Except, apparently, when it comes to Beau Starr. His channel is the polar opposite of mine, and so is he. Wholesome, inspirational, and clean-cut. Everything about him should turn me off, but when we hook up following a confrontation at a convention, my world flips upside down. Not only does Beau Starr turn me on, he uses the exact combination of dirty talk and roughness needed to turn me out.
But we still hate each other. I think.
The Finer Details
Publication Date: June 2, 2017
Publisher: Megtino Press
Editor: Edie Danford
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Sequence: SequenceCyberlove 4
Series Type: new couple
Length: Novel – 218 e-book pages
POV: 1st Person Alternating
Tense: Past
Pairing(s): Male/Male
Identities: Gay
Age Range(s): 22-25, 26-29
Genre(s): Contemporary
Tropes & Tags: enemies to lovers, opposites attract
Setting/Locale: Los Angeles, CA
Ending: HEA
Notice
Review and rating removed.
On or about March 9, 2018, the news broke far and wide that the author known as Santino Hassell is a catfish, abusive, predatory, a master manipulator…and the list of sociopathic adjectives could go on from what I’ve gathered.
In the days surrounding, ties with this author were severed with ‘his’ agent and most (if not all) publishers including Riptide, Dreamspinner, Berkley, and…probably others.
I’m not here to write a think piece on the matter, plenty are out there, and I’d just be repeating what’s already been said. Though, I’ll say that it disgusts me to my core that anyone who came into contact with this author — from readers to authors (including co-authors), to those who were barely even in ‘his’ orbit and those who were close friends — are all victims of such a far-reaching deception. It’s monstrous how much damage and harm was caused by such epic deceit and web of lies spanning nearly two decades. I was duped. We were all duped.
It’s not about a pen name. It’s not about gender. It’s not about author privacy. It’s not about author brand. It's a fucking mess of despicable truths stranger than fiction that has left this community I love reeling in the aftermath.
If you need more information here’s a start:
Statement from Riptide: http://riptidepublishing.com/a-statement-on-sh
Twitter Moment outlining the allegations: https://twitter.com/i/moments/970716633017790464
Tumblr post further outlining allegations: https://thesaltminers.tumblr.com/post/171680546960/the-santino-hassell-debacle
Twitter post that’ll blow your fucking mind: https://twitter.com/sweetsakuradoll/status/972031764766994432
Heartbreaking statement from Ais, co-author of the ICoS series: https://twitter.com/aisness/status/976957000708915200
NOTE: Several Twitter handles were also massively important — chiefly Nikki @ease_dropper who worked for over a year to bring this information to light with receipts like you wouldn’t believe while simultaneously dealing with increasing backlash and abuse in those efforts to be heard.
A Twitter search of #SHconfessions will also work as well as the entirety of the Twitter handle @sweetsakuradoll.
Other posts that can be found with a google search of “Santino Hassell” or “Santino Hassell Catfish.”