not good legislation. It does, as I explained to my significant other during a very interesting discussion about it (Up with Chris Hays on MSNBC, Sunday 01/15/2012 link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46004493#46004493), SOPA is like taking a sledge hammer and trying to hit a thumb tack. Yeah, you’re going to hit the thumb tack (you hope), but you’re also going to ruin your wall and possibly bloody your finger in the process.

Because really, SOPA is designed, and can only affect, US websites. Yeah, the guy from NBC (i.e. big, corporate conglomerate who is probably enmeshed in the old ways of doing business and not understanding that everything is changing) says it won’t. But US law can only affect what happens in the US. It’s like Vegas, but with more bickering and gridlock.

And if a court order (yay for more income to attorneys?) makes Google (for example) delist a piracy site, then guess what, Google is a US company and has data centers in the US, which makes its websites…wait for it… US websites!

The truth is the the technology to get around such blocks already exists and is being used in countries to get around the censorship put in place by opressive regimes.

The truth is, SOPA won’t stop piracy. As we authors are well aware, if someone wants to pirate, they will. The good news (?) of that is studies have shown that people are less likely to read a book or document they downloaded for free than one they paid for.

The truth is, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work here.

And, the truth is, there are others who can explain this far better than I. *smiles*

For more information, please visit

/

And the always informational and articulate boingboing.net (link: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/14/boing-boing-will-go-dark-on-ja.html)

Please act. Please contact your elected officials (and even those officials for whom you didn’t vote, but who represent your state anyway). And please, spread the word.

To quote Schoolhouse Rock: Knowledge is Power!

Her Secret Incantations
by Heather Avalon
erotic magickal contemporary romance
primary M/F relationships with F/F secondary relationships

Cambria has spent years hiding from her magical past. Now she must face her fears and unite with three magicians – Laura, a British stripper who had once been her lover, Xander, a darkly handsome druid, and Jordan, a reggae musician who plays an enchanted drum.
Together, this unlikely group must defeat a dangerous enemy, before that enemy destroys them.
Greater even than the magical power they share is their realization of its true source: the love that forges them into a family.

Purchase Direct From Pink Petal Books

Excerpt:

Breakfast at the Tavern reminded Laura of California. They offered things like yogurt parfait, avocado omelet, and tempeh. It was hard to feel sad or stressed as she sipped tea and watched the sunbeams playing on the aged, rustic floorboards.

Once their food arrived, Xander interrupted their polite small talk. “It seems we have a few things to discuss, both business and personal.”

Laura expected Cambria to say something snide, but she didn’t. She simply nodded.

“I will say this to both of you.” Xander continued. “I am very much interested in getting to know Cambria better. My intentions are romantic.”

He paused, as if waiting for a response, then continued. “I am very aware of the history that you two girls share, and I am also aware that I have never been Cambria’s favorite person. I am hoping we can all find some healing from the past. I also want you both to know how much I love and value you, Laura, as my priestess, my best friend, and sometimes, my lover. I also suspect, that if the two of you would let yourselves, there is still a lot of love and attraction between you.”

Laura felt tears stinging her eyes. She looked at Cam, who looked like she was ready to explode. Laura knew Cam couldn’t keep a serene demeanor forever. None the less, she was surprised when Cam spat words that might have been funny at another time.

“Wait just a minute, Alexander. Is this all just a way to manipulate yourself into bed with two hot girls?”

Xander smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t turn it down, but no. I just think the three of us have a complicated history, and many deep feelings between us. I think we need to put our cards on the table to make sure no one gets hurt.”

Laura found the courage to speak. “I agree with Xander.” She looked directly at Cambria. “Cam, I was so hurt when we stopped being friends. I was hurt when you and Ray chose each other and left me out. I was hurt that you never explained to me that your feelings for Ray were… well, were what they were. Now I am afraid the same thing is happening with Xander. I am afraid for myself, and I am afraid for the Council. The Council can’t stand another rift. And I, I don’t think I could stand to lose you again, Cam. And, Xander, you are such an integral part of my life now. I don’t think that I could lose you and keep myself. And, I have to admit, I am lonely. I want someone to want me the way that men always end up wanting Cambria. . .the way that I have always wanted Cambria.” There. She had said. . .everything.

She expected Xander to be the first to speak, but he wasn’t.

Cambria reached over and took Laura’s hand The gesture was more tender than Laura had thought Cam capable of. “Laura, no one is going to lose anyone. There has been far too much loss already. I am so sorry for the way I played things before. I was young, I was confused… I am not trying to make excuses, but I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you, and in the process of doing so, I hurt myself as well. It is hard for me to acknowledge feelings, to make myself vulnerable, to make commitments. It is especially hard because I seem to have the ability to honestly love more than one person at the same time. I don’t know how to deal with that, so I have chosen to stay single since Ray died. I’m lonely, too, Laura. And I have missed you, so much.”

Laura had no time to react before Cam switched her gaze to Xander.

“Xander,” Cam began. “There was a time when I blamed all evil in the world on you. Now I can see two things clearly. One is that I probably judged you harshly. Two is that you really have grown and changed a lot. No doubt there is an energy between us. But if it is going to hurt Laura, you and I will not explore those possibilities.”

“I agree, Cam,” Xander said slowly. “I have always been a bit in love with both of you. I don’t want to hurt either of you. I will bow to your wisdom in this matter.”

“No,” said Laura. “It’s not that I don’t want the two of you to be together. It’s that… well, it’s that I want to be with you too.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.

Comrade Bear
by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance

Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.

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Excerpt:

Damn it, look at me. Out here, this close to the men, Aleksander knew he just couldn’t reach out and grab Trent, but that was exactly what he wanted to do. I’m going off on a mission and might never come back. If I’d told him how close I’d come to getting shot the last time… He silenced his thoughts.

Trent started walking, and he fell into step beside him. For several minutes neither one of them spoke, and Aleksander enjoyed the companionship between them.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Reaching out, he grabbed Trent’s arm. “Wait.”

Trent stopped. He turned and the sadness in his eyes rocked Aleksander back on his heels. “You have to go back. We can’t do this right now.”

“Yes, we can. And we have to.” He puffed out a breath. It plumed in the chilly air, a little cloud that seemed to hover around them. “I don’t think you were truthful with Bjorn. I don’t think you are okay with this mission.”

Trent closed his eyes and appeared to count to three. “And if I’m not?” He unclenched his free hand then checked the GPS. “We’re soldiers, Aleks. We follow orders. It’s what we do.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts,” Trent barked at him. “Isn’t that what you told me? Of course, right after that you said that westerners didn’t know the depth of your feelings for the Motherland and what your people had gone through, but we’ll forget that right now. It’s ancient history. You were right about one thing. We’re soldiers. There’s no room for regrets in our lives. We do our mission to the best of our ability and try like hell to come home alive.”

“We do. But that doesn’t mean we have to like it.” Aleksander released Trent’s arm, then rested his hand on Trent’s shoulder. “I don’t know…”

“Don’t say it,” Trent ordered. “You’ll do what you have to do, and then you’ll get your hot ass back here. All right?”

“Yes, sir,” he replied with a cocky grin. Now that was the Trent he loved to play with. “If it makes any difference, I’m not okay with this mission either. But like you said, it’s orders. And it will take down the Corporation. I promise you.”

“I don’t care about the Corporation at the moment,” Trent admitted. “Go. We don’t want to do anything to make them suspicious.”

“I will.” He stepped forward. With a quick glance in either direction to check for the other men, he pressed a hard kiss against Trent’s lips. He pulled back, the slight tug of skin a sign that he’d hesitated a moment too long. He grinned. “I better go. Otherwise they might find two male polar bears fucking out here, and wouldn’t that make the scientists talk.”

“You’re worried about the scientists?” Trent glanced back at camp. “Stay safe.”

“For you.” Spinning on his heel, Aleksander took off at a jog and headed away from camp. The need to glance over his shoulder, to see if Trent was watching him, burned through him. Instead, he focused on the horizon, on the team of shifters he knew lay several kilometers away.

Purchase direct from Pink Petal Books.

Her Secret Incantations by Heather Avalon
a contemporary novel of pagan magick
primary relationships M/F with F/F secondary relationship
novel length (approx 45,000 words)
ISBN# 978-0-9848970-8-7
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs

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Cambria has spent years hiding from her magical past.  Now she must face her fears and unite with three magicians – Laura, a British stripper who had once been her lover, Xander, a darkly handsome druid, and Jordan, a reggae musician who plays an enchanted drum.

Together, this unlikely group must defeat a dangerous enemy, before that enemy destroys them.

EXCERPT:
Xander stood by the passenger door, a glass of champagne in his hand. She had to admit, he looked every bit as good as she did. He wore a good dark suit with a casual grace that was classy, without being pretentious. He had tied his long hair back in a silver hairclip. For a moment, neither spoke, each taking in the vision of the other. Then, he approached her. He took her arm and handed her the champagne.

Inside the limo, Cam began to wonder if Xander’s champagne was as enchanted as her incense had been. She found herself feeling lighter and more carefree than she had in years. Conversation flowed along with the champagne. Almost against her will, Cambria realized she was beyond challenging Xander, and even beyond flirting with him. She was actually talking with him as a peer, maybe even as a friend.

The Tavern was just as she had remembered it. Only the staff had changed. For this Cambria was grateful. She didn’t want anyone to remember her and ask about Ray. Of course, the food, and the atmosphere, were exquisite, but Cambria barely noticed. As the evening wore on, Cambria was becoming more sure that the most delicious thing on the menu would be Xander himself. So captivated by this new Xander, she began to forget her reasons for hating him in the first place. When he said something witty, her laughter was spontaneous and genuine. When he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, she felt a spark of energy leap from his hand to hers. Gone were her schemes of captivating him and leaving him cold, it was she who was captivated.

Cambria hadn’t feel that kind of tug on her heart in years; this week she had felt it twice. She had felt it at Sloane’s with Laura, and now, tonight, with Xander. Cam couldn’t help thinking this wasn’t coincidence; perhaps Laura’s interruption of her quiet life would serve a destiny beyond the business of the Council. What that destiny might be was unclear. All Cam knew was that, for the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive.

In the limo on the way back to the festival site, they kissed sweetly for the first time. Cam felt a burning emptiness inside her, and for a moment wanted nothing more than for him to fully take her right there in the limousine. Instead, she pulled away from him and looked him directly in the eyes.

“Will you take me to your place tonight, Alexander?” She asked. His answer surprised her.

“No, Cam, I won’t.” he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“I wanted tonight to be a beginning, not an end. I do want you, maybe more than I’ve ever wanted anyone before. But that’s why I want to wait. I think there could be something real here between us. I feel it. I know you feel it too.”

Cam looked down, afraid of the intensity of his words and of the fire in his eyes. Afraid, too, that she did feel it, and didn’t have a clue what that might mean.

Xander went on, his sonorous voice was almost hypnotizing. “Our agreement was dinner and nothing more. I want to honor that agreement. I want you to know how much I have enjoyed our time together, and how much I hope that you will consent to let me take you out again as soon as our council business will allow.”

At the mention of the Council, Cam stared hard at him, angry for a moment. Xander caught her expression and understood.

“No, Cam, I am not wooing you romantically in order to win your support for the Council. But the council business is as much of a reality as what we have between us. I would like to keep those two things separate.

Cam nodded.

Xander continued. “I want to take you out again, and again. I want us to get to know each other. Then, and only then, will I ask you to welcome me to your bed. If you consent, you will make me a happy man. If you don’t, you can rest assured that you will always have my friendship, and my respect.”

With that, he kissed her on the cheek as the limo pulled up to her camper.

Cam was too impressed to be very disappointed. Well played. She stood in the night air, hand on the camper door, reluctant to go inside and let the evening end. She watched the limo’s red tail lights light up the trees as it pulled away.

Comrade Bear by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance
novel length (approx 55,000 words)
ISBN# 978-0-9848970-7-0
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs

Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.

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Excerpt:

Trent cast a sidelong glance at his teammate across the counter. Aleksander piled cold cuts and cheese on two slices of crusty bread, then doused the mixture with spicy mustard. Trent glanced at his own, nearly identical sandwich and decided to pass on the mustard.

Damn it! Yet one more thing that we share: our taste in sandwiches. We’re also the only two sane guys in this outpost, never mind that he turned traitor against his country not once, but twice.

That still bugged Trent.

He grabbed his sandwich and shoved away from the counter. Deep inside him, his bear twitched, hungry for food and for a run. They’d been holed up in here since the last raid on the Russian Corporation. Vik, the general who ran this EU Special Forces unit, had told them to stay low while he dug up some information. Apparently that’s what Louhi was doing, too. Though watching the Shami woman leave the building wearing little more than a light jacket to shake her rattle kind of wierded him out. If it couldn’t be seen or touched, then as far as Trent was concerned, it didn’t really exist. And the Bear spirits with whom she spoke could barely be seen, and definitely not touched.

He glanced out the window and wondered if she were out there now, probably with her mates, the twins Marc and Hans Svetter.

“I think Louhi is in the lab talking to Sigrid,” Aleksander said. He sat down across from Trent and bit into his sandwich.

“Okay,” Trent said, not quite comfortable with the easy way Aleksander seemed to be able to read his thoughts. Of course, he had good reason, but still—Trent reached for his plate, then grabbed his glass of water instead. Taking a big drink, he stared at his teammate. “So why are you here?”

“I was hungry?” Aleksander arched an eyebrow. “Or do you mean here, on Vik’s team.”

“You know damn well what I mean.” Trent picked up his sandwich.

“And you damn well know the reason why.” Alexander pushed away from the table. Grabbing his now-empty plate, he turned toward the sink. “I was going to talk to you about Louhi’s work, about this crazy Bear Clan shit, but if you’re going to snarl, then go back to hibernation.”

“Can’t hibernate around here. We have work to do.”

“Yes, we do.” Dishes clanked in the sink. A moment later the dishwasher racks rattled, then the door thumped closed. Aleksander stomped back to the table. Pulling out the chair, he straddled it, resting his arms on the thin back. He glared at Trent. “I don’t think you like this any more than I do. We’re in the military. Fighting is what we do, and we fight with guns, with weapons we can hold and feel. And, we fight with our bears if we have to. This spiritual stuff…” Aleksander shrugged. “I do what I’m told. That’s it.”

“You take orders from higher ranking officers,” Trent corrected. “But yeah, that about sums it up. Vik’s gathering intelligence. I’m sure he’ll have work for us to do soon.”

“And until then, the twins guard Louhi. Cameron takes care of Sigrid in the lab. And we sit around.” Aleksander curled his fingers into a fist and lifted it, then must have thought better because he slowly rested his hand on the table. “Something will happen.”

“You’re Russian,” Trent countered. “You always think something will happen, none if it good.”

A smile quirked the corners of Aleksander’s mouth. Humor twinkled in his blue eyes and for a moment, Trent saw a glimpse of something other than the dour Russian soldier. “It never is good.” Aleksander quickly sobered.

Trent bit back a remark. “Even if we don’t believe in the Bear Clan and the Night Demons, we’ve seen them both. And they’re a part of this battle whether we like it or not.” He modulated his voice, hid that little niggle of doubt that maybe it was true, maybe they were part of some special group of people once lost from the shamans like Louhi. Shaking his head he pushed back his chair. “That means we take those orders and we fight to the best of our ability.”

“You think I don’t?”

“I didn’t say that.” Trent caught and held the challenging gaze Aleksander threw at him. “Didn’t say that all. We simply do our jobs until Vik tells us otherwise. It’s what we do.” This time, Trent smiled.

“It’s what we do. Until something happens.” Aleksander chuckled.

Trent joined in, caught up in the moment of camaraderie between two team members. He’d worked for Vik long enough to know how things went. Lots of waiting with little spurts of action in between. Presumably Aleksander had had those same experiences, though Trent didn’t know exactly how long he’d worked for Vik. Aleksander had never said.

Silence grew between them. Trent glanced at the clock, too early to check in for briefing. Somewhat at loose ends, he decided to sit and see where the conversation went.

“Will you—?”

“Don’t you—?”

They both spoke at the same time.

A memory, harsh and fleeting, crossed Trent’s mind and he shoved it away before it could spark another. “Will you hear from any of the team you were working with before?”

Aleksander shook his head. “If they found me, they’d kill me. I’m a traitor to them. If Vik’s right, then only the small group knew who I was and most of them are dead. If I have to go back, hopefully my cover won’t be blown.”

“They wouldn’t send you back, would they?” Trent furrowed his brow. Vik never sent them directly into hell, only around the edges, as the old man often said. To send one of their team back knowing he could be killed at any moment seemed a bit brutal, even for this mission.

“I go where I’m needed.” Aleksander stood. “Want a beer?”

“But we’re on duty.” The words slipped from Trent’s lips before he could remind himself of the Europeans’ different attitudes toward spirits.

“When in Rome…or rather, Norway,” Aleksander suggested.