It was weird, being at work and then having a coworker message me via Facebook to tell me I was #11 on a list of things about Barnes and Noble (working there, anyway). I knew it was trouble, immediately (as I still work there), and figured out the author’s email. I sent him a polite email and told him to kindly take it down as 1. He never asked me (or anyone else he used in the article I imagine) to use my Instagram picture for his article, which to be fair wasn’t even an article, more like a list of other people’s twitter statuses and Instagram posts with his one sentence commentary underneath that wasn’t even in context of what was happening in the picture.

Whatever, I’m just glad he took it down because the next day everyone at work (well mostly everyone) knew I had been in the article and upon mentioning it to a manager, she said, “Oh man, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you because you still work here.” And I assured her I took it down.

This is what troubles me about this age we live in where people just cut and paste, drag and drop the things they want to use, even if those things have little to do with the article in question. And it certainly puts people’s livelihood’s and relationships in jeopardy. (Just think what would have happened if I didn’t have the wherewithal to have the image taken down. The bookstore I work for is huge on things being associated with them, especially when you’re on your off days.)

It’s a thin line to keeping your safety yours and contained and having freedom of expression.

A line I hope we can solidify soon.

This ordeal has left me feeling creeped out, surveyed, and scared of losing my job (something no one should ever have to deal with).

I’m glad I didn’t give into the ‘internet fame’ mentality that blankets our internet-generation now (I did gain a slew of new Instagram followers thanks to the article, but that doesn’t really mean anything in the real world). Sure it may translate to book sales in the future (huge may), but it doesn’t really help my present where I have to work for a living and I’m actually excited about my job.

Sigh, I guess there’s nothing to be done but send nice emails and continue on.

This has me a lot more observant of what I put on the internet (though I always was), but to be fair, I never put the name of the bookstore I work at in hashtags or anything like that, nor will I ever. It is on this website and my Tumblr page, sure, but it is never mentioned what location I work in or anything. It just boggles the mind how things can be taken, and out of context, at that.

Well, life goes on, as does writing (which has been very fruitful and wonderful, might I add – a certain Alexandria Stone is not taking too well to her new state, as one can imagine – read a mini excerpt below) – and that’s what I have to be doing right now before I head to work, so as usual

With Blood and Love,

The Goblet: Book 4 – WiP

She stared down at the dead man below her, the words drifting through her mind endlessly, indeed. She had felt, when she had awoken, that hands, many hands had been pulling her down, down into the dirt; a never-ending coldness surrounding her as the life was pressed from her.

But then she saw him, the Vampire who was always there. Yes, Dracula appeared in-between her time of life and death, his cool brown eyes never leaving her own as she was dragged further downward, his long white hair flying about his head in the wild wind.

She had reached out to him for help, incensed and terrified when he would not lift a hand, merely smile his small, cold smile. That was when she realized he wanted her to be taken under, wanted her to die, indeed, wanted her to become this—