I’ve been writing gay fiction and gay romance for twenty years now. I was around long before the Internet, and if the Internet disappeared tomorrow I’d still be around for another twenty years.

And I’ve seen a lot and heard a lot in that time. I’ve seen authors, agents, editors, book reviewers, and publishers come and go like Presidents (about two to four years is usually the time frame for them to come and go). I’ve seen all the trends and all the hype. But the one thing that always surprises me is when I see authors going after other authors, especially in the same genre.

It’s happened to me a couple of times, where authors have attacked me without having a solid reason. And while I don’t really give a damn one way or the other what they think, I have a photographic memory and I never forget. It’s not about forgiveness because these people are nothing to me. Total dismissal isn’t that difficult for me. I have no emotional connection to them and never will. And each time this has happened to me all it takes is a quick google search for me to “get” what they are all about. And it’s never very impressive.

I would imagine that all authors feel the same way I feel. And when they are attacked, they don’t forget either. So the next time you feel like attacking another author in public, step back, take a deep breath, and think about whether or not you really want to put something out there that will never go away.

And, trust me, it won’t go away. To take this a step further, I even have trouble forgetting authors who attack other authors I love. I’ve seen this happen before, too, and I’ve never forgotten the authors who did it.