I'd begun to think I was making too much of the fact that someone has stolen my profile on Twitter. Well, copied it, to be precise, into her profile, to make it look as though she has written my book, owns my blog, etc.
Or perhaps she hasn't. Maybe it was a mistake, on her part or Twitter's. That's why I haven't named her - I'm not interested in making any unwarranted accusations. I've tweeted her politely several times and asked her to desist. And I sent a formal complaint to Twitter several days ago.
Now Twitter have replied - and apparently it's fine to nick someone's profile and pretend you have written their books, own their website, etc. For her to claim to be me, in fact, intentional or not. I just need to 'keep an eye on things' and report back if they get 'any worse'.
Hmm. So now all I have to do is to get it confirmed in writing from Twitter that I'm allowed to claim I wrote 'Harry Potter'. Or Ulysses, perhaps. No, I'll go for Madame Bovary. Or Revolutionary Road. Or Room...
Dicey, you'd think. I don't really want to pay a huge fine or go to gaol. But given what they said to me, I don't see how they can object.
Of course, someone else might. There is such a thing as identity theft. Anyone know any lawyers?
Wednesday 6 April 2011
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Lyra and the Adventure of the Flying Fish - a book review
Lyra and W Rabbit have just joined my list of favourite characters of all time. They are up there with Just William and the Moomins, as far as I'm concerned, and I can't say more than that.
This book is utterly delightful. It was inspired, we are told, by a premature baby girl called Lyra whose companion from birth is a cuddly white rabbit called, appropriately enough, W Rabbit. Disaster strikes when W Rabbit is carried off by a schol of flying fish. But with the help of various aquatic companions, including an aristocratic turtle called Timothy, Lyra manages to track him down. W Rabbit is top of the class at the flying school, but he happily gives up his career to rejoin his beloved Lyra.
At the end, we see the real Lyra, now big enough no longer to need the special breathing apparatus that looked like a snorkel and inspired the story.
The language is delightful; the illustrations are out of this world. Together they make magical music.
Young, old or somewhere in-between, you'll love this book.
Book details:
Lyra and the Adventure of the Flying Fish
Author: Peter Emina
Illustrator: Alice Ridley
Published by Phoenix Yard Books, London
Age: 7-9
RRP: £11.99
ISBN: 978-1-907912-01-6
Publication Date: 28-03-2011
See on the publishers' website at:
http://www.phoenixyardbooks.com/view_book.php?id=13
Buy on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907912010/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
This book is utterly delightful. It was inspired, we are told, by a premature baby girl called Lyra whose companion from birth is a cuddly white rabbit called, appropriately enough, W Rabbit. Disaster strikes when W Rabbit is carried off by a schol of flying fish. But with the help of various aquatic companions, including an aristocratic turtle called Timothy, Lyra manages to track him down. W Rabbit is top of the class at the flying school, but he happily gives up his career to rejoin his beloved Lyra.
At the end, we see the real Lyra, now big enough no longer to need the special breathing apparatus that looked like a snorkel and inspired the story.
The language is delightful; the illustrations are out of this world. Together they make magical music.
Young, old or somewhere in-between, you'll love this book.
Book details:
Lyra and the Adventure of the Flying Fish
Author: Peter Emina
Illustrator: Alice Ridley
Published by Phoenix Yard Books, London
Age: 7-9
RRP: £11.99
ISBN: 978-1-907912-01-6
Publication Date: 28-03-2011
See on the publishers' website at:
http://www.phoenixyardbooks.com/view_book.php?id=13
Buy on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907912010/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
Sunday 3 April 2011
Seriously weird - I have a twitter ghost
OK, so Coping with Chloe is about a girl whose identity is being threatened by her (dead) twin sister.
Would you believe that my Twitter identity is now being threatened by a ghostly Tweeter who has copied some of my tweets, stolen my profile and is thus claiming to have written 'Chloe'?
No, I wouldn't have believed it either. Truth is stranger than fiction and all that.
It's worrying, as well as funny and apt. If she starts sending out her own tweets in my name, things could get serious. I've already tweeted to her several times, asking her politely to remove my profile from her name. It could be a simple mistake after all, on her part or Twitter's. I've also reported it to twitter.com.
I'm told I should feel flattered! It would be nice to think she has singled me out as a celebrity author (ha!), but I doubt it somehow. She probably chose my profile at random or it was done by one of her friends as a silly joke. Or perhaps Twitter has messed up...
Anyway - since there are now two of me I have just eaten enough Mother's Day chocolates for both of us, at least :)
Would you believe that my Twitter identity is now being threatened by a ghostly Tweeter who has copied some of my tweets, stolen my profile and is thus claiming to have written 'Chloe'?
No, I wouldn't have believed it either. Truth is stranger than fiction and all that.
It's worrying, as well as funny and apt. If she starts sending out her own tweets in my name, things could get serious. I've already tweeted to her several times, asking her politely to remove my profile from her name. It could be a simple mistake after all, on her part or Twitter's. I've also reported it to twitter.com.
I'm told I should feel flattered! It would be nice to think she has singled me out as a celebrity author (ha!), but I doubt it somehow. She probably chose my profile at random or it was done by one of her friends as a silly joke. Or perhaps Twitter has messed up...
Anyway - since there are now two of me I have just eaten enough Mother's Day chocolates for both of us, at least :)
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