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Recently the author SH posted on his blog an entry showing pictures of himself. He said it was because anon trolls were trying to dox him and out his personal information - something he’s long said he’s tried to keep private, though much of which he himself has shared online. *shrug*

In this post he himself admitted to sending fake pictures in the past to people in his readership and friend circles. He admitted to this lie. It hurt a lot of people, people who trusted him. That sucks. But maybe, for some of you, that doesn’t sound like such a big deal…fake pictures? Meh. But it’s the lie that sets this stage.

In the pictures that he himself posted, the pictures he says are REALLY him this time, he is wearing the same eyeglasses, has the same eyes, same expressions, same moles on the same parts of the body, and the same teeth as pictures posted across the internet of a man named Marvin H. A name SH often referred to as his roommate.

So maybe, SH is actually the pen name of Marvin. But if so, Marvin is a married man. Not a single “fuckboy�� (SH's words, not mine) he describes himself as. He is not living on his own, carrying his financial burden on his own, and raising his children on his own…all which he himself has said online. More lies.

There is additional proof, proof that may show the actual writer of SH’s books is a woman, Marvin’s wife. And proof of years of more egregious lies with multiple other made up identities, hurting multiples of more readers. But, this proof has been presented by anon accounts (people too AFRAID to come forward). So since some of you are hesitant when it comes to anon accounts, I’ll look JUST at things SH himself has posted

SH tells us he suffers from liver cancer. He has chronic back pain that is debilitating. Fans send him money to help him so he can write full-time, so he can pay his overwhelming bills. They send him gifts for his new home. I sent him money and gifts too. But he posts pictures that show that he’s a smoker. He posts pictures showing him drinking and talks online about being drunk. He posts videos of himself riding intertubes down mountains. Is this how someone with painful cancer and back issues behaves?

And while he was working full-time in education, writing full-time and making what one would expect is at least a decent second source of income off his books, and with this Patreon money given to him because he’s in such a difficult financial state, he BUYS A HOUSE (and throw in some Michael Jordan sneakers too…yeah, the expensive AF ones). There are many of us that cannot afford to buy a house. Some who can’t afford to buy Jordans. But all of us had big enough hearts to donate to a sick man in debt. Did readers donate to him to help with his medical bills and his financial dire straits or to pay his mortgage so he can live large? At the very least, is this a misrepresentation to fans of his situation?

Yes other people have seen him, spent time with him, posted pictures with him, write with him. But could it be Marvin they were with? And even if not, you can google JT LeRoy. This is a real life story about a catfish, someone who was supposedly a young, bisexual, hard knocks male who became a celebrated author. He met and had close relationships with many people, including posing for pictures with celebrities like Wynona Ryder. Turns out it was all a hoax. The writer was actually a woman and the person posing as JT LeRoy a close relation to the woman. Sound familiar? It’s not as far-fetched as it may seem. IT CAN HAPPEN.

Now, I have zero qualms about pen names, even if they are women writing under male names or vice versa. So let’s not lump this in with stories from the M/M past. What makes this different is the elaborate stories that SH himself has told about his life. As a reader, I didn’t ask his sexuality. I didn’t ask about his childhood. I didn’t ask about his financial situation or his health situation. I didn’t ask about his children. He offered ALL of those amazingly touching stories on his own. But somehow, he always seems to blame readers for invading his privacy and demanding this information whenever he gets hot under the collar and unable to answer questions about discrepancies.

And don’t get me started on the awful words and name-calling he uses towards readers when he’s upset. And the bigoted slurs about specific people identifying as LGBTQ. But, these come from screenshots of his conversations posted by anon accounts. So, I’ll steer us back away from that.

One last thing, since this is ŷ������ and we’ve all been through drama before: why have so many of SH’s very close and most loyal and excited fans and friends from his past dropped off? Have you noticed this? People he interacted with from as far back as his online free-fiction days rarely are seen reading his books or reviewing them with excitement anymore on GR. Some of his most outwardly enthusiastic fans from his first publishing days, silent. They don’t talk to him or about him. People removing reviews of his books all over here on GR. He’d say they were jealous of his fame, they were obsessed with him, they were overbearing, they wanted to have sex with him (*eye roll*). But ALL OF THEM? Every single one?

I’ve noticed this because I was one of them. I’ve known and interacted with him since 2012. And no, I don’t anymore. (Me = not jealous, not obsessed, admittedly sometimes overbearing, not even one iota attracted to “him��.) The damage that his lies, and then his subsequent gaslighting and slander and bullying, have caused, is widespread.

I understand if you want to brush this away as another GR drama. Or as SH puts it “haters gonna hate��. Maybe this is just a person hurt by him (or multiple persons, actually) that are trying to get back at him. But this is why I tried to keep it JUST on things HE HIMSELF shared and the holes in those stories and pictures that don’t add up.

There is a lot more I could share that makes me absolutely certain that something is NOT RIGHT with this author. If you’re willing to read from anon accounts, I suggest you go over to twitter and see the compelling evidence they’re putting out there. And know, there is a lot of FEAR around how s/he will retaliate, thus the anon's. I guess ask yourself��..why is everyone so AFRAID? What has this author done in the past that makes people so sure they’ll be left as carnage along the way if they come forward?

I know this is all A LOT to take in. But if even ONE of these things resonates, or if the total of all these things makes you feel like something is off, I suggest considering if this is worthy of an AUTHORS BEHAVING BADLY badge. You might LOVE the books, but do you support this behavior?

preach it!!!!

thank you for this post

Susan wrote: "He’d say they were jealous of his fame, they were obsessed with him, they were overbearing, they wanted to have sex with him (*eye roll*). ..."

btw these lines are straight from the cheater's playbook, 'oh my ex is obsessed with me, she's psycho, she's stalking me...'

Just a couple of things to the ppl who are hesitant about “anon�� account: Nikki, the girl behind the anon acc who presented all the evidence is a real person, plus, should it matter if she’s anon when she’s presenting FACTS and PROOF?! Against facts there are no arguments. And another thing: those screenshots of him trashing ppl from the LGBT community? All real. How do I know? Because I sent them to Nikki. He said those things to me. I’m not afraid anymore because Alicia/Marvin need to go down. I was “his�� friend. I believed him. I sent him money and presents because I thought he was a single dad with liver cancer. I’m not keeping his secrets anymore. And to everyone reading this: you also shouldn’t.

I wish this site had a share button. Thank you for posting this, friend

Would the real slim shady please stand up???? #timesup

Thank you for posting this.

Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews wrote: "Would the real slim shady please stand up???? #timesup"

Hahaha, I wish I could frame this comment, Mare. :)

Thank you for this.

It's all so unbelievable it can only be true.

Thanks Susan.

Thank you Susan. And thank you to Monica for coming forward as well. And to Nikki for putting it all out there to get the conversation started in public.

I guess ask yourself��..why is everyone so AFRAID? What has this author done in the past that makes people so sure they’ll be left as carnage along the way if they come forward?

*Nods* Whoever the people behind the (now revealed as super fake) Santino Hassell persona are, they're flesh and blood like the rest of us.

I get some people might be embarrassed that they bought the lie, but all the ongoing silence does is add a façade of power to a pair of liars and scammers.

Thank you for your post. <3

Thank you, Susan.

This is a very well written blog post about it all. Thanks to Francesca, Karen, Miki.

Hi Susan! Thank you for posting this. I have seen things here and there recently, but I didn't know what to believe. I (like many others, I'm sure) thought it would be best to ignore it. But I have found that one aspect is too disturbing to ignore.

I had cancer. I watched my father die an agonizingly painful death from cancer. There is a special place in hell for people who fake cancer for monetary gain or fame.

If that is true - that this person faked an illness and profited from it - it is indefensible. If that is true, this person deserves to lose every single shred of credibility and respect. Multiple screenshots and multiple people indicate that happened here. I suppose all of those screenshots could be forged and all of those people could be lying. I *have* to say that because *I* don't know anything for certain. I do know that the more I learn, the less likely I am to believe in a vast conspiracy against this author.

Thank you again. I don't want to invite "drama" - I have never had drama here and I would prefer to keep it that way! But I have seen people wonder why anyone would be hurt by the deception, and I wanted to add my two cents. And sorry for getting all emotional up in your post 😜 It just...hurts, that someone could be capable of faking a disease that causes such devastation, that they could take advantage of others' kindness.

Thank you, Susan. I know it takes hella guts to open up about him and question him.

*hugs*
The damage this....person has caused is extreme and the depth of deceit has only just begun to be exposed (perhaps this should be a book title....oh wait!) but what has surfaced is indisputable.

I admire the strength and courage of all the voices coming forward. Many thanks to you and the girls on the front line that have suffered great abuse.

Emotions are bound to be all over the place and from my personal experience with a catfish they may include any or all of the following:
•shocked - the extent of which is dependent on your prior suspicions.
•hurt for the loss of your relationship/friendship.
•d������������.
•e�������������������.
•ashamed - you never thought anything like that could happen to you.
•anxious and irritable.
•c�DzԴڳܲ����.
Just know it’s okay to feel these and you are not alone.
I always want to believe the best in people but they don’t always present the opportunity to do so.
It’s also a great shame that this...person has not been alone with this masterful scam.
Thanks again for this post.

Gaby wrote: "Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews wrote: "Would the real slim shady please stand up???? #timesup"

Hahaha, I wish I could frame this comment, Mare. :)"

HAHA! There are more lines. I'll add em to my other reviews :)

Anne Boleyn's Ghost wrote: "Hi Susan! Thank you for posting this. I have seen things here and there recently, but I didn't know what to believe. I (like many others, I'm sure) thought it would be best to ignore it. But I have..."

Totally! My dad passed 1.5 years ago from cancer. Liver at that.
Watching that. No.
No passes for cancer lies ever.

I'm just going to say this: Liver cancer is rare in people under age 55, particularly in those of Caucasian decent. Liver cancer also has a very low survival rate, typically around 4 to 14 percent at the five year mark (slightly higher if caught early, although its symptoms are easy to ignore, like with all cancers).

No patient with liver cancer will ever drink or smoke again unless they have a death wish.

Because of the low survival rate and because the cancer often spreads to other organs, patients with liver cancer are not placed on a transplant list.

Liver cancer is painful and the treatment debilitating. Symptoms of liver cancer and its treatment include rapid weight loss, bloating of the gut, bleeding varices, memory loss, inability to concentrate, toxin accumulation in the body leading to "brain fog," body blisters, jaundice, and muscle deterioration I have gone through this with someone close to me, and it's horrifying.

People with liver cancer (or any cancer really) do not live a "fuckboy" lifestyle.

No one with a history of cancer quits their job (in the United States at least), because of much needed benefits and the possibility of never being covered by insurance again due to a preexisting condition.

I have a strong medical background and I can say with 99.9% conviction that the author in reference did NOT have liver cancer.

And if that's a lie, and I believe it is, what else is?

Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews wrote: My dad passed 1.5 years ago from cancer. Liver at that. ."

I am so very sorry, hon.

I hope everyone speaking out will encourage more to speak out. Maybe more people will see what is being provided is truth. Not fabricated. People will question all the things SH has said because if someone is willing to LIE about cancer, is there anything they won’t lie about? (*cough cough* 9/11 being one).

I just had my uncle die from cancer. People who fake an illness for profit, attention, whatever don't deserve respect, nor my reviews. Removing them.

Thank you, Susan.

Thank you Susan I never look at the drama stuff today I saw all this and needed to understand as I WAS a Patreon m so PO’d.

~✡~Dαni(ela) �� ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ wrote: "I'm just going to say this: Liver cancer is rare in people under age 55, particularly in those of Caucasian decent. Liver cancer also has a very low survival rate, typically around 4 to 14 percent ..."

Yes. I have 2 family members who died from liver cancer. And this is why I caught onto this bullshit YEARS ago.

Thanks for taking time to put the info here!

Thanks, you were very brave :). And I don't have words for him

One of the things I'd like to see be discussed in all this is what about his author buddies/co-writers? Did they know? I'm not sure how someone goes to conventions and on vacations with someone but doesn't know who they are. These authors have been rabid in the past at defending his right to privacy & his "dance space", to the point it makes me feel they all knew he had something to hide. Their silence in the last week or two has been deafening. I hope everyone will take note of those people too and do some serious thinking when deciding whether or not to purchase their books. There's a huge difference between trying to keep your private life private and spinning sob stories than garner thousands of dollars in donations. And other authors sitting back and saying nothing is imo co-signing this behavior. It's a level of disrespect to readers I can't get my head around.

We have a level of power here. We can refuse to buy these people's books. We can refuse to review these people's books. We can email publishers and let them know their author's behaviors are unacceptable and we won't be buying from them again until they've addressed the matter. We can drop out of people's Patreons.

Despite this show of TERRIBLE author behavior, there are still a lot of great authors out there. A lot of new authors coming into the genre. Give them your money instead.

Bravo!!!!!

Damn! i am a Patreon. This is so wrong, and just heartless. I love his/ her books.

I am one of those who avoids drama but as you said this is way beyond that. I guess this was specially hard for you and for all his fans back from his ICoS days. I just don't get why this happened but as you and Mare and others pointed out there are certain things that cannot be forgiven. Thanks for being so brave, Susan.
*hugs*

I must day this is all knds of wrong. Good for you to speak up.

Thank you, Susan.

Thank you! Thank you for having the courage to speak up.

Thanks for clarifying a lot of things. It was hard figuring out if this was a revenge-quest or if this was a serious thing, since I don't read twitter;-) All of the skullduggery and redacted names just made it even more confusing. Sometimes we need all the facts presented, and then we can make some informed decisions.

Wow! Thanks for sharing with us.

Alisa wrote: "One of the things I'd like to see be discussed in all this is what about his author buddies/co-writers? Did they know? I'm not sure how someone goes to conventions and on vacations with someone but..."

I agree with all of this. I don´t know who knew about this or who didn´t, and I know some people is scared, for example I´ve read people in this thread telling her experiencie and she has deleted it. But, some authors are very vocals with this kind of things when is about people who is not as important as SH, and now they are quiet, the publisher is quiet, SH is quiet. If you are a professional and something as big as this is out you should make an statement, I´m a reader and I don´t want any author tell me anything about his/her life, I had muted SH in Twitter because I thought it was disturbing how much he shared about his life (lies), but as a reader I deserve some kind of statement from the publisher.

When It first came to light I thought it all sounded like made up nonsense but the more I read and look into it, it makes me feel deeply uncomfortable. Pen names are fine but there is something so sad about this if it is true.