As some of you may know based on previously blog posts here and at my LJ, I was contacted by “Kristian Rockefeller” who was supposedly the owner/operator of a new yaoi e-zine called Yaoi World for an interview for Raythe Reign. 

Late last night I found out definitively that “Kristian Rockefeller” is actually Kira Takenouchi who is really Lila … somebody and that the magazine was created almost solely for the purpose of giving Kira publicity for her own yaoi subscription site (which she is supposedly in the process of shutting down).  Essentially, she used legitimate artists and sites to give her e-zine the imprimatur of credibility in order to make Yaoi World’s “decision” to name her 2009’s Best New Yaoi Author in the World have more weight and to give herself an advertising platform that looked legit even though it was not.

How do I know this?  She confessed to it in her blog.  Here’s a section of Kira’s post:

“***PLEASE SIT DOWN BEFORE READING THIS NEXT PART***

Now, on to something profoundly embarrassing to me to have to confess, and something I certainly would NOT confess, if I did not have the Holy Spirit of God pulling on my heart to set the record straight.

Yes, a confession. More than that: a glimpse into my pathetic existence and how depraved, self-serving and fundamentally insane my life was without Christ in the driver’s seat.

There is no Kristian Rockefeller. Probably not much of a surprise to some of you!  He was purely my own invention, designed, first, as a marketing gimmick to provide support for me and my works when no one else would. He quickly became more than that to me, like my old friend Keeru Xing, becoming a real entity who was able to offer solutions to my many problems, solutions I couldn’t seem to come up with on my own. My objectives for Yaoi World were mixed: besides promoting myself, I hoped to promote authors and artists I legitimately admired, some of whom were also unfortunately recipients of my past insanity and who I had hurt in some fashion or another.

I apologize to anyone who is troubled by this revelation. But it’s clear to me now I can’t continue with Yaoi World, either. I think in the back of my mind I almost thought maybe there was a way to hang onto my stuff through Kristian. You can see how absurd that logic is: did I really think I could fool God? He knows all things. He knows whether or not my surrender is real and complete.

So I am very sorry to say that you will have to disregard anything I said about Kristian continuing my works. Kristian is gone. Kira Takenouchi is gone. My name is Lila. It’s nice to meet you. *bows*

As for the rest of my series and the art, it’s all up for grabs. If you’re interested in any of it, you can make an offer. For those of you who just purchased Lifetime Memberships, you can contact me to discuss having the rights to one of the series, plus the art, in lieu of your refund.”

Here’s the link to the whole thing:  http://kirafix.com/blog/?p=565

When I was contacted by Yaoi World, I was flattered and excited to get more exposure for Raythe Reign. I saw that Tricia Owens (Juxtapose Fantasy’s owner/author) had been interviewed there for the first issue and I admire her greatly. I thought: how cool to be interviewed in the same magazine as Tricia was!  

Perhaps those were the reasons why I ignored the rumors that Yaoi World was a shadow site for Kira.  I couldn’t fully give credence to the rumors, because who, I thought, would go through the hassle, time and energy to produce a fake e-zine just to get some advertising?  I mean why not advertise at the many sites out there already instead of creating something from scratch?  Why create fictitious people and con readers and other writers with this nonsense?  Surely, no one is that desperate!  

Clearly, I was wrong on all counts.

What perplexes and aggravates me no end is that I have no connection to Kira.  None.  I was never one of her subscribers.  I was not someone who had business dealings with her in the past.  I am a stranger to her.  And yet she dragged Raythe Reign into this, even if only peripherally, by asking for an interview, advising people of that interview on Yaoi World and also posting Mathia’s artwork all over the Yaoi World site. 

I debated posting this blog, because I try my darndest not to get involved in internet drama and I don’t want to give Kira more publicity or notoriety as the case may be, even from my little corner of the web.  I know she says that she is out of the business now and selling her stories and artwork to the highest bidders, but she’s said that before.  Actually several times before.  It’s impossible in my opinion to believe anything she says.  

So why am I writing this?  Because I want people to know (and I’m sure you who have followed me for years already know this) that I had nothing to do with the con of Yaoi World or Kristian Rockefeller. I’m impossibly proud of Raythe Reign and what it’s becoming.  Members are pouring in (thanks to Jaxxy at AFF!  woot! and each of you who has believed in me and the artists) and each dollar that comes in is allowing me to do more and more for you, the readers.  So to have the site associated in any way with this business is sickening. 

A friend has contacted me about her desire to revive the e-zine as a legitimate thing and I wish her the greatest of luck with it.  Perhaps in the future those interview questions I answered wouldn’t be for a sham e-zine, but for a real one with an honest person behind the helm.  When/if that happens you all will be the first to know.

Thanks,

Raythe