I get it… sometimes, people make noise and it can offend others in one way or another, but that is what’s great about the United States or at least it was up until recently.

Let me explain…

This may not mean much to most of you, but it really struck a nerve with me.  I have been publishing for almost two years now and really found a passion for writing.  It took a while, but I came to grips with telling unique stories that were not just filled with steamy sex, but that actually told a story.  After a few bumps in the road and some research, I found a style that was very unique and one that I was proud of.

As I continued to write, the story plots and character development became more prominent and the erotic scenes were not the dominant force in my work.  I really got into telling a story instead of just writing about sex.  Over the last 6 months, I had been working on a book series that hit home and the first book was to be published this week, but someone had other plans.

Amazon, killed my book in paperback, strangely enough, it was approved in eBook form.  Amazon initially indicated it was blocked or rejected because it violated the Amazon KDP terms.  I clicked the link they sent me and found that there were only two basic terms they had… no porn and no offensive content.

Now, as an erotic storyteller, on the surface, everything I have written could pornographic and offensive, it really depends on the reader.  That is what the categories and description of the piece should take care of for the casual “window shopper.”  Only now I was telling a different story.  One that had a little more meaning… to me.  Was there sex… sure, but that is not what I was talking about.

Without giving away the plot of the story, I wrote about a kid who grew up being bullied and assaulted because he was different, and who made a choice to close a chapter in his life and start a new one.  Is it pornographic?  Is it offensive? I guess it depends on who reads it.

My previous book “Understanding Steve” dealt with a similar subject where a character commits suicide because of the anxiety of finding one’s true self.  My latest book “Victim’s Revenge: Missing in Plain Sight” deals with bullying and sexual assault… both “trending” topics in today’s social arena.  Tack on aspects of gender identity, the transgendered community and other aspects of LGBTQ and now we have a piece of FICTIONAL literature that no one (or at least one group) feels should be published.

It is not like I don’t have options.  I can choose to move the book to another publisher or simply give it away, but I found it insulting that it was rejected for those reasons when I can turn on the news, pick up a newspaper (online of course) and read about unspeakable things being done to others who have been subject to these topics… AND THOSE A TRUE LIFE SITUATIONS, my book is a work of FICTION.

I would love to hear your thoughts.