I posted about this awhile ago and wanted to update everyone on the recent developments in this plagiarism case. But first, I just wanted to say that I love books, reading and have come to know and respect a lot of authors. With today’s technology and social media it is easy to get to know your favorite authors. Even ten years ago I would only really know an author based on what was written on the book jacket. But now, I can really get to know them through their blogs, websites and social media. Authors are real people; they have their own lives going on and luckily are able to share their passion for writing with readers like me. Before August 10, I did not know Rachel Nunes at all. I had read a few of her books; I have found memories of my dear friend recommending one of her books back in high school. I loved it. So, I was shocked and upset when I heard that one of her books (one I actually had waiting on my Kindle) had been plagiarized. Not only had another author, Sam Taylor Mullens, stolen Rachel’s characters and story, but she had added sex scenes into a clean, Christian novel. When Rachel reached out to Mullens, she was not only rebuffed and Mullens refused to work with her, but then Mullens began an online attack of Rachel and her books.
When this all started unfolding and as I’ve watched it progress I have been so impressed with how Rachel has handled everything. She has chosen to take the high road; she has shown kindness and compassion and has a strong desire to make sure this does not happen to anyone else. I have been blessed to get to know Rachel better over the past few weeks and can honestly say she is a good person. She has been very careful about how this case is handled and wanted to make sure that even the perpetrator of this horrible crime was treated fairly.
I am happy to report that Mullens has been positively identified as Tiffanie Rushton, a Utah school teacher and while I am upset with what she has done and how she has acted over the past few weeks, I think it’s important to stress that this case is in the hands of very capable lawyers and that is where it should be. Even though Tiffanie has done some bad things, I would not want people to bully her or her family. Tiffanie hid behind at least seventeen fake profiles, she recently created a new author pen-name (Lucy Evans) and it’s very likely she would plagiarize again. It is important that her criminal activity is brought to light and that people know her name so they can protect themselves and their work. The fact is, Tiffanie will see justice without being bullied, Tiffanie has received a summons to appear in Federal court on complaints of copyright infringement, defamation, casting Rachel Ann Nunes in a false light, injurious falsehood, harassment, false advertising and deceptive trade practices. If the suit is successful, she faces statutory damages of $150,000, plus damages for each sale of the infringing work, damages to compensate for the other allegations in the complaint, and attorney's fees.
Like I mentioned before, Tiffanie has created a new pen-name of Lucy Evans, she is currently soliciting ARCs under her false names and if you have provided her ARCs you may be at risk. Known aliases to be leary of:
* Sam Taylor Mullens
* Lucy Evans
*Other aliases removed
UPDATE: New information has come to light. Apparently, Tiffanie Rushton used the names of her elementary students as her many many aliases. At least thirteen students names were used to review and promote erotic novels. I have removed their names from my blog. If I were one of their parents I would be furious. I am hoping the school and district will take action and hold Ms. Rushton accountable for this horrible misconduct and violation of trust.
Tiffanie has shown her true colors in the way she has handled herself over the past few weeks and even before then. She has used lies, deception and tried to bully Rachel and her supports in an attempt to cover her own tracks. She has shown no remorse and continually places blame on anyone but herself. Tiffanie created multiple identities to promote her own books, she’d give her books high ratings and raving reviews, all while leaving low rating and negative reviews for Rachel’s book.
Here is Rachel’s newest update on everything:
http://rachelannnunes.blogspot.com/2014/09/update-on-stm-plagiarism-case.html
Also, a fellow blogger has written an excellent run down on everything, very informative. Visit his blog here: The John Doppler Affect
Please share this story on your own blogs, help spread the word and hopefully prevent other authors from falling victim to plagiarism.
You can also show your support by donating to Rachel’s GoFundMe fundraiser, she will also be releasing a series of anthologies where fellow authors have come together to show their support. More information to follow.
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Great post. Plagiarism is also against the standards a school teacher must adhere to. Tiffanie could lose her job. It's so sad on many levels.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I've watched this unfold. I am very glad the writing community has rallied around Rachel. She may have been forced to lead the charge, but it's a battle for all of us authors. Since I also write clean romances, I can understand how she must have felt to find that she story--and her characters--had been turned into porn.
btw, I love your blog look!
Donna K. Weaver
http://donnakweaver.com
Hi Donna,
DeleteThanks for you comment! It has been great to see so many other authors supporting Rachel. It really could happen to anyone and I'm glad Rachel decided to fight this and to help hold Rushton accountable. As a mother of four young kids I wouldn't want Rushton teaching them. She has shown a lack of judgment and low ethics.
I'm not an author, but I can only imagine how hard it would be to see your book not only stolen but then to have graphic sex scenes added in.
BTW, I really enjoyed your book, A Change of Plans! It was a fun read! :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this! It is infuriating, hearing about the lows Rushton is willing to stoop to. She steals from Rachel Nunes, she steals from a wounded veteran, and she uses the names of little children as sock puppets. I am absolutely flabbergasted.
ReplyDeleteBefore all of this came to light, I was actually "friends" with Sam Taylor Mullens on facebook. I am a relatively new indie author and recently self published my second book. I am friends on social networking sites with many authors and we take pride in promoting each other, often swapping our stories as well. I joined a facebook group that Sam Taylor Mullens was also a part of. Although we didn't really talk much, I signed up to read and review what was going to be her upcoming release of "The Auction Deal" and didn't think much about it when she also requested a copy of my first release "Don't Turn Back." At this point I was getting ready to release my sequel "Never Look Back" and began asking for reviews to sign up for Advanced Reader Copies. Mullens messaged me and asked for a copy. But here's the kicker. To my knowledge she never reviewed my first story or even read it for that matter, but she asked if she could have a PDF copy so she could print it out. She hoped I wouldn't mind her printing it and claimed she was going into the hospital for a period of time and the hospital wouldn't allow electronic reading devices. That's where I drew the line. Something seemed odd about it and I got a really bad feeling. I questioned another author in our facebook group if she felt this might be a little strange, and even though she really didn't seem too concerned, I couldn't follow through with it. My gut instinct said not to so I didn't email her the PDF. Days later, all of this comes to light about her plagiarism and I'm floored because I did actually send her a mobi copy of my first story. Then, I receive an email from her saying she was not going to publish "The Auction Deal" and that I needed to delete the file from my reading device. I began to follow the story a little more but never heard more. Now, after reading the latest about all her her alias names, I have to wonder if I should be concerned since she did in fact have a copy of my first story. Can you offer any advice to me or direct me to someone who may be working on this case? Thanks.
ReplyDelete