So two Christmases ago, my mother bought me a Kindle. It was the Kindle 2 and she had it shipped from the US (then like two months later, they launched the Kindle 3 in the UK at half the price... thanks for that, Amazon...). I spent the next few months browsing Amazon, getting samples of books and then buying the most interesting ones. I love my Kindle. Anyway, after a while, I saw that a Hala Pickford had reissued Natacha Rambova's book and also written a novel about Valentino. Oh, a Pickford, I thought. They must know a lot about Hollywood history with that kind of connection AND writing about Valentino. That is, of course, what she wants you to think... I bought both books without getting the samples first. BIG mistake.
I read the Rambova book first and was deeply annoyed by the whole thing; the formatting was horrendous, there were glaringly obvious spelling mistakes, and the author had interjected her own comments throughout the text. These comments were all opinion and had no place in a book like this. Some were also just rants at other people (such as those who thought Valentino may have been gay... I did not understand the significance at the time...).
I posted a review on here and on Amazon as I felt entirely ripped off. Hala commented on here about various aspects and was largely respectful and addressed a few of the issues, though we will always disagree that there is a difference between talking and singing... As a former singer, she should know that herself. But I digress...
Hala offered to send me a paper copy of the book to see if it was any better than the Kindle version. Contrary to what others claim, it DID NOT fall apart. Sheesh!
I was reading her blog one day when I saw the incident between her and Tracy Terhune. I ran a google cache search that confirmed a lot of what she said was accurate (he posted various things on his website and then deleted them; incidentally, Terhune emailed me a while ago and said that I had posted absolute lies about him on here that I had got from Hala when in fact I had not posted anything that google had not already confirmed. I did not reply). I then posted a piece about it (since deleted after things started flaring up) and Hala contacted me to thank me for speaking out. I was tired of all of the bitchy personal comments on Amazon about Hala so I deleted my review on there, just leaving the one on here. From then on, Hala and I would exchange emails. She told me all the troubles she was having with Terhune and she also mentioned a David Bret, whom she said was abusing her on his blog and on various forums. I had a read through and some of what he said was wildly offensive and unnecessary so I blogged about that too. I will say, though, that there was no evidence for a lot of what Hala claimed; she did forward me a few emails allegedly from Bret but there was nothing that could actually be verified. David Bret posted some abuse about me, including taking my photos from my google account and making snide comments about non-issues. This went on for a while and then Hala told me about an Evelyn Zumaya who was also getting abuse from Bret after she had made some comments abut him on her own blog, Valentino Speaks (since deleted).
I followed the blog as well as Bret's, observing the various arguments and mud-slinging. I will be honest, I did not like Zumaya from the start; I found her to be overly confrontational and rude. But at least she was standing up to him.
Hala and I continued to exchange emails and she told me other stories of her enemies, such as a Zachary Jaydon/Jaydon D Paull and all the problems they had had in Florida. I googled him and found a hate-filled blog, obviously set up by Hala. She told me he was a convicted criminal, etc. I have no idea if these two individuals are the same person but there is a Jaydon D Paull in the US who is a convicted criminal; he sued after an accident in a prisoner transport vehicle... It is handy having access to criminology databases sometimes!
I blogged various things but only about Bret as he was the most vocal and the only one attacking me directly at this point.
Zumaya continued with her own blogging and then Hala Pickford sent me a link to a blog and said I had better never tell anyone she had sent me the link. It was the Boycott David Bret blog and she gave me the password and invited me to write for it. I never did. She told me Zumaya was writing for it which she has since denied but there were two very distinct writing styles on there and there was stuff posted which was verbatim what was on Zumaya's blog. Even Bret picked up on that at the time and blogged about it.
In retaliation, Bret set up his own Boycott Hala Pickford blog. Various people received more of his special attention, including the three of us. I responded to some things, ignored others.
Then I got a series of emails from Zumaya. These were sent to my private email address that I only give out to a select few people, one of those being Hala Pickford; anyone can contact me via the two email addresses I have on my blog and I will reply from those until I feel they can be trusted. I was kind of annoyed about this as I viewed it as an invasion of privacy. After receiving the first email from Zumaya, I got one from Pickford, confirming she had passed on my email address and "I hope that's OK". No, it was not OK but there was not much I could do about it at that point. Zumaya's emails showed her to be a very bitter person with a serious vendetta against David Bret. She was so consumed with hatred that I was actually quite concerned for Hala as they were obviously friends and socialised together.
Then the Agenti emails appeared. Zumaya told me of the content in great detail while Hala just mentioned that Zumaya had received an email from someone with information about Bret. I thought it was all a bit weird and said so. Then Zumaya posted the emails on her blog, associating David Bret with rape, sexual abuse, paedophilia and lottery wins(!). That was it for me. I posted a blog entry making it clear I was through with the both of them as Hala obviously was far too dependent on Zumaya to see what she had done was very wrong.
Bret went quiet towards me but then bounced back with a particularly nasty post. I responded that he ought to fact-check before making wild accusations and then he emailed me, demanding to know if I had been reviewing his books. I confirmed I had not posted any online reviews and then we exchanged a few more emails and sorted everything out. Bret apologised for the abuse and I deleted all posts that contained source material from Hala Pickford as, by this point, I did not think she could be trusted. I believed that Zumaya had posted the reviews in my name but then Hala let slip that it was actually her that had done it. Lovely.
Bret and Zumaya stepped up their mutual abuse and then Zumaya suddenly deleted her blog. That was the end of it, I thought, until she appeared with another about a painting she was doing but I think that only lasted a couple of entries.
All was quiet, save for Bret and Pickford throwing things at each other occasionally. Then she had all of her restraining orders against people and then there was the defamation case.... By this time, the other anti-Pickford blog was in full swing. I was completely out of it by this point, being far too busy with other things to get involved any longer.
Then Affairs Valentino received a rushed release. I tried to buy it but could not. I blogged about this and then Pickford tweeted me that it would soon be available in the UK and I would be welcome to review it.
What utter bollocks.
When I finally did get hold of a copy, I started reviewing it and Zumaya appeared with a new blog and started harassing and attacking me! She had been a "victim" of this herself and then goes straight on and does it to someone else! Clever...
My reviews are honest; I don't think the book should have been published as it is. It looks like a rough draft that was thrown together and not proof-read at all. Aside from the spelling and grammar, the "facts" contradict other very well-known information (such as when Valentino actually died). Plus there are many issues with the sources... I have, however, already covered all of this so I will not go through it all here again.
While Hala Pickford addressed issues with her book, Zumaya's response? To post a picture of a dead animal and reference me in the tags, to accuse me of being controlled by David Bret, to call me the "depressed Bamboo woman", to make up other derogatory names for me.
Does this seem normal to ANYONE??
Seriously, what sort of decent author would behave like this?
I have raised important issues about this book and she replies by calling me Bret's "hate spewing mouthpiece". Where does she even get that from? I reacted to her abuse and she makes me out to be the bad person? Does she not see that if she had not been so absolutely nasty towards me, I would not have wished her a painful death? I guess she thinks she is allowed to do whatever she wants.
She attacks me because Terhune had commented on here and due to the people who follow my blog. Firstly, my blog is open so absolutely anyone can follow it. Secondly, as long as they are not abusive, anyone can comment on my blog. Except for tossers. Tossers get censored.
"Someone" (I know who) posted my real name and home address on various websites. Google removed one and the others were removed after I stated on here that I had gone to the police. I live with my elderly mother (have done since she suffered a major stroke). Are they hoping some psycho will come round and beat us both to death?
Whatever.
I received a tip-off the other night that the police wanted to speak to me so I contacted the authorities myself. I was informed "If any silly cow starts complaining about your blog to me, I will personally have them arrested for wasting police time. I bloody love your call centre posts!"
So there you have it.
Should you review a book, you will be harassed, abused, threatened.
I would stop reviewing the book (as I said, I am not finding it a "pleasant" read) but I know that will not stop her from harassing and abusing me. I have received several emails - one from a very surprising source - confirming that Zumaya will not stop until my blog is shut down. After-all, that is just a great way to deal with a negative review!
I have other more important things to worry about than this woman. As people are aware, my sister is terminally ill, my nephew just had his Olympic career ruined by some stupid twat that attacked him, and then there is taking care of my mother and grandmother. Also consider I am the primary wage earner in my family for various reasons and you realise there is more to life than having to defend myself from daily abuse.
And that's that.
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