Any of y'all ever heard of a lesbian fiction writer by the name of Jessica Casavant? I received a copy of one of her novels (2004 "Walking Wounded") for Christmas (I think it was actually on my Amazon.com wish list) and the more I read the more convinced I became I'd read it before. It took some digging (I've been an avid reader all my life and have a LOT of books), but I finally found the answer in Nora Roberts' "Hidden Riches". I'm not talking "germ of the idea" here -- I'm talking about characters, plot, even huge chunks of dialogue copied VERBATIM. Pick up both books and have a look yourself. You will be shocked, as I was. I mean, you hear about plagiarism, you know it exists, but to actually see it in print. Personally, I couldn't imagine plagiarizing an author as widely read as Nora Roberts, but it's been suggested to me that possibly Casavant didn't think anyone who'd be reading lesbian romance novels would also be reading mainstream (straight) romance novels. If so, it was a foolish gamble. In my opinion, Casavant is an embarrassment to herself and to the lesbian writing community. Hell, to the writing community in general. I've contacted Nora Roberts' publicist so they could pursue the matter, but I just can't stand the thought that there are lesbian writers out there struggling to make it with their own talent and hard work, and then you find someone like Casavant who's copying directly from one of the best loved romance writers in print today with message boards talking about how believable "her" characters are and how riviting "her" plots are. Here are just a couple examples to convince you I'm not imagining things:

From Jessica Casavant's "Walking Wounded":
Megan Cartwright moved through the storeroom to unlock the backdoor that led to the inside stairway. She had to juggle her purse and her overnight bag, as well as the coat she'd stripped off on entering the store. Muttering to herself, she managed to hit the light switch in the stairway with her shoulder. She was halfway down the hall when she saw the light spilling out of the neighboring apartment. The new tenant. She had forgotten that she had asked Willy to take care of that while she was out of town. Shifting her grip, she walked to the door--still braced pen with a box--and peered in.

From "Hidden Riches" by Nora Roberts:
She moved through the storeroom to unlock the door that led to the inside stairway. She had to juggle the box, her purse and her overnight bag, as well as the coat she'd stripped off on entering the shop. Muttering to herself, she managed to hit the light switch in the stairway with her shoulder. She was halfway down the hall when she saw the light spilling out of the neighboring apartment. The new tenant. Shifting her grip, she walked to the door that was braced pen with a box and peered in.

From "Walking Wounded":
Sensing she was being watched, she whipped around, blue eyes fierce. Her face was devoid of all expression, as if someone had taken a brush and carefully erased it all--except for her eyes. They were alive, and angry.
"Your door was open," Megan said apologetically. And was immediately annoyed that she'd excused herself from standing her own hallway.

From "Hidden Riches":
Before she had made a sound, she saw his body tense. His head whipped around. Dora found herself fighting the instinct to step back in defense as he pinned her with eyes that were hard, expressionless and shockingly blue.
"Your door was open," she said apologetically, and was immediately annoyed that she'd excused herself from standing her own hallway.

From "Walking Wounded":
She smiled at her grandmother's note. Skimming a finger down the lease until she came to Alex's signature, Megan dashed her own name on the line next to it on both copies. Grabbing one, she strode to her door and across the hall and knocked. After a pause, the door opened. Megan thrust the lease out. "You'll need this for your records."
Alex took it. His gaze lowered, scanned, then lifted again. "Why'd the old woman leave this with you?"
Megan's chin lifted, her eyes suddenly cool "The old man," she said in a deceptively mild tone, "is my grandmother. I own the building, which makes me your landlord." She turned around and was across the hall in two strides. She could feel Alex's eyes on her back. With her hand on the knob, Megan paused. Her thick blonde hair swung out, curved, settled.
"The rent's due on the first of each month. You can slip the check under my door and save yourself a stamp, as well as any contact with other humans." She slipped inside and closed the door with a satisfied snap.

From "Hidden Riches":
Setting the note aside, she skimmed a finger down the lease until she came to Jed's signature. It was a bold scrawl, and she dashed her own name on the line next to it on both copies. Lifting one, she strode to her door and across the hall and knocked.
When the door opened, Dora thrust the lease out, crushing the corner against Jed's chest. "You'll need this for your records."
He took it. His gaze lowered, scanned, then lifted again. "Why'd the old man leave this with you?"
Her chin tilted up. "The old man," she said in mild tones, "is my father. I own the building, which makes me, Mr. Skimmerhorn, your landlord." She turned on her heel and was across the hall in two strides. With her hand on the knob, she paused, turned. Her hair swung out, curved, settled. "The rent's due on the twenty-first of each month. You can slip the check under my door and save yourself a stamp, as well as any contact with other humans."
She slipped inside and closed the door with a satisfied snick of the lock.

There is much more (the whole book!), but I think the above will be enough to convince you there was deliberate plagiarism here and I think the people who felt entertained by Casavant's work deserve to know the truth. I hope you will support me in spreading the word. There are too many lesbian writers out there struggling to make it for our community to waste a dime supporting someone's deception.
Of course I don't know if anyone here feels as strongly about this as I do. What would y'all have done if you discovered something like this? Someone actually suggested that hard as it is for lesbian writers to make a living writing is exactly why I should not have contacted Roberts' people, as if that was some kind of an excuse for what she did. Problem is, I'm a huge Nora Roberts fan. I actually heard her speak at a writers' conference in Corpus almost 20 years ago and think I've read everything she's ever written. Does anyone here think there's ever an excuse for something like this?

No excuse.

I just can't stand the thought that there are ANY writers out there struggling to make it with their own talent and hard work, and then someone like Casavant comes along.

It's no more difficult for "lesbian writers" to make a living than any other sort of writer.

It might be more difficult to sell lesbian fiction, but that doesn't excuse ripping off someone else's work.

Who ever suggested that you should not have contacted Roberts' people is misguided. If lesbian writers want to be taken seriously they need to be treated the same as any other professional writer would.

Good on you for the steps you have taken.